Today, I got my first taste of having my own classroom. Erin went to visit her old school in Cradock, so she left me in charge of her kiddies today. Everything went as well as it could have gone. It helped that it was a Friday and there were only three lessons I had to teach! The last 15 minutes or so of the day were also dedicated to playing music (namely Rebecca Black's "Friday," which has become a tradition at the end of every week). I have to say, I had so much fun!
Now I've got to spend the weekend getting ready for my 4-day trip to Hobbiton with the grade 6 classes.
Oh, and practicing for my reunion with Amy.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
30 Things About Yours Truly :)
I nicked this survey from my dear friend, Rachel, who is also teaching overseas (in South Korea). Love!
1. Five ways to win your heart.
(1) Giving me chocolate. This is the tactic many of my students have taken.
(2) Singing along to Disney songs (preferably with me).
(3) Treating your dog like your child.
(4) Making me laugh.
(5) Comparing me to some character in Harry Potter - I'm not picky UNLESS it's Voldemort.
2. Something you feel strongly about.
No Child Left Behind. I think it's the stupidest thing that has ever happened to our education system in America's recent history. There isn't enough blog space in the world to accommodate why I think/know it doesn't work.
3. A book you love.
I won't say the Harry Potter series, which I have been reading since I got to South Africa (on book 5 now), even though I do LOVE them. Love love love. Instead, I'll say Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I am Catherine Morland, and I need to find my Henry Tilney.
4. Bullet your whole day.
- Woke up at 5:50.
- Ate breakfast while trolling on facebook.
- Got dressed, did hair and makeup.
- Went to school.
- Read some Order of the Phoenix while waiting for Erin to get there.
- Watched my students take their weekly test.
- Observed math lesson about measurement.
- Observed Afrikaans lesson.
- Break time! Listened to music and ate my lunch from tuckshop.
- Observed English lesson.
- Grade 5 meeting.
- Break time! Listened to music again.
- Admin period, listened to yet more music.
- School ended, talked about nonsense with Erin while still listening to music. I swear, bringing my laptop to school was the best idea ever.
- Got dropped off at the house.
- Did internets thing - checked e-mail, facebooked, pintrested, etc, etc.
- Did my nails at the kitchen table - OPI Plugged-In Plum.
- Watched a Young & The Restless episode from last November.
- Now watching Oprah!
5. Things you want to say to an ex.
Pass!
6. Your views on mainstream music.
It's popular for a reason - most of it is so darn catchy! The only music I really don't like is rap.
7. Five pet peeves.
(1) Smacking your food or just smacking your lips for no reason.
(2) Lying.
(3) Crinkly bags.
(4) When the heroine of a romance novel cuts herself off from the hero and doesn't tell him anything - ESPECIALLY if she is carrying his child. GIRL JUST TELL HIM.
(5) Being ignored.
8. What you ate today.
Cheerios, cheese flavored mini-cheddars, toasted chicken mayo sandwich, popcorn, Astros chocolate candy, and I'm getting ready to make some chicken and veggies.
9. How important you think education is.
Ha. I'm becoming a teacher. You do the math (and you better do it right or I will FAIL you.)
10. Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play.
(1) Otis Redding - Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay
(2) Disney - Heigh Ho
(3) David Cook - Avalanche
(4) Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(5) The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(6) Jonas Brothers - Hold On
(7) The Beatles - Please Mister Postman
(8) Disney - I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)
(9) Demi Lovato - Gift of a Friend
(10) Elvis Presley - It's Now or Never
11. Your family.
Is the best. Ever. I would not be who I am today without them, and I really don't think I could live without. My family consists of so many people (all my aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who are nothing less than my family). But my mom and my sister are my rocks. I spend most of my time with them, and I can only truly be my weird self around them.
My mom is the best woman I know! She is my source of strength and she has shown me what love is all about. I know I can always count on her to be honest with me, to love me no matter what, and to always be there for me (just like I will always be there for her). We can be at loggerheads at times because we're both too sensitive, but in the end, we end up laughing about it.
My sister is my best friend! She is the twin 1 to my twin 2, the Lizzie to my Jane, the Fred to my George (oh wait, just don't think about Fred at the end of Deathly Hallows), the Amy Pond to my 11th Doctor, the Merlin to my Prince Arthur... Okay, now I'm just using characters from our favorite TV shows. But, anyways, Amy seriously is my twin, just born 2 years earlier. We are so in sync with each other's brains it's scary. And weird. We make each other laugh with one look or one word or just something random that would make absolutely no sense to other people. I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like were I an only child... I don't even want to! I love my sister more than anyone in the world (excluding mommy, of course).
