Woah it's been a few weeks...

Needless to say they have been busy ones... we are on "holiday" at the moment but as they are preparing us to be teachers they seem to think we need work to do in our break time so alas, I have been head down, bum up to the books (well the laptop!).

I have hit the wall tonight (hence the procrastination... I mean blog post...), but it is justified after a couple of really big days on the books today and yesterday, I have so much to do but I feel better for having started and knowing how much I need to do, rather than this vague I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO.

The final day of our course is the 13th of November (not that I am counting but that is only 26 weeks away... and yes I just worked that out), so we only have 6 more months of hard slog ahead! But then graduation looms... on the 17th or 19th of December (really... could they get it much closer to Christmas...), when hopefully my whole class and I will put on silly gowns and get up on stage (no tripping) and receive our Bachelor of Education, wow! Then comes the big party...

Ignore the $46 that's just my savings for that week (I wish it was what it cost to be a teacher...), 

and no I didn't do this especially for the blog, I've had that date in my diary all year... 

No point in counting my chickens before they hatch though as I still have a lot to do between now and then! The general feeling amongst us is "how on earth are we going to get everything done?!", several of my classmates and I would happily drop a paper this semester as the workload is massive but with the end goal in sight this would be silly as there is no time to catch up and next semester (our last one) is sure to be busy as well!

The good news is that I am going to be going back to Collingwood for a few days in the next couple of weeks (all going to plan) to do some testing/observing for a couple of my assignments, I cannot wait to see everyone again!

Sometimes as I work through my course work I find myself wondering how am I meant to teach this when I don't really understand it myself, but I know that teaching is one of those professions where you keep learning on the job, until you die... I mean retire... although it scares me how much I don't know I am learning all the time and the more I learn, the more interested and passionate I become.

The other day I posted a freak out similar to this one on Facebook and had some lovely comments;
Stella, who I babysit for said "Don't worry, that's how I felt when I was studying nursing. Somehow it all works out... You are going to be an awesome teacher!!!! You already are to my children." WOW, what a compliment! :) Also a former teacher of mine who has been super supportive this whole journey of mine posted "You'll get there - one step at a time! AND don't give up on your dreams." These ladies and all of the other people who support me on a day to day basis have no idea how much their encouragement helps me, some days I really feel like throwing in the towel, and other days I know that being a teacher is all I want to be in life (well other than a good person). So to all of you who put up with my rants, help pick me up when I am down, answer all my silly questions, put up with me doubting myself, buy me treats and tell me I will be a good teacher, thank you. Thank you more than words can say, I could not, would not be who/where I am without you all.

Wow 7.27.... bed time.... just kidding but I think that is all I have to ramble on about for tonight. Back to the study tomorrow, have to, got a whole lot of assignment due dates burning holes in my calendar!

The End

Last Friday I was at the Rural Service Centre BBQ with my brother and I ran into a few people I know (as you do in Collingwood), and one of them said to me that she had been enjoying my blog but I had stopped.... I haven't stopped, I just haven't had time! My blog is what I do when I am procrastinating but sometimes there is no time for procrastination blogs, and in my final week in Golden Bay I actually did a lot of socialising... my nephews birthday part, dinner at Mum's, dinner at Dad's, dinner at Michael and Lisa's... phew its exhausting having lots of family around (I loved it though). So here I am, back in Nelson and today you get not just one but TWO blog posts! I will aim to keep up with my blog but it is not as exciting when there are no children involved, it is more likely to be me whinging about how I have got behind... don't give me any sympathy!

Anyway, here it is.... 

On my final day of full control I was presented with this certificate....

Pretty cool eh :)

One of the girls in the class above ours, told me her sister was crying at hui because she doesn't want me to leave... I didn't tell them that I might cry too cos I also don't want to leave :(

At Hui on my final friday, my AT, Pip was telling the students how cool it was to have a former student come back and be in the class with them, she was saying how lovely it was to see what students got up to when they grow up. I can't wait to experience this.... might have to wait a few years though!

The students were practicing a song for their marae visit next term, it happened to be their farewell song, which they then dedicated to me... 

Pö atarau E moea iho nei E haere ana Koe ki pämamao Haere rä Ka hoki mai anö Ki i te tau E tangi atu nei

On a moonlit night I see in a dream You going away To a distant land Farewell, But return again To your loved one, Weeping here

Followed by:

Ka kite, ka kite, ka kite ano. We'll see you, we'll see you, we'll see you again.

I nearly bawled on the spot. 

On Monday I received this wee message from Pip on facebook:

Unfortunately since being home I have had toothache (well it started on Sunday night), so because of that I have been very glad to be home and not in the classroom but if not for that I would be wishing to still be in the Bay. I wonder what Room 15 has been up to this week? I miss the day to day stories from the kids and just having them show me their work that they are proud of, those are my favourite bits of teaching! 

I was incredibly sad to say goodbye on Friday afternoon, I was totally exhausted and ready for the weekend but not ready to say goodbye! I hope that I will be able to come back and visit but the distance makes things a little more challenging!

We are back into full on study mode with our māori, science and technology and literacy and maths papers all beginning this week, and while it is great to be learning more, there is nothing that compares to the learning we gain in a classroom, and lets be honest it is more fun than lectures! I can't count the number of times I paused my lectures today to wander off.... 

This placement gave me a lot more confidence, I now feel like I could actually be a teacher next year. It is still daunting and I still have 6 more months of training to go, then I actually have to GET a job.... but I feel like I can do it. I know I will still make mistakes (but that is ok, as long as you learn from them), and I am sure I will often wonder what on earth I am doing but deep down I know, that we do it for the love of it! I can't imagine doing anything else.... 

A special visitor

On Friday the 21st March Room 15 had a special visitor... her name was Princess Amber and she is a pig!
Natalie's Mum bought the pig to school, and play centre! Apparently the play centre kids chased her around the yard and Room 3 read her a story and put her to sleep, then she came to us and was the centre of attention!

Most of the children thought she was pretty cool but some of them were not so sure....

I said to them that they are pretty lucky, it is unlikely that they would get a pig in their class if they were at a city school!

After she was with us we had writing time and we had a wee brainstorm of some adjectives (what we were focusing on at the time) are that we could use to describe her:

Princess Amber
Pig
fearless
Fun
poo (I don't know why cos she didn't...)
small
cute
cuddly
cool
scary (Told ya some of them weren't so keen)
colourful
soft
spiky
beautiful
squeaky (boy did she voice her objections about being picked up)
fast runner
speedy
sleepy (no chance, we were far too noisy!)

Here is the story I wrote when modelling:

Here are a couple of stories that the girls wrote about our special visitor.

Today Mum brought Princess Amber to school. Amber is black and pinky white. She is so cute. She has brown eyes. She is so little and cuddly. She has little black ears. When you pick her up she starts to squeal but I still love her. - Natalie

Today Princess Amber came to school. To our class. She was as cute as a fluffy bunny. She has lots of colour on her back. It had black on it and white on it. It had brown eyes. - Courtney

Here are a couple of stories that the girls wrote about our special visitor.

Today Mum brought Princess Amber to school. Amber is black and pinky white. She is so cute. She has brown eyes. She is so little and cuddly. She has little black ears. When you pick her up she starts to squeal but I still love her. - Natalie

Today Princess Amber came to school. To our class. She was as cute as a fluffy bunny. She has lots of colour on her back. It had black on it and white on it. It had brown eyes. - Courtney