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....