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!