STOKED

So for those of you that don't already know I was fortunate enough to win a position at Stoke School for next year! School starts on the 2nd of February and I will be teaching 22 year 2/3 (age 6/7 years) children in Room 5.

I was lucky enough to get to meet these 22 children today at their meet the teacher session and they did some AWESOME drawings for me and told me a few things about themselves.

I have the keys to my classroom and I cannot wait to get in there and make it my own!

Things got a little bit real today though when my syndicate leader (also called Sarah) handed me a stack of documents and paperwork to get acquainted with! Thankfully I have 6 weeks or so to get into this!

It's mine, all mine!

To infinity and beyond...

Well here I am with only 1 week of my degree left... looking over my shoulder it looks like a long journey but it feels like it was just yesterday that I was meeting everyone for the first time.

Our official final day is Wednesday the 12th of November, but our last work to be handed in is due on Friday the 7th which is just 8 days away, then we have a wee wait to get all our results back before graduation on the 19th of December! WOW!!

I am in the process of applying for jobs, and it is a daunting process this selling yourself on a piece of paper and one that I find hard. When talking to us about writing our CV's our lecturer said "you need to let your personality show" then in the next breath she said "keep it professional", I joked that I can't do both, but I am finding my way.

The thing that I am finding the hardest at the moment is competing against these people that I have come to love very much, I cannot even think about next year when I won't see my classmates at least once a week, they truly are what has kept me afloat.

I interviewed for a job at Stoke School last week and I would have loved to work there as I love what they are doing in partnership with the community, sadly I lost out, but,
the best bit is that it was to one of my classmates, so well done Tommy! Absolutely STOKED (hehe) for him and I think he is the best fit for the job and they are lucky to have him.

We talk a lot about finding the school that is the right 'puzzle' for your 'piece', and I know that this will come for all of us as we are a pretty awesome bunch, and SO modest too.

I know that my teaching journey has really only just begun so as my mate Buzz Lightyear says "To infinity and beyond...", bring it on I say.

Image from: http://oncampus.osu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/buzz-lightyear-wallpaper-476x297.jpg 

New leaf

Well today was the first day of a new leaf!

I have spent the 'holidays' being terribly slack and now, as I knew would happen, I very much regret my actions!

Today is the 13th of October and my final day of university is the 13th of November, I officially have 4 more weeks of being a student! Unfortunately this means that I have 4 assignments due... in two weeks time. ARGH! Now you understand my regret about those sleep ins!

This afternoon was beautiful and I was SO very tempted to chuck in the study and head to the beach, but new leaf me said NO! This was a good decision as I had a productive day today, I wrote the draft of an assignment, which is like splattering all my thoughts onto a piece of paper, now I need to make it make sense... hmmm

I also got myself organised to apply for a couple of jobs for we are at the business end of all this and hopefully I will be a real life teacher next year and this blog will again get interesting with the happenings of a classroom, oh the adventures we shall have!

There are so many things on my mind at the moment, Ari, assignments, job applications, work over summer, my credit card balance (shhh), but there are also happy things like beach picnics with Amy and Soph, random library giggles with Rach and so many other wonderful people and things. It is AMAZING having Aunty Jo home from her overseas trip, I no longer need to worry about feeding myself dinner... hehe so spoiled! (Wow that sounds like I am a baby who needs spoon feeding, I just mean she cooks for me and I am ever so grateful!)

I am very lucky to have the love and support from a whole range of people, without whom this degree would not be possible! I have been supported emotionally, physically, financially and any other way possible that you can think of and I will be forever grateful to my 'team'.

I never thought this point would come, I can honestly say that it doesn't feel like 3 years ago I was accepting my place on this course, time sure flies when you are having fun...

I think next year might feel like warp speed...


P.s. I am looking forward to seeing this bunch of smiling faces tomorrow, it has been too long!

Tribute

Gosh it has been awhile since my last post, and a lot has happened since then!

As most of you know (because I am sure it is only my family and friends who read this blog), my younger brother (step brother) Ari was tragically killed in a mountaineering accident two days after I finished placement, a week after my last blog post. So understandably blogging and even uni haven't been my top priorities. Right the way through my degree I have said there was only one thing more important than study and that is family.

