It’s lesson preparation time (well, basically it is my time off, but over here that means that this is your time in which to prepare for the lessons, which I still don’t really understand as the activity organisers have time off as well and in that time they’re just off), so I have time to update my blog.
I’m feeling more and more at home (despite the food and the room), but at the moment I’m actually having a cup of coffee in my room and that is a first. Of course I had to buy a flask in Starbucks (where else ;-)) but it at least means I don’t have to be in the office if I want coffee as that means that you get pulled into working (don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind working, but when I’ve been on duty from 7am to 5pm, I really want some time off). Another good thing is that my clothes are in the washing machine and will be all fresh and clean in 25 minutes (I hope, because the machine looks a little bit dodgy and I bought some gorgeously smelling detergent only to realize that the machine uses its own (?) which again I don’t understand, so I hope my clothes smell of my stuff and not the suspicious pinkish liquid from the plastic tank next to the washing machine. It is quite typical that I only discovered the pinkish liquid after I had pressed start.)
I went into town today with another teacher and we had a really nice morning/afternoon and even managed to grab some delicious pub food from one of the pubs in Oxford I actually know and I had Pimms for the first time in 2 years :-) So, you can understand how happy I am at the moment. Plus the kids aren’t here, which means it’s really nice and quiet. Swindon Oasis day is the reason why the only people left on campus are the teachers.
As for Oxford... It is packed!!! There are so many people here that it’s difficult to walk on the pavement and it’s sales time, so it’s not only tourists who crowd the streets. But I love this town! It’s got history and magnificent buildings and I love the atmosphere.
And work? I can honestly say that I expected to be teaching according to a program and would not spend too much time on the activities. But it turned out that besides not having a program to follow I keep being on duty in the afternoon or evening, so I tend to stay up late or get up early to finish lesson planning which is also more complicated than the usual mainstream school. Not having a program and a coursebook to follow everything is pretty much left to me so each lesson requires more time to plan. The students also have no own books which means I need to photocopy materials and that takes ages. I do love teaching and I got a very positive feedback from our DoS who observed my lesson on Thursday, but at the end of the day I feel drained. And I haven’t done any sport in months now, so I’m not only being tired most of the time but I’m also gaining weight and it’s driving me insane. ARGH!!! And on top of everything I was really in a hurry going to work in the evening yesterday and I managed to break the buckle on my favourite high-heeled sandals. Which almost made me cry. Hawaiian disco was a success though and I did look extremely elegant in my try-not-to-breathe dress :-) After the disco we put the kids to sleep and gathered in the office for wine and cheese. I loved it! It’s great how all the staff gets together and the atmosphere changes - it almost felt like being home on the couch, your feet up and a glass of white wine in your hand. It’s a wonderful bonding opportunity and the newest clever idea is that all schools should put sofas in the staff room :-)
Now, my clothes have been washed and they don’t smell of my lovely detergent but of some mixture of my detergent and I assume the pinkish liquid used for washing masses of campus sheets and stuff. :-( The new challenge is to dry them as most of them should not be put in the dryer. Now I have wet clothes hanging in my wardrobe and I hope they will eventually dry. The sooner the better.
Cheerio!
Showing posts with label Oxford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oxford. Show all posts
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
No Internet?! You must be joking!
“This is going to be tough,” was the first thing that went through my mind when I heard that I (or any other member of the staff) won’t have Internet access while working here. The second thought was “Why?” The school has WiFi, but they don’t give us the password which in today’s day and age is like forbidding a person to breathe. Internet is almost a basic human right, isn’t is? I’m still recuperating from the shock that news caused. I depend on being able to keep in touch with people, who aren’t here, and now I feel like 2 months of my life will rush by while I’ll be cut off from the world. I almost feel like Robinson Crusoe.
