life update

well, well, well.

about time I actually wrote about life.

starting this week, I am no longer unemployed, yay! I am officially a parapro at a local high school. as someone with a teaching degree, this feel like a bit of a step down, but I'm thankful for any opportunity that comes my way. plus, this particular district is super flexible should an offer for a teaching position come my way, which is super awesome.

my dad recently went to Austria for a week on business, and I'm excited to go hang out with my parents next weekend. I can no longer take long weekends to visit them, but c'est la vie. I'm happy to have a job, anyway. it was getting a bit monotonous, being unemployed. I was spending way too much money and spending way too much time vegging out. I occasionally found some productive ways to spend my time, though.

but I think I'm ready for a new chapter. with this readiness comes lots of anxious feelings to find an apartment, but the amazing autumn weather and changing leaves (and lots of retail therapy) are helping sooth my nerves.

I hope I'm happy at my new job. I hope I find my place there, and work well with the people around me. I also hope I remember to take time for myself, and to work harder at being healthy and exercising more. I will try my best to keep life simple, and to embrace the little things that make me happy, and to spend more time with my best friend. I hope you all do too!

court's kids

I first heard about Court's Kids in my capstone class. when I checked it out, I was blown away that people would just be willing to give away books to teachers for free. it seemed like a long shot. however, when I sent an email, I got a speedy reply from Kiki, the organization's president and co-founder.

it had to be one of the nicest emails I've ever received. she was so willing to help and interested in the group of students I was requesting the books for. she said it may take up to 3 weeks to receive the books, but less than a week later, they were sitting on my doorstep. how cool! and I couldn't believe how many books there were. truly incredible.

Court's Kids is an organization dedicated to "provide special education programs with the books and materials they need." check out their website! → www.courtskids.org

ah, life

so, I recently re-read a couple of emails that I (stupidly) kept in my inbox. one was saying that I was not chosen to be a Fulbright scholar in Italy, and the other said that I was not chosen to receive a scholarship to travel to Italy for one month and learn Italian language.

again, it has me wondering. am I not meant to travel, even though I feel like it's what I want to do more than anything? again, it has me wondering whether education, while I do love it, was the right path for me. I've loved writing and photography since I was in high school. I had dreams of being a photojournalist. somehow, I abandoned that when other people told me they thought I would be a good teacher, so I went for it. I just feel stupid that I let other peoples' opinions on what I would be good at change the direction of my entire life, without stopping to take my own feelings into consideration.

it's not only that it's hard to travel as a teacher, but I feel old. it sounds stupid, but it's true. as a writing or photo major, I would have graduated 2 years ago, and who knows where I'd be now? I'm turning 25 this year, and I haven't accomplished nearly what I thought I would have by the time I was 25. I think for the past few years, I've been too caught up in living in the moment, and I literally took no time to realistically assess what I wanted to do with my life in the long-term. not once did I ever ask myself if this is what I really want to do. not once had anyone else asked me. I know I can be successful and I now that I will enjoy teaching, but there's always that but...

again, I don't want it to sound like I don't want to be a teacher anymore. I love special education. I love my students, and teaching them is challenging and fulfilling. I just want to do more. I'm struggling with inner peace, and I'm waging a war against myself.

by Wednesday, I should hopefully have a clearer idea. I just know that I can't turn back time.

a real update

I figure it's time for a "real" update! and what better time to do that than very early in the morning, munching on my breakfast? :)

all in all, everything has been going very well. I'm working as a student teacher for the very last time in a very nice district. I'm working in a high school room, which is very different than what I'm used to (mainly the fact that everyone is taller than me) but the kids are so great. and the school is gargantuan. there are something like 70 teachers, and the building, from one end to the other, is ¼ mile long. coming from more urban districts with lots of small buildings as opposed to a few huge buildings, it was quite a shock for me.

the best part, though, is that everyone is very helpful and accepting and nice, and the program in place for these kids is really cool. I really couldn't ask for anything better.

