my thoughts @ 1:40 AM

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Well, its all over. My 4 weeks of teaching placement has ended. But on a very very high note I must say. It was the best ever placement. And I'm so glad that it happened on my last round for primary school. It would have been so discouraging if you had a bad experience on your last placement.

Anyhows, my kids were absolute darlings! They made me a card and gave me lotsa pressies... things that were essential to become a 'real' teacher! lolz. I got post it notes, scissors, a mini whiteboard, stickers, chalk and coloured pencils... and a box of chocolate! lolz. And yes, I cried. haha. Before they gave me the card and presents, my teacher got them to sit around in a circle and they had to say one thing that they liked about me teaching them for the past 4 weeks. That's when the tears really started flowing! I told my teacher to stop but she insisted they all get a turn! lolz.

We had a 'surprise' party for me at the end of the day. It wasn't exactly a surprise party because as soon as she told the kids about my surprise party, one little boy came and told me. haha. My teacher said she didn't think they could keep a secret for very long. lolz. But it was a nice thought anyway. We had lots of popcorn, marshmallows, chocolate biscuits and chips. There was dancing and music. OMG! They are hilarious when they're dancing! Soooooo cute! I took some videos of them but I don't know how to upload them onto here. So I'll have to show you guys another time. Watching the boys dance was so funny... I just couldn't picture them dancing until that last hour! They were such 'cool' aussie footy guys and dancing just didn't fit their character. It was definitely entertaining to watch though! haha.

So anyways, the staff took me out for coffee and cake after school. That was really nice of them. We gossiped about other staff (which was quite interesting), talked about how I need to register for teaching early, things that I should expect when i start teaching and lots of other random but interesting stuff. My teacher has asked me to come back and take lessons during the rest of the year. That way I'll get more experience and hopefully be in with a better chance of getting a job there.

So, next on the agenda... kinder! Not sure how I'm gonna cope with that... going from primary to kinder. They both really different settings. And I'm loving primary school at the moment. It'll be hard to settle into kinder. Oh wellz, I don't have a choice. Hopefully it'll be just as good.

Back to uni for me tomorrow. Somewhat excited but somewhat stressed. OMG! I just found out like 2 hours ago that I was stressing out for nothing! Long story short. I was told that two of my assignments for one subject was due on the 15th May. Now this was going to be a struggle because I was on placement and I didn't have time to go hand it in at uni. Therefore I emailed my lecturer and asked for an alternate way. He said that it was now due on the 22nd May. Which is tomorrow. So that was okay except it meant that I had to squeeze both assignments into this weekend and finish it by tonite to hand in on Monday. I have been working my butt off trying to get these two assignments finished. I have declined and sacrificed dinner and brunch outings with people I so desperately want to see, JUST so I could finish my assignments. So while slaving away for the whole day and night last night... till 3am to be precise... and then the whole day today till 7pm... i suddenly got a phonecall from my dearest ling. And she had news for me. APPARENTLY our assignment was due during the week that started on the 22nd of may. It was not due ON the 22nd of May. It was now due DURING that week and to be handed in on the day of your tute, which for me is on Thursday! That's 4 extra days I have to complete my TWO assignments that I thought were due tomorrow!!!! OMG!!! And i missed out on the outings that i could have gone to just to find out i have 4 extra days to do them. Stoopid lecturers!!! Ok, so that wasn't a very short version. haha.

But seeing as I have nearly finished my assignment... well one of them anyway, I figured I might as well continue with it and then I won't need to stress out on it later in the week. I can RELAX! Something I have been looking foward to for the whole semester! lolz. For those of you who I get to see tomorrow... CAN'T WAIT! I miss you all soooooo much!!!! See you soon! *hugglez*

my thoughts @ 8:47 PM

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As I get closer and closer to becoming a teacher, I have decided that I want books.

Definitely lots and lots of picture books. I wanna be able to read a book to my kids everyday. I LOVE reading picture books to kids. It's so much fun and the kids love it too! And believe it or not, they are actually learning at the same time! A book can teach children so many things.

I also want books that have activities and worksheets. My teacher has given me so many useful books that have been my bible for the past 4 weeks. Books that teach children about sentences, full stops and capital letters. Books that teach children about '-ck' words. Books that teach me how to teach measurement. Books that tell me how to organise reading groups. Fill in the blanks. Wordfinds. Storyboards. Sequencing. The list is endless and the books are endless.

