Weeks 9-12

Hello everyone!!

It’s time for another update on my time in New Zealand! My time is quickly coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean things are slowing down in the least. Here’s what’s been going on:

 

Final two weeks of Term 1:

School in New Zealand is split into four terms. Term one is the longest (eleven weeks). In week ten I completed my final week in full charge of the class. It was a bittersweet moment because I finally felt like the kids were getting into the routines I had set with them and now I am handing control back to my cooperating teacher. At the same time, I am excited to have my own classroom, and handing back control means I’m one step closer to that! In our final week of term, I got to get out and observe some other teachers and classes. Besides that we had a fun courage day (one of our themes for the term) where students participated in a wide range of fun activities that require courage. On the more administrative side of things, teachers did a lot of back-mapping (looking at the learning that happened over the semester) in order to inform teaching for next term. We made tweaks to the schedule, changes to student groups, and planned to implement new learning activities to cover gaps that were showing up in the curriculum through this process. Term one was all about building those relationships and knowing our students. Now in term two academics through inquiry will be at the forefront to fill gaps and engage students. I will be leaving after the first week of second term, but I am really interested to see how all of this plays out.

 

We managed to squeeze in a few things during the weekend between these final weeks of term. On Friday Rachel and I did a Redwoods Treewalk (SO cool to walk along bridges up in the trees and learn about New Zealand Redwoods and how they differ from those in California).

Pathway through the trees!

Then on Saturday we went to Hobbiton (I mean, you have to right?). I must confess that I haven’t actually watched all of the Lord of the Rings films, but it didn’t matter because the set was so beautiful I was able to appreciate it anyway!  

 

 

We also went to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves (which technically are filled with glowing fly maggots, but it doesn’t have the same ring to it). We couldn’t take pictures because they are too sensitive to light, but it was a cool experience. Imagine being in a cave and seeing the ceiling covered in fireflies whose lights don’t blink on and off, and you can pretty much picture what it was like.

To top off the day, we went to a traditional Mauri hangi, where we had a traditional meal of meat, potatoes, and kumara (like a sweet potato) that had been cooked in the ground with pavlova for dessert, and were shown a cultural performance to learn more about the Mauri culture. Then we hopped on a bus and headed back to Taupo.

Food cooking

Cultural performance - which included a Haka

But our weekend wasn’t done yet! On Sunday all the Taupo global student teachers got together with our hosts and made them an American dinner as a thank you for everything they have done. What was on the menu? Burgers, fries and onion rings, salad, and roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Then we pulled out the dessert of pumpkin pie and showed them how to make s’mores over a stovetop (it was raining so we couldn’t have a fire). It was delicious and great to get together with everyone one last time towards the end of our experience. Since one of the first things we did when we got here was get together to eat food, it was one of those full circle type of things.

 

Holiday:

Don’t call it a school break or vacation. The two weeks students have off from school at the end of term one are called a holiday, and I took advantage of this time to see as much of New Zealand’s South Island as I could. Here’s how it went down:

On Sunday we did a few last things in Taupo before heading off on our trip. We took a boat ride to view some Mauri rock carvings and then bathed in some thermal pools as a relaxing way to end the day.

Carving

Hot pools at sunset - relax!

Early Monday morning Rachel and I bussed down to Wellington to begin our holiday. We went to a museum which had exhibits about ANZAC day (New Zealand’s holiday recognizing people who have served or are serving in the Australia New Zealand Army Corps) and about early Mauri civilization here in Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud – aka New Zealand). Then we walked along the lake, and eventually met up with three other global student teaching students, who had picked up a camper to drive ourselves down the West Coast for the next few days.

 

On Tuesday we got our first taste of the South Island as we ferried from Wellington to Picton. Immediately we noticed how much bigger and more dramatic the mountains were in the South Island, and didn’t hesitate to snap lots of photographs!

 

On Wednesday we did a hike in Abel Tasman, complete with ocean views and a swinging bridge! It was a great way to kick off our time on the South Island.

 

Swinging bridge!

 

On Thursday we hoped to do a hike up near the Frans Josef Glacier, however the road had been washed out in a recent storm and was not yet repaired. Instead we viewed the Fox Glacier from a distance and continued our journey down south, and took in some amazing mountain views.

Look close and you will see a glacier under the clouds

On Friday we got our first taste of Queenstown and fall colours really began to pop. We met up with another global student teacher and her family for lunch, and then dropped off one of our crew members at the airport as she was going to spend her second week of holiday in Australia.

