In Bits & Bites

I feel like a newcomer when walking onto the secluded College of Education campus after a 7 week absence. Lucky for me, the buildings haven't moved, and the place still looks the same as it was back in July - a secluded tropical resort. Although, the main cafe is still swamped by the lunch crowd despite the two week vacation.

Vacation. I could so go for one of those right now - they way it's suppose to be. The meaning of vacation has changed. It no longer means to get away from it all - not even close. Even though I am free from classes for two weeks, R&R hasn't been the main focus. Vacation in the 21st century means to be free from one task thereby letting you deal with another task. So, while I'm 'vacationing' from school, I've had to focus my time in looking for a summer job. Yeah, summer in December - I wonder how that'll feel?

Finding a summer job for me is a difficult task considering I've never had to sit in a job interview. I know! I'm in my early 20s & I never experienced it. There was no interview when I had to apply for a staff position at cadet camp - just apply, get accepted, and go work there over the summer. Man, I've been held back. It's also tough because my training & skills are limited, at least, limited to the jobs currently available. The jobs out there are mostly trade skills & labour and I don't own a licence to operate heavy machinery. I can try working at restaurants but they want experienced waiters & cooks, so that's a no. Not many openings for the arts but I'm keeping my options open. Would be nice to run with a jazz band or play piano in a bar.

Well, the good news is that summer doesn't start until late November, so there's still time for me to find something credible that'll pay. Following my parents' suggestion, I applied for an Austrailian Holiday Working Visa so that I can work Down Under if need be. If that does happen I'm so applying to drive Road Trains. Just once I want to race down a highway at 120km/h, pulling 6 trailers, blaring the horn, and yelling "ROAD TRAIN!" at the top of my lungs. It's a guy thing.

As for what else is happening, my older brother is coming to visit, so I took advantage of the white wine sale at Woolworths and bought some nice stuff to settle the stress. I'll do my best to show him the sites and make sure he gets his money's worth.

Food wise, I'm doing fine, surviving on the same stuff I wrote about back in July. Of course, I've been mixing it up here and there with various fruits, vegetable, fries, juices, and pastas. My roommates are still surprised that I spend more than they do on food every week ($55-65). It's because I shop at Woolworths & they go to Countdown and Pak 'n' Save, but I think it's also because of my expensive tastes . . . all gradually acquired when I was raised by an expensive family. Hmm, it would be nice to get a hold of a BBQ cause I could really go for another $7.40 steak. I'll have to inquire the Ilam staff about that.

And the Great Job Search Continues . . .

The Last Fri-Day

Time flies when you’re having fun so it’s best to step back once in a while and think about the days gone by. It’s hard to believe that 7 weeks of teaching practice have come and gone. I still feel that I have to spend a good portion of this weekend preparing lessons for Monday when I no longer have to. My next teaching practice won’t be until March of next year so all I have now until the ‘summer’ vacation is 2 weeks of break followed by 5 weeks of classes at the College of Ed.

Since I was paying attention to details on Friday, the last day went by slowly and was still occupied by routine. The only difference was that I & the other 3 student teachers put out chocolate sweets & savouries for Morning Tea. It’s customary (or quietly implied) for student teachers to put something together for the last Morning Tea as a way of saying thank you to the teaching staff for putting up with us.

Savouries are heated dumplings filled with either meat or vegetables – kind of like those triangular Lebanese spinach pastries. I would have taken a picture of them but since they’re viewed as gold in New Zealand, the second we put them out they were gone. In the end, it only cost $40 for the food, and the St. Thomas staff was grateful for what we did. I hope the sweets influenced my teaching associates in raising my final marks.

As with all last days, I carried on with teaching my final two lessons and handed back any teaching resources I borrowed during my practice. I thanked my associates for putting up with me and giving me much needed advice for my next teaching practice and when I enter the real world of teaching:

1. Position [x3]: Never have your back turned towards the class or any students.
2. Always have a planned lesson.
3. Be authoritative but not authoritarian.
4. Always move around the class; it shows that this is your territory and you can move anywhere.
5. Know students’ names.

