happy friday!

just got back a little bit ago from the junior school (year 0-2) "disco" aka dance. it was so much fun! and a wonderful end to a very busy but great week! really this week has been so great. my first full week in total full control. as i've mentioned it was Maori language week which definitely provided some challenges but was a good learning experience for me. i caught on with the help of all the songs, learned my maori colors, numbers, parts of the body and a few other things. it really made me think about incorporating spanish or other languages into my classroom. even just basic commands and such, its really not hard and it helps to immerse the kids in any way possible.

each day in full control seemed to get better, its busy when you're working with five year olds and can get crazy sometimes. wednesday i was observed by our contact at Auckland University, Isabel who is the sweetest lady. i really enjoyed getting to talk with her after she observed my math/art lesson, since we group teach i was doing math groups while the other students were working on an art project. Sally gives me lots of feedback which is always helpful and great to hear, but it was nice sitting down and with Isabel and hearing what she had to say. am i confident in my abilities as a teacher obviously, but its always nice to hear you're doing a good job, and when people point out things you do naturally that maybe don't even realize are good teaching practices. so i was very please and excited about this! and on wednesday we got a self inking date stamp which is super exciting and makes things heaps easier. also at the end of the day as i was tidying up the room and getting things ready for thursday one of the men on the grounds team peeped in to ask how my observation went. how nice? it made me feel so good that people here care and take the time to check in even if they don't know you that well.

thursday was another fun day, it was sunny again which just makes everything better. the kids worked on one of my lessons which was to make a maori number book. it seemed a little chaotic to me, but i think it actually went well. a busy classroom is a classroom where learning is truly taking place which i had to remind myself of. the book turned out well and i think the kids had fun with it.

which brings me back to today...what a great day! i think i've said that about 50 times in this post. but anyway. we had our year 0 assembly and sang some songs etc, then did a little makeshift fitness around the courts outside of our room which wore them out a little i think haha. we carried on with our usual morning. morning tea was super yummy, i had pizza with pumpkin on it, amazing! then we had "choosing time" and sponge painted the last bit of our maori art project, i just love painting with little ones and they have so much fun with the sponges. then we all gathered as a school in the hall to have a powhiri (pronounced pofiri -- wh in maori sounds like f) and to welcome all of the international students that are here right now. gosh it was insane i was tearing up in parts, and of course during their national anthem the beginning is just gorgeous and when all the children sing it you just get this happy feeling. i'm going to try to post some videos of the powhiri, so bummed that my phone ran out of memory so i wasn't able to get the complete haka, i'll post another one so you know what it really looks like, it SO COOL. and all the little boys in my class were running around screaming and trying to act like the boys doing the haka it was so cute.

ran for a wine at the pub with a few teachers after school, came home got my wacky hair done. aka olivia and sharleen pulling my hair in a billion different directions, in braids and buns and pony tails and ribbons. i looked really cute. and headed to the dance. it was precious the kids were all dressed in their "party outfits" and they had glowsticks and sprayed hair and everything it was awesome. we did jump jams most of the time, i danced with all my kids gosh i'm in love with them. seriously though going to cry when i have to leave them! excited for vineyard tours tomorrow i can tell its going to be a great weekend!

just a little Maori language for ya.