On Friday I went and visited the school. I met my associate teacher, all the kids and some of the other staff.

I watched a bit of a maths lesson, but then the class had to go and do technology, which is taught by another teacher in another room, so I didn’t follow them to that, I stayed behind and talked to my associate about lesson planning and behaviour management.

For obvious reasons I’m not supposed to talk about my placement in any great detail, but I will say that it’s definitely going to be challenging – probably more challenging than the placements some of my friends are going on. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more nervous now than I was before I visited.

That said though, I’m still looking forward to it! I suspect that this will be the hardest of my three placements, so I’m choosing to look at it as being good practice for the other two. Perhaps this is exactly the kind of dynamic I¹ need.

In other news, I also found out that the school is doing their drama production next term, which I’m very excited about! Hello awesome timing! I’m not sure what show it is, but I did hear that it involves Hercules. My associate also said that because there are quite a few kids in the class involved in it, their Social Studies focus will be about myths and legends, which sounds really cool.

1. Someone who tends to be quite quiet and “too nice” [↩]

Tomorrow morning I get to meet the teacher who will be my associate for my first placement. I spoke to her on the phone earlier in the week and arranged to come and sit in on a bit of her class and basically see how everything is run, before I go and jump in the deep end in three weeks time!

As part of our preparation for placement, we have to fill out a form with our personal information, skills and areas we would like to focus on developing. In addition to other stuff, I said that

At the moment I do not have any preconceived ideas about which age group I prefer, and so am very excited to be teaching Year 8.

It’s true, I don’t, and I am (although I would have said that about any age group, I’m looking forward to teaching ALL OF THEM!), but rereading it just now made me wonder whether it sounds insincere. I hope not. Oh well, I suppose my genuine interest in teaching this age group might be something better demonstrated than written about.

I also said that I learn best by observing something first and then trying it myself, and that I am concerned about teaching maths, as I was never very good at it at school. I know that sounds kind of like I’m focusing on a lot of negative stuff, but if she doesn’t know the areas I need the most help with, how can I expect her to help me with them!?

Today I completed the first of my 101 in 1001! I bought a pair of flat brown boots, identical to the ones on the left.

I never imagined myself suiting this style of shoe, since I have kind of chubby legs, but once I tried them on with jeans tucked into them, I was pleasantly surprised! I rather liked them!

I don’t know if I’d wear them with a skirt or not, I think they’d look out of proportion, but we shall see…

P.S: Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post telling me that some of my 101 things were duplicates! I THINK I have fixed them all now. I hope!

This is the second 101 in 1001 that I have done. My first list is HERE.

START DATE: March 22nd 2010
END DATE: December 16th 2012
THINGS COMPLETED: 0
THINGS IN PROGRESS/PLANNED: 0

Personal

1. Move out of home.
2. Go to the hairdresser.
3. Go to the dentist.
4. Get my Full license.
5. Get my Restricted license.
6. Lose 15kg
7. Try not to regain the same 15kgs.
8. Wear my hair curly for 100 full days. (0/100)
9. Read the Bible.
10. Drink at least 2 glasses of water for 100 (non-consecutive) days (0/100).
11. Have a portrait taken and end up with photos of myself that I actually like.
12. Wear less black clothing.
13. Find out my blood type.
14. Register as an organ donor, if I am able to.
15. Own a car.
16. Own goldfish.
17. Build up my savings to $10,000.
18. Volunteer for Lifeline.
19. Get LASIK.
20. Own goldfish.
21. Buy a bikini, go swimming and feel good about myself.
22. Go to 5 movies in a theatre (0/5).
23. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years.
24. Finish reading Choosing Happiness.
25. Go through all my belongings and discard/donate things I no longer need.

Friends & Family

26. Send a friend something in the mail anonymously.
27. Ask someone on a date.
28. Send Brooke ten pieces of exciting mail.
29. Have a fondue party.
30. Go back and visit my old work at least three times (0/3).
31. Attend (at least some of) my old high school’s centenary events.

Blogging, Computer & Online

32. Buy something on Etsy.
33. Donate 10,000 grains of rice on FreeRice.
34. Organise all my iTunes and get rid of ones I never listen to.
35. Scan all my print photographs.
36. Make prints of all my (important) digital photos and put them in either an album or scrapbook.
37. Make at least 10 new themes for this blog. (0/10)
38. Renew my domain BEFORE it expires.
39. Make a new 100 Things About Me list.
40. Make a new 100 Things I Love list.
41. Reach 4000 blog comments.
42. Reach 500 Twitter followers.
43. Complete Project 365 for 2010.
44. Complete Project 365 for 2011.
45. Make photobooks from both Project 365s (0/2).
46. Find and register at least 20 BookCrossing books (0/20).
47. Take photos of each of these things (if applicable).
48. Blog about each of these things (if applicable).
49. Make a scrapbook for this list.

Academic & Education

50. Successfully complete my first Professional Practice placement.
51. Successfully complete my second Professional Practice placement.
52. Successfully complete my third Professional Practice placement.
53. Graduate from teachers college.
54. Find a permanent full-time teaching job.
55. Get at least one A+ in an assignment.
56. Redo my CV.
57. Read 5 books. (0/5)
58. Get matching frames for my degree and portrait.

Activities

59. Learn to juggle.
60. Learn how to use a sewing machine.
61. Learn to braid my own hair without a hair tie at the top.
62. Learn to French braid.
63. Finish the 5000 Question Survey.
64. Write in a diary at least once a week again.
65. Watch at least 50 movies.
66. Watch Amelie.
67. Watch Juno.
68. Learn to knit.
69. Knit something useful.
70. Make a snowman.
71. Learn to juggle.
72. Learn to whistle with my fingers in my mouth.
73. Learn how to use a sewing machine.
74. Learn to braid my own hair without a hair tie at the top.
75. Learn to French braid.
76. Travel outside of Christchurch at least 10 times (0/10).
77. Travel outside of NZ at least twice (0/2).
78. Go ice skating without seriously injuring myself.
79. Go through a corn maze.
80. Attend a rugby game.
81. Buy another pair of Converse (colourful ones this time!).
82. Buy a gerbera.
83. Whiten my teeth.
84. Make pizza from scratch.
85. Buy a new pair of black flats.
86. Buy flowers for my desk at least 5 times.

Arts & Creative

87. Finish making 1000 paper cranes (0/1000).
88. Attend 50 plays/theatre performances.
89. Get cast in a leading role in a show.
90. Perform in a musical.
91. Perform in a show NOT aimed at children.
92. Direct or assistant direct at least 5 shows. (0/5)
93. Relearn how to play the piano.
94. Learn how to play the guitar.
95. Appear in a film or documentary.
96. Complete 100 new scrapbook pages (0/100).
97. Complete the scrapbook for my Japan trip.

Miscellaneous

98. Pay for coffee for the person behind me at Starbucks.
99. Stay awake for 24 consecutive hours.
100. Get the crack in the band of one my rings fixed before it breaks!!
101. Drink two glasses of water for 30 (non-consecutive) days (0/30).

I found out today that I will be teaching Year 8 students. That’s 12/13 year olds! SO not the 5-year-olds I think I want to have a real job teaching, but that’s ok, older kids are probably fun in their own way! I’m looking forward to it!

I don’t start there until the middle of April, but I’m going in next Friday to meet the associate teacher and have a look around the school.

Yep. I’m very excited.