Last Weeks of School

Alright so I have been adventuring a lot and really terrible at writing, or staying in contact with home at all.  Just in case you want to hear about the adventures of the last three weeks, I will put them here.  Travelling as I update so this will not be done for a bit :)

I had the opportunity to go up to Rotorua with the girls’ football team as a chaperone.  Basically I played games, mediated teen girl conflicts, and made kids drink water.  I even earned the nickname "Miss Hydration" for my efforts.  The experience reminded me of summer camp, and it was incredible to interact with kids here in that way.  There were around 60 kids from Heretaunga at the tournament and it was awesome to see them shine outside of the classroom walls.  We all stayed in a Marae and ate food that the school catering students put together for us.  Highlights were eating spaghetti on toast for breakfast and enjoying the bubbling mud going on everywhere (once I got over the smell).  I also really enjoyed connecting with students outside of English.  

 The girls making pizza for dinner.  You should have seen the set-up when it was time to make sandwiches.  110 every day!

Chat before one of the games.  The girls played 8 games in 3 days.  

 The Marae where the girls slept.

 Because of all of the geothermal activity the morning is often clouded with sulfuric mist.  It was crazy to see bubbling mud and boiling hot water scattered throughout the city, along sidewalks, in ponds, in people's backyards.  It is just a part of life there.  

The giant gumboot (rainboot) on the way home from the tournament.  This group of ladies was a joy to spend the weekend with.  

The term finished up wonderfully.  After my three weeks of sole charge it was hard for me to give classes back over to Emily.  Because she had been gone with a family emergency so early in the term I really had the opportunity to build a strong class culture in even my most difficult classes.  It took some students almost the entire term to understand that I wasn't mad at them ever, or that discipline in my classroom exists to encourage a positive learning environment, not establish my authority.  I went through a couple weeks of hell with a year 11 class that set out each day with the goal of making me cry, and I finally felt like things were in good working order.  I felt like their teacher, and it was hard for me to say goodbye.  Students wrote me cards and chocolates and the English Department had a cake and celebration for me.  I loved being a part of the community at this school, and I want to come back if I can.  

Teaching abroad taught me a lot about who I am as an educator.  The combination of finally having classes to myself and being in a new place challenged me to grow in ways I didn't know where possible.  I am so grateful that I got to do it.