On Saturday the remaining four of us took a cruise around Milford Sound. It rained on us for the whole tour, but the rain added a number of breathtaking waterfalls for us to view so we couldn’t complain too much.

The little white streaks are actually waterfalls!

On Easter Sunday, Rachel and I embarked on a cliff-jumping-zipline and bungee-swing adventure in Queenstown, while the other two flew back to Auckland. If you ever find yourself in Queenstown, I HIGHLY recommend doing the Shotover Canyon Swing and Canyon Fox. A zip line with a freefall and a bungee swing will definitely get your adrenaline going, but at the end of the day you walk away feeling relieved that you’re still alive and proud that you jumped off a cliff even though you were a little bit terrified.

Jumping into a zipline

Before the fall

Here we go!!

On Monday we headed over to the East Coast and spent the day exploring Dunedin. Unfortunately, it was so spread out that we found it difficult to navigate to things as we had left our campervan in Queenstown. We also had a bad experience with the backpackers we were going to stay at. We got there and it turned out we were trading a cheap price for a sense of safety and security (not to mention we could NOT find the room we were supposed to be in), so we checked ourselves into a four star hotel instead just to feel safe. Can you say luxurious? We saved the day by working out in their gym, drinking complementary hot chocolate, taking a shower in the waterfall shower in our room, and relaxing in cozy bathrobes provided for us.

On Tuesday we bussed to Christchurch. We began our trip by checking out a museum called Quake City. The South Island has a fault line that runs through it, which means that there are a number of places that have had some catastrophic earthquakes, and Christchurch is one of those places. In 2011, there was a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck at lunchtime, killing 182 people and damaging and collapsing many buildings. The museum also highlighted Christchurch’s resilient spirit by showing ways the community came together to help each other, and explaining how this earthquake is changing the way infrastructure is being built in order to make it safer in future earthquakes. Then we checked into our accommodation for the next two nights, which was a room with little pods in the wall to sleep in and a giant recreation area for cooking and hanging out. It felt like something futuristic or from a spaceship – the only downside is it was right next to the airport so you heard everyone coming in from late flights or leaving for early flights.

Check out this room!

 

On Wednesday, Rachel and I took a bus to Akaroa, a peninsula which was formerly a volcanic basin and was settled by both the French and British. We spent the day hiking to a waterfall, walking along the waterfront and viewing a lighthouse, eating fish and chips, and walking around the town and its shops.

Loving the fall colours!

 

On Thursday Rachel left to fly back to the states, and I hoped on a bus to Picton. It was ANZAC day, so the town was bustling with people out and about celebrating with family and friends. I checked myself into my hotel room (with a view!) and spent the afternoon relaxing after a busy week and a half!

View from my hotel room

Everything I brought with me for the two weeks had to fit on my back!

On Friday I ferried back to the North Island. It was a beautiful sunny day and I spent some time wandering around Wellington. I ate some gelato and watched the sun set, then hopped on a bus that took me back to Taupo.

Final views of the South Island

 

I spent Saturday and Sunday doing laundry and getting myself ready for the upcoming week at school. I can’t believe it will be the last week of my time here in New Zealand. I’m missing the people back home, but know I will miss this place I have been lucky enough to call home for the last three months. I’m going to spend as much time as I can enjoying all the students I have gotten to know so well while I have been over here – I’m going to miss them when I leave!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my travels! I’ll update you after this week is over and let you know how much I cried having to leave my students.

 

As always, feel free to drop a comment below if you have thoughts or questions about my experience. I’d love to connect with you!

 

Best to you and yours,

Ellie

Weeks 6-8

Hi everyone!

 

The next installment of my journey is coming at you! Things are in full swing here in Taupo. I’m gaining more responsibilities at school and learning heaps both about how to connect with and teach students along with the amount of work that goes into effective teaching. If you’ve never student taught before, I’ve come up with an analogy to explain what it’s like.

 

For those of you who have ever played basketball, student teaching is like learning how to shoot the ball into the hoop. Most of you might not even remember the amount of effort that went into this, because at some point it become second nature. You don’t have to think about it, you just shoot. Muscle memory takes over, and the shot feels natural rolling off your fingertips. It doesn’t go in every time but it goes in enough that you feel like you’re doing a good job. Watch a professional and they’ll make it look effortless.

