First Unit of Inquiry, DONE!

Sunset near the flat.

Just a church, on a walk with Jett

I’ve made it through the first 7 weeks of school teaching PYP 4. Primary Years Programme 4 = 4th Grade, I think. It’s Year 5 in the British system. My students are age ranged 9-11 years old, but it makes it difficult because my Korean students track their birthdays differently.

It’s Autumn break, so I have a week to catch up. I’ve taught my entire first Unit of Inquiry on Child Rights and Responsibilities. It’s been a struggle, first because the content of this unit has been very difficult for me to teach to such young learners, and the vocabulary is difficult for my students to understand given their level of English. But we finished the unit with science-fair like presentations for students and parents to meander and listen to: a puppet show on child trafficking, student written news articles about the civil war in Syria and how it’s affecting children, posters and powerpoints to illustrate gender inequality in toys & sports, and a speech on unpaid local lunch debt. It was rough, but the students reflected that they were genuinely thankful to be more aware of the world. They know what their rights are, that rights should be guaranteed but are not, that they are privileged, and with that privilege comes responsibility. I wish I could share some photos with you, but my school is not allowing any photos on my personal device because of GDPR.

Elf Story 1:
My elves are pretty obsessed with being “done”. Anytime I assign a task, the moment that they put down their pencil students like to announce “I’m done!” So this is the first habit to break. It’s about the learning journey :) not who can complete the work the fastest. Most of these students have also been here for 2 years, so they all have a conversational level of English, and I’m trying to expand their vocabularies. One of our activities was simply exploring the thesaurus on their own or with a partner, to become more familiar with how to use it, and to enjoy the new words that they find. Of course one of my elves just flipped through a few pages and announced, “I’m done!” At that point I put my head in my hands, as I have been working so hard against the idea that it’s important to be “done”. The elf  misunderstood my disappointment and quickly backtracked for a different, uncommon, more exciting word to use and then announced, “I’m finished!”

Elf Story 2:
Having always taught the little ones, I’ve never had a class that had to manage their own folders, books and materials in their desks independently. After a few weeks, I realized that many students were not properly filing away papers or keeping their desks and cubbies organized in order to quickly retrieve materials. And what are these wadded up papers in the bottom of the backpacks? So I did a surprise inspection. As students were pulling out their belongings, and cleaning them up a bit, one student commented that this was like going through the airport, and that I am like TSA!

Elf Story 3:
After the first week of school, my elves started anticipating the daily schedule and writing it on the board for me. At one point, I looked over to see that during 3rd period we would be, “EDITING MARS?!” Let me just say that I hadn’t had my 1st cup of coffee yet. It was supposed to be our 2nd day reviewing the editing marks in preparation for a peer edit of their stories. This clever elf used the editing marks on schedule to show a missing period, a missing capitalization, and a misspelled word.

Anyways, I’ve had some good hearty laughs with these elves, and some very serious discussions.

Over the course of these 7 weeks, I’ve only had one good outing. Isa, Sonia and I went to Krnov, CZ for a coffee and beer festival. Krnov was a beautiful little town about an hour and 20 minutes away by train. I’d like to go back as they have a castle on top of a small hill nearby.

Krnov town square

Coffee and Beer festival

Me, Isa and Sonia

The following weekend was a harrowing trip to IKEA by tram, about 30 minutes away. I got a few essentials for the apartment. On Monday morning as I left at 5:45 am for my morning walk with Jett, I thought I had put on my treat bag fanny pack, which also holds the poop bag and the keys, but it turns out, I had not. After I closed the door, I reached for the fanny pack so I could lock the door, and the fanny pack was not there. I realized I was locked out, and there was nothing I could do about it. I hadn’t had any coffee or breakfast yet, so I wasn’t entirely thinking when I decided to take Jett for a walk anyways, and wait for a reasonable time when I could call someone to help. Of course I didn’t realize that I actually need the keys to get out of the building as well. I was locked in the staircase.

Thankfully I did have my phone in my pocket, and I was able to call Niki, who dispatched a locksmith. I waited for 30 minutes. The entertaining part of course is that once the locksmith got here, I had to wait for one of my neighbors to leave for work, just so I could let the locksmith into the building.

Also, if this guy got into my flat by using the old credit card method, I was NOT going to pay him 1,000 kc. After another 30 minutes of the locksmith unsuccessfully working on the door, he asked me, in broken English, if I had any keys.

In the end, he destroyed the lock and I had to purchase a new lock for my door. I still have a moment of anxiety every time I leave the flat now. I have a new habit of holding my keys in my hand as I close the door, but even then, I feel like I’m going to get locked out, and locked in at the same time.

