Brighton. God, I love Brighton. I had the best day ever, wandering around this gorgeous, London-by-the-Sea style city. Totally hip, totally cool, totally eccentric Brighton! It was a gorgeous October day, lots of sun and not too much wind, so it was really perfect for touring around. Brighton is compact enough to get around on foot, and there are a few things you really must see. Greg (above) was my travel companion for the day.

Here is the beach/shore. There are a bunch of pretty, stone piers built mainly for aesthetique reasons, so you can walk out and see the water. There were some people fishing off of them too. The beach is not made of sand, but of small, smooth stones.

When you go to Brighton, make sure to eat fish and chips...it seems like a very Brighton thing to do, mostly because you assume that the best fish and chips in England would be from somewhere on the coast, right? Fresher fish = better fish and chips? This is my East Coast logic talking :)

The Brighton Pier. Very much like a carnival, except it's built on a pier in the ocean which makes it even cooler! Very gorgeous at night with all the lights twinkling.

The Royal Pavillion. Very cool because it feels so very out of place in England....The archetecture looks like something straight out of India, so when you're walking around the grounds you kind of have to remind yourself where you are.

I totally reccomend you visit...it's about 20 GBP to take the train (about 1 hour) from London Victoria to Brighton. Book online in advance and it's even cheaper ;)

Where IS Kirbie?

The answer isquite simple actually...I'm at school, school and more school. Or, if I'm not actually there, I'm probably on the way to or from school. I work super long hours (8-5 anyone?) plus it takes me an hour to commute from my flat in Oxford Circus to East London. So, that's fun...

So let's "call a spade a spade" here....teaching school is nothing like I've ever experienced in Canada. The kids are just different. I mean technically, they're exactly the same age as the kids I taught in Canada (I used to teach Grade 4, which means the kids are age 9....here, the 9 year olds are in Year 5, because children are enrolled in school a year earlier than in Canada). So, how different can nine-year-olds be in two different countries? Well, I taught at an adorable rural, country school where the nine-year-olds were likely outside climbing trees or fishing or whatever it is that nine year olds do in the country. My London school children definately do not climb trees or fish....they seem so much older...and, well street-smart. Likely WAY more street-smart than I am. These kids know about sex (likely WAY more about sex than I do) and they know about drugs (likely WAY more about drugs than I do). These kids deal with more issues than my small-town Canadian kids will ever have to deal with.

It definately makes life interesting, I'm NEVER bored teaching here, which is great for someone with a short-attention span like me. I have alot of great little school stories that are hilarious.

Here's one of me (forever) dealing with understanding the British accent. Okay, sometimes I just don't understand the slang, or the way the children pronounce the words, and I have to ask them to repeat themselves.

So, there were two Year 6 boys at the thinking area of my classroom because they were disrupting their own class (a common technique used by teachers here - if you have students misbehaving, ship them out to another class....they often don't "perform" for another class). These two boys decided they thought it would be funny to take a tissue from the tissue box and stick it down their pants (er, trousers) and then put it back in the box so someone would wipe their nose with it. So, one of my lovely Year 5 students sees this and tries to tell me what's going on. Here's how it goes:

Student 1: "Miss, they put a tissue on their, er, um, (mumbling) private parts."

Me: "What? They put a tissue WHERE?" (I honestly couldn't understand what he was saying)

Student 1: "Their um, er, private parts"

Me: "What? Their WHERE?"

Student 2 (stands up and announces): "Their manly-bits, Miss. He means they put the tissue on their manly-bits"

Me: "Oh. Er. Um. Ohhhhhh"

Now, Student 2 is rather pleased with himself...he got to explain to the dumb Canadian teacher which sexual organ that a tissue was on. Perfect. Ah, all in a day's work. You can see how having a sense of humour is an asset.

Saturday in London

What do I love doing on a Saturday in London? My two favourite Saturday morning places of the moment are Regent's Park and the Borough Market.

This is how it goes:

I force myself to sleep in until around 9:00am, I get up, throw on my running gear and run about 5 minutes from my place to Regent's Park. God, I love Regent's Park. It's so huge, and completely gorgeous you'll never get bored on your run. The gardens and trees are perfectly manicured, you can hardly believe you're in London. I have the hugest grin on my face when I'm running there, because all the while I'm running I'm still going "Oh my God, I'm in LONDON! I get to run in Regent's Park, this is amazing!" I've met a guy who walks this gorgeous shetland sheepdog named Troy in Regent's Park too. I've met Troy (and his owner) twice now, they go for walks on Saturday AM too. There are alot of runners in the park, and people out for a stroll.