I spent two weeks grieving and healing (?) with my family in Golden Bay and by supporting each other and with the support of family, friends and an amazing community we had a beautiful farewell for a beautiful, bright, funny, adventurous, red headed boy. He will always be a boy to me, coming into my life when he was only 3 and leaving it far too young at 21.

This is the first time I have put my thoughts to 'paper' since straight after hearing the news that no one ever wants to hear, the news that is everyone's worst nightmare. Thinking of him and looking at his picture above my desk is bringing it all back; the fact that I will never see him again, and I am unbearably sad about that fact.

BUT he died doing what he loved and he wouldn't want unbearable sadness to be his legacy, I have decided that I need to live more, live larger, do more, see more, love more and these things are the silver lining to such a horrible tragedy.

So Ari, my brother, I will love you forever and I will think of you everyday for the rest of my life, but now I am going to live a life that hopefully you would be proud of. I wish I could share my adventure tales with you and hear yours but poor old Shaye is going to have to listen to me waffle on now, and I will be there for her as you always were, you were her hero, I hope you knew that.

I am proud to call you family and so privileged to have known you.

I wrote the following after I was told Ari had died, as I needed something to occupy my mind, I had originally intended to share it at his memorial service, but there were so many people with wonderful stories to share, stories that made us laugh as much as they made us cry.

Little boy how can you be gone?

I met you first when you were a bright red headed wee man running around in your undies… I should add that you were 3. Although I am sure that there have been more undie antics since then...

I haven’t seen you enough in recent years to really say that I know you, but you are still my brother, from another mother… and father.

I just wrote were still my brother, but it is are, it will always be are.

When explaining my or rather our crazy family to people I always simply say that you and Dan are my brothers, that step bit is just a pain and the brothers bit is the important part. Family is the important part, it’s just a shame that it takes something like this to make you realise that.

People will say at least he died doing something he loved, and while that is true it doesn't make it fair. I can only hope that wherever you are, Frank is there also. And Kirsty. Dan and Shaye I think I better wrap you up in cotton wool and lock you away safe in a tower somewhere.

Ari means lion, and it is so appropriate for you, you fiery red head. But also your passion and bravery in life.

I saw you just before you went away and you said, see ya when I get back. I wish I could. I didn't get a chance to see you, to hear about your adventures, to tell you I loved you. I don’t think I've ever told you that. Its just not something you say when you are 16 to your 10 year old brother. I wish I said it, I hope you know. I was so proud of you. I bragged to all my friends about you, even though I though you were insane, I mean who climbs mountains for fun?!

I am sitting here in the sun and I just can’t process this, how can you be gone. This sort of thing happens to other people,

When I saw that I had a missed call from your mum, all those worst scenarios ran through my head. This wasn't one of them, and I had even seen the article on stuff about a mountaineer being killed on Mount Aspiring. 

Its been three weeks now and I still cry, all the time. Over the silliest things. I am so angry, not at you, but at the universe, for how is it fair that you are gone? My (future) kids will never get to know their uncle Ari, I will never get to see you get married, never again can you and I mock Dads lame jokes, thank goodness I still have Shaye to do that with.

I feel like I should move on, I know that you wouldn't want any one wallowing in misery but I am so sad. I want you back, not so much for me but because I cant imagine a world without you in it. There are so many people who are hurting.

Your Mum has found peace in a dream she had and in her faith in God and I am so happy for her that she has come to terms with it all, she has found her “good” in goodbye.

In the words of Winnie the Pooh “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.” And you will. 

A bright orange sunrise befitting of a bright, orange boy. Gone too soon. Rest in peace my brother xx

That smile... doing what he loved.

An Ari bar at home, full of energy!

Ari created this picture himself... modest much?!

Construction Art

Over the last 4 weeks while I have been teaching the children of Room 8 have been brainstorming and creating visual art pieces using egg cartons.

Their brief was that it could use egg cartons, had to be made in 3 sessions and that was basically it, they had free creative reign and the internet to help them research ideas.

The outcome has been an awesome collection of objects and critters of all shapes and sizes, there has been a huge amount of work go into some of these and a great deal of creativity!

