Cheers!

I leave New Zealand today. Wow! I have such a mix of emotions right now. I am going to miss so many of the amazing Kiwis that I have met, however I am so happy to see my family in Wisconsin. The past week has flown by because I have been so busy wrapping-up my time at Green Bay Primary and Intermediate.

The Anti-Bullying commercials are finished. I learned so much about myself as a teacher and about my students through this performance task. Many groups had trouble working in groups because this was the first time in the term that they had to cooperatively work together on one common project. The specific roles that were assigned to each member in the group helped the group work and I would do that again for this project. Many students had scripts that showed bullying, which was great. I think I needed to be a little more clear that they should focus on the anti-bullying message rather than the bullying itself. I was surprised at how well my students knew how to use MovieMaker for editing their commercials. Technology usually makes me nervous because so many things can go wrong, but my students were so knowledgeable that when there was a "glitch" it was usually fixed by them.

This week I was able to go around and look at the "junior" area of the school. This is where the 5 and 6 year-olds are at Green Bay Primary. I was very interested in learning about the literacy programs that were used in the classrooms. I saw Guided Reading groups, Shared reading, Running records, and Writing. I was really fascinated about how the rooms were set-up to facilitate learning (I took a lot of pictures of the classrooms to remember!).

My last day of school in room 12 was wonderful. My students surprised me with a "shared lunch." I knew that something was going on in the classroom because my students were acting really "cheeky" (which is tricky/sneaky in Kiwi). It is funny to see how difficult it is for students to keep secrets. I loved seeing my students' enthusiasm when they presented me with a homemade card and showed me the feast that they provided.

At the end of every day of school my cooperating teacher says "Good afternoon room 12" and the students respond with "Good afternoon Whaea Jo." Then, I say good afternoon to the students and they respond back. It was really hard for me to say that on the last day with my kids because basically I was saying goodbye forever. Once I said good afternoon all of my students came up to me, shook my hand or gave me a hug, and then thanked me. I cried because all of these "cool" adolescents really did feel grateful that I was part of their classroom, even though they might not have shown it on a daily basis. It was a wonderful last day at Green Bay Primary and Intermediate and I will never forget the life-changing experiences that I had there.

Time to get ready to go home. I love New Zealand and it I can't believe that I have to leave. Here's to more adventures that await when I go back to Wisconsin.

Cheers!

Conferences

Thursday was Green Bay Primary/Intermediate's student and parent conferences. I was really excited to be a "teacher" during the conference process because I want to get to know my students' parents. The set-up was different than I have ever experienced. The students led the conferences because the focus of the time with the parents and students were not to analyze student progress, but rather to set goals for the upcoming terms. Each student had to introduce the teachers to the parents, layout the goals they want to accomplish the rest of the year, and then let the adults ask questions. It was fascinating to see how each student approached the facilitating position. Some students took it very seriously and laid out the goals and others relied on the adults to pry for information. I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting some "difficult" parents, however I felt very comfortable and confident discussing subject manner in those cases. Thursday was a very long day because I was at school until 8pm, however the conferences only lasted 10 minutes each so it was a very busy time. I think it would be useful to have longer conference times, however, when the students are organized and take ownership in their learning then the adults do not need a lot of time to discuss with oneanother.

Once conferences were over it really hit me that I am leaving so soon. Also, I realized how invested I became in the students' lives and care about them as individuals. Sometimes it is hard for me to really have these feelings when the students are all together and there is "chaos" in the classroom. It is nice to take a step back, view each student as an individual learner, and then reflect on how they are developing personally and academically. I really care about the students and it will be hard to part from them.

The Power of One

I am back from Wellington and I now feel much better than I did this past weekend. While in Wellington I had a very nasty cold, however I did push through it and was able to do some pretty fascinating things. Bre and I took a tour of the Parliament, rode the cable car, visited the national museum named Te Papa, and strolled around the city. I am really happy that I learned about New Zealand government and formed a deeper understanding of Kiwi culture. Wellington is a small yet vibrant city which I would love to visit again.

