No hat, no play, no fun today

“No gum boots?”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t have any gum boots?”

One of my year 1 students, hanging upside down from the monkey bars, is eyeing me suspiciously.

(If you hang upside down in down under, does that make you right-side-up?)

“Gum boots?”

“For the rain!”

“Ah! No! No gum boots. Sorry.”

“Hat?”

I shake my head. No hat.

“No hat, no play, no fun today!”

Grins a toothless smile like only a first grader can, and climbs on to join her classmates.

Damn, I just got told by a six year old!

I made it through my first week of teaching in Australia and this is what I have learned:

You have to wear a hat when you go outside – always! No flimsy baseball cap. No, the big floppy kind, with a super wide brim. Like Crocodile Dundee. Bush hat, sun hat, bucket hat, a boater (apparently a must for preppy private school kids). Australia’s sun is cruel. Hats are mandatory. And tax deductible.

I digress…

I teach 23 grade 1 students. Year 1 they call it over here.

My classroom is a converted shipping container. A bit like glamping at school. Air condition, heating system, carpeted floor. We are not exactly roughing it.

School bags are hung on the outside – rain or shine. Kids wear socks or slippers inside. One wall of the room is a gigantic magnetic white board. The opposite wall covered with cork to make hanging up posters and pictures easy. Someone was thinking.

Smart board, colourful sitting cushions for circle time, ergonomic classroom furniture. No fixed seating plan. Most students are pretty good at picking the right spot to do their work. Some still need a little help.

Math Corner, English Corner, German Corner, Arts & Crafts , Fairy Tale Reading Tent… one day I would like to sit in there myself.

Heaps and heaps of manipulatives and learning materials. Private school bliss.

Snack (morning tea) and lunch (lunch) are taking place on covered benches outside. Recess is time to roam and explore, play or relax – on the playground, the covered soccer field, the library, field, bushes, trees… It’s winter right now, so snakes are dormant. Makes supervision easier.

I teach 27 hours a week. Nine subjects – all in German. Most of the time with an English speaking team teacher. One third of my class is fluent in German, one third so so, and the rest are just learning the language.

All subjects are taught in German: German (obviously), Math, Sciences, Gym, Art, Religion, Homework Help, German as a Second Language. My favourite – Out and About. 2 ½ hours of outdoor adventure and exploring. The beach, the playground, the bush. Rain or shine. Don’t forget your hat!

My first week at school included a workshop for staff called Tomorrow Man/Woman – What it means to be a man/woman today and how to help teenagers help break through stereotypes.

School assembly on Tuesday morning that my class showed up late to – made for a grand entrance. Well, at least everyone knows me now.

No lights No lycra – a mental wellbeing initiative put on by the staff that entails dancing in the dark for an hour.

Of course it also meant tired kids and meltdowns, 45 minutes of after school bus duty (with no hat!), after school staff meetings, parent meetings, parent messages, parents everything. Hours and hours of planning lessons, trying to understand a new curriculum, working with a partner, computer problems… But hey, at least I have my own computer!

Teaching in Australia means putting the spark back in what I like to do. Reigniting my passion for teaching. Giving me a chance to recalibrate. Following my dream.

It’s only been a week – but a good one!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a hat to buy. No hat, no play, no fun today! Tax deductible or not!