'I Can...' FLY.

Here’s my school!!! On the left is Cradle to Crayon – the building for classes from 9months (!) through to 4 years. This will be my building of work – with the Beaver Class, one of three classes of 2-3 year olds. The building on the right is Springhall British School, the building for the 5-8 year olds. Each year for the past three years the school has expanded, so this year Year 4 is being introduced. Next year we will be moving into a brand new build, so I will be able to see both the current and the new…and we will expand once more, with heaps of space. The children will have their first day back here on September 9th. The next two weeks will be INSET for the teachers, preparing for the upcoming school year and preparing our classrooms. Today I was one of 6 new teachers at our induction to the school. Dr. Kimberley went through all the routines and procedures, talked through the paperwork and gave a tour of the school. Most of all she emphasised the importance of the children and their independence, safety and individual abilities. I cannot wait to get into my classroom and start working with them. I think I’ll be very comfortable working here.

Dr. Kimberley told us that the first person she called when she got her first PHD- and had enrolled for her second - was her kindergarten teacher. However, it was sadly not to thank her for the encouraging and exciting introduction to education. Unfortunately, her kindergarten teacher had humiliated her in front of her peers, pulling her paper out of her hand, for Kimberley had cut into her paper, rather than following the line. The words ‘what is wrong with you?’ echoed round the room as she told us. She then talked about her 6th grade teacher, who taught her she could fly. He taught her she could do anything she wanted to, and gave her the confidence to believe she could. ‘Do you want to teach children to soar? Or do you want them to hide underneath the table, afraid to talk to anyone? Do you want to be Teacher A or Teacher B?’ The cheesy idiot that I am sat smiling, yelling to myself I was Teacher B and that I wanted to start my flying lessons straight away. Each child is given an ‘I Can…’ book at the start of each 5-6week topic, and I will be in charge of 5 (ish) ‘I Can…’ books in the classroom. I am to observe and note the behavior, progress and activity of my 5 allocated children, whilst engaging with all children in the class. The books are to be authentic and engaging, to have ‘less words, more photos and pictures’…I can’t wait! Each book is a 4-5 page report…and I have a feeling I am going to spend too much time and effort perfecting mine…but I know I won’t be able not to. If you haven’t guessed it already, the school’s motto is ‘I Can…’.

4 of the other new teachers are from either Lagos or Abuja (I believe) and the 5th from Liverpool, with family in Nigeria. We had a chat at the end and I found out that she will be living in the opposite apartment to mine. From my guesswork she is the closest to my age and she seemed very much ‘on my level’, having not been back to Nigeria for many years and feeling a bit out of place. She will too work with the 2-3 group, but I’m not sure whether she will be with the Beavers or the Bunnies. I’m guessing we will get on well and spend time together outside school. I showed Kimberley my blip from yesterday, and her reply: I can’t wait to see your classroom! Neither can I. Really looking forward to getting to know my fellow Beaver teachers and setting up out classroom. I believe I am one of four, unless one of the new teachers is required to fill a position in crèche. I think there are around 20 children to a class – which means there are around 40 two and three year olds…(!!!) Looking forward very much to the start of term and getting creative with our first topic.

Came home around 2pm, having been at school since 8:30am. Woke up from an accidental snooze around 3pm when Sabine came home. The school day begins at 7.30am SHARP – the security guards lock the gate at 7.45am and getting inside once that is done is apparently not something I want to try to do without causing a fuss. This means the vehicle allocated to my roommate, my neighbouring teachers and I will probably arrive at our compound between 7am and 7.15am. In Aberdeen, where the sun sometimes didn’t rise until 11am, where it sometimes didn’t rise at all, 7am starts are something very new to me. In South Africa, 7am starts were normal, with Vuyo singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at the top of his lungs outside our window. 2008 seems both like yesterday, and forever ago.

Dad will fly in from Lagos this evening on the 19.15, meaning he’ll arrive around 10pm…if the flight is on time. As of yet no plane has arrived, so it is highly unlikely. Now that I have adjusted to the routine here, 10pm is not a time to causally wait to come around. Instead we have planned a nap in order to survive…!! We had dinner around 6, Sabine’s sleeping now and I am going to lie on the sofa (Erin Brockovich is on DSTV…I love Julia Roberts) and maybe fall asleep, maybe not. Lots of reading still to be done over the weekend, with a dinner at Sabine’s colleagues tomorrow night and then a super early night on Sunday. Thinking of my mama as she’s settling into her new job and new home on the Isle of Cumbrae. Looking forward to this weekend as I think we’ll be able to skype! Annnnnd I think I’ll have a working phone, so UK and Kenyan friends…see you on whatsapp soon.