On Monday I had the opportunity to go to a professional development course with my teacher on Restorative Practice in Schools. There was a lot of review from when I learned about it with the rest of the teachers during a day-long inservice, however, I found it to be incredibly helpful. For the past eight weeks I have developed management and relationship skills using Restorative Practices and when the facilitator, Margaret Thorseborne, explained the theory, philosophy, and benefits of the practice I was able to really connect and expand on the information. I am a firm believer in making Restorative Practices part of Green Bay Primary and also in schools that I work in throughout the future. It is a different way of thinking about behavior management because the teacher is working with the student so that maximum control and support is given rather than just discipline and very low support. This means that the punitive way of control is out and a restorative approach is done through conversation and conferences. Students respect a teacher when they problem-solve and discuss behavior rather than being punished. Students take responsibility for their actions and the consequences do not take care of the problems, but rather work towards a solution. There are scripts and aids for teachers to learn the jargon and phrases that initiate the conversations with students when bad behavior occurs. I need to continually use these phrases so that I approach kids in a restorative manner and then the vocabulary will be part of my everyday speech and the students will be comfortable with what is done in bad behavior situations. My classroom teacher is really good at integrating Restorative Justice in the classroom and I continue to model my management style like she does in the classroom because it works.

My students are working yudents Movie Maker and many knew how to use it (probably better than I can). Because they are really advanced with this technology I think that the advertisements will be complete by the end of the term and look really flash (Kiwi term for fancy). Today my kids say an anti-bullying play called "The Power of One." My students knew most of the bully terms and information because of our unit, which was wonderful! My students could really connect with the play and I hope that it made a big impact on my students' desire to end the cycle of bullying.

Can't stop smiling!

I included pictures from my climb up Rangitoto. The view of Auckland from that height was so spectacular. Also, who can say that they have stood on lava? What a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

This week I have learned that because I surround myself with children it is inevitable that germs will surround me too. I have been diligent in washing my hands, but those feisty germs got a hold of me. I have a sore throat and pretty nasty cold, however, my life as a teacher continues to move forward and I am fighting through it. It is quite interesting to see how kids react when they find I have a minimal voice. This handicap taught me that whispering to get students' attention is more effective than yelling or talking over them. I hope to fight through this sickness through a lot of rest. I have two weeks to fight it off. I do not want to experience this during a 14 hour plane ride home.

The weather is changing from hot and sunny to cold, windy, and a little gloomy. Fall has arrived in Auckland. Students and teachers are now wearing many layers because it is hard to predict how warm or cold the day will be. I hear that spring is arriving back home, which makes me really excited. Soon I will be able to escape the cold weather and experience the excitement of spring in Wisconsin.

Today I had a really exciting teaching moment. Bre is teaching in a Year 3/4 classroom, which has 6,7, and 8 year-olds and we both decided that it would be wonderful for my Year 7/8 students to partner up with them. Reading is the focus of this "buddy" partnership. Bre and I paired the students up based on who we thought would collaborate well together and encourage one another socially and academically. I spoke with my class about what it means to be a role model before the students met, which really helped my Intermediate students to understand the importance of proper and positive behavior. We also spoke about what this reading time should look, sound, and feel like so that they were sure to know what we expected this exciting experience to be like. Each student brought books that they were reading and shared it with their partner. Bre and I also provided a special basket of books that the partners could choose from so that they could each read to one another. I was so proud of how my older kids acted with their young reading partners! They were very encouraging and nurturing towards the Year 3/4 students. I couldn't stop smiling because the learning that was going on was so precious! I can't wait to see these new friendships grow and for their confidence in reading to improve.

This weekend Bre and I are going to the capital of New Zealand, Wellington! We are talking a brief 1 hour plane ride to the city. There are museums and governement buildings that we may check out. I am most excited to ride the cable car that goes through the city!

The Climb

Another week has begun and it is difficult to believe that I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left at Green Bay Primary. The school days fly by and I am constantly on "the go." I need to be mindful to stop and enjoy my students as well as learn as much as I can in the last couple weeks.

I am introducing the anti-bullying commercial project to my students tomorrow. I am so excited to see what ideas the students come up with. I am giving them information on requirements and criteria for success through a rubric. This should guide their focus but also allow for a lot of creativity. My goal is to have these commercials be completed before the end of the term so that the students can watch them together and then eventually show them throughout all year levels.

