On Tuesday we took over 200 students to a theater play. The event itself was really nice - put on by the theater school in downtown Rotterdam. After the show, students got to ask some questions to some of the actors and actresses. Everything went really well.
I was very nervous it wouldn't turn out this way. Much of the organization was done at the last minute. Fortunately, some parents were able to come and help out. Our transportation was by bicycle.
I am ok with getting myself around on a bike, but being responsible for a class of difficult students was pretty scary. Fortunately there were two parents to help out and they did an amazing job. For the most part the students were pretty respectful, and this was because Clifton was nice enough to switch classes with me - he took my 2nd year class and I got his 1st years. I really dodged a bullet on that one...
The rest of the week involved recovery from school. I am still hanging onto that cold. Yesterday was a really nice day though. We had an amazing lunch in the city at Guiliano's, ran some errands, met with friends, and had a really nice dinner in town as well. This was to celebrate our being together for three years. The sun was even shining!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sick Week
Camp finally caught up with me, along with the re-adjustment back to the Netherlands and the chaotic startup of a new school year. Monday morning I went home sick. I stayed home Tuesday as well. Wednesday might have been a bit early to go back, but I managed. Friday the Internet was not working well, and the only assignments my students have from me are online, and we are running a tight timeline to meet our project deadline of this coming Friday. I know some students will not finish. We did not stay until 5 on Thursday and Friday, but left around 4-4:30. My time outside of school was spent resting. The head cold still stays strong.
Yesterday we went to Amsterdam to help Naomi's dad move in. When we arrived at Central Station I really wanted to spend some time in the beautiful old part of town, but a brief glimpse was all we got. Sometimes public transport just takes too much time! It has been 3 months already since he got the key, but it still looks like the beginning stages of a move. We were able to put some paint on the walls which are covered in a brownish nicotine residue, so that was a big help.
Today will be catching up on groceries and the gym, although a very light workout will be all I can manage. We also want to get some plastic up on the windows because it is getting pretty cold at night!
Yesterday we went to Amsterdam to help Naomi's dad move in. When we arrived at Central Station I really wanted to spend some time in the beautiful old part of town, but a brief glimpse was all we got. Sometimes public transport just takes too much time! It has been 3 months already since he got the key, but it still looks like the beginning stages of a move. We were able to put some paint on the walls which are covered in a brownish nicotine residue, so that was a big help.
Today will be catching up on groceries and the gym, although a very light workout will be all I can manage. We also want to get some plastic up on the windows because it is getting pretty cold at night!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Camp
Another exhausting week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday involved me being a part of the school camp for the first year students. There were 120 of them and 10-12 teachers. The camp itself was strange. It was situated on the edge of a small town. Bordered by houses on a couple sides. So we couldn't be too loud...isn't that a bit purpose-defeating? The website, of course, makes it look a lot nicer than it was: http://www.depeppelhoeve.nl/
The program ran really well. We had no major problems. The kids enjoyed the activities and got to know each other and the teachers a bit better. My favorite activity was making roller coasters for marbles out of paper. Along with another teacher, I made a pretty impressive model that didn't get finished before it rained. Oh well.
The food was terrible. I really dislike sandwiches and that is all we had for breakfast - then we had to pack lunches. Yuck! Naomi prepared a very nice meal for when I got home, although I was too sick and tired to properly enjoy it. The leftovers were delicious though! Naomi's mom and grandma came to spend the day with her and left shortly after dinner. Her mom was a little more than upset about my tiredness and how I was not a good host. This caused Naomi to sleep poorly, and subsequently, she had quite a difficult time at school.
We both made it through pretty full schedules of teaching Thursday and Friday (most of our prep time is early in the week). I am looking forward to next week because it should be a fairly 'normal' week. The building is still under construction and our schedules are not for sure, but we have gotten a bit used to the way things are.
Friday night during our movie, I heard a crash out on the street that sounded like someone dropping a filing cabinet from a couple feet off the ground. I didn't think much of it, but about an hour later our house was illuminated with blue and red flashing lights - so we went upstairs to check things out from our bedroom window. Firemen and Police were swarming. There was a city bus straddling the metro line with smoke coming out of it. Someone got inside and started up a huge metal-cutting saw. We still have no idea what was happening, but maybe now the busses will stop flying over those tracks so quickly (they often shake our house).
Today we will be relaxing, getting some exercise, and taking care of a few projects around the house. Hopefully we will make some progress - these projects seem to be never-ending!
The program ran really well. We had no major problems. The kids enjoyed the activities and got to know each other and the teachers a bit better. My favorite activity was making roller coasters for marbles out of paper. Along with another teacher, I made a pretty impressive model that didn't get finished before it rained. Oh well.
The food was terrible. I really dislike sandwiches and that is all we had for breakfast - then we had to pack lunches. Yuck! Naomi prepared a very nice meal for when I got home, although I was too sick and tired to properly enjoy it. The leftovers were delicious though! Naomi's mom and grandma came to spend the day with her and left shortly after dinner. Her mom was a little more than upset about my tiredness and how I was not a good host. This caused Naomi to sleep poorly, and subsequently, she had quite a difficult time at school.
We both made it through pretty full schedules of teaching Thursday and Friday (most of our prep time is early in the week). I am looking forward to next week because it should be a fairly 'normal' week. The building is still under construction and our schedules are not for sure, but we have gotten a bit used to the way things are.
