British classrooms #1

Into the classrooms last week and this week! Behind with the blogging because I come home and work on looking for jobs or filling out applications : (

Anyway, here are some pictures from a day working in a nursery class (3 & 4 yr olds, I call it Preschool 1).......most children can write their name and know the basic 26 sounds! Crazy.

It was a nice day, but I found the time to go by so   s l o w l y  as I helped children paint, etc. It was developmentally appropriate and all, but it reminded me of when I worked at a daycare back in the day. But it's good to have experiences.

lots of rainy days ya know!

a whole lot going on in this preschool room!

3 little pigs construction, etc (they made a house in their outside play area)

 I LOVE the journeys to school (when it's not raining)!  It is so different from being in my car so much as I did back in Arizona.  There is something so amazing to me that I can walk, take a bus/tram/train to get to work and be outside more. People find that strange here, but I love public transport!!
 

cricket in the park after school---have you ever seen a cricket match??

I will never tire of enjoying the color of the doors, ha!

This week I assisted in a reception class (I call it Preschool 2), it has 4 & 5 yr olds, it's all day, is mandatory in this country, and free unless it's a private school.....don't you wish we had free, mandatory preschool in America?

So this job was for most of the week, Tuesday-Friday. And it was at a private school, the first one I've worked at in England. The families pay £10,000 a year!! This school just has nursery, reception and Year 1 (kindergarten). Imagine paying £10,000 each year starting from when the child is 3 years old??!! A lot of money! So I thought this school would be flawless, super meticulous,etc. right?


On that note, I think I will leave you hanging as this post has become quite long!! I will do another post later in the week with photos from the school and a freebie!!


Hope the end of your school year is near/already here!!

Kelli

PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE...would love your input!

here we are, the happy couple : )

Hello!!!!!! Thank you for stopping by! 

So here I am. In London. A newlywed.

I  LOVE this new time of my life with my sweet le Rey. I waited a long time to start this part of our life together. And I'm glad I waited, because he is so wonderful to me!

However.

I have had to change my expectations about my teaching status here in the UK. I thought I would be teaching right now, and doing interviews for a job for September.

 

It seems, on average, that 60-100 teachers are applying for each of the jobs I'm applying for?!  Is this how it is where you are? I've also been told that schools don't care about my Master's degree or other certs--is this how it is in your district?

And the substitute work has not been pouring in.

Anyway, through this journey, I have been thinking a lot about the various avenues that education has. Literacy roles (not many here in the UK), classroom teaching, consulting, specials like P.E. etc (not here except in private schools).........and also the concept of PUBLIC AND PRIVATE schools.

I have done a majority of my teaching in Title 1 schools, in low SES areas, with many students starting school already very behind (anyone else?).....I've taught in some higher SES areas, but I feel my heart is really in more deprived areas.

I love learning from different environments (I admit that I complain and struggle though), and was wondering what teaching might be like in a private school? Private schools here in the UK might be exceptionally difficult for me though, as I don't know the curriculum as well as in the US of course.

Can I tell you though, that during this past week, that I went to see 2 high-end public schools that have teaching vacancies, and 1 of them expected me to teach French (in addition to all the other subjects!) to the first graders!? I don't think I'm posh enough for that school!  The head master at the other school went on and on about how his school looked and things he bought ("our PTA raised £30,000 last year-there's our baby grand piano there, we have ipads for the students, we have 3 choirs, fancy lights for drama productions......"). 

So, please help an unemployed girl out! Tell me about your teaching experiences: public, private, your favorite teaching positions, least favorite.........PLEASE! 

Many thanks, and I can't wait to hear from you! I did not expect such uncertainty in this part of my journey, as work has always been steady (and easy to get) the past 10 years. There are many days when I just want to take my husband and move back home to Arizona, with family and friends, life is easier and I could go back to my old school! But you can't give up when things are hard, right? All the lessons/amazing insight seem to come when you're fighting your way through!

Thanks for reading and enduring my complaining and whining! I hope to be in more classrooms soon, with lots of pictures to share British classrooms!

Have a good day, I know most of you are nearly on summer vacation (schools go til the end of July here).

Love,

Kelli

P.S. I just noticed I now have 100 FOLLOWERS!! This is very exciting for me!!! Stay tuned for a freebie!!! I'm thinking of giving away a free set of my K-2 everydayPORTFOLIOS (journals)......I'll see if there's any interest first.