The Road is Long...

Hello, yes it is me Suzanne.  No I haven’t fallen of the face of the earth I have just been busy with life in a new country.

Not a lot has happened really – work, sleep and then you guessed it – work again!

The story/adventure this week is my one to do with car buying.  Back home I remember buying my last car – walk into the dealer, pick the car I like, trade in my old one, fill in the paper work and it is all yours.  Well I wish it was that simple over here for me – I say for me because I am sure any normal American could simply buy a car as I have just described, but this was not the case for me.

On Monday of last week I decided that I would fork out my money and purchase a used car – I had thought that I might get finance for the car but that worked out to be more trouble than I could handle at this time. 

So on Tuesday I head off to the local car dealer (it is just across the road and took me 2 hours on the Internet to find), and I look for a car in my price range – I had talked to my local VIF advisor and she offered her husbands services to check out the car.  I gladly accepted and walked around the car yard making my final choices before they were to join me on this little adventure.  I know I have said before, but I thought this was going to be a trouble free exercise but as usual I was WRONG – again!

I think at this point there are a few things you need to know – my advisor is a VIF teacher like myself, she is from the Philippines and she has been in this country for 4 years now – so she knows this town and the way it works so any help she offers I gladly accept. 

We arrive at the car yard and proceed to look and talk about the different cars they have. After about 20mins they chose a car that was the better of the 2 I had picked out.  Finally, the dealing begins.  At this time I need to let you know that I am not good at the whole haggling thing – I noticed that the price on the windscreen was higher than the one on the doors so asked the dealer and he said he would honour the lower prices – yes that was $400 off – my haggling was done.  To say that’s where it ends would be a lie – my lovely advisor then stepped up and proceded to get the price reduced by $1000, along with 2 new tyres, a new battery, a new spare tyre and a 3month warranty.  I stared at her in astonishment as she truly haggled with guy, then she turned and said, “I am Asian, its what we do!”  Needless to say if I need anything else she is coming with me.

So the saga of the Social Security continues in this story because in order to buy the car I need a NC Drivers Licence and in order to get a drivers licence I need to sit a written test and driving test and oh yes, and I also need my social security number. 

When the number finally came it was the weekend and as per nearly every country in the world everything shuts down so I have to wait.  So I sit the test with my new special number and then am told I need insurance, which I couldn’t get any earlier because I needed that number again.  I am telling you it is a vicious cycle that all comes back to the almighty Social Security number.

So to cut a very long and probably boring to most story short – I am now the owner of a white 2005 Chevrolet Malibu (and as a friend constantly reminds me it is the same type of car Barbie drives – although it doesn’t at all).  It is a bit rough around the edges but it will get me from A to B so I am happy.

Well, its late and there is a thunderstorm raging outside and it is so hot inside - to say that I am truly baffled at the contrast of the weather in this state is an understatement – I will get used to it but I am telling you it is really strange.  Will post photos when it stops raining and I can get outside to take them.  So until then…

Just Another Day in Paradise...

So the question I get asked the most is ‘what is a day at school like in the USA?” – I guess there is no one answer as each school is different, the same as back in NZ.  I can only tell you about my experience so far, so here we go…

I arrive at school at 7am (that’s when the alarms are turned off) and head straight for my room.  Once I have turned on the lights, the computer, the smart board and plugged in my iPod to the speakers I am ready to go.  I then head to the photocopy room that has a photocopier, teacher pigeonholes, a refrigerator and 2 vending machines.  The size of this room is about the size of a mid size walk in wardrobe.  Here I put my lunch in the fridge, check for any news in my pigeon hole and copy anything I may have forgotten from the previous day.

I then have to head back to my class as the first bell is due to go at 7.45am that is when breakfast is starting to be served in the cafeteria and when the students start making their way to class.  From 7.45am – 8.20am the students enter the class and I am to provide morning work for them to do – this can be anything from review of previous days work, reading a book, handwriting etc.

From 8.20am – 8.45am is notices, morning broadcast and relaying any information about the upcoming day.  The students arrive to school in one of two ways – either their parents drop them off or they get the bus (buses arrive at different times through out the morning).  At 8.45am the students in my class have Resource (4 out of 5 days – this is where the students go to specialist teachers and do subjects such as PE, Music, Computers & Art – on the 5^th day they have what is called Spiral Review, this is a chance to catch up and review anything that is not fully understood).  Resource is from 8.45am – 9.30am – during this time I have non-contact time.  For me this involves meetings, prep for upcoming day or anything you can fit into a 45min block.

