Well. I'm away for Christmas at last.
I've been having fun with my twin seven-year-old cousins over the past two days. We've played a lot of hide and seek (it's not really fair: I'm at the double disadvantage of not knowing any good hiding places in their house, and being about four times as big as they are). We've been to the park, where I kicked chunks of ice off the playground floor for them to pick up and smash, a form of entertainment which would perhaps have lasted for hours (days, even?) had not one of them, to my relief, needed the toilet, providing a worthy excuse to go home. Some homework has been done (theirs, not mine!) and some television has been watched. Although I was quite astonished yesterday when I went into the lounge to tell them they could watch TV. "No thanks," they said, "we're too busy reading the Bible." I heard the television go on about a minute afterwards.
Grandad and me have been employed by my aunt to laminate about a million leaflets for the NHS. I've also been given the unenviable task of sorting out a rota for cooking and washing up over Christmas. This I blithely agreed to do, before suddenly realising that it meant I had to assign people to do work on Christmas Day. You love washing up, right, Dad? Anyway, there can't be any swaps or complaining now: I don't know whether all that laminating made me a bit giddy but somehow, amongst all those leaflets, the rota went through as well.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Friday, 18 December 2009
A sad lack of snowmen
Well, it happened. At least, it mostly happened. Lectures were cancelled today on account of the snow (only a thin covering in Scarborough, but presumably it made for a difficult journey for everybody travelling from afar). Unfortunately, though, the telephone tree was not entirely effective, and about fifteen of us arrived, cold and soggy, for maths at 9am. Half an hour of division later, we went home again.
It really was a bit of an anticlimax. After an exhausting term, it might have been nice to see our coursemates, wish everybody a happy Christmas, that kind of thing. But we just slid our way home through the slush, and sloped off to start packing our bags early. (Well, not me, because I'm sticking around until Monday, but a lot of the PGs have headed home already).
Somehow the snow is making me feel less Christmassy. Yeah, you get snow around Christmas in films - but it's always clean and fresh, and generally involves outdoor ice-rinks with pretty people gliding gracefully around them. Quite a contrast to streets full of slush, soggy trouser legs and disinclination for excursions which we get in the real world. I haven't even seen a single snowman!
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Uni
I guess university is more tiring than school. There certainly seems to be a lot of work to do at the moment. Today we had an entire day of child protection training: necessary of course, but kind of intense. Although I have to confess that the part that affected me most was the description of one child's hospital visit. I've always been quite squeamish about descriptions of injuries and people's insides, but I seem to be getting worse as I get older. Last year I tried to attend a day-long first aid course, but half an hour in I found myself feeling quite queasy - then very queasy - then panicky - then crawling from the room, scarcely able to see or hear anything. They sent me home on the bus. It's most embarrassing (not to mention highly inconvenient) but it's getting so bad now that even thinking a situation might cause me to go faint causes me to go faint...
Anyway. It's also been raining for about two days now (coinciding almost exactly with the length of time Noah has been out of the country: how Romantic of the weather to indulge me in the illusion of pathetic fallacy). I'm a little jealous, for I understand that some parts of our nation have experienced the delights of a form of precipitation whiter, gentler, colder and altogether more fun.
It's forecast to snow up here too though. In fact yesterday in university some of my fellow students were hopefully compiling a telephone tree - you know, just in case they have to close the campus. Which, of course, we all dutifully hope won't have to happen.
Honest.
Anyway. It's also been raining for about two days now (coinciding almost exactly with the length of time Noah has been out of the country: how Romantic of the weather to indulge me in the illusion of pathetic fallacy). I'm a little jealous, for I understand that some parts of our nation have experienced the delights of a form of precipitation whiter, gentler, colder and altogether more fun.
It's forecast to snow up here too though. In fact yesterday in university some of my fellow students were hopefully compiling a telephone tree - you know, just in case they have to close the campus. Which, of course, we all dutifully hope won't have to happen.
Honest.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
My Last Day!
Today was our last observation - and our last day at our first school. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has gone by! I'm really going to miss our lovely class teacher and TA, and as for the children - we've met so many charming characters, and it's rather sad that we won't know how they get on as the year progresses.
Looking back, though, I think there has been some development (on their part as well as ours!) even during the month we've been there. We've seen some friendships develop in the class, and although there we still get a lot of complaints I think I've noticed a bit more willingness to share toys. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking! I'm sure I've changed over the month, though. My Teacher Voice is much more convincing than it used to be! We've also discovered that simpler activities can actually be more effective than the ones that seem really exciting. Today's investigation, which involved finding seven beads in the sand tray, went a lot better than the time we took them all outside to build walls out of straw. And the children appeared to enjoy it just as much. Maybe they were riding on the residual excitement of donning their Christmas Show outfits for the first time this morning.
Anyway, it's back to uni for two weeks now before Christmas. Long lectures, essay work, all kinds of theory and no actual children... As I might have mentioned, I'm really going to miss school!
