The Good, The Bad, and The Acca-Awesome

We got internet!  For a little bit anyways...so here is the introduction to our London Flat and start of teaching in London...

So Saturday morning we went for a final bacon baguette and tea (they knew our order...regulars!)

we packed up all our stuff (it's amazing how things don't fit the same way once they've been opened), hoped in a cab, and arrived at our new home.  We met with an inspector who showed us how some stuff worked, some things that would still be fixed and then handed us our keys.

When he left we definitely had a dance party, then ran straight out the door to get our bedding.  We were walking to the store and there was a black rapping Christian group our in the street.

And balloons

After a trip to Primark (carrying 5 bags of bedding and linens back to our flat)

and then a trip to "Walmart" which is called Asda here (carrying 5 bags of heavy kitchen supplies, like dishes, mugs, pots, pans, etc. and the coolest duvet covers ever)

we had had a pretty good workout and were ready for our first meal in our new flat...pizza!

We also tried to wash all of our bedding before we slept on it...that was a challenge and a half.  First off because the washer is so small we could only wash our 2 sheets and some socks in the first load, second the wash cycle took about 2.5 hours (which we didn't realize when turning it on) then third, because the washer is also the dryer, we couldn't start another load while the sheets were drying and people don't really dry clothes in dryers here so they don't really work and it took FOREVER to get the sheets dry enough to sleep on.

We had a GREAT sleep our first night in our beds though, so it was worth it.

Message us if you want our address :)

Just in case you want to send us anything...just a thought :D

Sunday, we got our passes for the leisure center near us.

We also met up with a friend that we graduated who is here with her sister and did an IKEA trip,

then still carrying all that stuff went into London to their hostel to get their stuff because they are staying with us for a few days, then we all trekked down to our place carrying 5 suitcases, a full IKEA bag, a clothes drying rack, and a clothes rack.
We ordered in pizza that night.

So, Monday was our first day as supply teachers in London.  Here's a little run down on how this works...
So, unless we're booked beforehand, every morning we need to make our way to the train station for 7:15.  We are to wait outside the train station (so that we have a strong signal) until we are called with a job.  We need to wait there until 9:30 at which point we may leave but need to be able to get back quickly because we can still be called for the afternoon by 11.  So when you receive your call you get on the train they tell you and wait for a text explaining the rest of the directions and where and what you'll be teaching.

So anyways, I had been booked on Friday so I knew where I was headed, and Sam had her first experience with the morning call.
We headed to the train station together in the morning at which point we separated ways, for essentially the first time since we arrived.

I got on the train right away, had to transfer once, and then walk to the school...the whole trip took about 1 hour. So I arrived, met my contact person, got taken down to the science wing office and left with the head of department to show me around.  I got my keys and was told not to leave them anywhere because the students would "nick" them. 

I was also told to leave anything that I didn't need in the office.  He took me to the classroom showed me the plans and the books then left me to look through them.  I was to assign them pages to read, take notes on, and answer questions at the end.
So I read through it all (all Chemistry) and felt ok with it.  So I started the day with a homeroom type class that I wasn't even supposed to have but the teacher who was hadn't shown up.  So took attendance, or register,  and then they just read for the 10 minutes.
First block, Year 10 group 1 (grade 9)...they were quite chatty, no one really wanted to do this, had been working out of a book for 2 weeks while their teacher was on paternity leave, but nothing major.  The language used in all the classes through me a bit.
Second block, Year 10 group 2...same thing basically.
Break
Block 3, Spare-asked if I should help anywhere, got told to take the break
Block 4, Year 11 class 1 (gr. 10) and this is where stuff started to get interesting.  I had students having inappropriate discussions, drawing private parts on each other, just straight up not listening and not caring.
Lunch
Block 5, Year 11 class 2, basically the same, had a student emailing the police about her home life (mentioned that to the office after school, apparently she's a drama queen)
And finally, Block 6, Year 9 (gr 8).  This one almost broke me.  It started with a boy taking puffs from one of the girl's inhalers, me asking him to give it back and go sit down, his saying he didn't have to...continue back and forth me trying to explain it's a medical device and he can't do that...and him finally getting up in my face, standing tall (a few inches taller than me), telling me to make him. So I was pissed and trying really hard not to cry.  The girl who's inhaler it was had been egging him on and was now making rude comments, etc, then her friend tossed her pencil case our the window and asked if she could go get it.  I said no, she threw it out and wasn't using it anyways so she could get it after school, then with her friend's help and encouragement climbed out the window to get it.
Bell goes, they all leave, Science Admin person comes in to ask me about my dad...said that I had 3 in the last class that gave me some trouble and without hesitating she named them and said she didn't know how they still had strikes left.
I left a detailed note for the teacher and ran out (forgetting to get my form signed, got all the way to the train and had to go back).
I left feeling frustrated, pissed, hurt, and upset.


