The past two days were quiet, but a blur. :) Yesterday we were planning on going to a ropes course out of town but changed plans because it would've cost us a FORTUNE to get out there and back. Unfortunately there was no form of public transportation to it, and a cab would've cost a ridiculous amount to drive us there, wait, and drive us back. We decided it wasn't worth it and chose to sleep in, and have a super relaxing day. Last night we went out to supper with Dave (another one of the MSU teaching students) and his brother Tom who was touring Australia and NZ with him. They were nice enough to treat us to a beautiful meal on our last night out of the country.

Today - we start our trek back! Hard to believe that after never flying before this trip - once I return to MN, I will have flown 9 TIMES - two of those flights being 12 hour flights! Rosine will be picking me up from the St.Paul Domestic Airport at approximately 9 o'clock tonight (Tuesday). It's also simply surreal to look through my pictures and relive all of the amazing things that I've done and seen! This definitely was the trip of a lifetime. Before it - I was pretty undecided, and could care less about people studying abroad - but after experiencing it for myself, I can see how getting out of your Comfort zone and taking the NEXT step can really make you grow in ANY profession, and traveling is the best (and most fun) way to do it!

Hope you have all enjoyed reading my blog. It certainly has been fun to write it - and an EASY way to keep up with everyone! :) I'm looking forward to seeing you ALL again soon! :)

I hope you all have

written by  cowane1 on September 27, 2010 from Auckland, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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On Saturday we arrived in Auckland. We got a great deal by riding the AirBus RIGHT to the front door of our hostel! After we checked into our LOVELY room - it's a 2 bed room with a fridge, TV, and our own bathroom - Kelly and I went and bought a few groceries to get us through the next few days. After that we chilled out for a while and then made our way to the local hostel bar where they offered FREE pizza! We met a few people there (both guys and girls primarily from Ireland and England) and hung out with them for most of the night. We crashed and were COMPLETELY thrown off in time because not only is NZ 2 hours ahead of Sydney, but it also just happened to be Daylight Savings Time on that very day which pushed it back ANOTHER hour.

Today we woke up and went shopping with one of the Irish girls we met the night before. We had a great time and got lots of stuff... well, enough that we can bring home without getting in trouble! We THEN did something super adventurous! We did what is called the Sky Walk where we walked around this building kind of like the space needle... It was a bit scary but a lot of fun! After that we headed back to our hostel for a pretty chill night. :)

It's hard to believe I only have 2 more days here! Ah! It's definitely bittersweet... :)

written by  cowane1 on September 26, 2010 from Auckland, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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First - our accomodation. We are staying with Kelly's host mom's sister and her husband in Sydney. This not only saved us money, but they are the most WONDERFUL people. They cook our meals, help us get from place to place, give us great travel ideas. They are brilliant people and so genuinely nice for letting us stay with them! AND - we have warm water here! YAY! :)

We arrived in Sydney early Tuesday morning. Kelly and I slept the majority of the flight because it took off at 6:20am... UGH. Which meant getting up at 4:15! Who scheduled a 6:20 flight? Oh yeah, WE did. Aunty Di (the host mom's sister I mentioned above) picked us up at the airport, which is only a short 15 min from their house! We then got cozied into our new accomodation - we each have our own room. :) And by 11, Kelly and I had caught a train, and then a bus, and were staring at the most beautiful Bondi Beach. I talked to Joseph as I layed out soaking in the 24 degree Celsius rays, and told him to Google Bondi Beach. When he did, he said, "Emily, I don't see a lot of beach here... only a lot of skin". Which was a DEAD on description of Bondi. Kelly and I had a good time though and considered going back another day if time permitted. Kelly even said, "when I envisioned Australia, THIS is what it looked like!". Gorgeous white sand, HUGE waves coated with surfers, you get the jist. :)