And of course there's daddy. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. He was the most amazing man I've ever known and such a miracle to our family. But if I write too much about him, I'll cry!
12. Five guys whom you find attractive.
(1) Cary Grant
(2) Jake Gyllenhaal
(3) Prince Harry
(4) Rupert Grint
(5) Matt Damon
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO CHOOSE JUST FIVE?
13. Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it.
Some days I can't tell if I'm comfortable with the way I look or if I'm just too lazy to go to the gym and change it.
14. What you wore today.
Pink striped button down shirt with a black cardigan over it, hot pink knee-length skirt, black tights, black sparkly flats. And all of my daily essentials: unicorn silly band, white watch, angel ring, mommy's wedding ring, and daddy's wedding ring on a gold chain around my neck.
15. Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality.
I'm an Aquarius and a Snake. I think they both fit me pretty well, actually.
16. Something you always think "what if..." about.
WHAT IF I could just meet Prince Harry? I'm convinced there would be another royal wedding a few months after that.
17. Something that you're proud of.
I'm proud that I came to South Africa to do my student teaching. I've never done anything like this before, and I was scared out of my MIND before I left. What was I thinking leaving the country and my family for three months to go a place where I knew NOBODY or anything about the culture?! But I did it, and I don't regret it one bit.
18. A problem that you have had.
I'm kind of a shopaholic...
19. Five items you lust after.
(1) Any nail polish.
(2) Real Ray-Ban sunglasses.
(3) Hailee Steinfeld's hair.
(4) Tickets to Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse.
(5) A park hopper ticket to Disney World.
20. Your fears.
Birds. They're out to get me.
21. How you hope your future will be like.
What I've always imagined it to be.
22. Your academics.
Graduated high school with honors, getting ready to graduate from UGA in December. I've never been extremely hard working when it comes to my studies, but I always end up achieving my goal in the end.
23. Something that you miss.
The variety of fast food that America offers.
24. Five words/phrases that make you laugh.
(1) "What excellent boiled potatoes."
(2) "Yer gettin' wet, right?"
(3) "The whole kit and canoodle!"
(4) "There he goes off to his room to write that hit song 'Alone in my Principles'!"
(5) "The walrus sings at midnight."
25. Something you're currently worrying about.
I'm worrying about leaving my class. How will I cope without them?!
26. Things you like and dislike about yourself.
Like: I like my sense of style. I like my eyes and my hair (most days). I like my wrists and my fingers and my always polished fingernails. I like my loving, caring heart. I like that I'm not afraid to be who I am, just shy at times. I like that I'm a kid (and a fatty) at heart.
Dislike: I dislike that I'm way too sensitive. I dislike that it's hard for me to let things go, especially things people have done to hurt me or my loved ones. I dislike that I'm too quiet and don't speak up for myself. I dislike my nose. I dislike that I don't seem to have control over my spending. I dislike that I can be sooo lazy. I dislike that I can't cook!
27. A quote you try to live by.
"Never give up and good luck will find you." -The Neverending Story
28. Somewhere you'd like the move or visit.
I want to visit England SO badly, it's not even funny.
29. Five weird things that you like.
(1) Romance novels (is that weird? I don't know. I'm weird, so my perception of weird is pretty skewed).
(2) The Kennedy assassination (Again, I don't know. But I guess it's weird to be obsessed with a murder).
(3) Unicorns/Aliens/other things that "don't exist" but they really might.
(4) ...I really can't think at the moment. Considering how extremely unathletic I am, I guess it's kinda weird that I enjoy watching sports as much as I do.
(5) Driving during road trips. I DON'T KNOW. JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING. I like getting shots. Very weird, I know, but it just feels so satisfying.
30. One thing you're excited for.
Cape Town in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
It's our game.
