Through the Looking Glass

What makes a good teacher? I am of the opinion that nobody will ever know the answer. Why do you ask? The teaching profession is one that requires constant growth and change over time. It is a profession of teaching and learning. As such, teachers must keep an open mind so that we can improve in our own thinking. In other words, as teachers we must also learn as we go so that we can provide a more developed and sound education for the children in our classes. But how do we measure how much or little one learns? This is the constant struggle that teachers must face throughout the days of each school year.

Needless to say, learning is fluid, and it is this point that needs to be remembered and embedded deep within our pedagogies. A child learns much like adults do, and in fact they often can retain way more information than most adults. If I pause to reflect a moment, I can't sit for a long period of time without needing a brain break. Children are no different, and in many ways even more complex. 

As such, it is even more important that we continue our own learning. For example, as a teacher I am very interested in ways to build a positive community within the classroom. This is something that a very dear woman named Donna has helped me to learn.  The need for a positive learning environment is desperately needed in many schools around the world. However, I find it especially important in my day to day work at my school. The sad thing is that the UK education system does not leave much room for this. What I find even more shocking is the fact that teachers in the UK are pushed into a certain mold- a mold in which teaching and learning do not (and cannot) harmoniously coexist. 

Needless to say, we are fighting an uphill battle over here. One that is not with the children, but one that is with the school administration and even higher up in the ivory tower that is the government.  So, as we now will soon hit the Easter break, the question now becomes "what does the future hold?"  On one hand, I find myself looking to run for the hills. On the other, I think back to where my brain was at in September, and I think about how far I have professionally grown and developed. While I certainly do not fit the UK mold of teaching, is it possible to show them the light? Only time will tell how strong I can be.

An Absolutely "Wicked" Halloween!

So, let it be known that I don't like Halloween. I tend to get a lot of angry looks returned to me when I say that but I just find it's an over commercialized time of year and some people need to chill out about it. That being said, when Caitlin told me she had booked tickets for us to see Wicked on Halloween, I was not impressed because that meant I would have to be out and about and see hundreds of people dressed up in scary costumes and lining the streets of London. Well, it turns out that it's not a very popular thing over here! Not to mention that seeing Wicked made up for everything!

I picked up the Souvenir Programme to cherish the memory!

Spectacular. Stunning. Stellar. Amazing. Indescribable. Unforgettable. Breathtaking. Life Changing... The list could go on and on with adjectives I could use to describe the show. Wicked has been captivating audiences across the world, but it has specifically been running in London for 10 years! While I feel that the story is a bit slow to start, it definitely picks up and at the end of the first act, you are definitely left sitting there breathless and in tears from the hour prior to that. Sit back down for the second act and the buildup to the end is such a thrill!

The storyline of the play is simple: it is the tale of Elphaba and Glinda, the two witches who are in the Wizard of Oz. As the story progresses, Elphaba becomes the wicked witch based on the trials of growing up as "the green girl". The girls first become friends in university and Glinda is jealous of Elphaba because she is chosen in favour of the wizard. Now, remember that Glinda is supposed to be the good witch... it turns out that it is mostly a façade and she is actually the bully towards Elphaba and their other classmates. The story continues and the audience then learns that the Wizard is actually a weak little man who has been controlling all of them with his schemes and in reality, he isn't so wonderful at all. The end of the play comes to no surprise to anyone who has seen the film as Elphaba is killed by none other than a little girl named Dorothy, who throws a bucket of water on her. I'll say no more on that, however, because there are some twists in the plot that blend in superbly with the original story of Dorothy and her time in Oz.

The set was stunning. The voices were crisp and on key with every note. The costumes were beautiful! If I was to pick a word to describe it, I would have to choose flawless. Now, how does this relate to time? Well, it's a bit difficult to describe because you need to see the set in order to understand, but it's designed in such a way that you can always see some shape/ size/ form of gears, much like those gears on a clock. I spent the majority of the production trying to focus on what other meaning this might have! I am still undecided as of yet, but I have a feeling it is to suggest that time is always moving forwards and even the most powerful of individuals cannot stop that from happening. I think I need to see it again to create the final verdict!

As I type this now, I am singing the songs over and over in my head as I have been for the last two days. I must say that it sets me into a good mood for going back to work tomorrow!

Outside the Apollo Victoria Theatre

The incredible set!

What Time is It?

It would seem that my posts have a recurring theme: time. As it stands, I have another other post lined up from my adventures and it also involves the notion of time, but I will get to that later. Particularly today, however, it seemed appropriate to discuss time because back in Canada the time fell back an hour. Meanwhile here in the UK, the time fell backward a week prior to Canada. However, why this is the way it is will remain a mystery to me. Now, over the last week it was brought to my attention that the time zones are all measured from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which is just a short drive from where I live! While on my visit to the observatory, I learned that it was there that history has been made for hundreds of years as Greenwich was the hub for research on time... and the building that I stood in was the very same one from back in the day!

