Teaching at Ranui

I starting teaching this week at Ranui Primary School and I LOVE IT!!!!! It is such a cute little school and the kids and teachers are so sweet and loving. I couldn't ask for a better place to be at right now. I LOVE TEACHING!

I was assigned to work in a year 5/6 classroom. In NZ they don't go by grades, they do it by a years system. Kindergarten is Year 1, 1st Grade is Year 2, 2nd Grade is Year 3, 3rd Grade is Year 4, 4th Grade is Year 5, 5th Grade is Year 6, and 6th Grade is Year 7. That's all for the elementary years, but it just keeps going up from there. With teaching Year 5/6 that is like I am teaching a 4th-5th grade class. I was really excited about this because I have NEVER done anything in the older grades. All of my previous experiences have been working with preschool, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade, so I was excited to see what it is like teaching in the upper grades. 

I have only been teaching for two days but it is definitely different. The kids actually sit still, they listen to directions and understand after they are given once, they don't need to be reminded to stay seated and stop talking, they don't abruptly raise their hands to spurt out random facts that don't relate to the subject at all....etc. haha. It has been an adjustment. My dream has always been to teach in the lower grades because I just can't get enough of their cuteness and sweetness. But I wanted this experience so that I would know how to deal with older kids if I ever have to. 

I must say that I still love the younger grades better so far, but I still love working with these NZ 9 and 10 year olds. 

My teachers name is Ms. Pani Tararo. She is from the Cook Islands and is hilarious. She is constantly talking, talking, talking to me. Ms. Tararo is kind of unorganized and all over the place, but she has been teaching for 20+ years so I just go with her flow haha. She is pretty strict with the kids and demands their attention and respect, but that is sort of how the school system is here. Not that we don't do that in the states, but it is a very different level of....yelling, I guess haha. I love her so far and am learning each new day I am at school. I love the students too. I JUST CAN'T GET ANY OF THEIR NAMES RIGHT. Agh it is so hard trying to remember and PRONOUNCE these Maori, Tongan, Fiji, Cook Islands...etc. names. But I am working on it. Like for instance I have a. . .

'llaisaane Lu'au. . . .Frevanie Nibarema. . .Maliani Peia. . .Tauamatua Malaki. . .Telaki Taniela. . .Togia Samuelu. . .Akuhata Te Hau. . .Ryan Chapman

. . .to name a few. I got the Ryan one down pretty good. Whew! :) 

The best part about being here is the way us Americans are treated by the kids. Like literally, the think we are movie stars or something. The first day that I was introduced to my class, the kids all clapped and cheered and looked at me like I was a movie star....just because I was from America! At lunch time kids I don't even know will SURROUND me and start asking me all these questions about America and where I'm from and who I've met. They are just in aw haha. My favorite was this little boy (who I have no idea who he is) came over to me and was like: "You're from America aye?", "Do you know Justin Bieber?". haha. I was dying laughing because they all think that since I am from America I am definitely best buds with Justin Bieber. So funny :). 

I didn't really realize how much I would stick out here and how different I would be to the people, especially kids, of NZ. 

Ranui Primary School :)

The library. I love all the bright colors that the school is painted!

This is my "whanau" (pronouced "fa-nu" because the wh makes an f sound
in the Maori language) meaning family, year 5/6 classroom area.

The schools in NZ separate the years by like actual
houses like they do in Harry Potter. They are just called
"whanau" or families, instead of houses. My whanau is
the Kahu, specifically Kahu 5!

The hall. I love the light yellow so I had to take a picture of it. 

The swimming pool. In NZ, swimming lessons take place every day
during school with the different classes. Our swimming time is in the
morning at 9:45. They have instructors for the first three weeks and
then us teachers take over for the rest of the year. They have swimming
as part of the school curriculum because there are so many beaches
and drownings (especially the black sand beaches), so the kids
NEED to be taught how to swim.

Our first day of school. It was just an introduction to our class, teacher,
and school. Then we got to go home and we went to the beach!

Walking to school!!! OH BOY.....this is not fun. We have a 45 min walk
to school and a 45 min walk back home EVERY day. 

It was fun at first :)

But then. . .

I couldn't walk in my shoes anymore at school or to school. I have to
wear jandels (flip-flops) every day now until these blisters heal. They
don't look too bad, but let me tell you they KILL.

Luckily the dress system is a lot more casual here and many of the teachers
(and most of the kids) don't even wear shoes in the class room. In my
class almost about ALL of the kids just walk around barefoot.