Looking back, though, I think there has been some development (on their part as well as ours!) even during the month we've been there. We've seen some friendships develop in the class, and although there we still get a lot of complaints I think I've noticed a bit more willingness to share toys. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking! I'm sure I've changed over the month, though. My Teacher Voice is much more convincing than it used to be! We've also discovered that simpler activities can actually be more effective than the ones that seem really exciting. Today's investigation, which involved finding seven beads in the sand tray, went a lot better than the time we took them all outside to build walls out of straw. And the children appeared to enjoy it just as much. Maybe they were riding on the residual excitement of donning their Christmas Show outfits for the first time this morning.
Anyway, it's back to uni for two weeks now before Christmas. Long lectures, essay work, all kinds of theory and no actual children... As I might have mentioned, I'm really going to miss school!
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Sand pirates, storytelling and an elf with no pants
This week our area is the sand tray. We had a piratical story yesterday, so today we used numbered treasure chests and buried 'coins' in the sand to get the children to practise counting and numeral recognition. But I have to confess that my favourite part of the activity was the pirate hats. I made them at the last minute out of newspaper, thinking that wearing a special 'pirate puzzle hat' might help the children to concentrate on problem-solving. I'm not sure how well that worked (they kept falling off into the sand!) but at least all the children wanted to do the activity because it entailed wearing a hat. And best of all, I got to be a pirate too! I even tried a pirate accent with some of the groups (but for some reason they just looked a bit bemused).
In the afternoon we had a visit from a storyteller. He came armed with very engaging home-made puppets and a repertoire of silly faces that made the children howl with laughter, and entertained us all with the tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker. As you probably know, the poor shoemaker (who is so poor that he can't even afford any food or firewood) only has enough leather left for one pair of shoes. He cuts them out, but his hands are so cold he can't thread the needle to sew them, so he leaves the leather on the bench. In the morning, he is astonished to find that the leather has become a beautifully-made pair of shoes, which he proceeds to sell at a great profit, allowing him to purchase food, firewood and leather for two more pairs of shoes. A similar thing happens the following night. The shoemaker decides to stay up and see how the shoes get made; to his great surprise, elves (or in this version, an elf) are covertly assisting him by night. But he looks very cold: he doesn't have any clothes on — "Not even any pants!" exclaims the storyteller. So in return for his help, the shoemaker sews some little clothes for the elf. And everyone pretty much lives happily ever after.
When we asked the children (who roared with laughter throughout, both when there was a joke to get and when there wasn't), "What was your favourite part of the story?", more than one replied, "I liked the bit where he didn't have any pants on!"
Let's just hope they also manage to learn that it's a good idea to help people...
In the afternoon we had a visit from a storyteller. He came armed with very engaging home-made puppets and a repertoire of silly faces that made the children howl with laughter, and entertained us all with the tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker. As you probably know, the poor shoemaker (who is so poor that he can't even afford any food or firewood) only has enough leather left for one pair of shoes. He cuts them out, but his hands are so cold he can't thread the needle to sew them, so he leaves the leather on the bench. In the morning, he is astonished to find that the leather has become a beautifully-made pair of shoes, which he proceeds to sell at a great profit, allowing him to purchase food, firewood and leather for two more pairs of shoes. A similar thing happens the following night. The shoemaker decides to stay up and see how the shoes get made; to his great surprise, elves (or in this version, an elf) are covertly assisting him by night. But he looks very cold: he doesn't have any clothes on — "Not even any pants!" exclaims the storyteller. So in return for his help, the shoemaker sews some little clothes for the elf. And everyone pretty much lives happily ever after.
When we asked the children (who roared with laughter throughout, both when there was a joke to get and when there wasn't), "What was your favourite part of the story?", more than one replied, "I liked the bit where he didn't have any pants on!"
Let's just hope they also manage to learn that it's a good idea to help people...
Friday, 27 November 2009
Penguin Cake!
We're so proud of our class today: they made cake! Look! It even looks like a penguin!
They all love making 'cakes' in the sand and water trays, so we thought we'd extend their enthusiasm by giving them the chance to do the real thing. And it worked! They were (mostly) really good, listening to instructions and taking turns at doing 'special jobs'. There was, as far as I'm aware, only a tiny bit of surreptitious bowl-licking. One of them even suggested that we could all share the cake. This impressed us, because sharing was another reason for making cake (rather than, say, buns). It's something our class tends to struggle with. This afternoon, though, they all sat patiently and waited for a slice, and only one little boy complained that he wanted more (does that remind you of a song?)
Anyway, penguin cake created, decorated and consumed, children sent off home, bag re-packed for the weekend, I'm heading to the station to go and visit Noah. Wahoo! Have a fantastic weekend!
They all love making 'cakes' in the sand and water trays, so we thought we'd extend their enthusiasm by giving them the chance to do the real thing. And it worked! They were (mostly) really good, listening to instructions and taking turns at doing 'special jobs'. There was, as far as I'm aware, only a tiny bit of surreptitious bowl-licking. One of them even suggested that we could all share the cake. This impressed us, because sharing was another reason for making cake (rather than, say, buns). It's something our class tends to struggle with. This afternoon, though, they all sat patiently and waited for a slice, and only one little boy complained that he wanted more (does that remind you of a song?)
Anyway, penguin cake created, decorated and consumed, children sent off home, bag re-packed for the weekend, I'm heading to the station to go and visit Noah. Wahoo! Have a fantastic weekend!