My other apartment mishap came when I plugged in a bathroom mirror/light that I brought from the States. I heard a little *pop* and the light went out on the mirror. At first I thought I had broken the light but then I realized that my converter was no longer working. I have an extra, but still this would be a real loss. But I quickly traced the problem to being the outlet, not the converter. So in the span of 15 seconds I had gone from thinking I had fried my light, to my converter, to my outlet! But THEN, I realized that none of the outlets in my flat were working. Real panic hit when I realized I had no electricity at all in my flat, and I extrapolated that quickly to thinking it was possibly that I had fried the entire my floor, building, or block! Oh my, now what would my neighbors think of their crazy English speaking neighbor with the barky bark dog!

I did find my circuit breaker box, and flipped the breaker that was not like the others. But that didn’t help. After calling a few friends, I learned that there was another circuit box in the hallway, which has the almighty circuit breaker for the electricity to my entire flat. And my circuit breaker was not like the others! Crisis averted. I have power in my flat, and I have not tried plugging that lamp in again. So far I can charge my phone, iPad, portable chargers, and toothbrush. I don’t think I’ll be trying any other American electronics in the plugs any time soon.

Ending thoughts -
Not a fan:
- of accidentally buying scented toilet paper that was so strong, it perfumed half of the flat.
- of people thinking I will get sick from being “cold” and not properly dressed.
- of Sounders games airing between 1:00 am and 5:00 am.

My first grade colleagues (notice their jackets)

And the outfit they disapprove of ... 

Ready for the Sounders game! 

Fan:
- of bread that doesn’t come with a heel! Now I don’t have to feel guilty for never using the heel in sandwiches. But it also makes me wonder what they did with the heel of the bread ...
- of the park in the Fall

So here I am, on Autumn break. An entire week to relax and enjoy Paul’s visit. My school TOIS (The Ostrava International School) is only 10 years old, and they did a revision of the Scope and Sequence for English and Literacy last year (which grade should teach which standards). Last year’s PYP 4 teacher organized the new literacy objectives into each of the 6 units that I am supposed to teach, but it’s my job to organize the new math objectives. Also, we do report cards for each Unit of Inquiry, so I’ll be working on those too ... Looking forward to some rest, getting some work done, being ready to work on Monday, and showing Paul around our new neighborhood.

Say Yes More Than You Say No

For my first couple of days in Ostrava my brain was doing a lot of mental gymnastics, trying to figure out why all of the Caucasian people don’t speak English. I’m realizing that all of the places I’ve lived abroad, it was always easy to spot an English speaking ex-pat from a native person. But here I look just like a native person and vice versa, the native Czech people look like me! Actually my first morning here, I almost ran up to the first person I saw, to greet them excitedly in English, proud that I had already found a new friend! Thankfully I stopped myself at the last second, realizing where I am, and that there’s a 98% chance he won’t understand a word I’m saying. It is a strange thing to admit to myself, but for the first couple of days, I had to actively tell my brain that Caucasian does not mean English speaker.

After the first week, I was used to the idea that I can’t communicate with any of my neighbors or local businesses, but life was back to what I might consider normal with prep week, and the first week of school. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like I’m an entire ocean away, because school is a language I am fluent in. Prepping lessons, teaching, staff meetings ... all a typical day of work. And I’m back to mental gymnastics each afternoon when I walk home and think about trying a new restaurant, only to remember that I can’t order food. Well, I guess I can point to different items on the menu, I just have no idea what will be served! Kind of a fun game actually. 

Unlike Prague, I have access to complete Czech immersion. I’m exposed to all of the written and verbal language constantly. Czech language is EVERYWHERE. But I’m not making many connections yet. So far, nothing is written the way I think it should sound. I need to go back to the beginning and learn the Czech ABCs. Learning how to read and speak food vocabulary is my top priority as well as words used to label the bathrooms. I know man and woman, I know boy and girl, but I was confused by the bathroom labels at the SOCCER BAR AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY FLAT! So I used the google translate camera in order to read the names. One came up as “ladies”. So when I aimed the camera at the other bathroom, I thought it might translate to “gentlemen”. But this is what I saw instead ...

Gentlemen must think a lot of themselves! 😂
I’m also on the lookout for the words male and female. I never realized that we have so many words for describing gender.

But let’s talk about that soccer bar! I was very excited to see a stadium just across the river from my school and my flat. That stadium is the home field for Banik, and Jindriska is their home bar. So I’m  always likely to find soccer (though I’m apparently in Europe now and I need to start calling it football) on the tv at all hours!

[Inside Jindriska. I’m hoping I get to learn to sing this song in the stadium.]

Jindriska is just around the corner from my flat and they allow dogs inside and outside. I’m not sure if Jett loves it at much as I do, but I think it might be our second home!