But what we often forget is when you are first learning how to shoot a basketball it was nowhere near that easy. In fact, it’s really really hard. There are, like, a million different variables (dramatic I know, but hey I work with 8 year olds all day). You have to make sure your feet are shoulder width apart. If you’re right handed, your right foot should be a little bit in front of your left. Your knees should be bent – not too little, but not too much either. Your right elbow should be over the top of your right foot, your hand in a vertical line with your elbow and also under your right eye. The ball needs to be resting on top of your right hand – not flat on the palm, not only on the fingertips, but somewhere in between. Then your left hand needs to lightly rest on the side of the basketball – not supporting it in any way, just holding it in place. When you actually shoot the ball, you bend your knees, straighten them into a jump, push your arm up, and flick your wrist down to give the ball some spin. While you do this your eyes should be locked on the rim (front or back depends on you as an individual), and when you reach up and flick your wrist you should imagine it going over the tip of the rim. And that’s just the shooting form. Once you can do that consistently there are an infinite number of distances you can shoot away from the basket, as well as an infinite number of angles. These differing differences and angles require different amounts of power and finesse. Sometimes you are supposed to make the ball bank off the backboard. Sometimes you are trying to make it go in without touching anything but the net. And if that’s not complicated enough, that’s just one kind of shot. Sometimes you don’t even want to use the form I just explained and instead to get the ball in the hoop you want to do a layup, reverse layup, dunk… you get the picture.

And because when you’re first learning you have to focus on every single one of the little details I mentioned, and you have no muscle memory built up, you miss a lot more baskets than you make. Sometimes your shot looks and feels awkward and clunky. But the only way to get better is to keep practicing. So you do. And one day, you realize your shot has become effortless. That doesn’t mean you aren’t constantly tweaking something to make it more effective, but you no longer have to focus on every little detail, and you can allow it to come more naturally.

 

So how exactly does this relate to student teaching, you may be wondering. WELL, in a classroom full of diverse individuals with differing needs, there are a lot of variables and details to be thinking about. You need to assess and understand the needs of each student and plan learning experiences that engage students and challenge them where they are at while meeting their social and emotional needs. You also need to notice and manage behaviors (good and bad), materials, and the schedule, all while reflecting on and documenting both students’ progress and your own effectiveness. Experienced teachers have had enough experience working with all the different variables that many parts of their job come naturally. They know where students are typically at academically, have experience with a wide range of abilities, and have a collection of resources to pull on to fit almost any learning situation. Of course, they are still tweaking their craft and always striving to get better, but they don’t have to focus so long and hard on the small details. As a student teacher, you don’t have the “muscle memory” built up that other teachers do. You are expected to make decisions like you do, create lessons that not only meet your teacher and school’s criteria but the criteria of your university as well, and try to implement what you believe to be important for your students, but you don’t have all that prior knowledge to draw upon. I’m not gonna lie – it’s hard work. But just like shooting a basketball, the only way to get better is to practice. And that’s what student teaching is. It’s the opportunity to practice in a controlled environment so that next September, when I am in the game, I have the best chance at making the most shots.

There has been a HUGE learning curve while I have been student teaching. Some days it has felt like I am taking one step forward and two steps back. HOWEVER, I have grown so much from this experience. I am practicing the skills to become an effective teacher, and getting better every time I do. Sometimes I miss the mark, and that’s okay because it means I’m one step closer to hitting it the next time. And the longer I am in the classroom, the more confidence I gain and more effective I feel I am. PLUS, the kids make every struggle worth it – they really are the reason I do what I do.

 

Besides learning a lot at school every day, here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

 

Weekend in Napier -  We climbed a hill for some panoramic views of the area, went wine tasting at a winery, visited an aquarium, and hung out by the ocean. We also helped out with Sunday Surf Club – a program for kids that teaches them how to use various water craft. My job? Spend time cruising around in a kayak making sure all was good (luckily I wasn’t asked to save anyone).

View from the top of Sugarloaf Hill

Winery

 

Coast (a different beach than where Surf Club was held)

Full charge – I’ve spent two weeks in full charge of my cooperating teacher’s duties. Besides teaching ordinary classes, I organized a detective day where the students had to use reading, writing, maths, and problem solving skills to solve the mystery of a missing handbag. It was a challenge, but by working together they were able to be successful! *ALSO* something they don’t tell you about student teaching is that you will watch a kid pick their nose and eat it. Gross. What can you do?

