So Sorry

Hey Friends,

I'm sorry that I haven't updated the blog in a while. I will very shortly, I promise. Unfortunately I lost my hard drive on my computer, and everything on it in the past two weeks. Who knew that plugging in an external drive to back up your computer would be the thing that 'caused it to fail? I'm working to get much photos back or re-take them and I will put them here soon!

Week 3

Another week has passed filled with another set of comical errors in the life of a migrant student teacher.

This week started with exams which were pretty boring for me. All the year 11, 12, 13 (US grades 10, 11, 12) sit 2-hour exams in the middle of the year to get their credits for the course. They will sit 3-hour exams at the end of the year. I wasn’t aware of this, but when the class is taking the exam they all show up early so they can start right when the bell rings. It feels a little awkward to walk in when all the students are sitting silently looking right at you because the door creaked as you opened it. Oh well, they love teaching me the small nuances of school life, or how they would like school life to be. At one point this week I asked the students to take out their notes book and was informed that their teacher had taken them from them days ago and not returned them yet. In the confusion of another day I was walking to lunch only to be stopped by one of my students who asked where I was going. Just before I opened my mouth to say lunch I realized that I still had another period to go before I got a break. I turned 180 and just walked with the student right back to class. Thursday and Friday I started teaching three new classes and I will be continuing to teach them from now on I think. I will get one more this coming week I believe. This will bring my course load to 5 courses, each studying differing topics. It’s a lot of work right now, but hopefully it will lighten up in the coming weeks as I understand the big picture of the timing of the units.

We’re continuing rehearsals for the school orchestra. This week I wasn’t the only cellist which was exciting. I think we had one first violin, two or three seconds, no violas, three cellists and no bass. Makes for an interesting rehearsal. Oh the conductor plays the piano for the parts we’re missing. If everyone were to show up I think we’d have 3-4 firsts, 3-4 seconds, maybe a viola or third violin, 2 or 3 cellos and a bass. Now we’re getting closer.

If you want to see more about the school that I’m working at, here is the website for where I work.
http://www.hnhs.school.nz/home/home.aspx

Outside of school, it’s been pretty rainy and stormy here this week. So much fun to be out in for those of us from the PNW. You don’t realize how much you miss hearing the rain pound on the roof till you leave it and then come back. It got cold enough last night to snow on Te Mata Peak. I tried to run up there this morning and made it most of the way before I turned around and headed back. Maybe not the best choice to do as my first run in a while. Oh well. It was fun dodging cars running on a mountain road with no shoulders. Makes running so much more exciting. I also found that many of my students drive that road for fun and got lots of hand-waves and pointed fingers from those whom I recognized.

This next weekend I’m thinking I might try and head up to Rotorua. Rotorua is New Zealand’s version of Yellowstone, minus the charismatic mega-fauna. It’s a geothermal hotspot with boiling mudpots and geysers. I imagine I’ll probably see some fun extremeophiles and other small animals. It’s also a Maori cultural center so I might get to see some “traditional” cultural activities. New Zealand has an interesting relationship with the Maori people. As best I can figure, it’s similar to the relationship between Native American tribes and the peoples surrounding their reservations. There’s also a luge track apparently that might be pretty fun.

The week after that I’m heading up to Auckland to pick up a friend for the airport. It’ll be exciting to be in a big city again.



What do you do when you don't have a single bit of level land? Just build something level. Bowen Islanders take that...even this guy's driveway is all wood and supported on posts.


Te Mata peak with snow on it and the surrounding hills. Apparently this only happens like once every 10 years or so.


Hope everyone is well!

Let the Teaching Begin!

I made it through my first week of teaching! It turns out I still have a lot to learn about the New Zealand system, but I’m making less mistakes. During my first class I asked the kids to do an assignment for homework, they responded that they couldn’t because they didn’t have books. Only then did I understand that I had misunderstood what someone had told me. They only use books in the classroom and they have homework books at home. I made sure to find one of those. Then I found out that students aren’t really graded on homework or anything here. Their grades come only from passing an internal or external test. In the equivalent of 8th and 9th grade students have tests within the school. The seniors, grades 10, 11 and 12 take national exams called externals where they receive a: did not achieve, achieved, achieved with merit, or achieved with excellence. Since there is no graded homework in the sense that the US has graded homework it changes significantly motivating factors for students.

One of my lessons totally fell apart this week and the kids were off the wall, but I was able to regain control the next class-meeting and we’re much better now. Next week the students have all of their mid-term exams. I think I will begin teaching the rest of my classes late this coming week or early next week.

Today I went to the New Zealand national aquarium and got to watch the scuba diver feed the fishies. I also spent some time helping around my host mom’s daughter’s shop. Friday night I went to a swing dancing lesson that was pretty fun. I started to learn the Charleston so that I could help when they start real swing dances in 2 weeks. I have a lot of practicing to do before then.

When I got to the aquarium the diver was in feeding the fish. I really wanted to see him go in with the sharks, but alas, not that much excitement.

At the aquarium there was a tunnel of glass that you could walk through. Surrounding you were all the fishes and sharks. It was pretty cool. Here's a cross section of the glass. I thought it was pretty cool.

A turtle with a really LLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG neck.

We'll just let you think that this crocodile was really mad at me. The story could go on to read that I felt threatened and jumped the fence, swam over and wrestled him, but we all know I don't swim forward that well. (I've got backwards down though). I was dissappointed to find that this was just a model...Maybe I SHOULD go back and wrestle it....

Te Mata Peak

The ridge leading up to Te Mata Peak.


Looking East out over New Zealand.


This is looking east over Havelock North (where I live) and then farther out to Hastings.



Looking south to Napier. The water is Hawks Bay.