nostalgia has been a close friend, and I still think about Darwin a lot. I miss everyone so much sometimes. I keep in touch with my Aussie parents and Blake and a few others via facebook, which helps. I have so many memories around my apartment from my trip, and it honestly doesn't seem like I've been away for nearly 3 months.

my only struggle now is graduation (in 5 weeks!), and what I plan to do afterward. I've been going back and forth between applying for teaching jobs overseas. I've recently taken a trip down memory lane and dug up my old assignments from my photography class years ago. I started kicking myself for not sticking with it - I love teaching, but these decisions would have been so much easier had I been a photo major. but then, who knows where I'd be now. my life would be very different.

speaking of photos, I have no good ones to go along with this post, but you can always visit my photo blog - sofiasnapshots.blogspot.com :)

down to the wire

my last blog was a little morose, but I feel that it's important to acknowledge these things when considering, you know... my life.

traveling for a little while has really allowed me to experience a pretty profound paradigm change. traveling is neck and neck with my priorities of finding a job after graduation. it is expensive? yes. is it scary? heck yes. but it's exciting. I'm definitely exploring my options, and seeing what's out there.

I just wanted to clarify that I certainly haven't given up on teaching. certainly not before I've even started. there are lots of exciting opportunities for teachers abroad and in other US cities. I guess I will just have to see what happens.

school (and life) lately

making a reindeer glyph

paper snowflakes!

still no haircut. the mullet lives on.

school has been pretty fun the past few days. each teacher in our module planned a couple Christmas craft activities, and then all of our classes spend a good chunk of the day doing them all. I had my groups cutting paper snowflakes and making a reindeer glyph. they loved them both, but I think the paper snowflakes won. it doesn't snow in the NT, so I thought I'd hang a few that the kids leave behind in the windows for funsies.

should've bought this flowery butterfly
headband when I had the chance!

today we had an assembly. I was so proud of myself - I sang along with the national anthem! the first two assemblies, I just stood quietly, but it's so weird just standing there when everyone else sang. soo I made a goal to learn it by next assembly, and I did it!

best. cereal. EVER.

this week, we also drew names for Kris Kringle (Secret Santa)! the kids said that they wanted teachers' names in too, so I'm buying a Christmas gift for one of my students, and one of them is buying one for me :) it's going to be quite interesting to see what the kids come up with, and I'm sure their gifts will be fantastic.

I definitely feel like I have more authority as a teacher, and the kids are responding much better to me. I even have a few that are quite clingy. I know that I am getting attached to them, and it will be hard to say goodbye in a couple weeks.

funny NT weather - sunny here, stormy there

Hannah and I went to Casuarina after school today to send some post cards home. I sent one to my grandma and one to my 1st/2nd grade class in Grand Rapids, and Hannah sent a bunch to friends and family. while she was writing her cards, I bought a skirt (whoops), and then we walked around before catching the bus.

a fun panorama of Wangi that I forgot to post before :)

well, we've got a pretty jam-packed weekend, so I'm sure I'll have heaps to write about (not to mention a whole mess of photos) on Sunday or Monday.

til then! ♥

ah, life

Sammy can get the mail...

my god, I need a haircut. it's going all Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men on me. Jordan even noticed that my hair was getting long the last time we talked, and I only had short hair for a week or two before I left, so it must be true. although, I'm sure I'm blending in as a local with this awesome mullet I'm growing out. the only difference is that the locals aren't ashamed of their mullets.

...and read it! :)

other than my long hair conundrum, everything has been pretty great. my sunburn is healing, and we are planning some fun adventures.

two nights ago, Carlee and I booked our flight and hotel in BALI! we are so excited. it's only a short plane ride away (about 2 hours), so we figured we might as well go while we're here! we leave on Dec 9th and return on the 12th. it's just so amazing to me that I left the States never having traveled beyond the North American continent (and I've only spent time in...8 states? and only one Canadian province!), and I'll be returning having lived in Australia and traveled to Southeast Asia. incredible.

pearl ring I bought at the market

as for school, I'm feeling like a bit of a slacker, especially after having so much responsibility in GR, but it's the end of the school year and everything is so crazy. Mara is always thanking me for my help and hard work, so that helps me feel like less of a deadbeat. I plan on teaching about Christmas soon, and doing some daily punctuation lessons starting tomorrow, because they really struggle with it in their writing.