I'd have to be really, really, really clueless not to know that the Rugby World Cup started on Friday in New Zealand. Not only do they show commercials for it 'round the clock on TV (and we only get 4 channels at the house), but it's mentioned during Friday assemblies at school, too. It's basically everywhere - as I said to A Laura on Facebook earlier, I can't escape it! I don't mind, however, because I'm really liking Rugby. It's extremely nerve wracking because it's about twice as rough as football and they wear far less padding. And I still don't know any of the rules or terms (what I would think of to call a 'goal,' they call a 'try.' Or something.). But it's still fun to watch - especially as all the guys are BUFF and wear tight jerseys and short shorts :)
Once all the talk about the World Cup started, I assumed the USA wasn't even going to be in the tournament. I'd never heard of any American rugby teams (I mean, have you?). It wasn't until I saw a posting of the four pools when I saw that the USA was, indeed, participating. We're in pool C along with Russia, Ireland, Australia, and Italy. And we had our first game at 8am South Africa time against Ireland. I was up early, anyways, so I watched it. Before playing the national anthems for the two countries, they observed a moment of silence for September 11th. It's crazy how the events of our country affect the world. I know everyone remembers our country uniting after the tragedy, but I'm pretty sure the whole world was uniting along with us. Then, when they played the "Star Spangled Banner," I proudly sang along and actually had tears in my eyes by the end. Nothing like being in another country to make one feel the most patriotic. (In case you were wondering, USA lost to Ireland 10-22. The Springboks also had their first game straight afterward against Wales. They, at least, won 17-16!)
I'm going to steal a picture from my teacher, Erin, just so you all can see how adorable my class is :)
Once all the talk about the World Cup started, I assumed the USA wasn't even going to be in the tournament. I'd never heard of any American rugby teams (I mean, have you?). It wasn't until I saw a posting of the four pools when I saw that the USA was, indeed, participating. We're in pool C along with Russia, Ireland, Australia, and Italy. And we had our first game at 8am South Africa time against Ireland. I was up early, anyways, so I watched it. Before playing the national anthems for the two countries, they observed a moment of silence for September 11th. It's crazy how the events of our country affect the world. I know everyone remembers our country uniting after the tragedy, but I'm pretty sure the whole world was uniting along with us. Then, when they played the "Star Spangled Banner," I proudly sang along and actually had tears in my eyes by the end. Nothing like being in another country to make one feel the most patriotic. (In case you were wondering, USA lost to Ireland 10-22. The Springboks also had their first game straight afterward against Wales. They, at least, won 17-16!)
I'm going to steal a picture from my teacher, Erin, just so you all can see how adorable my class is :)
Go Bokke!!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Getting a bit personal.
Today was such an educational, eye-opening day.
My teacher, Erin, went to a seminar type thing over the weekend and decided to implement something she learned during the LO (Life Orientation) lesson at the end of the day. She put out an empty tin and told the students to write down any problems they might be having on a slip of paper. They would put their problems in the tin, and then we would all go outside and sit in a "care circle" in order to discuss everything that was in the tin. She also got out a small Tigger stuffed animal who would be passed around the circle so everyone in the class got an opportunity to talk about whatever problem.
I swear, I saw about three students put slips of paper into the tin, but come care circle time there were a good handful of slips in there. There was everything from "My friends are fighting and trying to drag me into it" to "This girl gives me nasty looks when I answer a question right" to "My parents are fighting, what do I do?" to "My dad hasn't had a job in a long time and my parents are having trouble paying their bills."
Obviously my heart broke any number of times. Especially when almost every student in the class chose to share that their parents have fought in the past or are fighting now, as well. I've only known these kids for a little over four weeks, but I already wish I could take all their problems.
I also attempted to give advice every time Tigger was passed to me, just to make sure the anonymous student knows I care about them. I know how much students look up to their teachers, and I know how excited the students get when I teach them :) So, I figured the least I could do was show my support and try to help them in any way I could,
The "Care Circle" is definitely something I'd love to implement in my own future classroom. I've seen that it can be successful, and it's a really good way to encourage unity, friendship, and problem solving among the students.
Today also got me thinking: I want so badly to help all of these kids with their social, emotional, mental, etc etc problems. Why didn't I just major in child psychology?! Oh, well - there's always a Master's degree!
(OH! And I promise my next entry will be much more uplifting/happy. I'm going to another game reserve on Saturday! Animals!!)
My teacher, Erin, went to a seminar type thing over the weekend and decided to implement something she learned during the LO (Life Orientation) lesson at the end of the day. She put out an empty tin and told the students to write down any problems they might be having on a slip of paper. They would put their problems in the tin, and then we would all go outside and sit in a "care circle" in order to discuss everything that was in the tin. She also got out a small Tigger stuffed animal who would be passed around the circle so everyone in the class got an opportunity to talk about whatever problem.