[Outdoor area of Jindriska] 

Moving on.
In Kindergarten we had a saying for whenever the elves ask permission to do something: Say yes more than you say no. Settling in here with jet lag, and a new school system, a completely new grade level, new units, and a new language, well let’s just say that I’m constantly exhausted and ready for a nap. But I’m having a hard time saying no to people. Not just for FOMO, but I miss an opportunity to become more independent here. I’ve said yes to almost everything, and I was so exhausted, but when Isa asked if I wanted to go to Poland despite being the day before Opening Ceremonies at school, I had to say yes. I learned how to get to the train station, how to purchase a local and international train ticket, as well as a ticket for Jett. It was also just refreshing to spend the entire day outside with Jett, exploring, and mostly keeping my mind off of the coming week.

Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic and Cieszyn, Poland:

[Town Square in Cieszyn]

 [Town Square in Ciezyn]

[Government building in Cesky Tesin]

 [Castle in Cieszyn]

 [Honestly not sure which side of the river we were on at this point, but it was our resting area.]

[The river that defines the border of Poland and Czech Republic. We crossed back and forth so many times!]

[Isa and Jett at an overlook on the Polish side, at the castle. The river is just below, so you’re look at Czech Republic]

[Jett and I also got a proper picture for entering the Czech Republic]

At one point on the Polish side, we heard a marching band and we joined the crowds. I thought it might have been a wedding as many well dressed people were exiting the church. But then came the dignitaries and people wearing uniforms from various decades, and we knew it was something else.

We followed the parade until we they paused at a memorial. We quickly learned that Poland was commemorating the 80th anniversary of the first attack that sparked WWII. 

 [Parade through town]

[Dignitaries listening to speeches]

[WWII Memorial]

It was a somber event, that I felt very privileged to witness. Later I read the news to learn that many world leaders had travelled to Poland for other commemorations, and that the German prime minister issued a formal apology to Poland. I’m looking forward to the contrast and celebration of liberation day. 

With that, I started my first week of school with Opening Ceremonies on Monday, a half day on Tuesday, and full school days for the rest of the week. I’ve gotten to know my 14 students, and I’m extremely excited for a very interesting school year. I just want to let you know that I was introduced to all of the families and students with this picture. 

Getting Situated

After getting in on Wednesday night, I had to work 8:00 sharp on Thursday morning. Oy. Leaving Jett that first morning was hard. But we got a good walk that morning, and I learned very quickly that nothing is a square city block, and getting lost is very easy.  

Niki picked me up and got me a coffee and a croissant from a local bakery, so I was already in heaven. 

 [Backyard of primary school]

First up was a tour of the school. My classroom is the first one! I absolutely love it! I’m right at the top of the stairs, and next to the staff room, so I think I’m well positioned for being social. 

[And this is my first apology in this post, I’m sorry for all the vertical videos! I’ll fix it in the future.] 

But my favorite stop of the tour was the boiler room, which is always running. It’s been an ongoing issue, but my Head of School says I will never be cold at school! No ice falling out of my heater this year!! 

The rest of the day was a mind boggling amount of government required safety training, the big one being fire training. It was so intense, I felt like a little kid when you explain the first fire drill. I felt like we were under the imminent threat of a fire alarm going off at any moment. The main cause is leaving electronics plugged in. So you can bet on that first break that I ran home to unplug my phone charger. I wasn’t positive that I could find the building that I live in, but I was unfortunately guided home by Jett’s barking. My poor neighbors! The staircase is especially echoey, and the doors cannot be shut quietly, they have to be slammed. But since I started tucking Jett into the middle room, and playing Netflix loudly for him, I haven’t heard him this entire week as I come and go. *Phew* 

Also, all of our electronics will be brought to school one day to get official approval from the government. So I will likely bring my iPad and my Bose speaker so I can use them at school as well. 

Everyone tells me that the Czech people are very dog friendly, and so far that seems to be very true. There are LOTS of dogs here, and people are apparently used to the barking in the buildings. The biggest difference here seems to be dog etiquette. I have had zero problems with people, kids, or dogs approaching Jett, despite many dogs being off the leash. We walk for at least an hour each afternoon, and Jett is so comfortable with all the dogs, that we pass most without incident or need of treats! 

[pictures from our walks] 

And despite my slight ginger-ness, I must look like a local. I’ve had several people stop to ask me questions! Unfortunately, I haven’t found any English speakers outside of the mall. I’m told I will have more luck with people under 35 years old, as they likely learned some English in school. People over 35 learned Russian. 