I get a shower and then it's on with my day. Yesterday, Shannon, Mackenzie and I went to the Borough Market, and it was fantastic, even though it started to rain. Here's why I like London: The Borough Market is positioned kind of underneath a train bridge, which I think says something about use of space in London. It's like someone said "Where can we put a market? No space around....I know, let's put it underneath a train bridge" It was pouring rain yesterday, so we huddled underneath the train bridge to eat our food. It was very London-esque, the whole thing....the old dirty, blackened bricks of the train bridge with water dripping down them. I bought a toasted cheese sandwich which was basically the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life. It was made with really good bread and expensive cheese. I also bought a juice that was so fresh and juicy it felt like I was eating fresh pineapples and oranges! I've had the fish and chips from Fish! Kitchen, sangria and a belgian chocolate brownie the last time I went to the market, and it was all very good too. I noticed that there are cheese vendors who sell Compté and Beaufort cheeses, which is what Heloise uses to make cheese fondue, so I'm eager to make a fondue with those (really expensive) cheeses at some point.

Teaching in London

I've fell into the rhythm of a true Londoner. I haven't done anything touristy, but spend most of my time working, or travelling to and from work. That sounds sad, but really it's not. I know I'll have plenty of time to do all the touristy stuff while I'm here.

I scored a 4 week + long term contract at a school in East London. The reason there is a + (plus) is that the job could go longer than 4 weeks, but that's what is planned. The teacher is out because she's having an operation, so I'm covering her year 4 class.

The area where I'm teaching is a very poor area, and the students are actually pretty tough characters, who deal with things I'll never have to deal with in my life. But the staff is very supportive, and I like the overall atmosphere of the school.

The class is completely adorable, really they are. They call me Miss S, because they have a hard time saying my last name, but sometimes the girls call me Miss Sugar or Miss Sweetie, because they say I'm so sweet. Which is really, really adorable.

I am learning so much about my teaching practice it's not even funny. I'm not saying I've mastered behaviour management (because you're always learning strategies, based on what works with your kids) but I have learned so much about how to manage my (British!) classroom! For those of you who are teachers coming over want to know how it's different, I can tell you. The strategies you use in Canada aren't THAT different from what you would use here, but if you're like me, you really didn't have to do a whole lot of behaviour management because in Canada your kids treated you like you were royalty anyhow. Not the case here. You don't automatically get respect here, just because you're a teacher. You have to earn it. How do you earn it? Well, you have to be firm and fair, and I've found that the kids have alot more respect for you when you are firm with them. I can't have silly moments with my class like I could when I was in Canada, because these kids aren't used to teachers joking around (for the most part) and if the see you joking around and acting silly, they'll lose respect for you. I can't really make jokes with my kids too much. They don't get my jokes anyhow.

I've found that positivity works well here. In Canada I used to call out on the students who were misbehaving, but really, does that ever work? What about the good kids who ARE sitting quietly? They never get any attention. And why shouldn't they? Here, I praise the kids who are doing the right thing....and you know what? The other kids follow suit, because they want some praise too. So when I want the kids to get their materials put away and sit and listen for instructions, I'll say "I see Ahmed has cleaned up and is sitting quietly, thank you Ahmed. Thank you Priestess for sitting quietly and waiting..." and so on. Try this. Praise several kids for doing what you asked them to do and watch the others scramble to do the right thing so you'll call their names too. We also give out Happy Ticks in our school. There's a chart on the wall with the kid's names on it, and we give a tick (checkmark) to kids who are doing the right thing. At the end of the week the kid with the most ticks gets "Star of the Week" and gets to sit on a special chair. The kids LOVE getting Happy Ticks.

Overall, it's alot of work, and long days, but I love teaching here, and I'm learning so much, I know I'll be a much better teacher when I get back to Canada.

I'm in London!

Well, I've only been in London a few days, and I can honestly say I've been learning ALOT! Here are the lessons I've learned:

1) When they say "Mind the gap" they mean it. It's sometimes a huge gap, especially when you have to jump off with a 44 lb suitcase.

2) Do not, I repeat DO NOT bring many clothes from Canada with you. Really, and I say this as a packaholic (similar to a shopaholic, except you want to bring everything, instead of buy everything). You CAN buy clothes for CHEAP here. I bought an essential v-neck black t-shirt for 1.96 pounds and I bought a pair of really nice-fitting jeans for 12.72 pounds. And those jeans were the expensive ones, there were jeans for 5.72 pounds.