I'm glad I didn't start buying activity/worksheet books last year or the years before that. They are about to change the outcomes and standards for children's learning. All the books are going to have to change to fit the new standards. The VELS - Victorian Essential Learning Standards. No more CSF - Curriculum Standards Framework. It's going to be interesting to see all the older teachers who have been teaching and using the CSF for yonks change to the VELS. It's going to be a struggle to get their head around it. Kinda glad I'm graduating this year. I can dive straight into VELS.

So for those of you who need ideas for presents/gifts... hehe... just think BOOKS! children's books of course... :D

my thoughts @ 7:10 PM

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Isolated and alone.

It has been one busy week this week and I have a feeling its not gonna stop there. My usual routine for the week is this:
6:30am - I get up
8am - I'm at school
3:30pm - School finishes
3:30pm onwards - planning

But my days don't usually end when the bell goes. On top of the daily routine this week...
Monday - Staff meeting that go till 5:30pm even sometimes 6pm
Tuesday - I had open night so I stayed till 9pm
Wednesday - Had a grade level meeting which went till 5:30
Thursday - I had to work then stayed up till 3am preparing my paper work for my uni supervisor
Friday - uni surpervisor came to assess me plus I had to work at night
Saturday - I had to work

And in between all that, I stay up till midnite onwards writing up all my lesson plans, evaluating my lessons from that day, making worksheets and games for the students for the next day... it just never ends. For all you people who think teaching is such an easy job... I challenge you to take one week of full control in a classroom and then tell me how easy a teacher's job is! Even I didn't think there was so much involved! There are so many little extra things that lecturers can't teach or tell us about. Which is what teaching placements are all about. To learn the things that can't be taught. It just has to be experienced. And for the past 3 weeks, I have learnt probably the same amount about teaching than I have over the past 3.5 years of uni. Sounds silly, yet true. It's no use learning all this theory in the lectures but not being able to apply it. Only now have I been able to understand and use the textbooks we have to help me prepare and apply it in the classroom.

Though on top of having lots of fun experiencing the teacher's life, I can't help but feel isolated from the world as well. When I read my friends blogs, talk to friends online or on the phone, bump into them somewhere, I see, read and hear all the fun that they're having. Movies, dinners, lunch, dancing. All the fun that I've missed out on. I know it can't be helped... but my feelings also can't be helped. I've been feeling more alone than ever this past week. I just wish that there were more hours in the day to fit in everything. Either that or I wanna clone myself so i can have the best of all worlds. I'm looking forward to going back to uni. But that also mean 2 assignments that are due on the Monday when I return. :(



my thoughts @ 10:37 AM

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I have been 'hiding under a rock' as Mikey put it to me today. I have missed out on so many things in the past two weeks... yet I have gained so much as well.

The past two weeks have consisted of early mornings and late nights, planning, evaluating, observing, assessing, teaching, learning and more. All of which is necessary when you become a teacher. I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. And my little darling gr 1's remind me everyday why I have chosen this path. To find a job, go to work and love what you do everyday is rare. But for me, I have found that job.

I go to work everyday with a smile on my face. Just knowing that I have an amazing class to teach and look after. I know that Zane will be there to give me a cuddle. Adele will be there to greet me with a smile on her face. Brooke will be there to always listen attentively. Jackson will be there to show me how well he can do his maths. Bradley will be there to help me hand out the worksheets. Shanae will be there to show me how much she can write. Julian will be there to draw a picture and show he's the artist of the class. So many things I look forward to everyday. And though I plan each day and have a schedule to follow, the children make the days more interesting and more fulfilling than the last.

And on top of having a wonderful class, I have a fantastic supportive teacher that is so encouraging in everything I do. She never tells me what I'm doing wrong, but always says what I'm doing right and how I can improve. She never takes over when I'm taking a lesson but always whispers advice in my ear. She never leaves me by myself at recess or lunchtime but always tells me where she's going or where she'll be. She never excludes me from social outings with other staff but always invites me. She never yells at the class but always gives them choices. She never stresses if things don't go to plan but always sees it as a learning opportunity. She is an amazing teacher and supervisor and I'm so lucky that I got to work with her.

It has only been two weeks since my placement started but as you can already tell, I am loving each and everyday I spend there. I don't want it to end.

But on the otherhand, I miss seeing jess and ling everyday. I miss my Flare dancers. I miss going to the guys place with mel and having dinner with them. I miss bubble tea! haha... I guess you can never have the best of both worlds.

my thoughts @ 7:32 PM

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