The staff at Green Bay Primary have professional development meetings once a week after school. The focus of a majority of the development meetings are based on a book called Clarity in the Classroom: Using Formative Assessment by Michael Absolum. The book provides key strategies and easy to use techniques for developing effective and meaningful classroom practice. The last meeting we spoke about how a teacher and student both need dedicate themselves to these three things: honesty, respect, and openness. Students and teachers have to have relationships that are bound on saying what they are thinking and then making a commitment to always doing that in a constructive manner. It is quite interesting. It is my goal to have a "learning" relationship in the classroom instead of an activity, authoritarian, or caring relationship. I am learning about these classroom relationships and it is easy for me to see when I slip into one type of relationship with a student.

This past weekend Bre and I climbed Rangitoto, a volcano! It was so cool knowing that I was on something so spectacular. It was quite the workout! It has very steep inclines and it seemed like we would never get to the top, however, once we got to the top the climb seemed totally worth it. The view of Auckland was breathtaking and I really felt like I accomplished something substantial.

Another Week

Weeks fly by! It is wonderful to stop, take a step back, and reflect on what is going on in the school. Behavior continues to be a focus in room 12. At times I feel frustrated because there is so much amazing content that I want the students to learn in fun, amazing ways, however this continues to be placed on the backburner. Content can't be covered when students first need to learn how to act appropriately and my classroom teacher is focused on forming and repairing relationships this term so that learning can begin later on. I never thought that teaching kids this age would be such a challenge, however, everyday I am working on classroom management so that it is a safe learning environment.

I am really excited because I am having a police officer come into the class tomorrow to talk about the effects of bullying. Students need to see how serious bullying is and that students must choose to break the cycle of bullying. We will begin our anti-bullying commercials next week. I hope students are as excited about this as I am. I really want students to embody that they can change the bullying that is occurring at Green Bay Primary.

My teacher and I are working on creating a maths tumble which will help students take responsibility for their learning. It will include teacher instruction time, activities, practice, and games. My goal is to have students become dedicated to their learning by monitoring their progress and understanding. Having four different maths groups learning different things is difficult for me to organize and I am working towards complete control and organization. I like that students are working in small groups in their ability levels, however as a teacher I must be an organized facilitator to make it all happen.

This weekend Bre and I will be going to Rangitoto Island, which is near Auckland. We will explore the volcano and hike up it. I am really excited to that I will stand on a REAL volcano, what an experience!

Back and Ready

I am back from my adventure in Sydney, Australia. It felt so good to get another stamp in my passport! I officially feel like a world traveler. Bre and I walked around Sydney making sure that we hit most tourist sites. The highlight of my trip was going to an Australia wildlife center where we saw koalas, kangaroos, and many animals that are native to the area. We also saw the famous Opera House on our way to through the city- what a wonderful piece of architecture. Many kiwis thought it was funny that Bre and I went for a weekend trip to Sydney, but it was totally worth taking the time to do since we are so near to it.

I learned that sleep is a very important component to a good day at school. Traveling to Sydney took a lot of energy out of me, but I was at school Monday ready to be with my students. My students could tell that I was tired by how I looked, but the same amount of learning and expectations were set- I just had to work harder to be alert and energized.

Our Seymour, WI pen pals are writing back and forth with us. Some of the students are really getting excited about talking to someone in the United States. Technology makes certain things so easy, while others more complicated. It is so easy to communicate with people halfway around the world through e-mail, but sometimes technology isn't as realiable as I wish. We have had a few technological difficulties, however, we overcame them and now are officially using our tech time being pen pals.

We have a new addition to our classroom now. A student from a different room in the year 7/8 syndicate is now part of our classroom. This student has had many behavioral problems that are threatening, disruptive to other students' learning, and unacceptable. This student did not like his classroom teacher and went out of his way to make the teacher frustrated so that he would give up and let him do whatever he wanted. My teacher specializes in behavior management and has a good, trusting relationship with this student, so she has volunteered to let him into our room. We are forming an IEP for him and are monitoring his behavior very carefully. We are investing a lot of time and commitment to this student because we want him to succeed. If it does not work with him in the classroom then he will be kicked out of school. I am really interested in learning how to manage this student at risk's behavior and give him confidence so that he chooses to do acceptable behaviors. We had a classroom meeting today before the student came into the classroom so that all of our students are "on board" with helping this student. Some students were hesitant about this student because he can be violent and inhibit others' learning. I really understand why these students are concerned and I will make it a priority that all students feel safe in the classroom. Hopefully, he will latch onto the students in the class that are good role models. This will be a learning experience...

