So strange being here during the “winter” and that the sun has been down for two hours now when at home, it’s summer and the sun wouldn’t be down yet. Crazy!
Today was a very exciting day. I had the great fortune of being able to come into the school that Matt student teaches at! The school isn’t too far by car, but Matt gets there either by bike or by walking. We set off for our walk today at about seven, stopped at a café, then got to his school around eight or so.
I wasn’t totally sure of what I would be in store for today, but I did expect some things that Matt already informed me about. The school that I went to is for children in prep (kindergarten) through year seven. There are a few classes for each grade and the school year as I mentioned earlier, begins in January as opposed to September. Instead of one or two central buildings, this school, like all schools in Australia has many different buildings that are connected by walkways that are only covered on top. There is a main office as well as a nurse’s office and staff room that are also separate. They also have a “tuck shop” which is where they go to order lunch. It felt like just another morning in a U.S. school as we walked into the main office to sign in. Those typical feelings changed when I saw students in uniforms and bucket hats running around outside. It was so exciting! Matt’s year six classroom is in a building that contains a few other year six classrooms and a computer lab/staff area. The classroom was very similar to a classroom you would find in the U.S., with tables of desks, reward charts, as well as a job chart and colorful posters displayed around the room. Exotic birds chirped nearby and beautiful trees swayed outside the windows. Matt and his teacher let me browse through their curriculum guide as well as their learning standards. Some of this reminded me of what we use at home, but it was a lot more direct. Also, there were many great resources and strategies made available in the curriculum guide. As a bell rang throughout the school grounds, the students lined up outside and Matt brought them inside. The teacher conducted a share session about the students’ weekends that was very laid back, humorous, welcoming, and enjoyable. There is another classroom right next to Matt’s that can be shared if they open the slide doors. There is a strong sense of community that I felt in this classroom as well as between the other classrooms. The students then did a great exercise called “Quickmaths” with Matt, then spent some time with “LOTE” (Language Other Than English) in which a specialist came in and taught them Japanese. The students have LOTE a few times a week. At around ten, the students had “morning tea” which consists of a snack and a short recess. I attended a staff meeting in which we were served fresh fruit and pastries. Before going off to “big lunch”, the students worked on math, reading/writing, and spelling activities. This is a little after one o’clock, so after “big lunch”, the rest of the day really flies by. The teacher read aloud a comical story from a collection of short stories for the children, the students did a little more schoolwork, and then they had “assembly”. One class from each grade sat in a semi-indoor auditorium in which students gave important announcements and were presented with special awards. The children also sang the Australian national anthem and sang “Happy Birthday” to a student. I loved this time of the day because many parents came in to watch and it was a great way to end the school day.
Overall, I had a great day at the school. I was able to walk around the classroom while the students worked to help them out. I was surprised at how there is still somewhat of a language barrier even though we speak the same language. There are many different words and expressions used in Australia that I am still not familiar with. There are also many words and expressions we use that the students do not know. However, kids are so similar all over the globe, which I realized when I looked around the room and noticed that the majority of girls had “I <3 JB” (Justin Beiber) written on their pencil holders. It made me really happy to hear the students say my name as I walked in the door today and to hear them say “good afternoon Miss Dixon” as they left. I wish I could spend a lot more time with them!
I am looking forward to returning to the school at the end of this week for “Sports Day” in which the students participate in events such as track and field, tug of war, and many other activities. I do not look forward to having to leave this place in a week, but this has been such an incredible experience and I am treasuring every second of it!!!
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