Wednesday was our busiest, but probably our BEST day in Australia. We caught the 9:30 train to Sydney City to take in all of the well known sights. We got off in a far away station from really anything, but I assured Kelly that this would make touring easier. We then walked through Hyde Park, went into St. Mary's Cathedral (Kelly's Catholic too), enjoyed the Botanical Gardens, ate our packed sandwiches near Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, walked the bit to the Opera House, took in the Circular Quay, walked along George Street and did some shopping, checked out Darling Harbour, came back along the other side of George Street and stopped in and enjoyed a tasty treat at a specialty cupcake shop, took a short tour through The Rocks, and walked most of the way across the bottom of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. After grabbing a quick chicken sandwich we made our way to the building of the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb at about 5pm. ALL of our walking and amazing sightseeing could not prepare us for what we were about to encounter. We had chosen to do the BridgeClimb at night because it was not only the cheapest, but we wanted to see the transition of dusk to a beautiful Sydney nightscape. It was the best decision we could've made. After getting suited up in our gear, and practiced walking some fake steps, we were ready to make our climb. I didn't find it scary at all, and neither did Kelly. Our tour leader was phenomenal and told us some interesting, funny, and downright amazing stories about the people and places of Sydney. For instance, the man who created the Sydney Opera House, just died a few years ago and NEVER once stepped inside of it. In the end we had climbed to the top, went across the center then came back down the same side. It took about 2 hours, and we had climbed 1,337 steps. I would STRONGLY STRONGLY STRONGLY encourage anyone who is in Sydney to do this! It's simply the BEST.

Today, John (Di's husband) was kind enough to take us through a tour of the Blue Mountains. In various touristy shops, I've seen postcards of the Blue Mountains, but hadn't really heard much about them. We first stoped in a quaint town on the way called Leura. John enjoyed a coffee and Kelly and I a hot chocolate each. It was around 50 degrees, so it was a PERFECT start to the day. After Leura we headed a little further up the road to Scenic World. Here we were able to pay a small price to do three amazing things. First, we took the Skyway across this huge divide between two mountains, over 300 meters above the ground. We saw a miraculous waterfall on one side, and fascinating rock formation called the 3 Sisters on the other. The Skyway also had a glass bottom that we could look through if we wanted. Once we returned from that we did something we would've done all day if we could... we rode the STEEPEST train the world. It goes straight down the side of a mountain, through a little tunnel for part of it, at a 52 degree angle! When we first sat in our seat, we didn't understand why they were reclined so much, but as we got going, we realized it would've been super uncomfortable if they hadn't been. Down in the valley, we enjoyed a short rainforest walk of great scenery and a little information about the mining that had occured here in the olden days. We then took the Cableway up back to the top before heading on our way. After Scenic World, John bought Kelly and I some delicious meat pies (an Australian delicacy) and we ate them at a beautiful lookout called Edge's Point. Following that we made our way to the Wentworth Falls. Here, we decided to take a path that had been labeled an "easy grade with few steps" down to a lookout of the falls. That sign was a lie. The ENTIRE thing were quite steep steps! John also walks faster than anyone I know, leaving Kelly and I in the dust. This was WAY more intense than our BridgeClimb! After leaving there we made the 2 hour trek home. Kelly and I slept most of the way.

When we returned back here, we enjoyed another nice home-cooked meal. You will find it fascinating to know that our meal consisted of 2 meats and SEVEN different vegetables (not mixed or anything). We had bacon and sausages (plain, not with bread or anything) and mashed potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and pumpkin (they eat a lot of it here). My parents would be pleased to know I ate everything but the mushrooms. :) I also found it interesting because they call their sausages (which look and taste like mini-brats), snags.

Tomorrow, Kelly and I are having a rest day. We are walking the 25 minutes to the nearest shopping mall to have an experience of Asian culture. According to Di, we may be the only 2 Caucasion people in the place. Our bags are RIGHT on the weight limit so we don't plan on buying anything TOO big. :) Then, we plan on curling up and watching some movies. It should be a relaxing day after three big days of go-go-go! Then, Saturday, we fly out of Australia once and for all and head for the beautiful Auckland, New Zealand. Don't worry, Auckland is on the NORTH island - the earthquakes are on the SOUTH. :)

G'day!

written by  cowane1 on September 23, 2010 from Sydney, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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Yesterday morning we got up early and got ready to head out on the reef! My 2nd time, Kelly's first! We took a different boat/tour this time and I much enjoyed it because there were WAY less people and the staff were AMAZING. Kelly scuba dived (dove?) THREE times! She got a deal - buy 2 dives, get one free. She saw some amazing things... as did I from up above where I snorkeled. It was MUCH windier out than the last time I snorkeled, but the reef was no less beautiful! I simply LOVED it! The company we were with provided us with wetsuits - which was nice and hard at the same time. I had the WORST time trying to get into mine. I always had to find a new friend to help zip me in because Kelly was busy with her scuba gear. The equipment I was able to use was MUCH nicer as well! We put this stuff on our goggles and mine NEVER fogged up... and NO water got in! My eyelashes were completely dry when I got out of the water. I saw SO many amazing things. Kelly rented an underwater camer and took TONS of amazing pictures and videos that I can't wait to show you all! She shared them with me :). Among the kazillion fish and different types of coral we saw, we also saw clams, sea cucumbers, AND a turtle! It was simply awesome! We also were able to visit 2 different areas to see completely different things.