I just hope I don't stuff it up.

Thanksgiving at last!

they might have laughed, but they loved the hat

Aussie mum & dad!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! it's Thanksgiving in the States now. I just got done talking to my parents. I had to let them go because they had to take the turkey out of the oven! yesterday at school, I taught about Thanksgiving. I talked about why we celebrate, the first Thanksgiving, and showed lots of photos of food, including my family's own Thanksgiving spreads. the kids loved it. they were practically salivating, and I taught it right after lunch. it was wonderful how interested they truly were. though teaching here has at times been rough, days like yesterday really makes it all worth it.

family photo :)

since my speech at dinner was less than eloquent and mostly drunken, I'll try it again. this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for so much. I was given a unique opportunity to travel this semester, and I'm thankful that I actually had the balls to do it.

ze Americans (photo © Hannah)

I definitely couldn't ask for a better place to live while I'm here. Kaye and Roger have been amazing parents, and I owe them so much. it has really been the experience of a lifetime. of course, my host brother Blake. he has been so generous and obliging in showing us around and taking us out and about since we've arrived. getting to know the NT while I'm here is what I want to do most of all, and Blake has been making that possible for us every step of the way. I'm thankful for Carlee and Hannah, and that we get to share this experience together, and for everyone I've met so far. we always seem to be surrounded by family and friends here and I truly feel at home.

feast!

indication of my night...

I'm more thankful every day for my family back home. my dad, mom, sister and brother. when I was stuck in Cali with the Qantas grounding, they spent what seemed like every waking hour helping me look up flights, call Qantas, reserve tickets, and give moral support through it all. I'm thankful that my parents have been so supportive throughout my travels, even if they didn't initially want me to go. they'll be glad to hear that I'm having the time of my life! I'm thankful for not only their support in my studies and travels, but in everything else that I do. I can always go to them for advice, guidance, and support.

making pumpkin butternut squash
chocolate chip muffins

saying hi to Dad (in my turkey hat!) while Mom cooks :)

though I do have these "Why me?" moments from time to time (eg Qantas and computer viruses, ugh), but I have to realize that I'm very lucky in spite of it all. this Thanksgiving, and this holiday season, I'm finding it easier to look on the bright side, take the bumps in the road in stride, and take pleasure in the little things. while I'm missing the snow and I'm not wearing a sweater or listening to Christmas music, and I'm missing my family more than ever, I know that Thanksgiving dinner was quite perfect, and I'm so grateful that I got to celebrate it with my Aussie family.

another day in Darwin

fronds in front of my school

this morning Hannah and I got absolutely SOAKED in the rain. it was both miserable and hilarious. it started downpouring just as we left the house, and we could see sheets of heavy rain coming toward us, and dumping more rain. by the time we got to the bus stop we were cracking up because our skirts and shoes were absolutely drenched. it was ridiculous. it would have been more fun if we didn't have to be at school all day in wet clothes.

PIE!!!

the storms here are crazy! when they're overhead, they're super loud, and when it rains, it rains. palm fronds fall off the trees pretty regularly, but after a storm, they are EVERYWHERE.it's kind of cool. I have to say, I like the rain. it's funny how rain is an annoyance in the States, but they welcome it here. rain means that the day will be cooler, and the weather is just perfect after a really good storm.

school was alright today. we had a relief teacher (aka substitute), so the morning was a bit shaky, but the afternoon went well enough. I'm getting more comfortable with the kids, and with classroom management, even though it's still the area I need to work on the most. I had been feeling pretty down on myself all day until the relief teacher said that my positivity and praise was a breath of fresh air, and that she noticed that the kids responded to me well. it's nice to have someone around who notices things that you don't, and I really appreciated her feedback.