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
The Wind Blew
Outdoor play this morning saw a cluster of five-year-olds watching in astonishment as a piece of paper from the writing trolley was whisked back and forth about the playground by the unusually strong wind. They gave chase, but to no avail; the direction of its flight kept on changing. And then, suddenly, an upward gust caught the paper and it flew higher, higher, above the roof, over the school buildings and away! Everyone simply stared.
Pom-poms and streamers were in high demand; a toy pram blew over and the doll inside skittered across the tarmac; and the wind also took one of the more gauzy pieces of fabric from the dressing-up box. I couldn't help being reminded of Pat Hutchins' picture book The Wind Blew, and envisaging a similar scenario on Scarborough seafront, the wind mixing up all the things it had taken before suddenly flinging them down and blowing out to sea.
No such scene greeted me, however, when I finally made it down to the seafront this afternoon after finishing my planning. Despite living about three minutes' walk from the beach, it was the first time I'd seen the sea in about two weeks. Like they say, doing a PGCE does keep you busy! I didn't find any evidence that the wind had repented of its ways, however. I wonder if those half-finished drawings from school really did blow out to sea...
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
What, already?
"Humph was a camel with brown eyes, and his favourite word was 'humph'. Humph! His favourite word was 'humph'."
I am, I feel, quite as aware of this particular camel's vocabulary preferences as anybody needs to be. We're on a regime of two to three rehearsals a day for the songs in the Christmas play, and Humph's limited lexis (however precocious for an ungulate) is reiterated at the end of every verse of this one. I am similarly well-informed about the unceasing industry of Bethlehem's innkeepers, the shepherds' earnest desire to show the way, and the twinkling, diamond-like nature of a certain little star. The children sing beautifully (way better than I can) and I'm sure the extravaganza will be in every way delightful. I just wish those charming musical numbers would stay behind at school instead of interrupting my evening with well-meaning gallivants through my unsuspecting consciousness.
Anyway, the lights are up in town, I've been hearing suspiciously (un?)seasonal songs in the shops, and I received an advent calendar in the post this morning (thanks Mum!)
It may only be the middle of November, but it seems that Christmas 2009 is almost upon us...
I am, I feel, quite as aware of this particular camel's vocabulary preferences as anybody needs to be. We're on a regime of two to three rehearsals a day for the songs in the Christmas play, and Humph's limited lexis (however precocious for an ungulate) is reiterated at the end of every verse of this one. I am similarly well-informed about the unceasing industry of Bethlehem's innkeepers, the shepherds' earnest desire to show the way, and the twinkling, diamond-like nature of a certain little star. The children sing beautifully (way better than I can) and I'm sure the extravaganza will be in every way delightful. I just wish those charming musical numbers would stay behind at school instead of interrupting my evening with well-meaning gallivants through my unsuspecting consciousness.
Anyway, the lights are up in town, I've been hearing suspiciously (un?)seasonal songs in the shops, and I received an advent calendar in the post this morning (thanks Mum!)
It may only be the middle of November, but it seems that Christmas 2009 is almost upon us...
Monday, 23 November 2009
Floating or sinking?
So I'm loving the teaching I'm doing, but absolutely hating the paperwork.
I had another observation today (apparently I was satisfactory/competent, which I'm embarrassed to say is better than last time round) and found out that I have, as I suspected, been missing some of the out-of-school work I'm supposed to be doing. It's not actually much (just a weekly evaluation sheet), but it's yet another fairly pointless document that I'm not really sure how to fill in. I've just started growling at it,* so I decided to write a bit of blog instead.
Floating and sinking in the water tray went well today. We provided a range of brightly coloured materials in addition to the usual ducks, jugs, bowls, foam shapes, etc, and asked all kinds of challenging questions. There were a few alarming comments (a solemn "If you sink you drown" was followed by another lad's "I've drowned three times!") but the concept was fairly well understood, and there were some nice attempts to make floating objects sink (dropping stones onto a piece of tin foil) and vice versa (impromptu boats included a wooden spoon and a strange confection of feathers and pipe cleaners - which I'm sorry to say was not as effective as its diminutive creator might have hoped). The plan is to expand that tomorrow by specifically requesting boats and challenging the children to get them (loaded with the penguin) from one end of the water tray to the other without touching them.
The way things are going at the moment, boat-building materials are likely to include several screwed up weekly evaluation sheets...
* Yes, literally.
I had another observation today (apparently I was satisfactory/competent, which I'm embarrassed to say is better than last time round) and found out that I have, as I suspected, been missing some of the out-of-school work I'm supposed to be doing. It's not actually much (just a weekly evaluation sheet), but it's yet another fairly pointless document that I'm not really sure how to fill in. I've just started growling at it,* so I decided to write a bit of blog instead.