I swear, I saw about three students put slips of paper into the tin, but come care circle time there were a good handful of slips in there. There was everything from "My friends are fighting and trying to drag me into it" to "This girl gives me nasty looks when I answer a question right" to "My parents are fighting, what do I do?" to "My dad hasn't had a job in a long time and my parents are having trouble paying their bills."
Obviously my heart broke any number of times. Especially when almost every student in the class chose to share that their parents have fought in the past or are fighting now, as well. I've only known these kids for a little over four weeks, but I already wish I could take all their problems.
I also attempted to give advice every time Tigger was passed to me, just to make sure the anonymous student knows I care about them. I know how much students look up to their teachers, and I know how excited the students get when I teach them :) So, I figured the least I could do was show my support and try to help them in any way I could,
The "Care Circle" is definitely something I'd love to implement in my own future classroom. I've seen that it can be successful, and it's a really good way to encourage unity, friendship, and problem solving among the students.
Today also got me thinking: I want so badly to help all of these kids with their social, emotional, mental, etc etc problems. Why didn't I just major in child psychology?! Oh, well - there's always a Master's degree!
(OH! And I promise my next entry will be much more uplifting/happy. I'm going to another game reserve on Saturday! Animals!!)
Monday, August 15, 2011
First Time For Everything...
The past few days have been filled with firsts for me! Well, actually, only two that I can think of...
1) I saw elephant, zebra, ostrich, warthog, and various antelope in the wild for the first time. One of the grade 5 teachers took me to Addo Elephant National Park. It's a ~500,000 acre nature reserve that houses a ton of different animals, including lion, leopard, rhino, and water buffalo, along with the animals I listed above. It's fenced in, but there is virtually no human intervention. The only things man-made are the watering holes. What you do is this: drive around in your car for HOURS searching for any sign of wildlife. If the weather is warm and sunny, you have a way better chance of seeing lots of animals up close. If the weather is cool and sunny (like it was on Saturday), there's less of a chance. But, boy did I still see some amazing sights. About 10 minutes into driving after lunch, we came upon a herd of no less than nine elephant (including four calf) on the side of the road. It was just stunning. I couldn't take enough pictures. I'll be going back one more time for sure, hopefully more! I REALLY want to see the lion!
2) I missed a day of student teaching. I have been part-time student teaching since this time last year, and I have not missed ONE day of it. Now, after being in the classroom full-time for not even 2 weeks, I miss a day :( I woke up with a terrible sore throat, congestion, headache - and it got worse before it got (a little) better. I feel okay now (just okay, though), so hopefully I can return to school tomorrow. I missed my students!
You'd think after resting in bed all day I wouldn't be tired. But, I'm exhausted. Must be blowing your nose takes a lot of energy...
1) I saw elephant, zebra, ostrich, warthog, and various antelope in the wild for the first time. One of the grade 5 teachers took me to Addo Elephant National Park. It's a ~500,000 acre nature reserve that houses a ton of different animals, including lion, leopard, rhino, and water buffalo, along with the animals I listed above. It's fenced in, but there is virtually no human intervention. The only things man-made are the watering holes. What you do is this: drive around in your car for HOURS searching for any sign of wildlife. If the weather is warm and sunny, you have a way better chance of seeing lots of animals up close. If the weather is cool and sunny (like it was on Saturday), there's less of a chance. But, boy did I still see some amazing sights. About 10 minutes into driving after lunch, we came upon a herd of no less than nine elephant (including four calf) on the side of the road. It was just stunning. I couldn't take enough pictures. I'll be going back one more time for sure, hopefully more! I REALLY want to see the lion!
2) I missed a day of student teaching. I have been part-time student teaching since this time last year, and I have not missed ONE day of it. Now, after being in the classroom full-time for not even 2 weeks, I miss a day :( I woke up with a terrible sore throat, congestion, headache - and it got worse before it got (a little) better. I feel okay now (just okay, though), so hopefully I can return to school tomorrow. I missed my students!
You'd think after resting in bed all day I wouldn't be tired. But, I'm exhausted. Must be blowing your nose takes a lot of energy...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
My first week.
