Early Days

Well that’s my second full week of teaching in New Zealand over and done with so it’s time for a relaxing beer. Just another 37 weeks to go until the end of the school year! To be honest, I had forgotten how tiring and intense teaching is. It certainly makes a change from my previous job where I was able to sit down all day, spend the day emailing Chantal, surf the net when I fancied, go for a walk around the office when bored and make numerous cups of tea. Bring back my old job at NGC!

If you did not already know, I am teaching a Year 8 class (12 year olds) in an intermediate school (Year 7-8). In New Zealand, the primary sector goes up to Year 8 but some people choose to send their children to intermediate schools at the end of Year 6. Intermediate schools are still based around a ‘home’ class teacher but also have specialist teachers for certain subjects.

It has not quite been a shock to the system but has certainly been a jolt. By that I don’t mean the full on days but also the system or maybe it is my school. Unlike previous schools I did not receive a class list or pupil information until I asked for it but then a lot of things seem vague. There are a whole load of things that are rather blurry to me but I suppose if I was educated here and had worked in the system previously, I would know how things work! One big surprise though was that I would be taking my class on camp in Week 5. Not only would I be taking them but teachers need to organize transport, trailers to take the gear as well as all the paperwork. More about all that after I have been.

The curriculum is certainly looser than in Britain. We have year plans stating what needs to be covered in Literacy and Maths but there is nothing for any other subject! That is partly because Science, Geography and History are not taught as distinct subjects but as part of our ‘Inquiry’. More about that later. Thankfully, I do not have to teach Performing Arts as we have a specialist teacher for that. I also don’t teach Technology (Art, Hard Materials, Soft Materials & Food) as there are specialists for that, too. During the Technology and Performing Arts, is when we get our non-contact time. Yippee! That totals almost four hours a week.

Sport takes up a reasonable chunk of the timetable. At the moment, I am just taking my own class for things that I want to do. Soon though, teams will be going down to Hagley Park for touch rugby and cricket to play other schools. Well that’s what I think happens but like most things it has not been fully explained to me, yet. I have a feeling that I will be taking a hockey team to Hagley Park later on in the year.

Inquiry learning is the big thing here so it is the buzzword to have on one’s cv! That was something that I was fairly quick to pick up on and therefore had to do a spot of research to ensure I knew what it was. Each term we have a theme for our inquiry. Eachn theme is science or humanities themed. This term it is Commmunities and Leaders but where it will head is down to the pupils and myself.

Well, that's pretty much all I have got to say now but I will keep you all informed on how it all goes!

Culture Vultures?

Since moving to New Zealand, we have certainly widened our range of recreational activities. Once upon a time our needs were simple: a Saturday afternoon game of hockey and a few pints on the town kept us happy. These days our needs are more sophisticated so trips to the ballet, a string quartet concert, open air Shakespeare plays, classical concerts, etc. are common place. Yes, we have become middle class ponces!

Classical Sparks

Every summer, Christchurch City Council puts on a schedule of fun events and activities imaginatively called 'Summertime'. Most of these events and activities are free. A recent Monday evening saw us lugging our chairs, picnic blanket and chili bin to North Hagley Park to watch the 'Classical Sparks' concert (The park 10 minutes walk from our cottage). See:http://www.summertimes.org.nz/2007/PaulKellyMotorCompanyClassicalSparks.asp

This year, the classical favourites that are normally found on 'Classic Classics Volume 26' (on sale at all good motorway services) were there again but this time so was Dave Dobyn. Who? Apparently, he is a kiwi icon, and the crowd around us certainly enjoyed his performance. A little too M.O.R. for our liking but who are we to comment when sharing wine and a picnic, with friends.

The evening was entertaining and the company was good but a particulary tacky moment was when horseriders in attire supposedly worn during the crusades (I didn't know nylon was so popular back then) paraded in on horseback. They were promoting the regional Super 14 rugby team: The Crusaders. Subtlety is done well here, as seen at the Crusaders' rugby venue which has a polystyrene castle complete with shooting flames.

The concert finale is always a rendition of the 1812 Overture complete with impressive fireworks. Last year, the cathedral bells chimed at the appropriate places but this year a kapa haka group performed the haka during it. A world first!

Comedy of Errors

Last Saturday saw us walking up to Mona Vale, packed with chairs, a table, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, a few Summer Ales, and our picnic. We were going to watch a play!
http://www.topdogtheatre.com/TDcomedy.html
http://www.topdogtheatre.com/COMEDYreviewPRESS.html

It was a lovely summer’s evening, sitting in the sun, sipping a lovely red, as well as watching a Shakespeare play. Comedy of Errors is not a difficult play to follow, the acting was okay, but what really makes this such a good thing to do on a Saturday night was the weather and the setting. Mona Vale is a lovely park!

We did forget to bring the camera, so I am afraid no photos, but click on the links if you want to find out more!

http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2007/feb/christchurch-city/open-air-shakespeare-festival.html

Back to School

As some of you might already know, in New Zealand, the school year starts in February. This year, classes started on the 7th, which is the day after Waitangi Day (a national holiday if it falls on a work day). (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/waitangiday-introduction).

Things at school are slightly different to what Pete has grown used to, after being spoilt for resources at Marchwood Junior School (http://www.marchwood-jun.hants.sch.uk/). Unable to organize his classroom, over the last few weeks, due to Korean language students learning English, Pete decided to go in to school on the weekend. Yes, slightly a changed man!

Feeling sorry for Pete, I offered to come along and help. Knowing that the school has wireless broadband I knew I would not be bored. Pete had already made a start on Friday, but we finished putting the backing paper up, and organizing the desks.

Poor Pete, he has been left with a variety of old school desks, while the classrooms either side have all matching desks. Pete has been told new desks will arrive in the first few weeks of term, and I guess he will get all the new desks. I was actually amazed that desks like this are still being made! And amazed that children are having to sit in the more upmarket type of what the Chappells (see http://chappellfamily.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html) call a B& Q chair.

Willing to impress, and to be better organized, Pete went back into school, on Waitangi Day. Yes, a public holiday and Pete is working. Not sure that such a thing will happen ever again… Anyway, not wanting to be left at home, again I offered to help. What have I done? Well, I made a traffic light! And I was ‘allowed’ to use cardboard letters and spell the following words:

Progress of Pete’s teaching career will be posted in due course, if and when anything interesting occurs!