3) Buy the cheap clothes I mentioned at Primark. But be prepared to face massive "black friday" like crowds, and wait in the queue for the fitting rooms for a very long time if you brave the Oxford Street location. Alternatively, if you just want to try on tops, wear a camisole and try on your tops in front of a mirror in the store. Pay for your items in the mens department check out, the queues are much shorter :)

4)Wear comfy shoes. I didn't learn this in London (I learned the hard way in Montreal) but it's still good advice. You will walk FAR. I compare changing trains at Waterloo to the long walk you have to go through to get into Universal Studios in Florida....you walk very far. I think I've lost weight already and I've been here for 4 days, haha.

5) The coffee here is rubbish, but deal with it. You're in one of the greatest cities in the world.

6) Don't look or talk to people here. They will give you strange or dirty looks. Exception to the rule: the cute/nice guy who has a flower stand on my street in Earlsfield. He greets me with "Hiya, you alright" everyday :)

7) "You alright" does not mean anyone's actually concerned for you. In fact, they could care less how you actually are. It's just how people say "How's it goin'?" over here. So don't give them your life story. You don't even have to respond, just nod. My Canadian nature forces me to politely reply "Fine, thank you" but people aren't expecting a response.

8) I feel safer here than I do in rural New Brunswick. Why? Because there are loads of people around, all the time. It's comforting. I don't mind walking in the dark because there are lots of people everywhere, you're never alone on a street.

I need to lose 12 pounds...

My suitcase, that is :)

I'm allowed to one checked bag of 44lbs, a carry on bag of 11lbs and a purse (no weight limit, but I think it has to be "reasonable", and a laptop bag (no weight limit, but it's just supposed to contain a laptop.

I dug out all my clothes as my 10 year old cousin read through my very specific packing list "black lacy bra, check!" (haha), and sorted and packed. It was a BIG job, a heavy job too apparently. We even had a maybe pile of stuff that is was not totally necessary, but too cute to leave behind (black stiletto boots, sparkly pumps). I sucked the air out of the space saver bags and put the suitcase on our scale. I couldn't get a definate number, but it was DEFINATELY over 144lbs. I removed two scarves and two tank tops. There. I felt very "Confessions of a Shopaholic".

So I packed it back up and lugged it to the fish hatchery where I work, to put it on the industrial fish-weighing scales. Exactly 156 pounds. I'm 12 pounds overweight. And all I packed is clothes! 12 pounds is ALOT of clothes. Oh boy.

I have two options.

1) Pay the $15 CAD per kilogram I'm over weight (It'd be about $60 CAD). Yes, that's alot of money, but convert that to GBP and its about 35 GBP...can I replace all the clothes I'm removing for 35 GBP. Likely not

2) Pack RUTHLESSLY. Inspired by this guy, I brainstormed ways I can move my clothing around to get through security with as much stuff as possible. Oh no, Air Transat will not get any extra money out of me. Check out my ideas below, they're meant to be funny, but I'll likely be using a few of them. You can see I'm very concerned with getting my scarf collection to the UK.

• stuff underwear in your pockets
• wear 2 scarves
• wear a t-shirt, a long sleeve, and a sweater onto the plane
• stuff underwear and scarves in your purse
• tie a scarf onto your purse as a decoration
• wear a scarf as a belt
• wear 2 pairs of underwear
• wear 2 bras (a little extra padding never hurt anyone, right? ;)
• put a small binder and pens/small pencil case in laptop bag
• wear long underwear under your jeans
• wear 2 pairs of socks
• put a magazine into laptop case
• iPod in pocket

I sincerely hope it's not scorching hot on the day I fly out...

TeachIt - A great online resource

So....I was talking to my cousin about moving to the Uk (she taught there for 4 years, so she has plenty of experience) and mentioned how I wanted to get a blackline masters book of things I can photocopy...and does she know any.

She told me about TeachIt, a FANTASTIC website chock full of free PDF files you can use. There are hundreds on there for free, and you can pay a fee to access the rest. TeachIt is geared towards teaching Literacy in Key Stage 3 and up. You'll need to register to access the free stuff, but it only takes a second and they send you a confimation email.

From there, I found TeachItPrimary. This site is EXCELLENT, and contains tons of PDF files on various topics. I clicked on Key Stage 2 just to see what they had, and up popped poetry, reading records, getting to know you sheets, and websites to use on your Interactive White Board. Yesss!

I also found TeachitWorld, which is a resource similar to TeachIt and TeachItPrimary, but for English Language....so English Second Language teachers, fret not, there are great resources to help break the ice in your ESL classroom! There are even audio files online for you.

This stuff is so awesome, I just wanted to share it with all of you! So log onto http://www.teachit.co.uk/ or http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/ or http://www.teachitworld.co.uk/ and get teaching!

Yay for websites that make our lives easier!