After we got back Kelly and I walked upon this dance/music demonstration in the center of Cairns, real close to where our bus was going to pick us up. We had 20 minutes so we decided to watch. Soon enough, the dancers all rushed off stage and grabbed people from the crowd. This sweaty, scanitly-clothed dancer comes and chooses me! Ah! So, I get pulled on stage, along with other helpless souls, to try and dance like these people. Apparently this was a demonstration done by the People of the Pacific, and my partner was from the Cook Islands. The dance I was a part of was part of the "Around the World" dance, and I was representing the USA! The only instructions I got were to shake my booty to the beat! HA! I realized how very very poor I am at shaking my booty, but it was HILARIOUS none-the-less!

Later, after we discovered that the showers at our hostel are as cold as the Arctic, Kelly and I hit the town and found an amazing pizza shop and shared a delicious pepperoni pizza. We then did a little shopping, enjoyed the Night Markets, and found our way home... tired from all of our time spent on the reef!

TODAY, we got to sleep in and were fortunate enough to take the SkyRail up through the rainforest to the tiny village of Kuranda. The views from the SkyRail were MIRACULOUS! It was unbelievable to be zipping through the rainforest, over top of the canopy, and then all of a sudden be swallowed by a large cloud floating at the top! We were able to see the most beautiful Barron Falls among other amazing sights. Once to Kuranda, we rode the bus to the Kuranda Koala Sanctuary where we saw several native animals (again), and Kelly got her first chance at holding a koala. Her koala was named Chibby, which means small in Japanese. After the Sanctuary we enjoyed looking at the rows and rows of shops and the things they had to offer. We didn't end up buying anything, but our favorite thing that we saw was a postcard made out of kangaroo pelt that could ACTUALLY be mailed in the post! We enjoyed a relaxing, and once again beautiful train ride back to Cairns. Some of the drop-offs, and views of the different falls were spectacular. Kelly and I were both exhasted by this time though and fell asleep for a bit of the ride. Once we arrived in Cairns, we again came across an aboriginal demonstration of dance and music. Thankfully neither of us got sucked in this time, but we were able to simply sit back and marvel at their talents!

We are mostly packed up because we fly out of Cairns at 6:20 tomorrow morning. We had a pretty relaxing evening, but are planning on going and having one quick drink at this infamous backpackers bar before hitting the hay! Apparently there are regularly people dancing on tables, so on and so forth... we want to see (NOT DO) for ourself :)

Tomorrow we'll be SYDNEY-bound. We are EXTREMELY fortunate because Kelly has a hook-up for us to stay and they are even picking us up from the airport! I'm EXCITED! Hopefully they'll have warm showers. :)Ta-ta for now!...

written by  cowane1 on September 20, 2010 from Cairns, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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A great big thanks to Tina and Trevor who drove us to the airport this morning. :) And an even greater thanks to them for EVERYTHING they did for me the past 5 weeks. :)

Kelly and I arrived this morning at around 9:30, called for our free shuttle to our hostel and were able to check in right away. The people at the desk were unbelieveably friendly and helpful. After checkin in and what not, Kelly and I were able to book our parasailing adventure for today, our Great Barrier Reef adventure for tomorrow, and our Kuranda adventure for MONDAY. :) All for EXCELLENT prices with transportation to and from here! How GREAT!

