5 February 2009

Well, my sincerest apologies to those who check our blog frequently, it’s been too long since my last post.

As you can imagine, a lot has happened in the last two weeks. We made another trip out to Tirau to pick up the jandals (sandals) we left out there, we discovered the world’s greatest fish and chips in Howick (a suburb of Auckland), Brandon has experienced the ups and downs of labouring out of doors in NZ, I have learned the scary and painful truth about UV rays, and we discovered the world’s longest beach – Muriwai.
I also started school this week. I was quite apprehensive as I wasn’t really prepared in any way, shape, or form. I basically showed up a few days before classes started, cleaned and decorated my room, and waited for the students to arrive. When they did, I wasn’t prepared for this breed of pupil.
Here’s an anecdote to explain what I mean:
The morning of the first day, I was sitting at my desk working, and greeting the students who were wandering in early. One student, I’ll call him Bobby, approached me and said, “Good morning, Miss, my name is Bobby, how were your holidays?” I told him they were wonderful. He proceeded to say, “Well, welcome to Pasadena, Miss.” I said, “Thank you.” Then, a small boy in year 7 arrived with his mother. When his mother had left, Bobby approached him and introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Bobby, what’s your name?” “Chris,” he replied. “Welcome to Pasadena, Chris. How were your holidays?”
Any of you who are teachers, or come into close contact with pre-teens on a daily basis, will know that this behaviour is highly unlikely in a Canadian classroom. To be honest, I thought Bobby was just really good at being facetious and I wasn’t sure whether to smile or frown at him.
Then, when my students had all arrived, I said, “Good morning, class” and was about to continue speaking when, in unison, they replied, “Good morning, Miss.” I was momentarily stunned, but managed to continue.
Of course, it’s not all gum drops and “lollies,” there are a few clowns and trouble-makers, as well as a 6-foot, 300lb, 11 year-old samoan boy who constantly asks, “Miss, can I go toilet?” (Yes, “go toilet.” Some students just make the time-out symbol which apparently means “toilet.” So weird!)
Also, I sometimes have a hard time understanding my students, as well as fellow staff, thanks to the accent. I’m continuously saying, “Pardon me?”
Still, it seems I have a lot to look forward to. In the next few weeks I get to accompany my students on a sailing trip in the harbour, and their outdoor ed. week consists of kayaking, rock-climbing, sail-boarding, and numerous other activities that could be considered “extreme sports.”
In the meantime, I’m the quiet new teacher who spends all her time in her classroom. I probably won’t emerge for a few months – that’s just the way it goes. Besides, I miss my friends from school terribly and am not ready to make other school friends.
And if this school-related post sounds quite positive, let’s hope that’s the trend. We’ll see in a few weeks, I guess. Until later…