Over the past week everything seems to start coming together
for my trip and starting to wind down (not really) with my student teaching….
I have acquired my visa (YAYYYYY) which is in
my passport – so I am ready to travel!!!!!!!!!! I was having nightmares and
panic attacks that I wouldn’t get it in time and there would be a problem and
then I would have to let my host school know which would be so embarrassing and
not very professional. Lets just say that I am very happy to have gotten it in
the mail! Yay for the speedy work of the NZ embassy!!
I finally have been able to talk to
my host school and ask them what I really will be doing with my time over
there. In their original letter they sent it said that I would be teaching
math, science, and English. For those who know me I don’t know math very well
and I wanted to be prepared and not arrive in NZ being perceived as the “stupid
American” or someone who doesn’t know their material and subject matter and who
is ill prepared. My school’s assistant principal contacted me and said I would
get to pick the classes that would best suit my background. Together we will
establish what classes I may take an
active part in teaching (with the supervision of the normal classroom teacher
of course J ) and what classes I might assist in (ie:
give extra help to students who require extra support in class on a one-on-one
basis – in this instance I will be reinforcing what the classroom teacher has
taught).
I am
totally okay with doing this and not having as much control or say over all of
the classes like what I am doing at North. It will be a nice change of pace
than what I am going through now, which is grading all the time, planning and
having my life consumed with student teaching (which is amazing but a break
would be wonderful)
Last Friday
all of the overseas students at IU who have been going through this rigorous
program over the past two years got together and talked about going over seas
and we went over all of the assignments and journaling we will be doing to
complete our graduate courses. After this meeting 3 IU students and myself went
out to eat to get to know each other and talk more about how excited we were to
leave! Like I said in my last post some of the girls will be around Auckland
which is awesome and some will be in Hastings – which is known for their
vineyards so we are planning on visiting and going on a bike tour of the
vineyards!!! For those who know me know that I LOVE me some wine – especially
from New Zealand! It will be so nice to have these women as a support system if
there are any issues when I am overseas.
I also got
my host family placement tonight! I will be staying with a couple that is
related to a teacher at my school. I will be staying (separate rooms) with
another American student teacher who is going through the same program as I am
but at a different university. She seems so kind and nice and since we will be
working and living together I bet we will get to know each other really well J. It will be nice to
have a person going through the same experiences with me. We will be walking to
school every day which will be so nice
because I feel like I am never outside anymore because I spend all my time in
my classroom or in the hallways. I am so excited to live with a host family –
yes I have lived with roommates but never with a family other than my own. I am
excited to learn their culture and just spend time with some Kiwi’s J.
I
officially have seven more days of student teaching then I am finished- today I
was asked about my experience from some pre-service teachers and it made me
think through the good, bad, and ugly over the past few months. I have worked
with the best teachers around, worked with the most productive and best PLC
ever and I am so grateful for all of the insight and experience they have
taught me. I love my students and I am saddened that I have to leave (some of
them are probably rejoicing). I keep having to remind myself that in just a few
weeks I will have a new set of students eager to learn (hopefully) and probably
interested in me and my culture because I am a foreign exchange student. It is
going to be completely different and it will make me come out of my shell,
think outside the box, and make me more flexible as an educator and as a human
being.
I am so
excited to be leaving in just 18 days! I am still very scared but I know that
this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life right now – there is a time
for everything and at this point in my life, living abroad for a few months is
exactly what I need.
PS. I have a phone interview tomorrow for a school in
Houston – need all the prayers and good vibes I can get! Thanks!
PSS. Did anyone hear about the shark attack in Auckland??
Even though this is horrific is it bad to say that I still can’t wait to go
swimming when I get there? (yay for opposite seasons!) Check out what happened- http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/world/asia/new-zealand-shark-attack/index.html