Professionalism

I am growing as a professional. Everyday at school is new and I am gradually becoming more aware that teachers are some of the most hardworking professionals. Everyday I am surrounded by teachers who dedicate their lives to children, but also to all of the paperwork, planning, conferencing, mediating, sorting, distributing, collaborating, assessing, and grading. My classroom teacher, Jo, and I have had many brief reflections about the complexity of teaching. It is so complex, and at times really overlooked by the community and other professionals. I like the time that Jo and I have just to discuss about the career field that she has been part of for ten years while I am only just entering it. We have similar opinions about the value of education and the roles that teachers play in it.

Right now I would say that my role in the school would be defined as supporter. I am supporting students who are at a really confusing point in their lives. They are changing physically and mentally (and this is the one that is the most complicated). I try to think back to the time when I was 12 years old and what I was thinking, feeling, and also acting like. It is so hard for me to do, but I must try to understand what is going on in their lives and be a compassionate supporter. I also am the students' support for learning. Learning about life is most critical for students this age, but academic knowledge will also get students very far in life. I have found that I can't teach maths, reading, writing, or any academic subject when students are not feeling supported emotionally. Jo and I are focusing on developing the students to be a whole, well-rounded, respectable individuals because that is what they need right now in their lives.

Today, Jo and I had Circle Time with the students. This is a time for the class to speak their mind in a safe area. Lately, students have been not respectful to others. Bullying and immature actions are the main concern at this time. These actions have been brought into the classroom and and have affected me. The students are not showing their full respect to me as a teacher. In circle time we spoke about how I am a teacher and they must respect me just as much as I respect them as students. It was good to talk with students instead of lecturing to students to problem solve what changes need to be make by them and myself. I am looking forward to the last couple weeks of class so our relationships can develop.

The students are working on descriptive writing. I am figuring out how it is best to have students work in leveled writing groups. I am a firm believer in students working in groups and at their own ability level, however as a new teacher I am still figuring out the best way to facilitate group learning. Everyday I try something new, adapt, and then see how it goes. Jo is really good at letting me learn through trying things out and then letting me reflect on it.

Bre and I are off to Sydney, Australia this weekend! We are really excited to visit an NEW country. I can't wait to see the Australia stamp in my passport.

Sunburn and Tsunami

This past weekend was quite interesting. Bre and I took a journey to the Bay of Plenty with the intent to hang out on the beach and enjoy our time in paradise. Well, we did find paradise at the Bay of Plenty. The beach was magnificent- probably the most beautiful places I've ever been. The New Zealand sun made our time a little more painful than we expected. Bre and I both lathered on the sunscreen, however we fell asleep on the beach and woke up looking like lobsters. We definitely learned that the New Zealand sun is enjoyable, but deadly if you don't protect yourself.

Also, while in the Bay of Plenty, I got to experience a tsunami. It sounds dangerous, but it is not as bad as it sounds. Bre and I woke up Sunday morning to tsunami warnings all along the New Zealand coasts. All the beaches were closed and people in certain areas were notified about the warnings and evacuated. We stayed calm and avoided the beach areas, but it is a little scary knowing that a tsunami may come our way. In the end, Bre and I saw no tsunami action, but did survive the small scare. No one in New Zealand died, however some ignorant surfers did think that it was a good idea to catch some tsunami waves. Not a good choice...

School is moving along. I am teaching about bullying and have taken on most of the subject areas for my students in room 12. Everyday is a new challenge. I am still continuing to learn the best classroom management style for this group of kids. My goal is to always stay positive and build on the personal relationships that I have established with each student. This is a lot of work when I have 31 students crammed in a room, but it can be done.

My students sent their first e-mail to their penpals in Seymour, WI. I am excited to get a response from the kids back in my home state.

