Home Improvement

Hello everybody!  It’s been quite some time since I updated you on our happenings so I will let you in on all of the latest details:

Currently, Lee and I are residing in our first house.  We are still very happy with the location and the neighbours have been so friendly—and friendly neighbours were hard to find in the last two places we lived.  

Our neighbourhood is very quiet and within a mile, we can get to the beach, a park and a golf course along with a variety of little shops, so there will always be something to do.  We’ve made ‘Howard’s DIY Centre’ our #1 place to go since with any house, there are approximately ten things to do at any given time.

Most recently, we’ve built an arbour for our front garden to adorn the entrance pathway.  This, along with the installation of Venetian blinds and a weekend of building IKEA furniture, was a true testament to our ability to make it through anything.

My first year of teaching is coming to an end in three weeks and as I was writing the student reports (report cards), I was getting a bit teary-eyed.  I truly have had a dream-team of students.  There were a few challenges in the beginning of the year, some big ones in fact, but all 32 of the children are now really well-behaved and very hardworking.  I forget sometimes that they’re only eight and nine.

Next year, the head teacher has asked me to teach a year five and year six class (fourth and fifth grade).  Of course this will bring new challenges because these children will be the oldest in the school and it’s amazing how different their attitudes can change.  Because being the oldest, to them, obviously relates to being the coolest.

Lee is doing really well at Wyzowl and learning to create 3-D animation.  He’s also been working on projects around the house and practising with power tools, tooth saws and hammers.  We both wish that we had taken woodshop in school—as well as plumbing, electrical work and masonry.  Watching Trading Spaces every weekend for two years was not enough training in preparation for owning a house.  I think I picked up a few helpful pieces of advice from the HG channel, so Lee and I are using the Internet along with our little background knowledge to decorate bit-by-bit.

Below are some photographs from our new house and neighbourhood.  I hope you’re all having a great summer!

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.778582477902.1073741829.59102651&type=1&l=1ee8d83109  You will be able to see the pictures even if you do not have Facebook.  Enjoy!

Ainsdale

Welcome back!  In the new year, I will try to be more diligent about writing my blog entries.
I'm a third of the way through my first year of teaching full-time and so far every day has been so much fun with the children.  The school has also been very supportive and takes the time to teach me the different practices that happen in the English educational system.  I can already see how the seminars and mentors are changing my teaching practice for the better and  having a great effect on the children's learning.  A huge difference from how I was trained is that each child's individual progress is tracked from the age of four until they leave school and their progression lies completely in the teacher's hands.  There are many more ways in which the English system has created paperwork for and scrutiny on the teacher's performance, and I don't see that ever lessening since it's heightened even since I started.  With all of those behind-the-scenes added pressures, I just try to ignore them because I love teaching so much and I truly have the best class I could ever imagine.  The children are all respectful and they try their best every day.

In October, Lee and I started the search for our first home.  Since England's government started a new 5% deposit scheme that will last for a few years, we thought we would take advantage of it because it would take us another year to save up the 10% that is usually required.  After viewing about 15 houses, we finally found the one that we wanted to put an offer on and thankfully, the vendor accepted our offer!  Then came the fun part of the bank granting us a mortgage, finding a solicitor, and getting home insurance quotations.  Fortunately, all of these steps came very easily for us so we should be moving-in in about six more weeks.

When we move-in, then photos will be posted.  I can tell you for now at least that the house has an open floorplan which is rare to find in older houses in England and there are three bedrooms upstairs.  The village is called Ainsdale and it's in Southport, just about one and a half miles from where we live now.  Our house is about a mile away from the beach and we have lots of nice restaurants, a few little shops and a really big park with a tennis court nearby.

Here are some pictures of my classroom and of the house.  I'll post more stories and adventures in February so stay tuned!

  

  

     

 

  

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.