At 9.30am I pick up my students and we make our way back to class.  At this point I need to tell you about a new system the school is trying this year – team teaching.  Teachers are buddied up and each teacher takes specific subjects – mine are Reading, Writing and Social Studies, while my buddy teacher is doing Math and Science.  So the day involves a lot of swapping of classes and having 40 students as opposed to the 20 that are in my class.  So my class has Science first up and I get the other class for Social Studies/Writing (2 days each).  This is for an hour, at 10.30am it is Bathroom Break time – the whole class has to stop, line up and walk quietly to the bathrooms.  Here is where we wait while all of the students in the class use the bathroom – once everyone is done we go back to the classroom. 

It is now 10.35am and we are about to start Literacy – this lesson goes for 75mins and includes a whole class session and small groups.  During the whole class session I teach phonics, spelling, comprehension skills, comprehension strategy, vocabulary and fluency.  Then in the small group sessions I have to see 4 groups and read with them and cover those whole class areas again but specific to the groups needs.  It is pretty full on but I am getting used to it.  At the end of this Literacy time I swap classes and have to teach the whole lesson again but to a different group of students with different needs and levels.

These Literacy sessions end and it is off to lunch – the time is now 1.06pm.  My class is the second to last class in the whole school to go through the cafeteria and receive lunch.  The cafeteria starts serving lunch from 10.30am all the way through to 1.30pm – it is a long day for them.  At this time we have lovely lunchroom staff that look after our classes for 25mins.  That is just enough time to down my sandwich and drink, go to the bathroom and chat with the other 5^th Grade teachers.  No sooner have I sat down then I am back up again and it is time for my class to go to Recess – this is 25mns where the children are outside and playing – normally this is organised games or activities.  If it rains or if it is wet then the students stay inside to play indoor games.  At the end of this time outside it is back to have a final Bathroom Break for the day.

Finally it is 2.05pm and there is only 55mins till the end of the day.  In this time I have to teach my class the same Social Studies or Writing lesson I taught earlier in the day.  At 2.55pm it is time to pack up and get ready to go home – students have 3 options for going home, Bus Riders, Car Riders and After School Care.  My job is to go around to all of the 5^th Grade classes to pick up the After School Care kids and take them to the cafeteria where they are sorted into groups, put on buses and taken to their respective programmes.  Finally at 3.25pm all students have left the school and it is usually time for a meeting.

So that is my day from go to whoa – at times it seems very full on and overwhelming but in reality I am slowly getting used to it.  I am enjoying my time in the US – although trying to teaching phonics when we pronounce vowels differently is a real treat, and I find myself self correcting (not because I am wrong but I need to make myself understood) and re saying phrases just to get by.

Well it is the end of another very busy day, so until then…

Fits of Screaming and Very Loud Music!

At the end of the first day of my second week, darkness fell and lightning filled the night sky - I knew this would be another long and busy week. 

Life at the beginning of any school year is always full of unexpected interruptions – as Monday finished and I finally felt on top of tomorrows plan, a cry of ‘Davies’ rang down the corridor (not using teachers first name is something I don’t think I will ever get used to).  I stopped, closed my eyes and said a little prayer – hoping that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be a biggy! 

Boy, was I wrong – testing, testing and more testing.  I don’t think that I have photocopied so much in my whole life – 2 reams of paper (500 sheets in each) later and many trees were falling all over the world and I was ready to go.  My plan for the next day changed and a day of testing was ahead.

After a lot of testing (and marking) the week is finished.  Along the way I managed to get a new bed, break the key off in the lock of my apartment door (had to call the after hours guy to come and change the whole lock system – I have issues with keys in this country as my classroom one doesn’t work either, and I can’t lock or unlock it – go figure), pass my physical and TB test, renew my car rental, buy a TV, get my pay check and deposit it in my local bank, get my social security number, hook up my internet and cable, and finally plan for next week. 

It has been a big learning curve with a lot of interesting hurdles along the way.  Different is the word I tend to use – and am trying really hard not to compare but the similarities and differences are often glaring.  I have found one lady at school though that is completely fascinated by the New Zealand school system, so she often drops by my room to ask how we do things back home.  She laughs and says I knew there could be a different way to do that.  It is really cool to be able to share our teaching culture and education system. 

