I can hardly believe the date January 28, 2013. it feels like I have been here a very long time yet I am looking at the calendar thinking a month has gone by what happened? Time is like that I think, you can feel like its moving so slowly yet in the blink of an eye it has flown by. When I first arrived I brought in my suitcases alot of little boxes filled with worries, worry about living in a new country, worry about teaching in a new school in a new country, worry about leaving my family, worry about how they and I would cope, worry about missing my comforts from home and more. Those worries were overflowing their boundaries at the time, but I can say now they have settled and some are even fitting nicely in the box with a lid on it for safe keeping until I need them again. It really is an emotional roller coaster, a good friend of mine asked if I was going through any of the culture shock ups and downs like she did when she taught overseas. I can say with a resounding YES I have been. But not sure if it is just the beautiful day outside again today or that I am feeling more comfortable but lately I have had moments of wanting to pinch myself because I can't believe I am really living here.
The last week has been filled with fun too!! (could be what is contributing to my good mood!!). On Thursday Deb and her family from Calgary came to stay the night with me. Deb is also on exchange and is teaching in the south in a little town called Pemberton, total population around 1000. Her class is going to be a total of 12 students!! Wow how lucky is she!! I hope to go down to visit one of the long weekends in March.
She was here to attend the Dept meeting in Perth which all exchange teachers attended. On exchange this year are 7 of us so far, 2 from Calgary, 1 from Colorado, 1 from Scotland, 1 from Queensland Australia, 1 from Vernon BC, and 1 from Nananaimo, BC. Apparently there are 3 more teachers coming in July. The day was filled with so much information and I often found myself comparing what I was hearing to my own context back home. The great thing about having a new friend who also teaches in Calgary is we could compare notes. For me though the highlight was the Aboriginal Awareness session, I learned so much about the history and struggles Australian Aboriginals continue to encounter. WA is also going through a transition with curriculum as is the rest of the country. By 2015 all states will have adopted the new Australian curriculum. So as I try to learn everything about curriculum, it is reassuring to know it is also new to teachers here.
The day was one of those "drinking from the fire hose" information days (a wonderful friend describes those days this way and it is exactly how you feel at the end of it). After it was over we all went back to an Australian teachers home for dinner. It was a beautiful location with a gorgeous backyard where wild parrots came to sit on a tree and watch us eat. In the background you could hear Kookaburras do their famous call. I learned that kookaburras are not native to WA and as this Australian put it they are often thought of as "vermin" because they kill the smaller birds and are carnivorous (which was all new to me, I had always thought of them as those cute birds with the amazing call).
February 1st
I knew this would happen, once school started my life would be swallowed up by that vortex called teaching!! Startup at any school Australian or Canadian I think is universal, there is tons of information to take in to the point of overload (or a firehose moment), all the teachers are madly trying to get their rooms just right for that first day, and everyone is in the school on the weekends and late into the day. That was my first two days at my new school, and the students haven't even arrived yet. I did see lots of excited little faces peering in my class window today! The class lists were posted outside the office so many parents and children were gathered around the windows checking out where they need to go on Monday. My class list is 25 right now so I am hoping it doesn't grow anymore. I have students of teachers and staff at the school in my class, those sweet little ones have the Canuck teacher, who by the way is still trying not to get lost going from the office building to her Block building way at the back of the school property. I hope I can live up to all the expectations, I will be emailing all of you for help along the way. Please post comments here about what you think makes us Canadian? what food reminds you of being Canadian? what do you think is important to tell people about Canada? I think I was so stressed before I left Calgary all I could think about was leaving my house liveable for someone for a year, and saying goodbye to all my friends and family!! now I realize I should have been forward thinking and planning how to share what being a Canadian is all about!!
Oh and did I mention I am responsible along with a team teacher for an assembly planned for the first month. I already have people saying "do something about Canada".
I did end Friday with a "flat white" at my favourite place for coffee by the ocean called Hillarys. Tonite I was brave enough to stay until twilight and saw a beautiful sun setting over the ocean!! Oh Kristina wish you could be here and paint it with me!!
Next post will be after I have met my new little friends and parents!! wish me luck and lots of positive white light over the equator to Australia!! Miss everyone!
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