this evening we came home to an empty house so we had snacks and waited for Kaye and Roger. when Kaye got home she made the most DELICIOUS tuna pie I have ever had. seriously, this pie was good. the night ended with a beautiful sunset and a few episodes of Friends. not too shabby.

teaching lately

school was really great today (even though the mozzies are STILL attacking me 24/7). I'm starting to get to know my students better, and it's been a lot of fun. I think the novelty of having an American teacher has worn off, and they're responding to me more as a real teacher, and wanting to genuinely get to know me, which is nice. I read M is for Mitten earlier this week, and they loved it. they were making predictions what each letter of the alphabet would stand for, and some of their guesses were so funny. next week, we will write our own book about Australia that I can take with me back to the States :)

Venn diagrams!

I taught more about Venn Diagrams today, and Mara (the teacher I'm working with) had a big bin of different colored animals and people, so I let the kids get creative and sort them using the diagram. some of their ideas were so good!

so creative...love it!

we also go do an activity with a buddy class every Thursday. our buddy class is younger, so our kids get to feel like they are really helping them out, which is so important. first, they read a story to their buddy, and then they had their buddy try to find their way through a maze they have been working on creating in maths.

after school, Kaye picked me up and we did a little shopping. thank goodness she called me, because it has been raining a LOT (I got soaked on the way to the bus this morning), and it was looking quite dreary by the time school let out. at the mall, we bought a "sick present" for Hannah because she didn't feel well today, and stayed home from school. it was perfect, and ironically, just what she wanted :)

♥ my aussie mum! :)

I have been eating SO MANY mangoes and avocados, but I'll never get sick of them. they are exponentially tastier on this side of the globe. that, and there are 2 coconut trees in our yard, and I can't wait to try them! I'm told that they'll be falling soon.

I will leave you with this: one of my students asked me how old I was, and I told her to guess. she guessed that I was in my 30s. last time I will ask a student to guess my age.

first weekend!

loving the Aussie HP covers

my first weekend in Darwin has come and gone. Saturday was pretty lazy. we stayed home all day, but Carlee came over and the 3 of us went for a swim and had some drinks. Kaye came down to the pool with some nibbles for us and we snacked and chatted for a while.

mmm curry at the food court

on Sunday, Hannah and I remedied our laziness with a trip to the mall and we shopped our hearts out. we explored an over-priced book store with a very good selection, some clothes stores, the food court, and a couple grocery stores. as a result, I have two new favorite Aussie clothes shops that I know I will miss once I'm back in The States. I never have such good luck shopping for clothes back home!

rice bubbles & frosties!

later that night was our first big Sunday tea. we had around 15 people at the house, all gathered for a delicious roast leg of lamb (SO GOOD), roast chicken, and about a thousand other things. good food, good wine, good people all around. pretty that it's happening every week!

sultanas, aka raisins

once the week got started, we had a bad experience with getting student IDs at CDU, as well as some more meeting-at-the-bus-stop mishaps today, but we (mostly) survived. today at school, I actually taught a little (about Venn diagrams). I was trying to avoid teaching at first since I've only been in the classroom for 3 full days, but it was nice to actually interact with the kids as their teacher. it definitely made me look forward to going to school more.

teaching about Venn diagrams

oh, and the past couple nights, we have been having the craziest storms! on Sunday night, I woke up at 4am to the loudest wind ever, and this morning I pretty much had a heart attack after lightning hit REALLY close to the house. the ground literally shook. good thing it was 15 minutes until my alarm was supposed to go off, because I was not sleeping again after that.