Floating and sinking in the water tray went well today. We provided a range of brightly coloured materials in addition to the usual ducks, jugs, bowls, foam shapes, etc, and asked all kinds of challenging questions. There were a few alarming comments (a solemn "If you sink you drown" was followed by another lad's "I've drowned three times!") but the concept was fairly well understood, and there were some nice attempts to make floating objects sink (dropping stones onto a piece of tin foil) and vice versa (impromptu boats included a wooden spoon and a strange confection of feathers and pipe cleaners - which I'm sorry to say was not as effective as its diminutive creator might have hoped). The plan is to expand that tomorrow by specifically requesting boats and challenging the children to get them (loaded with the penguin) from one end of the water tray to the other without touching them.
The way things are going at the moment, boat-building materials are likely to include several screwed up weekly evaluation sheets...
* Yes, literally.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Yesterday at school we watched a video of The First Christmas. Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she was going to have a baby, who would "become a great king". One little boy spoke up loudly, saying "The angel said that the baby would become a Viking!" I replied that the angel had said "a great king". "No!" insisted the boy, "A Viking!"
Today's activities included 'car writing' (on letter-shaped roads, with micro machines), counting playdough sausages, sellotaping sticks onto a cardboard house (for the Second Little Pig to live in, of course - we tried PVA glue but the sticks came off) and decorating biscuits to look (vaguely) like Pudsey the Bear. I was delighted when one boy actually spelt a word with the letter roads - it might not sound like much, but it's the first time I've ever seen any of them spelling a word unaided and I was very proud of him.
Next week we're going to be based in the water tray. We'll be reading Lost and Found (a lovely book about a penguin) and thinking of ways to get our own toy penguin to the, ahem, south pole. Hmm, what are the best boat-building materials to use with four-year-olds?
Today's activities included 'car writing' (on letter-shaped roads, with micro machines), counting playdough sausages, sellotaping sticks onto a cardboard house (for the Second Little Pig to live in, of course - we tried PVA glue but the sticks came off) and decorating biscuits to look (vaguely) like Pudsey the Bear. I was delighted when one boy actually spelt a word with the letter roads - it might not sound like much, but it's the first time I've ever seen any of them spelling a word unaided and I was very proud of him.
Next week we're going to be based in the water tray. We'll be reading Lost and Found (a lovely book about a penguin) and thinking of ways to get our own toy penguin to the, ahem, south pole. Hmm, what are the best boat-building materials to use with four-year-olds?
Friday, 6 November 2009
Plans...
Campus corridors this morning were rife with tired-looking but wanly smiling PGCE students clutching shiny sheaves of paper and armfuls of library books. Because - yes! - it was finally Handing-In Day for Assignment 1. And a good thing too really, as we're all in school for four weeks now, starting on Monday. I'm planning to spend this weekend, well, planning... that and visiting Doncaster. Oh, and attending the clothes swap at church tomorrow evening. I'm quite keen on this notion of clothes swapping - I think it's a bit like judicious use of charity shops, but rather quicker. As I understand it, people go along with clothes they find they never really wear, and come back having swapped them for clothes that someone else never really wears. Actually I think it's a great idea, because I always prefer wearing other people's clothes to my own. I wonder how long the clothes can be conned into believing they aren't really mine, and thus fitting me perfectly, feeling delightfully cosy and looking quite nice. I'll give it a couple of weeks.
Anyway... better go and turn that plan of planning into more than just a plan. After all, I need some good plans.
Anyway... better go and turn that plan of planning into more than just a plan. After all, I need some good plans.
Today's list of likes and loves
I like fireworks!
I like the feeling of having finished your first assignment, printed it out, filled in a cover sheet and even found a plastic wallet to put it in (as required, bizarrely, by the university guidelines)
I love God
I like the fact that I'm going to be in school for four weeks starting on Monday!
I love it when you actually manage to help somebody, even if it's only a little tiny bit
I love the feeling of being part of a community, however small and however short the duration
I like the fact that my church is doing a clothes swap this weekend
I like reading a book that isn't assignment related
I don't love having water all over the floor and dripping wet clothes everywhere because something funny happened with the washing machine, but I'm mostly recovered from that now
I love Noah (oh so much)
I like writing my blog, even though I don't think anybody actually reads it
But if you are reading it, then I like you!
I like the feeling of having finished your first assignment, printed it out, filled in a cover sheet and even found a plastic wallet to put it in (as required, bizarrely, by the university guidelines)
I love God
I like the fact that I'm going to be in school for four weeks starting on Monday!
I love it when you actually manage to help somebody, even if it's only a little tiny bit
I love the feeling of being part of a community, however small and however short the duration
I like the fact that my church is doing a clothes swap this weekend
I like reading a book that isn't assignment related
I don't love having water all over the floor and dripping wet clothes everywhere because something funny happened with the washing machine, but I'm mostly recovered from that now
I love Noah (oh so much)
I like writing my blog, even though I don't think anybody actually reads it
But if you are reading it, then I like you!
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
My Unexplained Absence Explained
Well. I haven't been here since Luke's birthday.
'Here' virtually, you understand. In physical terms I've been very much 'here' in Scarborough, and have even spent quite a bit of time 'here' in front of Gwyn [1], typing away. Since Sunday, most of that typing has been on my play essay. In fact you could say there's been a bit too much typing and my work would now benefit from some judicious use of the backspace button, as my assignment is currently about 1500 words too long. As Noah pointed out, I have an essay and a third. And I haven't even said everything yet!
