Swanson Primary Initial Notes

I have just finished my first week at Swanson Primary. I have been enjoying myself so far - it has been and interesting week. Monday was Labor Day in NZ and on Tuesday and Friday there were relievers in for my cooperating teacher Mrs. Francois. I was able to use those opportunities to jump right in along side of the substitute teachers to get involved in the class. For example, I took control of two groups for Reading on Friday and led them through a lesson on conjunctions and quotation marks. The reliever and I felt that it would be easiest for the two of use to take half of the class each. I was able to take the students who were struggling with their reading skills because I felt like I could help them. I had such a fun time learning with the students, because I was able to gain some initial impressions about how the students learn best, as well as what types of techniques do not work for certain students.

While being at Swanson Primary, I have also begun to understand some of the basic differences between NZ schools and those in which I have grown up. For example, my new favorite time of the day is morning tea, which takes place at 11:00am each day and lasts for 45 minutes. During this time, the students are given 10 minutes of sitting and eating time. After that period, the students are released for play time. Because of morning tea, lunch has been moved to 1:00pm. and it is run in a similar manner with 10 minutes of sitting and eating followed by play time.

Another large difference between Swanson Primary and American schools would be the dress code for teachers. Teachers do not have to really dress up much, in fact most teachers will dress casually, i.e. in jeans or shorts. I should note that right now in NZ shorts are a blessing since it is quickly approaching summer and the school does not have a completely enclosed space. Swanson is set up in a manner where two classrooms or a block of class rooms are joined to each other, but those blocks are not joined in one cohesive whole. Stepping outside of your classroom means stepping into the open air outside of the school. (Picture to follow).

Another major difference is that the school year is coming to a close. Due to the fact that NZ seasons are opposite of the season of the Northern Hemisphere, the school year starts in February, near the end of summer, and ends in December, before Christmas. The school year is separated into four ten week terms in between which there is a week break. A small interesting fact is that students are taught from a young age to where hats whenever they go outside because the sun is extremely brutal in NZ.

I look forward to my next week, where I will continue to integrate myself into RM 34.