Sam's day was a little bit different...
About 10 minutes after Lisa caught the train I got my first call...Reception (pre-K, 4-5 year olds)! Hopped on the next train for my 30 minute commute.

I walked in and met the Head Teacher (Principal) who took me to my classroom and looked for plans but found none...the Deputy Head (VP) was called in to write out the schedule for the school and told me that my TAs would be in within 10 minutes and they would know most things. But both my TAs were running late and I was left to my own devices...what do 4 and 5 year olds do at school?!
So we started with puzzles after doing register...we were late for morning assembly. Oops.
There were some prayers and cross signs (it was a Catholic school) and the kids kept looking at me to lead them...I didn't really know what I was doing.
Then we returned to the class for word centers until morning break.
After recess a literacy teacher came in so I got a prep...very nice.
Then math centers...counting!
Then it was lunch. I had to line them up and they did lunch prayer...it's a good thing they knew it, because I did not.  Then we walked into the lunch room and was instructed to let them go 6 at a time.  Then all of a sudden there were more kids in my line...and apparently it was my job to send in all of the students...there were some tears.
Once they were all through and seated I got to have my lunch.
After lunch they had an hour of music...another prep!
And then finished the day with stories...I read them Chester.

Thank goodness for good TAs and a lot of preps.  It was a great first experience teaching in London, even without plans.  But I need to find my stern voice.


Day 2 neither of us were booked in advance so we headed to the station and waited.
I got mine first and was sent into Wimbledon for a year 6 (grade 5) class.

It was a wonderful day.  The kids were great, the school was lovely.  I had lesson plans, taught some math (area), literacy (starting to write group stories based of a novel Barrowquest that has options for how the story will end), guided reading, PE (gymnastics...balances and headstands), and finished the day with a discussion about going to high school, their worries and feelings about it, they wanted to know about school in Canada and then just asked me a ton of questions about myself and Canada...then I read them Chester.  It was a great school and a much better day.  Hope I get to go back again soon.

Sam's day started with a call at 8:10...an hour after we arrived at the station.  She was told to get on a train for a reception class again, but further away.  So off she went...only to get a call around 8:30 telling her to get off the train (which she did) and to get on another to London Victoria (which was the train she had just gotten off...luckily it was still there so she just got back on) and she was going to be teaching year 4 (grade 3) now.  So she was back on the train...then she got another call at 8:45 switching her again...now nursery and it would take an hour to get there...so she was going to be late.  So she got to London Victoria to get on the tube...but the tube station was closed because "somebody was down and in need of assistance"...this held her up a bit but reopened within 10 minutes, so off she went again. She arrived around 10 and walked into a class of 3-4 year olds. 

She had a morning group and then an afternoon group and was there with 2 other teachers.  She sang songs, read stories, and hung out with the little ones all day...AND gets to go back tomorrow!

So, other than my high school experience (which apparently I'll be getting a lot more of)...we've had a great few days. 

Thanks for waiting for this post...we love seeing how many people have viewed it :)

Lisa and Sam

We out.


P.S.  We tried to upload our video tour of our flat but it was too big so took way too long...so we'll work on getting it up, or taking pictures instead. :)