[more walking pictures]

Friday was an incredible work day. I was able to dig into all of my units, and arrange my room. I found out that I have at least two 45 minute planning periods per day, and an hour long lunch. And I will have 14 students. The staff were kicked out of school at 2:30 which is a bit early, so I asked my Head of School about the possibility of coming in this weekend. It is very overwhelming to be teaching a new grade, with limited resources and I want to be as ready as I can. But, the crazy thing is, we are not allowed at school on the weekends! So, without any work, I have no choice but to stay at home this weekend, relax, read my book (I still don’t have WiFi), and take Jett on as many runs as he likes! It sounds like a good plan to me :)

[This was the location of our first teacher “book club” on Friday after school, a pub called the Prancing Pony, you can see the smaller round sign with the pony on it.]

Saturday was a rest day. I did go sit outside school to steal some WiFi, and I learned something new ...

And Sunday I decided to rearrange my flat. Sorry the “before” pictures have all my clothes out, since I needed to move the wardrobes.

[Before Pictures]

Also, the weather this week seems a bit like Florida. A thunderstorm has been rolling in everyday around 3 pm. Here’s my first one. The thunder seems to keep rolling for forever, even after you can’t hear it on the video anymore. 

Travel Days

I made it! 

It’s been a busy few days, but the travel days for the most part went really well. 

The flight was perfect. Jett was amazing in SeaTac and Frankfurt airports. We flew business class, and ended up with TWO seats!

[and this is my first apology for taking vertical videos for most of my trip]

When we landed in Frankfurt, Germany Jett diligently waited an hour in line for customs, where my passport was stamped after 2 questions, and the officer didn’t even ask about Jett. I’ve been stressing about Jett’s paperwork since May, and Dad and I went on an emergency paperwork run to Tumwater the Friday before the flight, but no one even asked to see it!!

[Jett and I at baggage claim]

We stayed that night in Frankfurt. I paid for the hotel breakfast buffet, but didn’t really think it through. Although it was a dog friendly hotel, no doggies in the restaurant. I had to leave Jett at the door (thank you Paul for the carabiner for Jett’s leash!) and quickly rushed around the buffet, grabbing as much food as I could, and then ate it in the lobby. There was a business man who had followed me in, who looked slightly uncomfortable by Jett’s presence, but by the time I was leaving the buffet with my full tray, he stopped me to tell me how impressed he was by my dog, and it was a shame that he wasn’t allowed in the restaurant as he was behaving better than some people! 

[Lobby breakfast for me!]

I paid for a shuttle service to pick me up in Frankfurt, one that my Aunt Lynne had used on her travels. So Chris picked me up and drove me to the train station in Prague. He was a wealth of knowledge and very interesting to listen to. Unfortunately the only tidbit that I remember is the fact that Czech vodka is apparently so gnarly, that Czech grannys drink it to get rid of their bunions! I think I’ll stick to beer!   

[I was really hoping for a giant sign that would say “Welcome to Czech Republic!] 

The real action happened on the train. Chris was kind enough to park and escort me through the train station. At one kiosk, you can look at a map of each train to know where your car will be, which for me was the carriage in the middle of about 9 cars.  Then you have to wait in another area, as train platforms are only announced at most 20 minutes before departure. Then it’s a rush to get to the platform. Thank goodness for Chris, as we had to take an escalator. He took 2 of my suitcases, and I had one in one hand, and Jett under my other arm. Chris left me in the middle of the platform, about where we thought my carriage would stop. 

Except, the train overshot all of us. I wasn’t sure how long the train would wait, so I caught up to the last carriage and just starting throwing my suitcases on. I wasn’t going to miss this train! As it turns out, my carriage was actually the very first car, directly after the engine. A very kind young Czech guy offered to help with my suitcases, but it was a struggle. They barely fit in the aisles, plus Jett got stuck moving backwards at one point and had to travel the length of a carriage tail first (that’s how small the aisles were, even Jett couldn’t turn around in that carriage). And once the train started moving and listing back and forth to each side, it became very difficult. The Czech guy let go of my carryon for a brief second to make sure one of the doors didn’t close on me and Jett, and my carryon rolled down half the length of the carriage! We were both very sweaty in the end, but made it to my seat. There were 6 total seats in my room, 5 were occupied and there was already a dog on the floor. And my assigned seat was right in the middle. It was a tight squeeze. There was also no place for baggage, so mine had to roll around in the hallway until the room had cleared out. But it didn’t matter, I had made it! 

[I took this video as we were coming into Ostrava, after 3 and a half hours on the train.]

Niki, my contact and some sort of deputy head of school, picked me up in Ostrava at the train station, so the struggle was over. About 40 hours after leaving my house in Bellingham. She got me to my new flat, and took me out for a beer. A well deserved beer. 

[This is my flat.]