RUGBY and DANCING

It is almost the weekend! I am ready for a relaxing day on the beach. Bre and I will be heading out to the Bay of Plenty, which has amazing sand beaches and a relaxing atmosphere. Taking time to stop, relax, take a breath, and reflect is essential for teachers. I am learning this VERY quickly. I am so happy that I am in New Zealand right now because it is such a beautiful and perfect place for teacher rejuvenation time. I hope to share photos of the beautiful ocean once I get back.

Today was an excellent day of learning for the students. We had a special visitor come speak to the class. His name is Norm Hewitt and he played rugby for the New Zealand team, which is called the All Blacks. He is such an inspiration to the students because he was a professional athlete and he is part Maori. He did not come to Green Bay Primary to just share his story about playing rugby with the students, but to also promote the SPCA.

The SPCA is like our Humane Society back home. He told the children that over 18,000 animals go to the SPCA each year for supplies, vet care, or a new home. New Zealand has had to deal with a lot of cases of animal abuse recently and Norm spoke about how animal abuse directly links to other types of violence. The students learned that Norm's dad used to beat his mother and animals were his only comfort while growing up. His message was very serious and "hit home" for some of my students and impacted all of the students. Norm Hewitt was also on New Zealand's first version of Dancing with the Stars and he won the competition. I think that sent a good message to my male students because right now they are trying to identify what's "cool" for men to be doing. The special visitor event taught me that the most essential learning doesn't happen in the classroom, but through real-life interactions and special occasions that students may not get to experience within a normal school day or at home. My students are dealing with "real life" situations and academic skills are probably one of their last priorities. Norm connected with the students and probably impacted them in a way that applies to the major issues many are dealing with at this time in their lives.

Week 4

It is week four at school already! Where did the time go? Some of my big projects are starting to take off and I am learning more and more about the students everyday. My students have a large range of abilities and talents and I am now finding how important it is to differentiate in the classroom. Small groups are a great way to differentiate and Green Bay Primary focuses on placing students in groups for most subjects. I believe that this is best for the students and I am learning how to best organize small group activities.

This past weekend Bre and I stayed in Auckland. The highlight of our time off was on Friday night when Bre and I made dinner for her host family. We struggled with the idea of making a "typical American meal" because we never really had to define what food is "American" before now. We decided to make BBQ beef sandwiches, potatoes, salad, and apple crisp. It turned out to be a huge hit! During the weekend we also toured downtown Auckland and went to a food and wine festival. One food that I ate was called a Whitebait Fritter. The base was a pancake-like batter with then whole little fish all stuck within them. I was fine biting into the little fishies, until Bre's host dad pointed out the little fish eyes that were looking at me inside the fritter. Whitebait Fritters seem to be a local delicacy, however I don't think I'll be trying one again soon.

I am still searching for the best classroom management style. It has only been 3 weeks at Green Bay Primary and at times I wish that the answer to best classroom management would suddenly just click in my brain. However, I doubt that it will ever be this easy. I spoke with my cooperating teacher about my small frustration in the struggle to figure out classroom management. Her response was the classroom management is probably the one thing that most educators struggle with and that she is still figuring it out and adapting it to each class. I know that my classroom management style will continue to change and I will take advantage of all opportunities that lead to classroom managements that is the best fit for me.

I am at the point of my time abroad that I suddenly forget that I am in a different country than the United States. I think that this is a good because I am feeling comfortable and am gradually becoming part of the New Zealand culture. I continue to learn new Kiwi and Maori phrases and my goal is to incorporate them into my daily language.

Today we tested our students in writing through an asTTle assessment. I am curious to see where each students stands on their writing abilities. I am going to begin the writing unit on descriptive language, but it is important for me to first assess student progress and build from there. Students will be organized into writing groups based on their writing levels. I have found that maths, reading, writing, and even physical education have students broken into groups in order for students to work at their ability level. I need to adapt my teaching to each student's need, which I believe is best for the children and also a challenge for myself.

Bre and I will be staying in Auckland for the weekend. We plan to do various activities with Bre's host family and I will be sure to update you on the adventures we experience on our time off of school.

