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.

An Immigrant's Story

In February, I was granted a teaching job on the basis that my English teaching equivalency would come through by the end of April.  You knew this much from the last update, but I would never have guessed how much my life could have changed on such drastic levels from then until now.

After four days of teaching, I woke up on a Saturday morning to see an e-mail waiting for me from the company which decides the fate of immigrant teaching hopefuls.  I was devastatingly saddened to see that the e-mail began with the words, "Unfortunately your application for QTLS has not yet met the requirements for Professional Formation"; meaning that I would have to reapply by June and my application would be reassessed, but I wouldn't find out until September whether or not that revised version of my portfolio was successful.

I immediately called the company to find out what was missing from the 30 page portfolio I submitted.  All of the requirements that the customer service line said that I needed, I was sure were included with my written work.  Begrudgingly and worriedly, I phoned my deputy head to tell her the horrible news, but she assured me not to worry and that we would take care of it on Monday upon returning to school.

All weekend, I stressed about my fate but kept the debacle between Lee and I in the hopes that everything would be 'okay' and my teaching job would be secure.

Monday, however, my head teacher gave me the news that I would be suspended until the situation could be rectified.  Somehow, I managed not to cry when the word 'suspended' was mentioned and actually said some cordial words in reply, handling it like a true professional.  Then, when I left the room and saw my mentor and friend, I completely broke down and felt like my dream that I had waited three years for was just slipping away like fine flecks of sand.

What made matters worse was that in three days, the applications were due for the 2013-2014 school year for teaching positions.  As I was originally only hired until the end of July, this deadline would be imperative in guaranteeing my employment for next year.  But as it stood at the time, I was unemployed with no hope of teaching in the near future as I held no formal paperwork granting me the right to do so.

Monday evening, I sent an e-mail to the director of the teaching company asking her to take another look at my application because everything on the list of 'missing' items was definitely in my submitted portfolio.  Surprisingly, she replied right away and said that she would review my work again to double check that the requirements were met.

Tuesday and Wednesday at school were rough.  It was hard to realise the fact that I would have to tell my family and friends that the big teaching job only lasted a few days and it was over.  What were Lee and I going to do financially?  I racked my brain for alternative ideas of where I could work that would be relevant to the teaching profession.  Volunteering at schools was an inspiring idea, but we are not in the position where I can do non-profit work full-time. Applying for teaching position posts or daycare work seemed to be the best options, so I decided that's what I would do.  Although I tried to stay positive and look forward, the optimism was not winning.

On Wednesday evening, I left for home after what I thought would be my last day of teaching for a long time.  Lee met me on the bus (he boards about halfway through my journey home) and asked if I had heard anything from the teaching company yet, but no word so far.

Around 8 o'clock that night--the eve before teaching applications were due at SMSB--an e-mail arrived from the director of the teaching company.  She was delighted to tell me that a mistake was made on their part and they had overlooked the requirements that they said I was missing just a few days prior.  She was very apologetic and kindly reported that I had attained my UK teaching equivalency.

FINALLY!  I was so relieved and called my head teacher, deputy head and mentor right away.  Then, Lee and I went to celebrate at our favourite pub.  The next morning, I submitted my application and was granted an interview after my teaching observation the following week.

At the time of the interview, there were two full-time positions and one part-time position available.  After the interviews, I was granted the part-time job which I was disappointed with at first; but, I quickly changed my tune when I looked at the big picture: I at least had a job for the following year and I was still able to teach the year groups that I love (eight- and nine-year-olds).

Two weeks later, a fellow teacher interviewed at another school and was granted a teaching position.  This was three days before we broke up for the half-term two week break.  My deputy head teacher sent me a text message to double check that I was coming in on a day I usually have off for a buffet with the school governors.  I said that I was, but thought it was odd that she would text me to double check--I was sure she didn't do this for everyone.

On Thursday, I arrived a bit early for the buffet and my head teacher said she wanted to speak to me privately.  The look on her face was nothing less than concerned, so I was worried that I said or did something wrong.  Then she said, "We would like to offer you a full-time position for next year."  After this, her smile broke through and I was bursting with joy.

With the opening made by my colleague leaving, I was granted this vacancy for a full-time year three and four mixed class.  News spread fast and all of the love and support from Lee and my SMSB family was amazing.  What a wonderful ending to a trying first six weeks of teaching.

I never imagined that after a year and a half of arriving in England that my dream of becoming a teacher with my very own classroom would be fulfilled.  It happened and my job is secure until at least July 2014.

With all of this good news, Wyzowl is also really taking off and I'm glad that Lee is a part of such an innovative company.  Recently, Wyzowl was mentioned as the 'go-to' place for original online videos in Inc. Magazine.  This can only be fruitful for the company as this magazine has 182,000 followers on Facebook.

Our hope is that by this time next year we will be living in our own home in the Southport area and learning how to drive.  We've learned to only set vague goals because so much changes from season to season for us.  Since we both have the jobs we want close to a town we've grown to love, we're just waiting to see what God has in store for us over this next year.

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