Weeks of April 30 and May 7 - Teaching and a few Excursions!

I've been slacking on blog posts for the past two weeks for a couple of reasons.  I've been in full swing with teaching.  Although, I only have two classes that I'm teaching, school is taking up much of my time so that means less time for blogging.  Also, I haven't done as many as exciting over these past two weeks as school has taken priority and much of my free time is jammed into the weekends. 

With that said the teaching is going very well.  I have been teaching Year 7 and Year 12 for the past two weeks.  Unlike in the U.S. they don't have class everyday, Year 7 only has class 7 days per fortnight and Year 12 has class 8 days per fortnight.  The Year 7 class I am teaching is the highest level math class for the year.  They are very good class who always works hard and most of them are eager to learn.  It's very enjoyable to teach them, mostly due to their eagerness to learn and their enthusiasm each day.  On the other end of the spectrum is Year 12 class, which I enjoy teaching equally as much for different reasons.  It's easier to relate more to the Year 12 class as they are much more mature, and although it is a General Mathematics course, meaning for many of them math is not their favorite subject it is also a very enjoyable class to teach.  Over the next few weeks in the school, I'll be getting the Year 8 class and possibly Year 11.  Both of these classes are hard-working and at the higher academic levels, so I'm sure they will also be enjoyable to teach.

Although teaching is taking up much of my time, I still have had some time to do some more exploring around Sydney.  I went on a field trip (or excursion as they call it) last week to the Hyde Park Barracks and Police and Justice Museum in Sydney.  Both places were very interesting.  The Hyde Park Barracks served as a housing area for convicts that were sent to Australia, and it was a very cool place to visit.  The Police and Justice Museum was also very interesting and we go to see some of the holding cells they used to use, weapons from famous crimes as well as several other things.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on that day!  During the past few weeks I've seen several more rugby games (this time of the high school variety).  There are two types of rugby, rugby league and rugby union.  Depending on who you ask they'll say one is much better than the other.  I haven't really formed an opinion yet, but the past few games I've seen have been rugby union and they've been pretty fun to watch.

It is crazy to think I have already been in Australia for 5 1/2 weeks and teaching for 3 weeks, which means I reached the halfway mark in both my total time in Australia and my teaching time.  It has been an amazing experience so far and there is nothing I can complain about.  Everyone I have met has been so welcoming and friendly and have made the experience that much more enjoyable and fun.  It will definitely be difficult leaving when that time comes.

-Andrew

Australian Words/Phrases

-Australians love to use the words "reckon" and "heaps"

-Bushwalking - Hiking

-She'll be right : it'll turn out okay or don't worry about it