Officially Welcomed

I am starting a new week at Green Bay Primary and I am starting to really settle into the school. Last Thursday I was officially welcomed into the school through a Maori ritual called a Pōwhiri. The entire school assembled in the hall and all new students, teachers, and student teachers made a procession into the hall. There were speeches from Maori members of the school to welcome us and the Maori club called Kapa Haka, which includes students and teachers, performed songs. Then, a new teacher gave a speech on behalf of all the new people of the school and then we sang a song for everyone in the assembly. It is also a tradition to do a Hongi, which is the the pressing of noses between those who are welcoming the new people and the new people. The Hongi signifies the joining together of two groups of people. After I pressed my nose against various members of the school then I got a take part in a small feast, which is a great way to end a welcoming ceremony.

I am beginning to organize a large unit for the students with the big idea of bullying. There is a program called Kia Kaha that has the foundation of creating a bully-free and unified environment. I am going to expand on this idea. The summative assessment will include students making anti-bullying campaigns that will be captured on video. Students will then use Movie Maker to create their final anti-bullying movie. This will be a large project and I am really excited to see where it leads.

This weekend was very exciting. I went with my host parents to the Bay of Islands, which is north of Auckland. It is so beautiful, as you can see from the pictures I posted. My favorite part of the trip was the Dolphin Encounter that Bre and I went on Sunday morning. We went on a boat early in the morning with other dolphin-passionate tourists. We saw many dolphins near and far from the boat, which was totally magical. The dolphins were swimming, jumping, and playing and it was quite a site. Bre and I even attempted to swim with the dolphins, but they were pretty fast and it was hard to keep up to their speed. I still can't believe how blessed I am to be part of such an amazing adventure!!!

Learning Everyday

It is almost the weekend and I know that I need some time to take a step back away from school and reflect. Teaching intermediate level students is such a skill. Today my teacher was not at school due to a funeral that she had to attend. My teacher let me take a lot of control over the classroom while the reliever (substitute teacher) was there. I felt confident and was ready to run through the day as if my teacher was present. There were many obstacles and bullying has seemed to already be a huge issue within the classroom and syndicate. I am upset that bullying is occurring and the classroom teacher and I will teach the students what intolerable behavior looks and sounds like. However, the reliever was so talented at sorting out the bullying behavior and organizing her expectations for appropriate behavior that I learned a lot today about managing a middle school classroom. The reliever and I sat after school and I learned about her management techniques as a teacher and how I can integrate them into my teaching style. The lesson that I am most taking away from her is that students will need to talk through conflicts with the teacher, but inevitably the students need to make a choice to do the good behavior. The teacher can tell the student that they have a couple choices to pick from and after the teacher presents the choices it is the role of the student to decide what they think is best and then take action. I plan to work on conversing and problem solving skills as the term rolls on.

This weekend my host parents are taking Bre and me to the Bay of Islands. I have heard that it is such a wonderful and beautiful area in the North Island. The activity I am most excited about is the Dolphin Encounter where we will go out in a boat and potentially swim with the dolphins. We'll see what other adventures we get to take part in....

Start to the year...

I am really getting to know my students, which is wonderful. However, my goal for this week is to work on my "firm but fair" teaching style. My cooperating teacher models this management strategy really well and it takes practice to perfect. I am now in charge of lining the students up and taking the roll. Additionally, I am now leading our morning team building Circle Time which occurs everyday. Circle Time is made for students to bond and support their classmates socially, emotionally, and academically. My teacher noticed from previous years of teaching Years 7/8 that the students tend to form cliques and socially bully other students. She decided that the best way to end these conflicts is through making her classroom a small, safe community where students are willing to share problems and jubilations with the teachers and classmates. Circle Time is a place where every student must share a "brag" and a "drag" that is occurring in their lives. Also, students share a goal for the day. It is interesting to see what each students' goal is for the day and then have the class support their classmates in reaching those goals.

I have learned that structuring the beginning of the year correctly is essential to a successful school year, which is why we are concentrating on putting procedures in place for the students.

Bre and I had a fantastic weekend in Rotorua. We went whitewater rafting (see the picture above), zorbing (rolling down a grassy hill in a giant plastic ball), luging (without any snow!), and rode a gondola. Saturday and Sunday were filled with daring adventures, but we were ready to get back into the classroom on Monday. We are already planning for the other exciting things that we want to do on the weekend.

Two days in...