We were able to settle in a bit, buy a few groceries, and even take a short nap. But then - it was PARASAILING time!! Woo! The parasailing company picked us up at our hostel, and brought us to the marina where we hopped on the boat. We were planning on riding tandem, as was a couple of honeymooners, and there was a Japanese girl planning on by herself. Kelly and I were first! It was SOO much fun! We were rocked back and forth, side to side, I can't remember screaming or laughing so much at the same time. It truly was amazing. After that, we watched the adorable honeymooners go... and then the Japanese girl. The last girl also was getting a jet ski tour (something the other 4 of us weren't) and so the boat driver asked is if we'd like to pay $10 (it's regularly $35) for a LONG ride on his 4 person tube. Of COURSE we said yes! And it was a BLASTTTT! Again, I've never laughed so hard or screamed so much. Thankfully, I didn't fall off but the new husband did! After we all got back in the boat and our captain asked us if it would be alright if we drove down the river a bit and looked for some crocdiles... for FREE :) Of COURSE that was alright with us too!! And believe it or not, we DID see one! Swimming right along! Ah! It was so cool!

After our adventures, we hit the town for some souvenir shopping and a meal... and then headed back to our hostel. We are exhausted from an early morning and a LONG day in the water/sun! We're plannin' on just takin' it easy, reading a bit, and going to bed EARLY :)

10 days until I'm homebound! :) Think of me - I'm always thinking of you.

written by  cowane1 on September 18, 2010 from Cairns, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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Overall, school this week went VERY smoothly. I did not write a single pink ticket, because I believe that I have the behavior of the classroom under control. I did however keep a few students in at lunch to finish work that they did not finish when they should've. I also did a random desk check this week and gave those students who kept their area nice and tidy a "Good Work" ticket. As a result of this random desk check, I also chose to keep a few more students in at noon to clean their DESKS! One student's desk was jammed so full of papers we were unable to slide the tray out from underneath it. Once we got it out, we found not only a million half finished drawings and assignments, but a piece of cheese, a cut up apple, a fruit cup and madarin peeligs too! GROSS! I used this as a learning opportunity and gave him a speech about how letting this go this far could've been dangerous to his health and those around him! He promised me he wouldn't let it get that bad again.

Swimming lessons have been quite entertaining. Unfortunately, the students have become TOO familiar with some of their teachers and have begun to push their limits. At the same time, so many of them have become REMARKABLY better than they were the first day!

This experience has only strengthened my desire to become a teacher. I have come to terms with the fact that not EVERY student is going to understand everything I teach them the very first time. But, it gives me GREAT pleasure to see that when I review it, they sometimes get it the second time around. This past week I have done a lot of review, and have been amazed (and extremely proud) of the information I have taught the students and their retention of it!

Tuesday was the night of the Minnesota BBQ that Kelly and I had organized for the MSU students & their host families, the QUT staff, and our cooperating teachers. Turnout for the event was REMARKABLE! Of the people I invited, ONE person did not make it (with the exclusion of 3 MSU students/families too)! Over 35 people showed up! The Minnesota students did all of the cooking, so the meal consisted of Tater-Tot hotdish, a chicken and stuffing hotdish, a rice/broccoli/ground beef combination, snicker-apple salad, meat/cheese/salsa dip with chips, caeser salad, and rice krispy bars.

Unfortunately I had to leave the BBQ for a short while though. But - it was for a GREAT reason. It was the last night of Girl Guides that I would be able to be present for, as well as their last one before school holidays! Although I only stopped in for a short while, the girls had signed a beautiful certificate of appreciation for me and gave me a Girl Guides chip clip/note clip with a picture of a koala on it. I LOVE IT! :) I'm so happy I was able to be a part of such a wonderful organization while I was visiting.

Today was the last day of our prac at school. It was a bit sad, but I never once teared up! :) My students and I spent all morning working on a maths assessment. Poor kids :( I even enjoy math, but I could tell they were miserable. After that they went to swimming then to PE, then it was lunch! After lunch, I was able to spend my last little bit of time with them. :) I gave them each the personal note I wrote for them and a picture of the class. They simply LOVED the notes. They were running around the classroom showing eachother what I had written to them. I also had made them rice krispy bars, and handed those out as they were headed to Drama. I thought that one of the students was crying because I was leaving, and I was touched. I later found out that that wasn't the case, but that he had received a pink ticket during lunch and was upset about that. Ha! Kyryn and the class were ever so kind and gave me a box of chocolates, a package of carmel Tim-Tams, and the book Possum Magic. What a wonderful way to end my time at M.E.S.S.!