I often feel blessed to come from a one schooling system in NZ, as I sense the frustration from the teachers and management as they try to please the county, the parents and provide a quality education for the students.  As I said it is different and I am seeing the positives on both sides and truly enjoying the ride I am on.

I have discovered that I have been blessed with a great 5^th Grade team of colleagues that are professional, passionate and kind hearted.  I had to go and apply for my Social Security number and as per usual in our profession the people in my team allowed me to go while they looked after my class.  They took it in their stride and didn’t see it as a problem at all – this happens back home as well but being new to the school I was unsure if we were allowed to do this in my new school.

The trip to the Social Security office was an adventure in itself – at times throughout this week I found myself in my car with the radio turned up really loud and screaming in frustration at the situation I had found myself in (needless to say this screaming was often followed very closely by uncontrollable laughing as I looked at the cars around me hoping that no one had spotted me losing it). 

So my adventure to the Social Security Administration building in downtown Fayetteville began on Thursday afternoon directly after school.  Hopping in my car I raced (within the speed limit) downtown, knowing that they closed at 4pm – I hoped I would make it in time.  Arriving a 3.35pm I jumped out of the car, congratulating myself at the fact I had made it with 25mins to spare – enough time to do the interview and be back at school for a staff meeting. 

Walking towards the door of the building, I noticed a Security guard (packing a gun – which I still marvel at) turning people away.  Upon reaching the door I noticed a sign that said that they closed at 3.30pm – I asked the guard why and he said that congress had cut funding so they had to close early.  Unbelievable!  I stepped back from the door, with my mouth open and yelled at the building (yes, the guard looked at me funny, but the look on his face told me that he felt my frustration).  So back to the car, I headed off to school.

Social Security take two – it is now Friday and I have permission from the principal to drop my students at lunch and then take off to the Social Security building for another chance to obtain my elusive number.  So armed with all the documents I was told to take with me I headed back, hoping that this process would only take 40mins at the most.  Walking into the building I knew I may have underestimated how much time it would take – I discovered that not only could you get a Social Security number here, but there are other services too - it is very similar to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Department and Social Welfare all rolled into one.  There were seats all in rows – kind of like when you come through arrivals at the airport – everyone stares at you when you walk in. 

The process goes like this, you take a number and sit down and wait.  There are approximately 27 numbered windows that you will be called to - you just have to listen carefully for your number and the window you have to proceed to.  So there I was waiting for my number to come up and watching the time slowly slipping away – after 25mins my number was called. 

At this point I would love to say that it went smoothly and I was back at school by 2.30pm.  Alas it was not to be, I managed to meet a lovely lady that had never issued a new Social Security number to someone from overseas – you can stop laughing now because the hilarity does not stop there.  I handed her the piece of paper with all my information on it and then she proceeded to ask me all the questions I had already filled in on the form – I kept pointing it to her but the questions still came – eventually she got it.  After 10mins she realised she didn’t know what she was doing so had to leave and ask someone what to do.  This was not the first time this happened – after the third time I knew I was not going to get back to school in time for anything. 

We were nearing the end of the interview and she asked me for a letter from my employer – “What?”  I said, I wasn’t told that I needed that – yes we cannot proceed until we see it.  So even though I had my Cashwell Elementary shirt on with a Cashwell ID card, it was not enough. 

Now I had to race home pick it up and get back before the place closed.  Another screaming fit was due and it was going to the loud and long.  To try and convey how far away I live from downtown Fayetteville, is like having to get from Lincoln Road in Henderson all the way to Avondale via the motorway. Oh yeah, and school was about to be let out and you are only allowed to drive 25mph in the school zones – I passed 3 of them along the way!

To cut a very, very long story short – I got home, got the info, got back in time, sat for another 10mins and then saw a lady who processed me and had me out the door in 7mins.  I was back at school at 3.15pm after all the students had left – thus ends the 2^nd week of my time here in North Carolina.  In 2 weeks time I will receive my Social Security Card and will be all legal.

After this little adventure I ended up staying and working at school until 7pm and missed the cable guy so I am now sitting in my apartment waiting for him to come – sometime between 8am – 5pm.  I have done nothing all day and that is a good thing.  It has been a busy time and I needed a forced time out – really enjoying sleeping and listening to music.

It is Labour Weekend here and Monday is a public holiday – yay! (Actually I think it is more time for me to do school work).  So until then…