Sam playing with mice I brought for the kitties

I also found out that the average salary of a teacher here in the Northern Territory (NT) is double what it is in Michigan and the price of living here isn't twice as high. plus, teachers in the NT get 52 weeks of maternity leave, 14 of which are paid (or 28 weeks at half-pay). 14 WEEKS PAID MATERNITY LEAVE! they also get 6 weeks recreational leave each year, and relief teachers (aka substitute teachers) average about $300/day! incredible. step it up, America. for real.


so far, being in Darwin for only a week has made me realize how much more I want to travel, and get to know the different education systems and cultures across the world :)

lessons learned and colloquialisms pt.2

have a go = give it a try (my students do cooking for math rotations, and while I was grating cheese, one of my students came up to me and said, "Can I have a gooooooooooooooooo?")
petrol = gas
running on an oily rag = out of petrol (thanks Blake, for that one)
brekkie = breakfast
heaps = lots
note = bill (of money)
Mackers/Macca's = McDonald's
Hungry Jack's = Burger King
prawn = shrimp (all shrimp, not just the creepy big ones)
stubby holder/stubby cooler = coozie (stubby = bottle of beer)
singlet = tank top
cotton tips/cotton buds = q-tips
thick = stupid (person)
tip = tag (in a game)
give a clap = applaud
relief teacher = substitute teacher
"the rude finger" = obvious! :)
nibbles = snacks
sunnies = sunglasses

• kids will bump into you, push by you, step on your toes, lean over a table and accidentally use their shoe to lift up your skirt (yes, this happened), and not even say "excuse me" or "sorry."
• everyone calls me"Miss." I feel like I only get "Ms. Sirchia" occassionally because there are two "Miss"s in the room.
• it's nearly impossible to offend an Australian.

first night out!

full stop!!!

all is well in Aussie land. the second day of school was great. Hannah and I had a little more trouble finding each other at the bus station, the mosquitoes finally discovered me (they attacked me in the night), and I have huge, awful blisters from walking to the bus stop, but other than that everything is as amazing as ever.

baramundi sculpture outside the school

today at school the kids wrote poems. their focus was rhyming couplets. they loved it! I can't imagine my students in the States ever loving poetry. I have only been at school here for 2 days, and I'm already coming up with and gathering a bunch of good ideas.

haha, I found "Sober Bob" funny

after school, Hannah and I had a drink to remedy our public transport woes, and then my host brother Blake came over. he is just as nice as everyone says, and he even made time in his busy schedule to take us out for dinner, and show us around the city a bit.

scurrying around the house

Hannah and I had crocodile (!!!) and calamari for dinner, which Blake said was probably caught earlier the same day. everything was so good! then, we went to a park by the harbour and spotted a few (CREEPY) spiders, lots of wallabies, and a croc!!! it was in the water, and we only saw its creepy, beady orange eyes with our flashlights (aka torches).

for a post-croc hunting treat, we went to a bar called Beachfront that had the best people-watching. we had another drink before going to Blake's and playing with his new puppy! he is SO CUTE and his name is Bruce, and I am going to steal him and bring him back to the States with me :)

it was a good night! my first weekend in Darwin is just beginning, but it's going to be a fun one :)

lessons learned and aussie colloquialisms

tea = dinner
boot = trunk (of a car)
thongs = flip-flops
toilet = bathroom
Where's Wally? = Where's Waldo? :)
full stop = period (at the end of a sentence)
bubbler = drinking fountain
rub off = erase (I had to ask a student to repeat herself several times when she asked if she could "rub  off" the white board)
wind screen = windshield of a car
stubby = bottle of beer
torch = flashlight
shocking = very bad
sook = a complainer
biscuits = cookies

• I have been stashing my toothbrush in a zipper case because lizards, spiders, and cockroaches are common house guests
• parents and siblings can just walk into a classroom and hang out for the day if they like
• my first day, I was getting to know names. there is a girl in my class who I thought was named "Taylor" because everyone pronounced it "Tayla..." her name is actually spelled "Tayla."
• students can say "damn" and "hell" in class, and that is perfectly acceptable (I teach 9-11 year olds)