Tomorrow is my final day in the Burpengary, Morayfield, Caboolture area. The plan is that all 8 of the students are to give their final presentations to much of the QUT staff, the principal of M.E.S.S. and Carol Werhan and Ginger (I don't know her last name) from MSU. These presentations, essentially reflections of the cultural and educational differences between the 2 places, are a huge part of our grade for our Australia experience. :) Wish me LUCK! :) Mine is particularly creative, but for that reason - I'm slightly nervous to present it!

Hope all is well at home! 12 days until I get to see for myself. :)

written by  cowane1 on September 16, 2010 from Morayfield, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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Friday, we went to Nan and Pops, and AMAZINGLY I actually won some money playing cards! They said I was officially the big winner of the night; I still haven't figured out whether that was because they let me win, or if all of the practice I've had at home has actually paid off! :)

Saturday meant GOLD COAST day! :) Tina, Trevor and I hopped in the car and headed South. At one point Tina told me that we were crossing into New South Wales, but we turned back north shortly after that. Some of the most amazingly beautiful sights I've seen since I've been in Australia were in Coolangatta. The rocks and the waves crashing up against them were unbelievable. It was also REMARKABLE to see the beach LINED with surfers! I definitely had a good time observing their skill.... I don't know if I could do it! After Coolangatta we headed to Burleigh Heads. Much to our pleasure, there was a whole assortment of sculptures lining the beach on this particular Saturday. We enjoyed those as we walked the coast, sinking our toes into the silty white sand. It was also at Burleigh Heads that I had my first sausage sizzle... essentially a sausage in a piece of bread. I simply LOVE hot dogs, so I found it quite good. Tina explained that sausage sizzles are a popular fundraising idea. After Burleigh Heads we stopped at a cafe for morning tea (lunch) on our way to Surfers Paradise. CaffeRepublic served me a WONDERFUL BLT sandwhich that I enjoyed very much, all the while soaking in the ocean air. Eventually in Surfers Paradise, Tina and Trevor showed me Cavill Street.... the main shopping drag of the city. We were greeted by an extrordinarly tall, skinny lady clad in a gold bikini and heels. She explained that she was a "Metermaid", someone who goes around putting money in parking meters that have run out. I, however, did not take a picture of her (I'm sure that this is much to the disappointment of my fiance and brother). After doing some browsing we headed across the street to the Surfers Paradise beach. It was humorous to see the amount of people laying in the direct sun and avoiding any shade! It's no wonder Australia has the highest number of skin cancer patients! After our time in Surfers, we headed home. I was WIPED and fell asleep for much of the trip. When we arrived home, Tina and Trevor went to a show while I stayed home and worked extremely hard on my final presentation for my time here!

Sunday was my day with Shannan on the Sunshine Coast! After I showed her much of my final presentation, and she corrected me on a few things, we hit the road! Our first stop was Kings Beach in Caloundra. It was simply beautiful outside, and we had a nice walk along the coast. I was stricken by the fact that there was an outdoor swimming pool RIGHT on the coast. It was so close that Shannan told me that when it is high tide some of the ocean water splashes over the pool walls into the pool. Apparently the water in the pool is actually ocean water anyway, so they don't have to worry about mixing or anything. After Caloundra we headed to Cotton Tree, another little beach along the coast. It was here that Shannan described for me the unreal effects nature has on itself. For instance, there was one point of the bay that at one point was connected to the other side, then was an island and has recently (as in the last 5 or so years) connected to the other side. She also had me walk through a caravan park (campground) in which half of it has eroded away. Where her grandparents had once had a plot was now a big piece of Pacific Ocean. We then went to a mall and I had a wonderful milkshake and pancakes for lunch. After that we headed to one more beach a little further down the road, and Shannan described "cable skiing" to me. Apparently, instead of being pulled behind a boat, there is a place here that has cables hanging from above that pulls you on kneeboards, skis, wakeboards, etc... I've never seen or heard anything like it! Once leaving here, we accidently made a wrong turn but made the most of it by visiting one of Shannan's friends. For tea, we went to Bethany & Wesley's for pizza. Zander, as always was a darling and a stinker at the same time! He's at that adorable age where he knows what he's doing, but can get away with it. :) We all enjoy a good laugh with him.