Friday night during our movie, I heard a crash out on the street that sounded like someone dropping a filing cabinet from a couple feet off the ground. I didn't think much of it, but about an hour later our house was illuminated with blue and red flashing lights - so we went upstairs to check things out from our bedroom window. Firemen and Police were swarming. There was a city bus straddling the metro line with smoke coming out of it. Someone got inside and started up a huge metal-cutting saw. We still have no idea what was happening, but maybe now the busses will stop flying over those tracks so quickly (they often shake our house).
Today we will be relaxing, getting some exercise, and taking care of a few projects around the house. Hopefully we will make some progress - these projects seem to be never-ending!
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| The mysterious bus fiasco. |
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Startup Chaos
School this week was less than enjoyable. It started out with the second year students. I taught them last year. I am still paying for all my mistakes as a first-year teacher, and the lack of proper facilities. Lessons with them are not so nice (the fact that they are in full puberty-mode doesn't help much either).
Lessons with the first years went well. I am proud of the way I am creating structure and making clear the rules and procedures. The students are listening well and are well behaved. It is quite the refreshing environment. The problem is, this atmosphere is very difficult to create and maintain when I am constantly moving from one space to another. 45 minute lessons easily lose 10-15 minutes due to setup and transition time. No passing time is built into the schedule.
The weather was beautiful this week but we were too exhausted to fully enjoy it. Yesterday we spent the day inside doing odds and ends along with planning a trip for fall break. We get a week off toward the end of October! I was hoping my friend from Mali, Secouba, would come but he was unable to get a visa. So now as an alternative, we will ride our bikes to the airport and hop on a plane to Austria!
We will spend five nights in Vienna. A couple days will be spent in the city itself. Another day will involve a fairly expensive rental car and the Alps. We might even take the train to Budapest if we are in the mood. Sure is amazing that these once exotic destinations are now so accessible!
Today it is hot outside. We will head to the beach and have fish for dinner. Before that, we have a long list of things that need to get done...and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have to go to camp with the first year students. So much for building up a routine and a regular sleep cycle. I am not yet feeling settled.
Lessons with the first years went well. I am proud of the way I am creating structure and making clear the rules and procedures. The students are listening well and are well behaved. It is quite the refreshing environment. The problem is, this atmosphere is very difficult to create and maintain when I am constantly moving from one space to another. 45 minute lessons easily lose 10-15 minutes due to setup and transition time. No passing time is built into the schedule.
The weather was beautiful this week but we were too exhausted to fully enjoy it. Yesterday we spent the day inside doing odds and ends along with planning a trip for fall break. We get a week off toward the end of October! I was hoping my friend from Mali, Secouba, would come but he was unable to get a visa. So now as an alternative, we will ride our bikes to the airport and hop on a plane to Austria!
We will spend five nights in Vienna. A couple days will be spent in the city itself. Another day will involve a fairly expensive rental car and the Alps. We might even take the train to Budapest if we are in the mood. Sure is amazing that these once exotic destinations are now so accessible!
Today it is hot outside. We will head to the beach and have fish for dinner. Before that, we have a long list of things that need to get done...and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have to go to camp with the first year students. So much for building up a routine and a regular sleep cycle. I am not yet feeling settled.
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| A crazy looking fruit we found at the market. |
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| It had much more color than flavor - a bit like a mild kiwi. |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Week One
We made it! The first week of chaos is complete. The schedules were not finished, the classrooms were not finished, and the expectations were not clear, but Naomi and I preformed admirably. All of my lessons went quite well except for one class - the same class that everyone else had trouble with. Organizationally, we got off to one of the worst starts possible. I feel bad for the new teachers. Quite the first impression...
Naomi and I made a deal with each other. We decided that we would work until 5 every school day. Most teachers leave or socialize by around 4 (but they might be doing their prep work at home). We decided that if we were done with our work, we would hang out with the other colleagues until 5. If we were not done at 5, then the work would simply not be finished. This is especially important for Naomi because she has much more responsibility than time. We decided that to keep from burning out, days off need to stay school-free and work will not be done at home. I hope this works out; I think it will.
Outside of school, the house is getting into order. I feel like we need about a whole extra week of summer vacation to finish all the things we want to do. Last weekend we made a start, and will continue things today, but there also needs to be time for rest! The problem is, I simply don't have a settled feeling yet, and I don't think I will until many things are finished.
Naomi and I made a deal with each other. We decided that we would work until 5 every school day. Most teachers leave or socialize by around 4 (but they might be doing their prep work at home). We decided that if we were done with our work, we would hang out with the other colleagues until 5. If we were not done at 5, then the work would simply not be finished. This is especially important for Naomi because she has much more responsibility than time. We decided that to keep from burning out, days off need to stay school-free and work will not be done at home. I hope this works out; I think it will.
Outside of school, the house is getting into order. I feel like we need about a whole extra week of summer vacation to finish all the things we want to do. Last weekend we made a start, and will continue things today, but there also needs to be time for rest! The problem is, I simply don't have a settled feeling yet, and I don't think I will until many things are finished.
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| Last weekend we grilled up a whole heap of hamburgers to fill the freezer. |
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| Lighting the grill. |
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| Making the neighbors jealous. |
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| A real cigar handmade on a small farm in the mountains - thanks Clifton! |
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