There are a few sights to see while at the observatory. The main one being the Prime Meridian. While it is rather plain when you are up close to it, you cannot help but think about how so many scientists had walked the very same ground so many years beforehand. Without the measurements and discoveries made there, I'm curious as to what our notions of time would be like today? The Prime Meridian is just a line in the ground, but it is there that you begin to measure east and west longitude. In other words, that line is literally GMT 0:00. It is from that very same line that when I turned and looked westward, I realized that it wasn't just miles that measured the distance to back home in Grafton, but it was also time. For me, this is a little more comforting to know because 5 hours in the time change is much more appealing than 3,500 miles.

Anyway, I won't ramble on too much about this because I have a feeling it will get very wordy and confusing to read and type. That said, I just wanted to post a few pictures and hammer some words out onto the keyboard to go along with them. The Royal Observatory was a very neat place to visit and should be on everyone's to do list!

The Prime Meridian

Looking north over London from the hill where the observatory is!

This clock measures in 24 time, and when the time changes, this clock doesn't.

From Brighton with Love

Well folks, it is official that I have survived my very first half term of teaching in the UK! For those of you who don't understand, that means that I have been teaching for 7 weeks! The system here is set up so that we have school for several weeks at a time with no breaks (weekends of course!) but then we get a week or two off at a time. So, here we are, and what a half term break it has been so far!

To start it off, my friend Caitlin and I decided that we were going to go to Brighton for the weekend. For the locals back home, it is nothing like Brighton, ON! It is a coastal city that is located about an hour south of London by train. I cannot even begin to describe the energy of this city! In many aspects, I would like to see about moving down to Brighton because the air is just so much fresher than London, and not to mention that it is on the shores of the English Channel so it is very invigorating to hear the cries of seagulls as they scavenge the stony beach for leftovers. Not to mention the Pier. Ah, the Brighton Pier. It also is nothing like Cobourg's pier! Originally built in 1899, the Brighton Pier is home to rides, food booths, and an arcade that certainly bring out the kid in everyone! Now, because it is October, the weather was very windy and cold so the pier and beach weren't as busy as they would be in the summer, but the atmosphere was still very inviting! We chose to walk along the pier after settling into our hotel because that way we could enjoy the rides without worrying about our bags. If anyone is to ever come here for a visit, I will be taking you down to Brighton to experience it because after even one visit, it holds a special place in my heart.

We opted to purchase some ride tokens and boy was that ever a good decision! While the rides are certainly nothing like what you would find at Canada's Wonderland, I can't remember the last time I have had such a laugh! There was one much similar to the Tilt-a-Whirl, except, it whirled and whirled and whirled! It was honestly so unexpected and our reactions were hilarious! We also went on one of the roller coasters that was somewhat similar to The Fly at Wonderland. I must admit that it was somewhat scary to think of the fact that we were on a bunch of rides, which were on a wooden pier, standing on top of a body of water with roaring waves... but that only added to the thrill of it all! The roller coaster started moving and of course Cait had her phone out still so she could get a selfie of us. So, the coaster goes up the small hill and down around the track until one point when you go around the corner and it starts to spin you around as it finished out the track! Once again, we couldn't hold back the laughter!

Brighton found us a few other adventure as well! It is also home to the world's oldest aquarium! For those of you who know me well enough, you will know that I HATE fish. Well, I was very brave on this one! We also went for a spin (apparently we love going around in a circle) on the Brighton Wheel. This is simply a smaller variation of the London Eye (which I still haven't done due to the massive queue) and it gives STELLAR views of Brighton and the surrounding area. Before and after we got on the wheel, they took some pictures of us and we found out at the end that they were for a souvenir book, which I of course purchased! The Brighton Wheel is right on the coastline beside the pier and has actually only been in Brighton since 2011... it was originally built and used in Paris!

As Time Goes By

While on FaceTime with mom last night I realized something. Today marks two months since I left Canadian soil to embark on this journey. How do you measure time? It's funny to think about because right now my students are labouring over trying to measure time in our Maths lessons. The sad reality is that while time is something that we use in our everyday life, it is the most difficult concept to grasp for my 9 and 10 year olds. Ironically, they know when it's break time, lunch time, and the end of the day. I've started telling them when we are doing things using the 24 hour clock because they are way out in left field over it. But I digress.

We measure time in different ways. As we get older we start to lose time to ourselves. It is because of this that time slips away so quickly. Now, I wouldn't say that I have lost the last two months of my life. Instead, I would say I'm thankful for what has taken place. I have seen friendships break and mend while others flourish. I have seen children cry and storm out of a PE lesson because they didn't win or get anther turn. I've also witnessed how some children can't understand how their actions affect others in a very direct way. The list goes on! But, at the end of it all, I've started to see that some children DO in fact listen to me and recognize that I don't speak just so that I can hear my own voice.  Even though sometimes I feel like that's the case, I know that with each day that I go home with a headache, I have created a spark of thought for at least one or two of them. 

