Welcome to Brixton. Home of Sharon Osborne and David Bowie.

I am not joking. Sharon Osbourne and David Bowie are both really from Brixton. How ironic. Bryce looks like David Bowie. Especially with his new haircut he got during the weekend. 

Bryce's new 'do'

Robbie and I. 

Bryce and his idol. Amazing.

So Bryce and I have now been in our place for not quite a week. It is a great size, and is big enough  so that we are not in each others pockets which is fantastic. We have a couch each (so spoilt!) and it works out perfectly as one is a 2 seater, the other a 2 1/2 seater, so obviously I get the shorter one- which is nearer the heater on the wall. Win! The water pressure in the shower is OUTSTANDING, although the bath over shower is built up quite high for some reason, so I have to literally climb into it, and my head nearly touches the ceiling. Imahgine Bryce's predicament. Haha. I also have to be careful stepping out - it is quite a drop! We have central heating, so it is deliciously warm all the time. We have a washing maching *and* a dryer, so we don't need a laundromat... AND our bills are included in the rent, and we have paid up until April. That means all the money we get each week is ours to play with. Amazing.

We are starting to settle into routine, although haven't done much cooking at all yet, because there is NO crockery etc in the kitchen, and I am not sure I really even want to go buying any! We have knives, forks, spoons, cups, bowls, plates and mugs. But that's it. Oh! And a potato peeler Jacinda sent me as a flat warming present hehe. I might have a look in an Op Shop and see if I can buy a pot and pan. But nothing fancy. It is depressing that things are not going to be matching in any way, shape or form. Those who know me well, will know that things *have to match*!!! But I am slowly getting over it.  Tonight I have made pesto and blue cheese stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon, baby potatoes and salad. NOM. Bryce is learning new cooking tricks and taking notes.

On Sunday, Bryce and I went to the 'Titanic' exhibition at the O2 Bubble. What an amazing place the O2 is - it is like Bio-dome the movie... a little city inside a dome. Trees and paths and shop fronts etc, it really is pretty cool, but strange at the same time! The exhibition was fantastic. The exhibits were well put together and flowed nicely. We paid the £5 for the audio guide, which was totally worth it as you learnt so much more than what was printed on the posters on the walls. The most interesting atefact for me was a Clarinet that was recovered. I felt so sad to read that the muscians didn't really know whether they were on the ship as staff or as passengers, so had no idea when it was their turn for the lifeboats. But at the end of the day,  they decided to play until the ship sank. The Clarinet is in great condition considering, and had a simple key structure. It is so amazing it was recovered.. but made me feel sad to look at it and think that someone played it until it fell from their icy hands to the bottom of the ocean. It was quite a moving exhibition. 'Titanic! The Musical' CD was on sale in the gift shop. Tee Hee. 50,000 Oranges, TITANIC!!!!! Morning Captain Smith... haha. I went home and listened to the soundtrack on my iPhone.

We were not allowed to take photos inside the exhibition, but this was outside :)

The last week before half term is ticking along. Slowly. The kids are ratty, which is strange as it has only been six weeks. Our kids in NZ get like these kids are now in the last week, after they have had 9-10 weeks at school. Swings and roundabouts I suppose. I am slowly decorating my music room the way I like it. Coloufrul and busy. Although it is difficult when supplies are hard to get, and the output of these kids with the half an hour per class music lesson is less than desirable. Slowly, but surely it is gettng there!! I will sort some newer photos on here sometime soon.

I have come to the conclusion that the students behave the way they do, because they are bored, or do not understand what is going on. This is my biggest problem with whole class teaching. I feel forever frustrated that I can not teach all 30 children individually, but I am also aware that 5-6 students are acting up because they don't  understand, and 5-6 are actng up because the work was too easy and they have finished - so now think they can annoy their classmates. I feel frustrated because I *know* there is a better way. Far out - GROUPING would be better than this (OMG did I just say that?????)

I am forever stunned by how little content knowledge they have about anything. I'm talking about Kids who don't understand the concept of 1/2 of something... and having no clue about the probability of events. In fact that was what I was to 'supervise' this morning.  I can hardly call what I was asked to do 'teaching'.  All students in the class were to do the *exact same bookwork*. The teacher had said it was all taught yesterday, so I just needed to hand out the books and get them started. No. I do things differently. I decided to re-cap, just in case some were still confused. It turns out that most were confused. So I started from the beginning and was met with students questioning why they needed a learning intenton and success criteria, when they were doing maths and not literacy. Oh my. Kill me now.

I went over probability and some got it so continued with the bookwork. A couple finished it in lightning speed so I had to find something else for them to do. About ten still had no idea - until I showed them some visuals on the smartboard... then things started slowly clicking into place. I am talking the most *basic* form of probability, e.g. the weather will be rainy tomorrow type examples. And these kids are ten and eleven. Wow. Just WOW!

I am still waiting for my induction meeting, to be told things I don't know yet and to talk about how things are going - how am I finding the teaching etc. I am disappointed to say the very least that this 'music postiton' has turned out to be just 30 minutes per week, per class. And after half term - year 5 are being taught 'singing' by someone coming into the school, which becomes their 'music', so I will then be teaching Religious Education. On the upside - this half term I learnt all about Sikhism and the Ten Human Gurus. When I will need to use this information, I do not know!

I am enjoying the Nursery (3-4 year olds) and Recepton (5 year olds), but only because they give me cuddles and I miss having cuddles - it is a good emotional boost for the week ahead to say the very least!! I also like it because they are so easy to manage, and would do anything for the teacher. I am tired of being 'slimed' by them though (for those of you who are unfamilair with this term, think of the trail a snail might leave behind, but imagine the snail is a childs nose...and the trail a stream of green!!!!). I adore my Year 4s, who I see for 4 hours a week. I am slowly warming to Year 5 and 6 but find their behaviour (trivial complaining) not so great. It is exhausting!!

This afternoon Bryce and I met Cyril, an elderly Gentleman from across the road. He is lovely, and quite interested to talk to us. We also met Maureen from next door (not the side of the house that bang on the wall when I play my flute). It was good to meet some neighbours.

On Saturday morning at 6am this weekend, Bryce and I travel 2 hours and 15 minutes on the Chunnell to Paris. It is quite exciting to know we are going traveling, and also... going to DISNEYLAND!!! We intend to see some sights, do Disneyland, and go shopping. Because we can. And we can always go back again. It is an advantage that I have been for three days before, so I have seen a lot already - but there are places I'd like to go back to again, and places I didn't make it to last time. Very excitng. I will think of you all as I sip wine and eat cheese filled baguettes on the grass near the Eiffel Tower. I am sure there willl be a 'Oui, Oui' blog to come, so until then....

Cheery Bye :)