West of Havelock North looking over the river to the ocean. Notice the wood ramp at the very bottom. The kids there were talking about the "Ramp of Death" I think they'll be raft guides someday. Really though, it's a ramp to nothing because it's the take off point for hang-gliders.

Finally Some Pictures

How could I ever get homesick, New Zealand is just like Seattle, you just get above the clouds and it's amazing. Look at all the beautiful sunshine.


Finally I got close to where I'm living. The clouds cleared, and it's rained only slightly since I've been here. Where I'm at is in a rain shadow so I get lots of sun and clear skies.


This the view of the mountains at sunrise. Not a bad way to wake up every morning.

My First Day

So, my first day of school ever I didn't understand how to get off the bus on my way home and I just rode it all the way through the route. Oh how times have changed.

Hello again!

Today I had my first day as a student teacher!

First, a little about the educational system in New Zealand. I do not know much about the early years of the system, but I believe the system starts at year 1 and continues on through year 13. School is compulsory through year 11ish. I say “ish” because it depends on the age of the student, similar to the states. The school year is broken into four, ten-week terms with two weeks in between each term. Their year begins February 2 and concludes December 11.

The school that I’m teaching at is Havelock North High School. It has about 1000 students which range from year 9 through year 13. The classes that I will be in span all of these grades. I will be in a grade 9 class, a grade 10 class, two grade 11 classes and a grade 13 calculus class. Unlike the states, math (or as they say here maths) is broken down not by subject areas but merely by level. For those of you who know the Connected Mathematics sequence it’s very similar. Only at year 13 does it begin to specialize when students can choose Statistics or Calculus. Each level of maths focuses on three general ideas: Number and Algebra, Geometry and Measurement, and Statistics. I’ll learn a lot about the system here because the maths department is currently working to reformat much of their curriculum as the national curriculum recently changed. They are having to work through many similar issues as teachers in the states with regards to changing objectives and new assessment techniques.

A little more about the specific school I am in. Our day begins at 8:30 with a short staff meeting. Classes then begin at 8:45. We have five periods through the day that are between 55 and 60 minutes. The school is on a rotating block schedule that is more confusing then any schedule I have heard of in the states. The schedule rotates on a 9-day cycle with different classes occurring at different times. The purpose of this is that all classes will meet at the various times during the day and during the week. No teacher is then left with a class that meets late in the afternoon when students are most distracted. Of the 9-day cycle, individual classes will meet seven out of the nine days. As soon as I figure out the system, it seems like it will be fabulous.

I have lots of reading to do to catch up on the school policies and so I must now sign off. I wish you all the best in the coming summer months!

Kia Ora!

Well friends, I finally made it to New Zealand. I apologize to all those I didn’t get to see before I got down here, but I have to be back into the states by mid-August, and I will see you all then!

First, a little background as to why I’m in New Zealand. This past September I decided to return to school to complete my teaching certificate I had begun originally in school. I found that I would be able to complete the necessary courses in 3 months and that I could complete the necessary courses for a B.S. in math in another 3 months. This put me in a predicament. If I stayed to complete my B.S. I would be required to do my student teaching Fall/Winter of next year and then be looking for a job come January or February. It was suggested that I look into teaching abroad in order to complete my student teaching spring/summer. In order to complete my student teaching in this way I looked into going to the southern hemisphere and ended up in New Zealand.

After a few weeks of seeming chaos I was able to throw all my stuff into my truck and move it all back to the trailer at mom and dad’s (thanks mom and dad). I repacked that night and by 6am the next morning was on the road to Sea-tac. Due to the Hood Canal Bridge being closed we drove through Port Townsend, down through Clinton and out through Lynnwood. We made a few stops in Seattle before finally finishing at Sea-tac. I had some time there where I was able to catch up with some last minute details before my flight to San Fran. I had 4 hours in San Fran where I was able to pick up some last minute items and make the last of my phone calls for a bit before I boarded the plane for New Zealand. The flight to New Zealand took about 12 hours and we pretty uneventful. My roommates would laugh at the situation on the plane because there were movies playing most of the time and I slept like a baby right through them. Just before leaving the plane we were questioned by the local health officials about how we felt due to the recent scares in North America. I made it through customs and immigration and received a 3-month visa. They even took the time to wash my hiking boots for me J I exited the terminal and could have sworn I had come full circle back to Seattle. It was dark, chilly, cloudy, and drizzly. Auckland felt right at home. I walked to the domestic terminal and after a short delay boarded my flight to Napier. I have a couple of pictures from this flight to try and show what New Zealand is like from the air, but I’m still working out how I can upload those from near where I’m staying. Finally I arrived in Napier and met my supervisor, John, who gave me a wonderful tour around Napier, Hastings, and Havelock North.

A little geography about where I’m staying. I’m living on the north island about 2/3 down on the eastern shore in Hawes Bay. I’m staying in Havelock North which everyone just calls “the village”. It’s a small town about 5km southeast of Hastings, also about 19 km south of Napier. Napier and Hastings are both about 40,000 people and Havelock North is much smaller, I believe John said it was about 4,000 people, but I could be mistaken on that.

I’m living in a house up on a hill above the city that looks out over the city, countryside and into the foothills and mountains. The house is immaculate. I have my own room and bathroom which is really nice. My house parents are so welcoming and have given me all sorts of help over the past 2 days getting settled. They have two dogs, Max and Buster, both small dogs that love to run around.

I’m looking forward to starting work on Monday. I will have 4-5 high school math classes ranging from year 9 to year 12. This translates to 8th to 11th grade in the US system. I will also have a mentor class. I’m not exactly sure what this class will be but I’ll find out tomorrow.

Sorry for all the prose in this post, I hope to have photos figured out shortly.