Tomorrow marks my first day of my last week at M.E.S.S.. UNBELIEVABLE! Hopefully things run a bit more smoothly this week. I'm planning on being in charge of EVERYTHING this week... lining them up, all lessons, etc. I'm QUITE excited. :) Wish me LUCK!

written by  cowane1 on September 12, 2010 from Burpengary, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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The kids were okay to start, a bit more down than usual. Because we had an issue with spelling last week (when the students were asked to exchange papers to correct, several of the students cheated and changed their friends' answers to the right answers while others changed their paper's answers so they would get them wrong!) I was a bit more strict during the test this week. The students were not allowed to have anything but a pencil on their desks during it. Once the test was over they were to put that pencil and any rubbers they had away. I warned them that if I saw one I planned to take their paper and give them a score of 0 for cheating. The students then had to correct their own papers in colored pencil, that way I could be assured that they were not squeezing in needed letters. It worked :)

I did feel a bit bad though because I overheard a student say, "You better stop doing that or Miss Cowan will write you a pink ticket!" today. I've become THAT teacher! Miss Wright said I should be pleased with this comment, but I can't help but feel bad.

While the kids were eating before swimming I introduced the kids to the game of tic-tac-toe. They said that they called it knots and crosses in Australia. Needless to say we had several competitions throughout the day, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

The combination of crabby tired kids, Friday, swimming lessons, and an indoors rainy lunch time simply DOES NOT mix, which made for a long afternoon. Unfortunately we did not get much accomplished due to the students' attitudes. Hopefully this weekend does them some good!

I've gotten off to a good start on my final presentation. My teaching grade is dependent on 4 weekly journal entries and 1 major final presentation. Next week we are required to present on Thursday to our cooperating teachers and other M.E.S.S. staff, as well as on Friday to some MSU staff, QUT staff, and the principal of M.E.S.S.! Needless to say, I think it is very important to make it a FANTASTIC presentation! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful fiance today! :) He's a whoppin' 22!! I'd best be off, Tina, Trevor and I are going to Nan & Pops for supper tonight... and also to play some cards. Hopefully I'm better this time around!

written by  cowane1 on September 10, 2010 from Morayfield, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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The school days go quickly because of the large chunk that swimming takes up. It is fascinating to see how quickly the students are progressing during their swimming lessons. My teacher and I jokingly say that we wished that they could learn EVERYTHING that quickly!

Teaching is going fairly well. Because of swimming however, the kids are SO moody, which makes EVERY lesson an unpredictable one! In the morning, the kids are bonkers. They are so excited about swimming, and worked up about it, that they have trouble focusing, however they are quick to learn things and acitvely engage in my lessons during this time. Immediately after their swimming, the students are EXHAUSTED. Several of them continue to lay their heads on their desks after I ask them to sit up, because they are simpy too tired to obey. Teaching during this time is a breeze because they are simply too tired to misbehave, however, very little deep learning can be done during this time. And then the students go to big break (their hour lunch/recess time). When they return from that, they are absolutely irritable. It is usually during this last 45 minutes that students will be fighting with eachother, calling out, and non-compliant with anything I ask them to do.

Everyday after school, Tina asks me (in one sense or another), "So, were you mean today?", and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. My teacher approves of my meanness and wrote, "would like to see her be more firm with the students" on my mid-evaluation, but sometimes I feel bad and wish I could solve the problem in a different (more positive) way. Nearly everyday I tell Tina about one "mean" thing I had to do during that day. For instance, today the students had to stay in for 3 minutes at lunch because they were being much too loud during an independent work time, and 3 of my top students had to stay in even longer to finish their handwriting assignment that they SHOULD'VE finished during class time. I was also forced to write out two pink behavior tickets for students who could not get along and refused to do the tasks I asked them to do.

I did start something really neat during school today though. I read about this in the book I'm reading, "Three Weeks With My Brother", by Nicholas & Micah Sparks. In the book, in their childhood Nicholas and Micah would fight and every night their mother would come in and talk to them individually before bed and have them tell her one nice thing the other brother did for him during that day. Over time, the boys either started being nicer to eachother or were able to more easily see the nice things that were done to them. So, today during roll call I asked the students to tell me ONE nice thing that one of their classmates did for them yesterday. I also pre-warned them that I would be asking them the same question tomorrow and that they could not say the same thing then. It was wonderful to have kids come up to me and say, "So-and-so did THIS for me, isnt' that nice?". We'll see if this little experiment has the same outcome as it had for Nicholas and Micah. :)