 

Beautiful sunsets – seriously. They never get old. And they are gorgeous here setting over the lake and mountains. Check out these pictures for evidence!

 

Parasailing – Rachel and I took in views of beautiful Lake Taupo while sailing up in the air behind a boat. It was an amazing experience, and really cool to take in our lake and town from a new heightened angle. We even got dipped into the water towards the end of our ride!

 

edTPA turned in – yep. I’m a little behind in my blog posts, but this one almost catches me up. It’s amazing how much more I am able to focus on planning for my students now that my big assignment has been turned in. And now I anxiously await the results….

 

Day trip to the coast – our host took us out to Mount Maunganui, where we climbed a mountain and swam in the ocean. We also stopped to see some hydrothermal clay (boiling mud) on the way there and jammed to Abba in the car.

View from the top of the Mount

Shells

Exploring

Waves Crashing

Swimming Beach

 

Autumn is in the air – while friends and family back home anxiously await spring, there has been a change in the weather that signifies fall is coming to New Zealand. The temperatures are much cooler overnight than they used to be, and daylight is getting shorter and shorter. Although summer felt short because we came half way through it, autumn is my favorite season so I can’t wait to see some trees with colorful leaves!

 

And that’s what I’ve been up to! For those of you who made it this far, thanks for sticking it out and reading about my experience. I’m sending good vibes to you all!

 

As always, if you have questions or comments drop them below, I’d love to connect!

Week 5

Hello! Long time no see. 😊 I’m glad you’re reading this, because I wanted this post to be a little more interactive… so I’m introducing New Zealand Trivia!! As I tell you about what I’ve been up to, I’m also going to share some cultural differences and see if you know what it’s like to live with the Kiwis. This trivia will come in the form of a question and multiple choice answers (yep, I’m a teacher at heart). Don’t worry though, this quiz is all about having fun, and won’t be graded. 😉

 

When you go to a country like New Zealand, you will notice that on the surface many things are very much the same as they are in the United States. The people speak English, drive cars, and smile big. But the closer you look, the more you realize there are lots of cultural differences that take some getting used to. For example:

True of False: Drivers drive on the right side of the road

I wanted to start you off with an easy question – the answer is FALSE! People drive on the left side of the road, and the driver sits on the right side of the car (something I learned really quickly when I tried to get in the driver seat when I was picked up from the airport by my host, thinking it was the passenger side). I’m not kidding, it took me a while to get the balance of turns when I was riding in cars because, although the cars look the same the driver just sits on the other side, my body could not figure out how to turn smoothly because the car never moved quite like I anticipated it to.

 

School has been going well! I am making connections with the students and learning how to teach with a team of teachers. One a Wednesday in early March, our school had Athletics day (think track and field day). Students were bussed off campus to compete in a number of athletic events from running to jumping to throwing. One common phrase heard throughout the day was: “I’m puffed.” Time for question number two:

               The phrase “puffed” means:

a.      Bloated

b.     Out of breath

c.      Smoking a cigar (you should know this one is a false answer)

d.     Angry

And the answer is…. out of breath! When you can’t catch your breath from running or any kind of physical activity, telling someone you’re puffed is the only way to cope. Even though it was tiring, it was an awesome day. Each age group dressed in its colour (my class was blue and the teachers all pulled out blue tutus for the occasion), and we even made up a chant to kick off the festivities!

 

Unrelated to school, Rachel and I took a weekend trip to Auckland (New Zealand’s most populous city). When we packed for the trip, we made sure to throw our togs in a bag. Confused? Don’t worry, this quiz will sort you out!

               Togs are:

a.      Sandals

b.     Rain jackets

c.      Portable chargers

d.     Swimsuits

The correct answer is d! Even though we did pack all of the above, togs is the term used for swimsuits. We were super excited to spend a weekend in the coastal city of Auckland. Our host has some cousins who live there and were gracious enough to welcome us into their home for the weekend. While we stayed with them, they cooked us a traditional dinner of lamb (with mint sauce of course), roasted potatoes, pumpkin, and kumara (like a sweet potato), and pavlova. What is pavlova you may ask? Well I’m not gonna give you the answer that easy, you’re going to have to guess!