I have been at Green Bay Primary for two days and I am starting to settle in and become part of the staff. I had a huge accomplishment today- I learned all of my students' names. The names here are a bit different than the names that I am accustomed to so it was a bit of a challenge. I am really starting to enjoy the year 7/8 students in my class, even though working with this age can be a little intimidating. They are young-at-heart students in big bodies and classroom management and consistency are the keys to success when working with them. My focus right now is to build personal relationships with each student so that they can learn to trust in me as a professional and an ally. Because this is a new school year we have to test the students on skills through written tests. Once we have the results then the children will be grouped into specific sections in the academic areas. It will be interesting to see how the three syndicate teachers organize this. I can't wait to start teaching!

One rule that the teachers push is that students MUST wear hats while outside. The sun is so intense and harmful that the school does not want to be held liable for skin cancer, which is why hats are mandatory. I have to start bringing my hat to school and wear it while outside to set an example for my students and, most importantly, I don't want to get skin cancer.

This weekend Bre and I are traveling to Rotorua. Many people from New Zealand have told me that it is one of the places we must see while we are here. We are booked to go whitewater rafting and plan to possibly zorb and luge. I can't wait to tell you about what we do in Rotorua once I return.

I am in New Zealand Time to teach.

Bre and I arrived in New Zealand on Thursday, January 26th at 5:30am New Zealand time. I was full of emotions when I stepped off the plane because I was uncertain of what waited for me outside of the airport walls. After going through a variety of security measures (which emphasized not having any fruits or vegetables in my luggage) I was taken to the house that will be my home for the nine weeks by my host mother.

There are many familiarities between American culture and the Kiwi way of life, but as I interact with more and more people I learn that there are also a lot of differences. I am mostly shocked by the diversity of the population. A variety of races are represented in New Zealand, and it seems that many people have the same British-type accent. Even though English is mainly spoken on the island my American accent jumps out at people when I speak. Many people ask me where I am from even if I speak one sentence. Kiwis seem to have many of the same modern conveniences that are available to me back home and there is a busy city-life in Auckland. Drivers are in their cars on the left side of the road and my host mother is hoping that soon I can drive one of her cars to school. Watch out New Zealand drivers!

Tuesday, February 2nd was the first day of school for the teachers only at Green Bay Primary. Two men facilitated the entire day for the teachers with a focus on Restorative Practices- Using a restorative approach in you school community. The information presented during the day helped refresh my beliefs on classroom management and gave me confidence to be an educator who strives to improve a child's entire well-being. The main focus on this approach states: "For students to success, they must believe you care about them, you have confidence in their ability to solve problems, and experience mutual respect. The stronger the relationship, the easier it is to resolve differences." The website with all the information is: restorativeschools.org.nz. The presentation combined theory, research, and activities which helped everyone reflect on the best management styles for students and the school community.

Tomorrow the students come to school for a brand new school year. They are coming back from about six weeks of vacation and will have new teachers and classrooms. I met with my classroom teacher, Jo, a couple of times. She is one of three teachers who work with grades 7/8 at Green Bay Primary. Because year 7/8 is at the school, it is technically also considered an Intermediate school as well. The students are 11-12 years old and once they are done with their 8th year they are high schoolers. I am a little nervous about working with the oldest group of students at the school, but I look forward to meeting all of the children/young adults on their first day of school. The students are probably a bit anxious about starting another year of school, but I hope they have a sense of excitement (just like I do!). Jo told me that she is going to be "tough" with the students for quite awhile before she starts to smile and joke around with them. I told her that I want mimic how she acts so I do not contradict the message that she is trying to send to them on the first day. I think that this will be a little difficult for me. I tend to be full of smiles when I see children- so it is time for me to bring out my "tough" face. Jo said that I can talk to the students and get to know them, so at least I don't have to act too serious or mean. New Zealand school practices and procedures are different for me, so I think it is best to just experience it for a bit and not change anything that the teacher has set up for the year 7/8 students until I know what is generally right and wrong to do.

I will keep all my dedicated followers updated on how the first day of school is very soon. Also, I can't wait to share all my New Zealand adventures that Bre and I have planned. This is the start of quite the most wonderful, life-changing experience I will have as a new teacher!