Housing Hunt!

The search for housing has finally begun! I have come to my senses and decided that I don't want to be homeless while teaching and/or pay an extraordinary amount to live in a Bed and Breakfast (although getting breakfast made for me every morning would be quite nice). I have two viewings set up for the day I arrive in Scotland. One being in the Bridge of Allan and one in Alva; both small towns about 5 miles outside of Stirling. The house in Alva already has 2 graduate students living in it and another coming from Canada; all to study at the University of Stirling. It would be nice to live in a house with others my age. I am more than excited with only 16 days left to go before I get on that plane! Too excited, really!

Beaconhurst

http://www.beaconhurst.com/pta.php

Attached is a link to the school website. I will be teaching in the Junior School. Specifically, the Junior 2 classroom. As you can see, their foundations wrap around English and Math, then branch out to Environmental Studies, Expressive Arts, and Religious and Moral Education (which I have very little practice in!).

Once I get there, I will be able to expand and tell much more about how the day is structured and if (like our schools) the classroom teacher instructs most subjects or if they branch out to other specialists throughout the day.

Awaiting the big day...

I have just finished Winter quarter (my second quarter of the internship) state-side and now have a few weeks to begin preparing for my full-time teaching in Scotland. Saying good-bye to the children and teachers that I just spent 8 months with was much harder than I thought possible. However, a new adventure awaits! The dream of someday going abroad is actually at the end of my fingertips and suddenly giving me a nervous feeling. I think that I am most nervous about not being able to understand my own students. Hopefully their accents aren't too hard to get accustomed to. There are so many lingering questions that can only be answered so well over e-mail. At this point, the only thing that is set in stone is that I am working with 6/7 year olds!

I have begun preparing one, introductory lesson for the first few days that I step into the classroom. The only thing that these kiddos know about America is what they see on TV (unless they are fortunate to have traveled at such a young age). Therefore, I will be bringing along pictures of where I live, my family, even basic streets and buildings to share with them and have discussions about my life at home. After this, it will move to getting to know THEM as quickly as possible with such a short amount of time!

Three months in Scotland will go by quicker than I can blink my eyes. I am more than ready to go in with an open mind to every experience that steps in front of me. I have already learned more than I thought possible in the last two quarters of college during this internship and I am excited for this next step and the new ways it will open up my eyes.