Check it out...

 Shontelle and her chicks!

Tess and her cat

 

Travis and his caterpillar

Jared and his cat

Zeke and his mushroom 

Bella and her chick

Molly and her girl

Reuben and his aircraft 

Amy has quite a collection of cute wee critters 

Ella and her dragon

Alice and her dragon 

Callum and his turtle 

Zeus and his dragon (the original)

Matthew and his helecopter 

There are still a few more to come, as some will be finished during exploration time on Friday! But thought I would post what we have so far as I know there has been some interest in these awesome creations! 

Also it means I can procrastinate from what I should be doing but still be productive! 

P.s. Gosh I am going to miss these children! :(

Final week of my final placement

Wow it is that time again, where have the last four weeks gone? This week I am sort of floating around Ranzau, I will spend the first part of the morning in Room 8 taking the roll, oral language and spelling. Then I will have a look in some of the other classrooms and see how other teachers do things, it is a great opportunity for me!

This afternoon I was saying thanks to the children of Room 8 for putting up with me teaching for the last 3 weeks and they all started "is today your last day", and several asked if I could stay until the end of the year or get a job at Waimea Intermediate next year so that I can see them... if only it was that easy! But I love their enthusiasm, nothing makes you feel like you have done a good job like 22 happy faces looking at you!

So this is my FINAL placement, this time next week I will have handed in my folder from placement and be getting ready for my final 3 papers for the semester and the degree! This semester will be an interesting one with our professional inquiry paper being all about CV's, job interviews and getting ready for the real world! Then one of our other papers is special and inclusive education which I have no doubt will be fascinating, and then for our final paper we got to choose! I have chosen sustainability and social justice, just the title sounds interesting! All of this is jammed into just 3 short months though, with our final day of university on the 13th November, followed by graduation on the 19th December!

Last night I was organising my calendar and freaking out a bit, there is just so much going on in the next few months, can I just have a week off in there somewhere?

It has been a blast at Ranzau, it is an awesome school with an amazing bunch of teachers who have been welcoming, supportive and encouraging, especially my associate teacher Megan, without whom I would have collapsed in a heap somewhere to be found by the cleaner! Room 8 is lucky to have her, and I have been very fortunate to be mentored by her, I have learnt SO much!

So thank you Ranzau, Room 8, Dave, Megan and all the rest of the team, thank you to the children, and their parents for an amazing few weeks! Hopefully I have some spare time to come back between now and the end of the year!

P.s. Ignore the $46, sadly that is not how much it has cost me to become a teacher! 

Letters to Sarah

Each week the children of Room 8 write a letter to their teacher as part of their reading program, it usually starts off with some detail about their week and what is going on in their lives and then moves into its main purpose which is to discuss their reading and the book they are reading. This week I asked all of the students to address their letters to me as I was going to respond to them all so I could leave them all a wee note in their books. Their tasks for reading were written up on the board so my name was visible to all to see but I am having a wee chuckle at all the different variations o "Dear Sarah's" I have received...

• Sharah
• Serah
• Shea
• Sera
• Sherah
• Shra
• Shara

It has taken me back to my childhood where my friends often spelled my name incorrectly. I just thought I would share as it has made me smile, but the real joy is the letters, they are full of thought and show a great understanding of the books these children are reading. The catchphrase is "Reading is thinking" and these children sure are thinking about their reading and it is wonderful to see as a teacher, nothing makes me happier than hearing a child say "can we read some more"... you know you are destined to be a teacher when things like that make you smile. :)

This week was my last week in full control in Room 8 at Ranzau, I still have one more week at the school where I will make the most of my opportunities to watch some of the other teachers do the amazing things they do and to gather some more information I need for my folder. This weekend is the first weekend in the last month where I have had plenty of time to relax and chill out and it has been awesome, but I am glad that I still have one more week with the children of Room 8, they make me smile on a daily basis and I can't wait to have a class of my own. 

Another highlight of this week was receiving a wee treat from one of the boys in "my" class, in the form of a truffle that his Mum had made, it definitely made my day, it was the sweetest gesture and also delicious!