On My Own...

Nov. 13 - Nov. 19 (Devonport)

This weekend was the weekend we all were planning our own little trips, a day to be by ourselves. I was really looking forward to it. Beth went geo-cashing with Jan, Katie went to Auckland, and I went to a town nearby, Devonport. Katie and I decided to take the train in together and then split up, but unfortunately the trains were not running that day. And then while we were looking for the bus stop, the bus zooms by. Of course. So, we went into the station cafe and had a smoothie. Haha. We did eventually catch a bus, an 1 1/2 long ride. Yuck. We didn't get into Auckland with as much time there as we would have liked, but hey what can you do. We then split up and I took the ferry across the bay to Devonport. I'd heard it was a cute old town with lots of charm, and it definitely lived up to those expectations. It had a ton of outdoor cafes, second hand bookstores, and cute locally owned shops. I found a great pair of earrings for really cheap, and I had a little chat with the woman who made them. It was very nice. I loved having the time to go at my own pace, look around at what I wanted, talk to the locals, etc. I then hiked up to Mt. Victoria, a big green grassy mount/hill with great views of Auckland and the surrounding islands. I spent some time up there laying in the grass, just soaking up the sun and the views, and listening to music on my iPod. Much too soon, I had to head back down, but not before I stopped at an empty cafe for a very late lunch. The workers were EXTREMELY friendly, and I got the best pesto pasta in my life, followed by a giant carrot cafe cupcake, all while eating it in a comfy sofa next to an open window the size of a wall. It was great. Of course my luck ran a little short on my way back, with the cancellation of my ferry, but a quick call to Katie from a pay phone (who I was meeting) and waiting 30 minutes for the next ferry solved that problem. So, maybe a few transportation hiccups, but it really was a PERFECT day, just what I needed. :)

The school week, unfortunately, was not as stress-free. A group called ERO, who had something to do with the education board or something like that (very high up) was visiting our school Monday-Wednesday to monitor and observe our school, so everyone was pretty on edge. Then, at the end of the week, my cooperating teacher was gone so I had a sub on Thursday and Friday. I did NOT have a good experience with that. He had me do everything, and this really was my first time completely full time teaching, behavior management and everything. I really could have used support, but I didn't really get any. Then, on Friday morning, I got a pretty harsh lecture from him about everything I was essentially doing wrong with managing my students, what he would have done, and what I needed to work towards. I'm not sure if I took it the wrong way, but I was quite upset afterwards, which made the day even harder as I was on edge, not knowing what to do. However, I talked to my cooperating teacher afterwards and we worked things out, and I won't have to work with him anymore. I really appreciated that. So, this week was certainly an interesting experience, but I definitely learned a lot. I do think I keep an open mind to other people's teaching styles, but I do not think that any one person has ONE "right" teaching style, and I do not think it is right to force it on someone. I have never felt so poor as a teacher as I did those 2 days, and it really knocked my confidence down. I do not think that was right. Still, with the support of my cooperating teacher, I got back on my feet, and was on my way to better experiences.

Leaving on a good note, Friday was a really good day. My students have picked up Spanish really quickly, so at our all school assembly this week (when my class was heading it), some of my students demonstrated a Spanish conversation for everyone. We were learning greetings and conversation starters, and they wanted to show the school, so we put it together and they did great!