Before Sunday, I found myself somewhat too busy to write for a rather more pleasing reason, namely the actual presence, right here, in my flat, of the aforementioned Noah! He was able to come and stay for a whole week, and it was fantastic. Anyone wanting directions on how to impress their girlfriend should apply immediately to him. I wasn't feeling too well, but it mattered not a bit: Noah did most of the cooking and all the washing up, and even made my packed lunch. He arranged some charming surprises for Roundabout Day [2]; he came to meet me from lectures, took me out for dinner, impressed me by cooking calzone, bought me an ice cream and told me bedtime stories. He even took my rubbish out and made me some delicious green bread [3].
All of which was wonderful. But the most wonderful thing of all wasn't being cared for in a truly decadent fashion. It was rather the pure joy of being close to the person I love so completely.
[1] My computer.
[2] Everyone celebrates Roundabout Day, don't they? 27th October? It's a very romantic story...
[3] Apparently it was supposed to be blue, but he was overly modest with the food colouring.
'Here' virtually, you understand. In physical terms I've been very much 'here' in Scarborough, and have even spent quite a bit of time 'here' in front of Gwyn [1], typing away. Since Sunday, most of that typing has been on my play essay. In fact you could say there's been a bit too much typing and my work would now benefit from some judicious use of the backspace button, as my assignment is currently about 1500 words too long. As Noah pointed out, I have an essay and a third. And I haven't even said everything yet!
Before Sunday, I found myself somewhat too busy to write for a rather more pleasing reason, namely the actual presence, right here, in my flat, of the aforementioned Noah! He was able to come and stay for a whole week, and it was fantastic. Anyone wanting directions on how to impress their girlfriend should apply immediately to him. I wasn't feeling too well, but it mattered not a bit: Noah did most of the cooking and all the washing up, and even made my packed lunch. He arranged some charming surprises for Roundabout Day [2]; he came to meet me from lectures, took me out for dinner, impressed me by cooking calzone, bought me an ice cream and told me bedtime stories. He even took my rubbish out and made me some delicious green bread [3].
All of which was wonderful. But the most wonderful thing of all wasn't being cared for in a truly decadent fashion. It was rather the pure joy of being close to the person I love so completely.
[1] My computer.
[2] Everyone celebrates Roundabout Day, don't they? 27th October? It's a very romantic story...
[3] Apparently it was supposed to be blue, but he was overly modest with the food colouring.
Friday, 23 October 2009
23+32=110!
And I can prove it. All you have to do is convert your brain to the joys of base five, which is what we spent an hour or so doing in our maths class this afternoon. Although it caused initial consternation among some, I think we generally got the idea in the end. Indeed, I quite enjoyed the challenge of adding and subtracting in this strange mental universe where the next number after 14 is 20. I'm just glad we didn't have to do any long division...
Our English session was fun too. People had been asked to bring in favourite picture books, so we had fun looking at some of those. I took Where the Wild Things Are, incidentally the book I credit with having got me onto the course in the first place [1]. It's a fantastic tale with apparently simple illustrations which, as we saw, have more in them than one might notice at first glance. I'm a bit excited about the new film of Where the Wild Things Are - not sure when it comes out here but I think it's some time soon. I'm kind of pleased that such a short picture book is being made into a film - but kind of sad because it's bound to put a very particular interpretation on events which children will be likely to stick to tenaciously if they view it. Amusingly, parents have been criticising Maurice Sendak for the scariness - the wildness! - of the book and of the film [2]. He didn't care. In fact he was rather rude.
[1] I chose it for my interview task and managed, on the spur of the moment, to relate it in a playful manner to numeracy, PE and PSED as well as literacy. This went down well.
[2] This also happened when the book was first published in the 1960s. Apparently it was banned from libraries for being too scary! Sendak merely asked the bristling, protective parents why, if their children disliked the book, they continued reading it to them.
Our English session was fun too. People had been asked to bring in favourite picture books, so we had fun looking at some of those. I took Where the Wild Things Are, incidentally the book I credit with having got me onto the course in the first place [1]. It's a fantastic tale with apparently simple illustrations which, as we saw, have more in them than one might notice at first glance. I'm a bit excited about the new film of Where the Wild Things Are - not sure when it comes out here but I think it's some time soon. I'm kind of pleased that such a short picture book is being made into a film - but kind of sad because it's bound to put a very particular interpretation on events which children will be likely to stick to tenaciously if they view it. Amusingly, parents have been criticising Maurice Sendak for the scariness - the wildness! - of the book and of the film [2]. He didn't care. In fact he was rather rude.
[1] I chose it for my interview task and managed, on the spur of the moment, to relate it in a playful manner to numeracy, PE and PSED as well as literacy. This went down well.
[2] This also happened when the book was first published in the 1960s. Apparently it was banned from libraries for being too scary! Sendak merely asked the bristling, protective parents why, if their children disliked the book, they continued reading it to them.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Rain
It's a shoes-stuffed-with-newspaper kind of evening here in Scarborough. I've had a good day at school, and I'm happily sitting in the (relative) warmth of my flat, thinking wistfully about hot chocolate...
