Back to School!

At some point during the thirteen years that a child in in school, they will have a teacher that is either mean, unenthusiastic, or just plain old unhappy. It is a rarity that a child will come across a teacher, nonetheless a person, that portrays all three of these personality traits. When someone is witness to constant shouting and frustration, it becomes extremely apparent as to why some children are or become unenthusiastic about their education. Today was the day that that became clear to me. I finally was able to figure out why children, that have minds like sponges at the ages of 5 and 6 (the children that I am teaching), grow up to hate school and learning. It is not fun. 

Today was my first day teaching at the Clyde Quay School. It was a fantastic first day! The teacher that I am working with, Amanda, is great! She is very down to earth and reminds me a lot of Mrs. Murphy/Ludlow from Saddle River Day! The 5/6 year olds share a classroom with the 6 year olds, and a different teacher whose name I can't spell because it is a Maori name. There are two young women that are teacher's aids. One is Tess, who I got along with very well. Coincidently, she is from Brooklyn, so we have a lot to relate to. The other teacher, for the 6 year olds, is the teacher that I was previously describing. It was hard to watch her yell at children for not being able to add or spell. She was perfectly nice outside of the classroom, so maybe today was just one of those frustrating days for her. 

Anyways, the kids were adorable! From the moment that I walked into the room, a lot of the gravitated towards me and kept asking me questions. It was fun to help them figure out how to spell certain words. One boy even decided to sing me a famous rap song and quote Peter Griffin from Family Guy...he is five years old. Kids say the darndest things!

Yesterday was my last "normal" day at Zealandia. I was glad to be working with Erin for the whole day! We started by planting in the morning which was fun. The afternoon was spent with Cathy, the teacher who has a fellowship at the Sanctuary, checking Kaka boxes up in the pines. It was quite nerve-racking because it got very very windy while we were up there. A large branch even fell right next to us. I am excited to go back next Tuesday to help out with their school holiday programs!

I know I keep backtracking, but...On Sunday Jeff and I went to the local farmers market in the Harbor in the morning. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. Later in the evening, Jeni, Jeff and myself went to the movies and saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It was a cute movie, but very odd. 

Now back to normal time. Last night, I finished a fantastic book! I read it quite quickly for me. I would proudly recommend Cat's Cradle to just about anyone who enjoys a good, complex read. I am hoping to start 1984 shortly! 

I am very excited for some events to come! Tomorrow night, I am going out for dinner and drinks with all of the teachers from the school I am interning at! On Sunday, I am going to the Italian Festival with Jeni and possibly my other roommates. Next weekend, I am potentially planning a short three day trip to the South Island (if I can get Monday off from work)! I would start in Moteuka, then travel a short distance to Nelson, and finish where the ferry takes me back to Wellington, Picton. It would be a great way to see some of the South Island (which most New Zealanders would argue is the more beautiful of the two) on a tight budget! I also hope to hike Mt. Victoria again this weekend to watch the sunrise from the summit!

Tonight is also a great night because our favorite show, Daisy of Love, is on television. It is so ridiculous that we all just sit here and laugh. It's mindless...don't judge!

More teaching adventures to come!