Apart from that my one day in Oxford was lovely. I didn’t sleep in as I keep waking up around 6am, which is completely insane considering I love sleeping in. The B&B I was at Thursday night was absolutely fantastic and so was the breakfast. They had a normal continental breakfast and while you were nibbling on your croissant they offered a proper English breakfast, so once you got out of the dining room, you were nicely full. After breakfast I had to pack (for the third time in five days) and then I left for the city centre. The bus ride to town sets you back around 1.90 GB and the return one 2.90 GBP and the bus takes you to Magdalen street (sorry if I misspell anything). The first thing I did was buy a new watch, because I have a feeling I might need it, and then I set into my usual routine - glossy magazine, grande latte and an armchair at Starbucks. My feet and my back were hurting quite badly, but you would understand what I mean if you saw all my luggage (or what has become of it after two days of shopping sprees. At around 1 o’clock I had to be at school’s premises for lunch, so I took the bus back and went for lunch. The first impression: a lot of people know each other from previous years and it seems like this is going to be a nice place to work. The food was actually quite good, I really cannot complain - four choices for the main course and veggies, potatoes, buns, etc. for sides. After lunch there was induction, dinner and an hour worth of a break which we spent at the pub. In the evening we moved to the course site and to finish the day we had crisps and wine. For the first time ever I managed to eat salt and vinegar crisps - I tried and tried before, but it always grossed me out, so I don’t know what’s different this time.
The evening and most of the night over, I returned to my room. Remember my rambling about hotels? Then you probably understand that I’m not exactly jumping of joy at the sight of my room. It’s big enough, with a bed and a wardrobe. Thats’s all some of you might ask. Yes. There is no desk! And that was even more of a shock than the lack of Internet access (argh..... we live in the 21st century and I cannot get online?!) How am I supposed to get any work done if I don’t even have a desk?! Whereas it is OK to force everyone go into the staff room so people are forced to mingle, it isn’t OK to deprive people who can concentrate much better when they are in a quiet environment and not disturbed. I can manage sitting on the bed and working for a short time, but it’s not comfortable or very efficient.
On the bright side, the people I work with are a good bunch and there ‘s a swimming pool on the site. There are also loads of excursions around England and we get fed a lot :-) I hope I get to go to a few shops soon to get some essentials and explore this area a bit.
Apart from that my one day in Oxford was lovely. I didn’t sleep in as I keep waking up around 6am, which is completely insane considering I love sleeping in. The B&B I was at Thursday night was absolutely fantastic and so was the breakfast. They had a normal continental breakfast and while you were nibbling on your croissant they offered a proper English breakfast, so once you got out of the dining room, you were nicely full. After breakfast I had to pack (for the third time in five days) and then I left for the city centre. The bus ride to town sets you back around 1.90 GB and the return one 2.90 GBP and the bus takes you to Magdalen street (sorry if I misspell anything). The first thing I did was buy a new watch, because I have a feeling I might need it, and then I set into my usual routine - glossy magazine, grande latte and an armchair at Starbucks. My feet and my back were hurting quite badly, but you would understand what I mean if you saw all my luggage (or what has become of it after two days of shopping sprees. At around 1 o’clock I had to be at school’s premises for lunch, so I took the bus back and went for lunch. The first impression: a lot of people know each other from previous years and it seems like this is going to be a nice place to work. The food was actually quite good, I really cannot complain - four choices for the main course and veggies, potatoes, buns, etc. for sides. After lunch there was induction, dinner and an hour worth of a break which we spent at the pub. In the evening we moved to the course site and to finish the day we had crisps and wine. For the first time ever I managed to eat salt and vinegar crisps - I tried and tried before, but it always grossed me out, so I don’t know what’s different this time.
The evening and most of the night over, I returned to my room. Remember my rambling about hotels? Then you probably understand that I’m not exactly jumping of joy at the sight of my room. It’s big enough, with a bed and a wardrobe. Thats’s all some of you might ask. Yes. There is no desk! And that was even more of a shock than the lack of Internet access (argh..... we live in the 21st century and I cannot get online?!) How am I supposed to get any work done if I don’t even have a desk?! Whereas it is OK to force everyone go into the staff room so people are forced to mingle, it isn’t OK to deprive people who can concentrate much better when they are in a quiet environment and not disturbed. I can manage sitting on the bed and working for a short time, but it’s not comfortable or very efficient.
On the bright side, the people I work with are a good bunch and there ‘s a swimming pool on the site. There are also loads of excursions around England and we get fed a lot :-) I hope I get to go to a few shops soon to get some essentials and explore this area a bit.
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