               Pavlova is:

a.      A type of cookie first made by Pavlov (the guy with the dogs)

b.     A savory vegetable similar to broccoli

c.      A traditional Kiwi dessert similar to a meringue

d.     A gravy-like dish that often accompanies potatoes

How do you think you did? Pavlova is a traditional dessert similar to a meringue. When done right, it is crunchy on the outside, and light like a marshmallow on the inside. Top it with whipped cream and some fresh blueberries, and you have a delicious dessert that doesn’t weigh you down! Which brings me to my next question:

               How do you express that you like the taste of something in New Zealand?

a.      “That is so yum!”

b.     “Delicioso!”

c.      “Mmm, yummy!”

d.     Smack your lips together in delight

The answer is a, “that is so yum!” Anything that tastes good here is ‘yum.’ Not yummy. Yum. Ice cream is yum. Apples are yum. Pavlova is yum. You get the idea. Besides eating delicious food, we also got out and explored the Auckland area. Saturday was its own adventure.

 

Let. Me. Tell. You. Why.

 

It started off with a ferry ride across a harbor to Waiheke Island – a cute island with gorgeous views. While it misted a bit on the ride over, Rachel and I had our raincoats packed and were hoping the skies would clear a bit as the day went on. At first, it seemed like this would be the case. As we arrived to a little tourist town, the rain stopped and we saw a sign for a beach. We headed down, and were greeted by gorgeous views, sea shells, and soft sand.

 

 

After exploring the beach, we found a trail to a road and a sign that said another bay was just a 15 minute walk away. Excited, we headed off to explore this area. Like a fool, I said to Rachel, “I hope it doesn’t start raining.” This next question is not related to New Zealand culture, BUT I think it adds to the flow of the story.

               What happened next?

a.      Rachel and Ellie laughed

b.     Rachel knocked on wood    

The correct answer is a: we laughed. And anyone who has watched any movie ever knows what a big mistake that was. After a comment like that the only thing that could have possibly happened was that it started to rain. Scratch that - pour. At about the half way point to the bay the skies opened up and let us have it. At that point we figured we might as well finish our journey. We made it to the bay and hid under a tree, but at that point we were pretty soaked. The skies were solid cloud and showed no sign of stopping the insane amount of rain, so we decided to head back to town. On our way back we gave in to being wet, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by splashing in every puddle we came across. By the time we got back to town, we were soaked. And hungry. The only problem was we were so wet we didn’t want to walk into any restaurant, so we needed to find a way to dry our clothes. But how?

 

We found a park bathroom and hung up all our clothes on hooks, putting on our swimsuits. Then we went for a swim in the rain while our clothes dried. When we came back our clothes were still wet – so we spent 45 minutes drying them out under the bathroom blow-dryers. Once they were dry enough to put on, we headed back out into the rain to find somewhere to eat. We ended up eating at a lovely café, but with the rain still coming down heavy we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the town library – where we could actually stay dry. And you’ll never guess, but about 30 minutes before we had to catch the ferry back into Auckland the sun came out and it stopped raining. We enjoyed a lovely fairy ride and let the wind finish drying our damp clothes and hair. Even though we spent the day stuck in the rain, I still enjoyed our trip to Waiheke Island. The views were beautiful, and the experience unforgettable.

 

 

Lucky for us, we still had one more day in Auckland and it didn’t rain one bit. We began the day by taking a ferry ride to Davenport, where we hiked up to the top of a volcano which gave us a stunning view of downtown. Before heading back we stopped at a bakery for morning tea. Which brings me to my next question:

               What is morning tea?

a.      A breakfast blend of herbal tea that is widely popular in NZ

b.     The first meal of the day

c.      Any tea purchased before 12pm

d.     A mid-morning break for coffee or tea and a light snack

The correct answer is d. It’s a mid-morning break and time to replenish energy with something to eat or a hot beverage. After getting back to Auckland, we hopped on a bus to take us to Mt. Eden, another volcano. After walking to the top and taking in the views, we treated ourselves with ice cream. Then we headed back downtown and took a ride up the elevator of Sky Tower (a building that resembles Seattle’s Space Needle), to see the city from above. Then we got on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, where we drove by some of the city’s main attractions and learned about the history. After a busy day we caught the bus back to Taupo, arriving just after midnight. It was a jam-packed weekend, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading my latest blog post! I hope you liked the ‘trivia’ format. I liked writing it!

 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. I’d love to connect!

 

Best wishes to you and yours,

Ellie