I'm glad it's raining. I like it when it rains. I couldn't quite say why, but I think it's something to do with the way it proves that we don't have complete control over nature. When it rains, we get wet! That's kind of exciting. I get the same sort of feeling when I look at the sea, or stand on top of a mountain and hear that strange silence you get up in the hills, and feel the strong wind.
We used to have a great picture book when we were little. It was just called Rain, and there were no words inside, but beautiful illustrations of two children whose mum puts them into their wellies and raincoats and sends them out for a wet walk. At the end they come back home and have a steaming hot bath. If only I didn't have an assignment to write... today would be a fine day for just such a walk! But, alas, to educational theory I must turn.
Hmm, maybe I'll go and make that hot chocolate first.
I'm glad it's raining. I like it when it rains. I couldn't quite say why, but I think it's something to do with the way it proves that we don't have complete control over nature. When it rains, we get wet! That's kind of exciting. I get the same sort of feeling when I look at the sea, or stand on top of a mountain and hear that strange silence you get up in the hills, and feel the strong wind.
We used to have a great picture book when we were little. It was just called Rain, and there were no words inside, but beautiful illustrations of two children whose mum puts them into their wellies and raincoats and sends them out for a wet walk. At the end they come back home and have a steaming hot bath. If only I didn't have an assignment to write... today would be a fine day for just such a walk! But, alas, to educational theory I must turn.
Hmm, maybe I'll go and make that hot chocolate first.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Gravypeas!
This evening I have managed to create...
1. A giant mess in my kitchen
2. A giant Yorkshire Pudding
The first item on the list is almost disposed of (only the mixing bowl remains, soaking in the sink, in what used to be washing up water but is now, essentially, very diluted gravy...)
The second item is half disposed of, having been consumed for my tea (with mash and onion gravypeas, it goes without saying - except I seem to have said it). The other half is destined for tomorrow's lunch, although I can't quite decide what to put into my lunchbox with it. But I think it needs something. It'll be lonely on its own, poor Yorkshire Pudding.
I have also enjoyed a mug of hot chocolate whilst watching Emma (I'm rather enjoying the latest BBC adaptation, although I guess some parts of it are a little overdone... but then, it is Jane Austen!), and endeavoured to get to grips with a definition of play. This latest, despite excessive quantities of reading, feels something of a fruitless endeavour: the more I read about it, the less certain I am what it is.
Ah well. Whoever said that certainty made for a good assignment?
1. A giant mess in my kitchen
2. A giant Yorkshire Pudding
The first item on the list is almost disposed of (only the mixing bowl remains, soaking in the sink, in what used to be washing up water but is now, essentially, very diluted gravy...)
The second item is half disposed of, having been consumed for my tea (with mash and onion gravypeas, it goes without saying - except I seem to have said it). The other half is destined for tomorrow's lunch, although I can't quite decide what to put into my lunchbox with it. But I think it needs something. It'll be lonely on its own, poor Yorkshire Pudding.
I have also enjoyed a mug of hot chocolate whilst watching Emma (I'm rather enjoying the latest BBC adaptation, although I guess some parts of it are a little overdone... but then, it is Jane Austen!), and endeavoured to get to grips with a definition of play. This latest, despite excessive quantities of reading, feels something of a fruitless endeavour: the more I read about it, the less certain I am what it is.
Ah well. Whoever said that certainty made for a good assignment?
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Amusing, interesting or exciting?
I would write about something amusing, interesting or exciting, but nothing particularly amusing, interesting or exciting has been happening over the last few days...
Oh well, I suppose it was kind of amusing that I ended up dripping wet and completely lost on my way back from Uni on Friday, having attempted my usual seashore route only to find it blocked off by some very determined waves...
As for interesting - the assignment I'm doing on play is actually quite interesting (although most subjects will lose their appeal after several hours of solid study). At the moment I'm thinking that I could use the entire 4,000 words just trying to satisfy the introductory objective of defining play. I've been looking at the status of play historically too, and I was surprised to find that as early as the 1600s education "through the door of the senses" was advocated for young children instead of rote-learning. But it all went wrong when the government started to take over! I thought SATs were bad enough, but apparently in 1862 an Act was passed which meant that the amount of funding received by schools was to be determined by the number of children deemed proficient in reading, writing and arithmetic!
And something exciting? Perhaps it would be wisest to pay heed to The Railway Children and, far from wishing something exciting would happen, be glad that it hasn't!
Oh well, I suppose it was kind of amusing that I ended up dripping wet and completely lost on my way back from Uni on Friday, having attempted my usual seashore route only to find it blocked off by some very determined waves...
As for interesting - the assignment I'm doing on play is actually quite interesting (although most subjects will lose their appeal after several hours of solid study). At the moment I'm thinking that I could use the entire 4,000 words just trying to satisfy the introductory objective of defining play. I've been looking at the status of play historically too, and I was surprised to find that as early as the 1600s education "through the door of the senses" was advocated for young children instead of rote-learning. But it all went wrong when the government started to take over! I thought SATs were bad enough, but apparently in 1862 an Act was passed which meant that the amount of funding received by schools was to be determined by the number of children deemed proficient in reading, writing and arithmetic!