I must admit that I’ll miss St. Thomas of Canterbury but since I’m living here for another 9 months I’ll probably pay an unannounced visit in the future. What I’ll remember the most from my time at St. Thomas? The morning briefings, the renowned Pizza Bread from the canteen, being called ‘Mr. D’, the energetic students, the school’s Haka, the interesting teachers, and teaching classes.

During the day, I got word that the student teachers from my program would be converging on a friend’s house in the evening for a BBQ. The catch was that it was a BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) & a BYOB. Not a problem for me because I was planning to go all out to celebrate the end of teaching practice anyway. So I showed up at the place with a 4 pack of Stella Artois and a $7.40 sirloin steak from Woolworth’s. Everyone else showed up with burgers, sausages, and vegetarian kabobs

Long story short, the ‘Stella!’ was good and I should have bought a second steak because the first one I cooked was really good. As for what the students in my program are doing during the two-week break? Working, travelling, and resting. I was surprised to hear several of them sharing horror stories of having to deal with problem students and rowdy classrooms. Well, glad to see them they’re still alive. By the time the group decided to head downtown, or should I say in town to continue the festivities, midnight had arrived and I was tired from teaching. I decided to break with the group (saying my goodbyes of course) and head back to residence to collapse on my warm bed.

A well-known liquid catalyst that shall remain nameless kept me in my own world as I ‘walked’ home. Because of it, I didn’t take particular notice of the two drunk student streakers who ran by me trying to flag down a taxi while their friends laughed themselves to death on the side of the road.

Fun cheeky times.

The Last Week

To be honest, I thought this week would never show up. It’s hard to believe that the seventh, aka last week of Teaching Practice 1 has started. Even though the workload has begun to wind down I’m still putting in the full effort to end on a high note. Once this week is over, I’ll have 2 weeks vacation to deal with. My brother is paying a visit during those two weeks so I’m guessing some interesting stuff will happen.

The students at St. Thomas will also get a 2 week break to rest & recuperate before the start of Term 4.

Last week was International Week so last Friday’s assembly saw students from China, Philippines, Malaysia, Fiji, India, and many others, talk about their homelands and why one should visit. If I would have known earlier, I would have done a presentation on Canada or Ukraine.

Aside from that, it’s been same old routine at St. Thomas. Been preparing to teach my final lessons of the term. Since it’s the last week, my Social Studies associates have given me the choice to teach a subject of my choosing. Since my Year 9 SS Kiwis have been studying the East India Trading Company, I’ve decided to teach them about a company that once owned & ruled an area far larger than India: the Hudson’s Bay Company. As for my Year 10 SS Kiwis, they were previously studying Maori resistance to British occupation so I’ll teach them how the Canadian Natives stood up to the Canadian British, particularly the case of Louis Riel.

The spring weather has finally arrived, with warm sunlight and clear skies. I can finally break out the shorts and t-shirts after school. It still feels somewhat odd to be talking shorts & t-shirts in late September. Usually I’d be thinking about wearing long trousers (aka pants for the Canadian readers) and turtlenecks because autumn has just begun back home.

Speaking of home, I’ve been using the Internet to keep me informed and it looks like a federal election is afoot for mid-October. All I’ll say is that I hope Stephane Dion & his Liberals will win even though I’m unable to assist. Wait a minute. Can I still vote even though I’m overseas? If I still can I’ll assist the Canadian people in giving Harper das boot!

Wish me luck on teaching my final lessons. Till the next post, I’m out!

Temple Basin: The Return

I’m back and this time I’m ready. I have a sleeping bag & a guaranteed bed to rest on during the night. No sleeping on wooden benches this time. This past weekend, I decided to return to Temple Basin after being absent for over a month. Perhaps the place has changed? Not a lot of club members travelled with the club this weekend. I suppose everyone else was too busy with assignments.

The drive to Arthur’s Pass was deja vu: the pristine, exquisite, natural landscape passing by our rented Soviet looking truck. Not a rain cloud in sight. We arrived at the Good’s Lift in just under a two hour drive and tossed in our winter gear. Everyone’s belongings have it easy because they don’t have to tramp up the mountain.