I would say that my first week at Herbert Hurd Primary School went quite well. All I did was observe, but I'm there full-time for 10 or 11 weeks, so there was no need to jump into teaching immediately. The students, however, kept asking "When is Miss Brodnax going to teach us? Can Miss Brodnax teach us English tomorrow? Why is she so quiet?" To which my mentor teacher replied, "She's going to teach you in three week's time. She's just watching all of you right now, writing a report about you for her university." That made all the kids sit up a bit straighter :)
The layout of the school day is really different from the layout I'm used to in America. Here, there are no set times for lunch or specials. They have a different order of lessons every day, and subjects like art, music, and P.E. are worked in one day a week. There are two fifteen minute breaks - one at 10:40 and one at 12:50. Those are the times that teachers and students can be away from each other and eat. There is also no cafeteria. Students either bring their lunch or buy food from the tuck shop (I got a yummy toasted tomato and cheese sandwich there one day). I actually really like this setup. It seems less stressful than taking your students to the lunch room, making sure they get their food, racing back to your classroom to gobble your sandwich before you have to go get them again.
Oh, and did I mention the school day is shorter? :) Learning time goes from 8am to 2pm, and I haven't heard any complaints from any teacher about there not being enough time to teach something. Plus, their school year is about 20 days longer than ours with lots of breaks throughout. I honestly think more American schools should look into that.
But, now, I have a 4-day weekend in which I plan to do hardly anything but keep on re-reading the Harry Potter series (I'm on book 2). I'll be observing some more the three days of next week, and after that, I start helping out more. Can't wait!
The layout of the school day is really different from the layout I'm used to in America. Here, there are no set times for lunch or specials. They have a different order of lessons every day, and subjects like art, music, and P.E. are worked in one day a week. There are two fifteen minute breaks - one at 10:40 and one at 12:50. Those are the times that teachers and students can be away from each other and eat. There is also no cafeteria. Students either bring their lunch or buy food from the tuck shop (I got a yummy toasted tomato and cheese sandwich there one day). I actually really like this setup. It seems less stressful than taking your students to the lunch room, making sure they get their food, racing back to your classroom to gobble your sandwich before you have to go get them again.
Oh, and did I mention the school day is shorter? :) Learning time goes from 8am to 2pm, and I haven't heard any complaints from any teacher about there not being enough time to teach something. Plus, their school year is about 20 days longer than ours with lots of breaks throughout. I honestly think more American schools should look into that.
But, now, I have a 4-day weekend in which I plan to do hardly anything but keep on re-reading the Harry Potter series (I'm on book 2). I'll be observing some more the three days of next week, and after that, I start helping out more. Can't wait!
Monday, August 1, 2011
My first day.
Before I get to my first day of student teaching, allow me to tell you about my weekend!
On Saturday, I had pizza with bananas on it. It was surprisingly delicious, so now I'll have to make my family put bananas on frozen pizza. We also watched National Treasure, one of my favorite movies. What I realized, though, is that it's kind of strange to watch a movie full of American history while in another country.
On Sunday, we went to the beach! It was a beautiful day, ergo the beach was pretty crowded. But now I can say I've seen an ocean that's not the Atlantic!
On Saturday, I had pizza with bananas on it. It was surprisingly delicious, so now I'll have to make my family put bananas on frozen pizza. We also watched National Treasure, one of my favorite movies. What I realized, though, is that it's kind of strange to watch a movie full of American history while in another country.
On Sunday, we went to the beach! It was a beautiful day, ergo the beach was pretty crowded. But now I can say I've seen an ocean that's not the Atlantic!
Okay, now I'll tell you all about my first day of student teaching. I got there at 7:40am or so and went straight into a staff meeting. The principal was talking about school stuff and birthdays and whatnot, and then he said my name! He welcomed me to the school, said where I was from, and completely embarrassed me. One of the teachers even added me in during the prayer, hoping I feel comfortable and find a home at Herbert Hurd. Honestly, I could not have felt more welcome.
My first impression of my mentor teacher, Erin, is as follows: SO COOL! She jokes around with the students all the time, she isn't strict or mean but firm when needed, and she is basically the teacher I have been planning to be for the past year and a half. I am so incredibly excited to get to know her better personally and as a teacher.
My first impression of the students is as follows: So. Well. Behaved. Yes, they chatter, but compared to what I've dealt with in Athens, they were like angels. They stand up to greet the teachers in the morning and the afternoon. They say "ma'am" all the time (even to me!). And these particular kids seem very sweet, and they could not stop complimenting me. "Ma'am, I like your hair. Ma'am, I like your smile. Ma'am, you're very pretty." (Just imagine those words being said by a 10-year-old in a South African accent! I almost died!) If nothing else, being a teacher is definitely good for my self-esteem.
I can't believe my student teaching is here already. It seems like last week I was applying to get into the program at UGA. And now I'm beginning the last leg of the journey. Crazy!
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