And something exciting? Perhaps it would be wisest to pay heed to The Railway Children and, far from wishing something exciting would happen, be glad that it hasn't!
Thursday, 15 October 2009
School Days
Yesterday was our first day in school. Claire (my placement partner) and I spent the day getting to know the children and the setting. In the morning we were shown around the classroom by a helpful lad who also demonstrated where to find the dustpan to sweep sand off the floor. We had numerous 'cards' made for us, mainly by the same boy, who liked to glue up the edges of them so we couldn't open them. After break we went for outdoor play.
I was surprised that the children in the class are obliged to spend one of the three daily sessions outside. However, there are loads of excellent resources - bicycles, scooters, wheely boards, big felt tips and giant paper, investigation kits, giant building blocks - and a large sheltered area in case it rains. The children spend a lot of time scooting about, balancing on the beams, arguing over the trailer-bike and, today, hiding in cardboard boxes. The class is made up of loads of interesting characters - great as individuals, but kind of hard to settle as a group. Perhaps this is why they don't really have much choice about going to play outside!
I spent most of yesterday afternoon kneeling down at the sand tray, being taught to make 'cakes' by four-year-old girls who then adopted me as their baby and insisted on feeding me sand pizza, soup and porridge. They wanted to play the same game today but, alas, I had been given a task by the teacher and had to call them over one at a time to make bear masks.
I'm exhausted now! I think that's mainly due to not sleeping much last night, but school seems quite tiring too. Not to mention the fact that I'm also meant to be working on my first assignment!
On the whole it's been a fun two days and I'm looking forward to going back next week.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Giraffabulous!
Today we had Show and Tell, so I took Geoffrey and Felicity to Teacher School with me.
For those of you who haven't met them, Geoffrey (a very down-to-earth, gentlemanly sort of elephant) and Felicity (a charming if somewhat highly-strung giraffe) are the best animal thespians I know. They met years ago [1] at the zoo where they both lived, and decided to form their own theatre company. They've been travelling ever since, performing various shows (both traditional and original) all over the world. Or so they say. Their version of Romeo and Juliet [2] is particularly to be recommended. They've both been living with me since Christmas, when my dear brother Edward introduced them to me. In short, we've taken rather a liking to each other, and I wouldn't be surprised if they stay.
My classmates were, I believe, pleased to meet them. And it's always fun going around for a day knowing you've got a giraffe and an elephant in your pocket. I almost took along Vince, the one-eared giraffe Noah brought back from Zambia, but I didn't want him to get hurt. He's quite a delicate creature.
Anyway, all this talk of giraffes (combined with one or two references on facebook) provoked a comment or two about my liking for these elegant yellow creatures. So whilst I'm on the subject, I may as well tell you about Ola Helland's project to collect one million giraffes by 2011. I can't remember how I stumbled upon the website [3] but I thought I'd draw a giraffe or two in order to contribute and, as Claire, Matthew and Simon will attest, it developed into something of a phase...
The only rule is that you're not allowed to use a computer to make your giraffe (and you have to make it yourself - you can't just go buying or photographing one). So when you have a moment, go and visit onemilliongiraffes.com, have a look at some of the charming creations on display, [4] and send in one of your own!
[1] Noah could tell you precisely when
[2] Performed in conjunction with Al the Alligator, and detailing the sad history of the feud between the Montaphant family and their sworn enemies the Capuraffes
[3] Actually, I think I may have been using StumbleUpon...
[4] There's a search link at the bottom. Search for 'Kate' and you'll get some that were, and some that were not, created by me... see if you can tell which ones are which!
For those of you who haven't met them, Geoffrey (a very down-to-earth, gentlemanly sort of elephant) and Felicity (a charming if somewhat highly-strung giraffe) are the best animal thespians I know. They met years ago [1] at the zoo where they both lived, and decided to form their own theatre company. They've been travelling ever since, performing various shows (both traditional and original) all over the world. Or so they say. Their version of Romeo and Juliet [2] is particularly to be recommended. They've both been living with me since Christmas, when my dear brother Edward introduced them to me. In short, we've taken rather a liking to each other, and I wouldn't be surprised if they stay.My classmates were, I believe, pleased to meet them. And it's always fun going around for a day knowing you've got a giraffe and an elephant in your pocket. I almost took along Vince, the one-eared giraffe Noah brought back from Zambia, but I didn't want him to get hurt. He's quite a delicate creature.
Anyway, all this talk of giraffes (combined with one or two references on facebook) provoked a comment or two about my liking for these elegant yellow creatures. So whilst I'm on the subject, I may as well tell you about Ola Helland's project to collect one million giraffes by 2011. I can't remember how I stumbled upon the website [3] but I thought I'd draw a giraffe or two in order to contribute and, as Claire, Matthew and Simon will attest, it developed into something of a phase...
The only rule is that you're not allowed to use a computer to make your giraffe (and you have to make it yourself - you can't just go buying or photographing one). So when you have a moment, go and visit onemilliongiraffes.com, have a look at some of the charming creations on display, [4] and send in one of your own!