Back for more, the mountain asks.
‘Last time I checked, the score was one for me and zero for you.’
Oh yeah, the mountain concedes.

The tramp went faster than I expected, making it to the summit in 50 minutes. Two for me, zero for the mountain. It took over an hour the first time and the place hasn’t changed. First time . . . oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Temple Basin is the place where I skied outside of Canada for the first time. I still think the place should install a customer gondola but the staff doesn’t want to compete with the big business resorts.

This time I 'immortalized' myself with a catchphrase when our belongings were being offloaded from the Goods Lift. "No! Don't break my rum!"

The weather was much warmer than last time and it felt like spring at such a high altitude. The snow was slushy but still serviceable even though your skis sink in some areas. The easy hills had to be closed because they were turning into a pool.

The sounds of flying Kea birds echo in all directions. These alpine birds are very curious of humans and don’t mind getting close but don’t let them get too close or else they’ll start picking at your clothes looking for food.

After I rented out my skiing gear, I took to the slopes for several hours. The place was desolate of customers. Lunch was a buffet consisting of lamb, salad, pizza, beef, and fruit. The hired cook really knows how to prepare good food.

More skiing followed after lunch and I tumbled several times because the slushy snow made my skis slow down whereas my body kept going . . . into the snow. No need to worry, I’m fine.

As for the party during the night, all the club members drank, listened to music and played several drinking games. I just watched because my tolerance isn’t that high.

Same old skiing the next morning except clouds were moving in from below. When we descended the mountain into the clouds, it was cold and wet. The night had already settled when we began driving back to Christchurch. A bright full moon in the clear sky illuminated the highway roads and surrounding mountains. The dark scenery left me awe-struck, wanting me to tramp to the top of all the mountains. Luckily, it wasn’t raining in Christchurch when we arrived.

Overall, my trip to Temple Basin turned out to be quite pleasant. In just two days, I was able to ski a total of 24 runs down the mountain. I don’t think I’ll be able to go again before the season finishes, so I’ll have to wait until after summer. There were only two minor annoyances: Kea birds had picked several pieces out of my mattress (guess it was tasty) and my nose bled during the descent. Medically, I was always the black sheep of the family.

Away From Home

Week 5 of Teaching Practice has come & gone as fast as it began. Hard to believe that only two weeks remain. What’s also surprising is the amount of time I’ve spent away from home. Before coming to NZ the longest I’ve ever spent away from home consecutively was seven weeks – it now stands at 10 weeks and climbing. My overall record is 13 weeks back in 2006 when I studied in Ukraine & then worked at cadet camp. In between those two excursions I stayed at home for 3 days to rest, recuperate, and pack. My overall record won’t be broken until early October.

On the teaching side, routine has been the rule of law. Teach a lesson here, observe a lesson there, and plan an upcoming lesson somewhere else. Problems in the classroom are next-to-nil and I spend most of my time walking around answering questions and making sure the given tasks are completed. As a student teacher, I feel that the planning of a lesson is more difficult than teaching the lesson.

This past Thursday, I took part in a well-organized Music Evening concert where students (solo & groups) performed jazz, rock, & classical pieces in front of family & friends. This concert also served the purpose of assessing students completing the performance components of the music curriculum. As for me, I provided piano accompaniment for a Year 10 sax player and we played the jazz piece Rachel & the Boys by James Rae. The crowd liked us. During the intermission, guests were treated to finger foods like crackers & chips, and drinks such as juice for the students and wine for the adults.

For Friday’s assembly, awards were given out for participants in math competitions, rugby, & soccer. Maori students achieved a significant amount of the awards. Student politics was also on the agenda with Year 9s being tasked with electing a new representative to council. There were three candidates who gave short humourous speeches. And finally, the principal announced that the library would be undergoing renovations within a week.

