Number Eight

My get-the-kids-attention stick with little bells. Works like a charm with the younger kids and means I don't lose my voice by the end of the day. I wonder how many words I use during a teaching day? I have never done so much talking.

Number Seven

At 10am I was teaching PE and so didn't get a chance to stop for a photo (20+ 9 year olds without the boundaries of a classroom meant a fair bit of behaviour management). But this is outside where I was teaching, cute little kiwi school that it is they have native flora and NZ themed decorations.

Number Six

I had a really frustrating morning (see email rant) which was salvaged by coffee with a friend at Chapter in Mt. Eden. She told me that wherever we are at any given moment is exactly where we are meant to be and that I should stop berating myself and not worry. This turned out to be good advice. I was so cross with myself about work that I decided I would go and deliver my cv to as many local schools as possible before 3 and find some more teaching work dammit!

I click-clacked into a school office in Westmere and was promptly offered a day next week. I had walked in just as the school was trying to arrange enough cover for 7 teachers to have a training day on the new national standards. Excellent.

Number Two

I have to be honest and admit to a photo-fail on this one! I was in such a flap about my first day of teaching today that I forgot to take my camera with me, and 10 came and went ridiculously fast as I was teaching statistics to 28 6-7 year olds. However, I figured it is better late than never and so I took this as soon as I got home!

It is fairly reminiscent of my day actually. Lots of stories and colours and tiny stickers that make the kids disproportionately happy when they see them on their work. I loved most of my day, and it was so nice to have a chance to teach in my own way, which is a lot less loud and growly than I was forced to be on placements. There were a few minor admin blunders when I forgot to send an absence through, and then forgot I was supposed to be co-teaching fitness at 10.15 and blithely continued on in class until a flood of other children poured in and sat down wondering why I was doing fitness inside and sitting down. But nothing too major for a complete beginner! It was a scary, scary thing to close the classroom door behind me and have all those children waiting on me to be a teacher.