Ever put a key in a lock, knowing that it's the right key, but find that it just won't unlock the door? You put it in. You pull it out. You put it in again and try to turn it. You even try to turn it while turning the knob at the same time, but to no avail. The door won't open. Then... you take the key out, put it in, turn it and 'click,' it unlocks. I think my 'key' has finally opened the 'lock' to teaching in Australia.
I'm not sure what made it all unfold, but I think it was a number of things all at once.
Sound bites 1. The way Americans say 'emu' is hilarious to Aussies. We say it 'e-moo.' They say 'e-mew.' Yesterday, I had a whole class laughing at me because of my pronunciation. 2. Here you pronounce the 'h' in "herbicide" and "herbs." 3. 'Dune' here is pronounced 'june.' (which I think is hilarious) 4. Today a student told me that I needed to "go back to my country." I was so humored by it that I didn't realize that I should be offended. He got a suspension warning for it. 5. For the first time ever I almost had a fight break out in my class today. A girl fight. It was pretty entertaining to watch, and I managed to get everyone calmed down without any physical contact. 6. I'm starting to realize that the way things are done here is starting to feel normal. The driving and walking on the left isn't anything I even notice anymore. I can understand Aussie speech without much issue at all - even when they use all their slang (like when someone is being a sook or is crook.) It is all starting to feel so... familiar. I know that feeling. I know it from when I lived in Germany. And I know that it is what makes going back home to your old life so difficult.
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Recently CITEL, the program I am exchanging to Australia to, has asked that exchange teachers post pictures, blog posts, etc to their Facebook page so that other teachers can get an idea of what some of the exchange experiences are like. This post is a bit of an overview of our experiences so far - we are in month 8 of our exchange.
Location: Our home town is a small coastal town tucked in the fjords in Alaska . Our town has about 3500 people living in it. It has no traffic lights and no fast food chain stores. My family of four exchanged with an Australian family of four (with kids that have similar ages) to the Central Coast in New South Wales. We are living an hour north of Sydney in a beautiful forested and hilly, yet very much urban type of environment. We are 20 minutes from beautiful beaches, and 20 minutes from the bush just west of us. The famous wine area, the Hunter Valley, is about an hour and a half northwest. School: My home school has about 120 students in the school and class sizes range up to 26 students per class. We have about 7 teachers at our school. The school that I am exchanging to has about 1000 students, with 77 teachers. Class sizes are up to 30 students. The school here in Australia enrolls many students that come from low socio economic backgrounds, but there are also a wide range of students from all walks of life. The Aboriginal population of the school isn't especially high. I believe there are about 88 students that identify as Indigenous. Here is a list of things that future exchange teachers might be interested in. Keep in mind that all exchanges are different depending on the school you exchange to.
What I teach: In Alaska I teach two subjects, 8th grade US history and 7th grade world history. In Australia I teach Year 7 and 8 Humanities and Year 9 and Year 10 History/Geography (HSIE, pronounced "his - ee".) I've had to learn some new content for the courses I'm teaching. Specific things I've had to teach about that are new for me is Polynesian history, Shakespeare, Australian history, and coastal management.
Final thoughts This has been, honestly, the most challenging experience I've had in my professional life. Some days are fantastic. Some days are ones I never want to revisit. (But we have those in our own classrooms back home from time to time don't we?) If you are feeling stagnant, bored, and ready for a challenge, then this might be right for you. I wouldn't exchange what I'm learning here for anything. All of us are learning so much. What I think is interesting is that it wasn't what we thought we'd learn. Here are some quotes that I have reflected on during my time on exchange so far.
And as someone who has spent many years living overseas, I know that going home after exchange is the beginning of a whole different adventure. This quote, is something I will keep in mind. Of course I'll mention it, but living overseas changes people in a way that others can't always understand.
People underestimate the magic of metal roofing. The patter of raindrops on metal roofing draws you to a couch with a cup of tea and a good book. It makes you feel cozy, safe. It gives you permission to spend the day indoors, recharging from a busy life of adventures. In the winter the snow slides off metal roofing in a whoosh that wakes up sleeping babies and builds up around the walls of the house insulating you from the darkness of Alaska's winters. I found that sound here in Oz in the unexpected place of a drain pipe. Right around the corner from the TAL staff room door just above the chain that unsuccessfully keeps students from walking on the grass, and near the water catchment tank that draws students' lunch rubbish like a magnet. The sky is blue, though, with no rain in sight. Where then, does this familiar sound come from? Then I see them. Four rainbow lorikeet, feet and claws loudly grasping the metal of the top of the drain pipe, preening damp feathers freshly washed in the backed up pipe. It's difficult to tell if their soft happy chatter is to each other, or to themselves, a kind of "singing in the shower" as they contentedly pull their brilliant red and green feathers through their beaks. Their claws continue to click along the metal as they regain their balance lost as they made sure to groom all the important places. There's the sound. The feeling of safety and comfort is familiar. I tuck it into my heart and go to class.
Term 3 isn't downhill, it is mile 18 of a marathon. Term 3 Walk to Work Tally: 123 miles (I have found a quicker and safer walk to school and have restarted my trek. I'm so thankful that I can walk to work again.) |
AuthorThe Liljemark's enjoy exploring the world. This blog chronicles our adventures. Archives
December 2017
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