I have obviously not blogged in a long time. I didn't have a reliable internet connection for the last few months that I was in England and was traveling a lot so I haven't been able to blog until now. I had a lot of visitors my last few weeks in the country and it was SUPER fun but I am really glad to be home.
I am beginning to start thinking about the upcoming school year and my new teaching opportunity at the International School of Düsseldorf in Germany. And, as I reflect upon my nightmare of an experience at my English school and look forward to my new position, the dreams have started. I have always been the type of person who has dreams about things that I am thinking about or am anxious about. I always knew that it was time to go to camp at the end of every school year when my camp dreams began! And now, I have started to have crazy dreams about school.
Dream #1:
It was the first day of school in a new school. Not sure what school or what country. But, I was trying to teach the kids my quiet signal (oh, by the way, I was also not wearing pants and was trying to make my long shirt look like a dress!) and there were like 6 adults in my room. Since I was at a new school, I didn't know if the adults were paraprofessionals or what in the heck they were. But, as I was trying to teach my quiet signal they (the adults) were being really loud. So, I went over to their table and they had all the kids singing Jimmy Buffet songs so that I coudln't teach my signal. Then, all the kids busted out in Jimmy Buffet singing and I lost control of the class.
Since I have already had my worst teaching nightmares from back in teacher school come true- losing complete control of a class- I know what that feels like in real life. I just don't think that will be a worry anymore at my new school. Plus, I don't have to teach snotty high school kids anymore, just sweet middle school kids who are generally quite pliable!
Dream #2:
In my dream I had to share a classroom with another teacher, who I think might have been a French teacher. On one end of the classroom there was a white board, a projector, and an overhead. At the back of the classroom was an old school blackboard with French writing all over it. I came in to teach in that classroom one day and all the desks were turned toward the back of the room. I was trying to write on the old school blackboard but wasn't allowed to erase anything so I had to just write really really small with colored chalk. I was really stressed that I was going to lose control of the classroom because the kids couldn't read what I was writing on the board!
OI VAY! Think I am having some anxiety??? At least I am being sent to a training in Atlanta next week and then have 9 days of staff training before school starts. That will definitely alleviate some anxiety. I REALLY enjoy over-preparation!
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| Nicole was my first visitor. We toured the Scottish Highlands and London. |
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| Gordon was my second visitor and we toured Wales and then London. |
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| Natalie was my third and final visitor and we went to London and Paris and then flew home together. |