As for my friends in my program, they too were happy with the way the week turned out. It appears that everyone is in the zone. What’s also talked about around the table is the recent popularity of the NZ comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, and the YouTube video Beached Whale which pokes fun at the New Zealand accent.

With the week over, I can now sit back & relax. Nah, I'm going skiing.

My Way

September. Normally I would be wishing for more summer vacation before school begins but not this time. School has been happening since July, here in New Zealand, and it won’t stop until October for a short break.

I seem to have finally found my teaching style because my associates were impressed with my lessons this week. My presentation improved greatly they said, no longer afraid to walk to all corners of the classroom, engage with the good & bad students, and appear ridden with stage fright. I just might make it out of here alive. It still would be nice to have a Taser at the ready in case of emergencies but by the end of my Teaching Practice I’ll probably conclude that I don’t need it.

There was this one awkward moment when I was teaching Year 9 Social Studies that I noticed the absence of the original teacher. Only my college observer & I were the leading authorities in the room. But in reality, I was on my own. For 50 minutes, I managed to keep the classroom from erupting into Lord of the Flies by winning many battles against the little Kiwis. No, not physical confrontations, more like stopping them from thinking they can talk whenever, not pay attention, throw paper at each other, and fall asleep. I really should have brought my copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War as a reference.

At St. Thomas of Canterbury, I hear my abbreviated title everywhere I go. There still are those dedicated few students who try to pronounce my last name to some success. Although some teachers don’t enjoy using abbreviations, I’m turning out to be the exception, when they mention the previous lessons I taught to their students. I’ve glorified the letter ‘D’ – a foreshadowing outcome when I begin teaching as a profession.

Aside from that, most of the classes I taught turned out well. I didn’t have too many of them because this week was some sort of career week where the students engaged in business activities like creating a product & visiting various establishments (bakery, NZ post office, etc.) to give them ideas about the working life. This gave me extra spare periods so I spent them socializing with the staff, preparing my next lessons, & practicing on the piano in the music building.

It’s hard to believe that more than half of my first Teaching Practice is over – the days are just flying by when you’re not paying attention. Feels like just yesterday I was standing on the convocation podium back in Carleton University, receiving my BA in History. That was over a year ago!

Weather speaking – it mostly rained. Yeah . . . the weekends are all nice & sunny but come Monday and it’s grey and wet. I’m glad I invested in a golf umbrella. The new fad around campus is to catch a cold; several of my roommates & colleagues have jumped on the bandwagon with the coughing & nose blowing, whereas my body has chosen to remain fad free. I suppose it’s because I come from the Great White North so my immunity must be high. What’s also good is the non-existence of mosquitoes.

Since the beginning of my stay in July, I started putting together a list of New Zealand lingo – what they call things against what Canadians call them. This list should come in handy for the Canadian travellers who get stuck when asking for assistance. Some of the words you may find shocking, but that’s what Kiwis say. I could lead a nation wide Lingo Revolution but I don’t have time to launch such an endeavour. I should note that this list will continue to grow with every passing day, I just have to seek out the other words.

(*New Zealand words on the left, Canadian words on the right.)

Biscuits – Crackers
Rubber – Eraser
Dart – Paper Airplane
Football – Soccer
Fag – Cigarette
Jandals – Sandals
Fizzy Drinks – Soft Drinks
Kiwi – New Zealander
Tramping - Hiking
Tomato Sauce – Ketchup
Gumboots – Rainboots
Togs – Swimsuit
Waka – Canoe
EFTPOS – Debit Card
Trousers – Pants
Pants – Underwear
Massage Parlour – Brothel
In Town – Downtown
Take Away – Take Out
Tissue – Kleenex
Rubbish – Garbage
Scroggin – Trail Mix
Trolley – Shopping Cart
Twink – Wite Out
Toilet - Washroom
Nappy - Diaper
Letter Box - Mailbox
Post Box - Mailbox
Pigeon Hole - Teacher's Mailbox
Tyre - Tire
Busyness - Business
Savouries - Dumplings

*I always have to fight the urge to laugh when the Kiwi boys call out to their friends, "Hey man! Pass the rubber!"