While I've been here for two months, the children have only been my students for 6 weeks. That thought sure changes my perspective on things because it reminds me how far I have come, and how much more time we have left together. 

The Friend Ship

Well, I may have taken on a little more than I anticipated when I began to write this blog. It's actually difficult nowadays to find the time to get anything written down! I guess the main thing I should stress is that I am still alive and kicking!

I have taught my year 5 class for 17 days now, and do they ever make me want to pull my hair out! I cannot even begin to describe the trials and tribulations that us as teachers face in the days we spend at school. This week has all of a sudden found me learning that I am not only supposed to be the one who teaches the lessons, but I am also someone the children look to when they have friendship problems. As such, I have spent the week waving my magic wand and telling them that everything will be fine if they continue to play with each other and let an adult know if their friends are being mean to them. In this last week, I have seen tears, bruises, bumps, smiles and laughter all at the same time. In my head I cannot help but think about how I can barely decide what to have for lunch let alone be able to help the kids solve their problems. Yet, while I may be annoyed that a bunch of 10 year olds cannot decide who they want to play with, I find myself listening to their problems and hearing a cry for help; they want someone to listen to them and understand THEIR concerns and not simply be told that nothing can be done about it. I've made it my mission that friendship is something we need to work on in my classroom, and if that works, we will carry that on through the rest of year 5. I remember being told by many of my education professors that we will take the children home with us in our heads, and we will continue to think about what we can do for the better of the kids, and boy is that ever true!

So how do teachers take some time for themselves? I often spend my weeknights at the school until 7 or 8 because I end up sitting to reflect upon the day and ponder what we can do the next day to change the way we run things. I have made numerous seat changes, and as of right now, I kind of of like it! The kids are in 3 rows of 6 facing the front, and a row is on either side of that facing the middle with 4 kids in each. This way, I have all the hecklers, or as I more lovingly call them the peanut gallery, in the front where I can (attempt to) redirect their behaviour. I think the front row is starting to realize why they are there and some of them are making small steps towards getting back onto the right track. Even now, it's the weekend and I am thinking about what sort of a classroom I will walk into on Monday. I think it's best I put that to bed for the evening though!

As a staff, we all get along great! Last night we arranged to meet up and go bowling, which was conveniently located right around the corner from my house. All I can say is what a blast! We had some food, a drink or two, and played a couple rounds of bowling and it definitely allowed for us to have a few laughs and interact outside of the school walls. I am going to push for it to become a monthly thing that we get out to do something fun because otherwise we will be caught in the trap of work all the time. In case anyone is wondering, I came in second! I don't even remember the last time I was bowling so it was certainly great fun to show up some of my colleagues. Ultimately, I believe that if the staff can show the kids in their classes that they can work together, then the children will follow suit.... even if it doesn't happen right away! As I continue to live each day here I am starting to learn that it doesn't matter the size of the ship, as long as it is a friend ship! Whether you have 1 friend or 10, just make the most of it with them!

I have to ship out now because I'm meeting some Canadian friends tonight in London! So I'll leave you with a promise that I will make a better effort to blog as we go through the next few weeks!

All that you know is about to change...

All I can say is WOW. 

It was a day of many firsts. I was early for work for once. Two hours early actually. It was the first day back to school for the kids. For many it was the first day of school at all! But for me, it was the first first day of school to kick start my teaching career! There is something to be said about writing this post.... I have survived!

The day has been an absolute whirlwind bcause everything I was taught in teachers college was tested by a new country, school, and 25 sets of eyes staring back at me. In a funny way, not being told what to expect kept the adventure exciting and new. I would say that it's because of this that I am even more driven forward into the unknown. This experience is all about becoming a professional. How do the pros get to be better? It's by starting brand new and making mistakes. Oh boy were a lot of mistakes made today. 

In the morning they walked in and we talked about Canada. The kids were SO taken in by everything I said, and many asked some VERY brilliant questions. My teacher-y heart leapt for joy to learn that I had a class of inquisitive children. Oh, and they were rather well behaved for the most part. Moving into morning assembly time, I was very impressed with the school overall. Moving on with the day things slowly seemed to go downhill behaviour wise, but I still wasn't worse for the wear. Thankfully, each teacher has an assistant working with them, and the woman who works with me is Karen.  The TA's job is to aid in the classroom in and what a life saver she is! Canada could definitely learn a thing or two with this system. The rest of the day was tough slugging. It became more of a question of survival than anything else. 

That's what brings me to where I am now. I learned in teachers college that it's not about surviving, but it's about thriving. When adversity comes your way, you don't run from it, but instead you look it in the eyes and say "thanks for dropping by". Today may have questioned my pedagogy and values in the teaching profession, but it certainly didn't squash my spirit. If anything, I have learned more in one day of teaching than I ever thought I would. So what if it wasn't the best day! There's only the rest of my career to figure it out.