On a bit of a "kids say the funniest things" note, I had a student volunteer at the board working out a math problem yesterday and as he was writing a number, he quickly erased his 8 and said, "Oops! I wrote that one backwards". Ha ha! If anyone can explain to me how to write an 8 backwards, please do so. :)

I also had quite an inspiring moment yesterday as well. After my lesson, the kids were required to attempt a worksheet reinforcing the concept I had just taught. 5 of the students that finished early (the same 5 that do all the time) and so I assigned them each a classmate to help finish their assignment. To my surprise, this worked far better than I had expected. I was then NOT swamped with questions by these struggling students, the students who were teaching it learned it even BETTER and it kept them busy. As I supervised their "teaching", I was also extremely pleased to see that they truly were TEACHING these students, and not merely giving them the answers. I plan to do something similar in a couple of my upcoming lessons.

It has been exciting because for the past 2 days in a row, ALL of the students in my class were present! Granted, 8 or 9 walked in late each day.... We just take what we can get.

Last night I saw yet another Australian movie, Brand New Day. It was definitely more "chipper" than the last one and I enjoyed it greatly. Tina and Trevor insisted that we play the pokies (slot machines) too. Together, we ended up winning 10 dollars! Woo!

Some new vocabulary for you... togs=swimsuit, crack (or chuck) a wobbly = throw a tantrum or fit, boomer = big kangaroo, among others! :)

Tonight I plan on doing some of the normal work I MUST complete every week, but ALSO, starting my final presentation! Its hard to believe that it will be over in ONE week! Ahh!

written by  cowane1 on September 9, 2010 from Morayfield, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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Today was like any typical Monday in the life of a teacher. I was busy planning for the week, reviewing what I was supposed to be teaching for the day, revising any schedule issues, etc... However, unlike any other Monday, today was the day that the students began swimming. At the school that I am teaching at, the students are offered the opportunity to pay for swimming lessons that are done during school hours. It is a great deal for several students, because living on the ocean almost requires every child to know how to swim, and considering their family lives, I doubt they would get lessons any other time. Unfortunately, this swimming endeavor takes out half-of-a-day's worth of teaching. School usually commences at 9:00am and releases at 3:00pm. Swimming (including changing the students into their suits, loading the bus, the bus ride to the pool, the lesson, riding back, and changing into dry clothes) takes from 10am-12:30ish. This only allows for us to teach from 9-10 in the morning, 12:30-1 in the afternoon, and 2-3 before they leave. 2 and a half hours of teaching doesn't leave much time to accomplish all that I need to accomplish! Oh.. and that doesn't include the 2 hours of specials we need to fit in a week too! AH!

Regardless, I am now teaching the entire day, all 2 1/2 hours of it. Behavior was a bit out of the ordinary today because the students were extremely hyped up for swimming beforehand, and completely exhausted and crabby afterward. My spelling and handwriting lesson went went, as did the beginning of maths. The last thing I had planned to do was to do some group work on telling time. (It is unbelieveable the number of 3rd graders who can't tell time!!) Unfortunately for some of the better behaved students, the majority of the class was rude, rowdy and in my eyes incapable of working in groups after I had arranged them into them. Because of this, I was the mean teacher (believe it or not, I can be quite mean when the moment calls), and told the entire class to go back to their seats. We were going to do rote work at their seats instead of the time game I had planned. I also made the entire class stay 1 minute after school for wasting one minute of my time. The class didn't think this was a good idea, but hopefully it will prove as a success tomorrow when we try and work in groups again.

After school, Tina asked if I would cook afternoon tea. I agreed and we all enjoyed a pan of tater-tot hotdish. Here in Australia, tater-tots are called potato gems or potato jewels. Trevor is quite excited because there were some leftovers that he can take to work as lunch in a couple of days! My host family is so good to me... Tina even checked out a country music video DVD from the library that I enjoyed watching/listening to while typing my lessons. I was introduced to several Australian country groups that I believe are more appealing than some in the US! One of the groups actually grew up just down the road from where I am living! Crazy!

Another "up" in my life is that I am currently only blowing my nose ONCE a day! A big improvement from the once every half hour that I was doing last week!

I hope everyone's Labor Day was a wonderful one... And that the kids have a smooth transition into school! :)

written by  cowane1 on September 6, 2010 from Morayfield, Australia
from the travel blog: Australian Adventures!
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