[1] Noah could tell you precisely when
[2] Performed in conjunction with Al the Alligator, and detailing the sad history of the feud between the Montaphant family and their sworn enemies the Capuraffes
[3] Actually, I think I may have been using StumbleUpon...
[4] There's a search link at the bottom. Search for 'Kate' and you'll get some that were, and some that were not, created by me... see if you can tell which ones are which!
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Sleeplessness
Why is it that one good night of sleep, followed by an entire day of feeling awake and not tired, almost always results in insomnia the following night? I finally managed to wake up this morning (after ten hours asleep!) without feeling that the thing I most wanted to do was to crawl straight back into my bed and curl up under the covers. I had an entire day of not feeling tired! I did some work and took my library books back, and bought about a million file dividers. In the evening I went out for a while with some PGCE people. It was nice to see everybody, but there was a lot of alcohol... so I sloped off quite early and came home to talk to Noah. Then, feeling pleasantly sleepy, I headed to bed. But alas! It was an illusory somnolence! Here I am a couple of hours later, wide awake, drinking hot chocolate and trying to write something coherent about Vygotsky. It's not fair!
Friday, 9 October 2009
Friday
The first lecture this morning began with an interesting practical learning point. We were all required to go to the wall and stretch up with our hand to see who could reach the highest. Our respective hand-heights were marked with our initials. Then, just as we'd all got safely back to our seats, the lecturer requested us to go and have another try, and this time we all had to beat our first attempt. The point, very well demonstrated, was that most people can do better at something on their second attempt than on their first. We were exhorted to put that second-try amount of effort into our work in the Early Years.
Maths this afternoon was also interesting. We got to use Cuisenaire rods [1], read some stories, sing action songs [2] and make up a tea-party in the role play area. There was also a video to demonstrate some problems that can occur with learning to count. In the average room of students, a video with cute children in it might elicit one or two exclamations of 'awww' from the more sentimental individuals [3]. I love the way that on the Early Years PGCE any video or photo that is even slightly cute will, almost without exception, result in a chorus of 'awww' from the entire assembled gathering.
At the moment I'm supposedly attempting a comprehensive definition of 'play' for the first assignment, whilst trying to avoid drowning in a sea of almost-relevant legislation. But I did find some good reading in the library earlier and today has, on the whole, been a good day. Only it's hard not to compare this evening's occupation rather unfavourably with last Friday's!
[1] I haven't seen them for years, but I distinctly remember Luke utilising our set to turn entire swathes of carpet into multicoloured car parks for his matchbox cars
[2] I had to be a little speckled frog, sitting on a speckled log. Oh, those grubs were most delicious!
[3] Yes, myself included. Of course!
Maths this afternoon was also interesting. We got to use Cuisenaire rods [1], read some stories, sing action songs [2] and make up a tea-party in the role play area. There was also a video to demonstrate some problems that can occur with learning to count. In the average room of students, a video with cute children in it might elicit one or two exclamations of 'awww' from the more sentimental individuals [3]. I love the way that on the Early Years PGCE any video or photo that is even slightly cute will, almost without exception, result in a chorus of 'awww' from the entire assembled gathering.
At the moment I'm supposedly attempting a comprehensive definition of 'play' for the first assignment, whilst trying to avoid drowning in a sea of almost-relevant legislation. But I did find some good reading in the library earlier and today has, on the whole, been a good day. Only it's hard not to compare this evening's occupation rather unfavourably with last Friday's!
[1] I haven't seen them for years, but I distinctly remember Luke utilising our set to turn entire swathes of carpet into multicoloured car parks for his matchbox cars
[2] I had to be a little speckled frog, sitting on a speckled log. Oh, those grubs were most delicious!
[3] Yes, myself included. Of course!
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Second Week
Despite feeling preposterously busy, there hasn't actually been much going on to write home about... we've had some lectures and given some presentations, and I've spent quite a lot of time sitting on the floor surrounded by a pile of paper, trying to work out what to put in which file. I went to cell last night (we looked at gifts and callings, and prayed a lot, which was nice) and I've just been for a walk with Michaela to find our first placement school, which is only just down the road from my house.
I'm disappointed to say that I've not been for a walk by the sea since Monday. I used to walk home that way every day, but this week I've been fortunate enough to walk home with other people who live near me. It's really nice getting to know people a bit better - but I miss walking by the sea!
This evening I'm off to Ebenezer for the third session in the Alpha course we're running. Again it's nice to get to know people there, and to have a bit of a chat after watching the videos, but I have to confess that I've always struggled with Alpha. I don't know why. I guess I don't like the way it tries to package God up neatly in a smart green booklet [1], and I don't find the videos at all inspiring. But I have enjoyed the discussions afterwards. I'd appreciate some Alpha-related prayer!
[1] If Noah were here we could take a break for him to tell you all about McDonaldization
I'm disappointed to say that I've not been for a walk by the sea since Monday. I used to walk home that way every day, but this week I've been fortunate enough to walk home with other people who live near me. It's really nice getting to know people a bit better - but I miss walking by the sea!
This evening I'm off to Ebenezer for the third session in the Alpha course we're running. Again it's nice to get to know people there, and to have a bit of a chat after watching the videos, but I have to confess that I've always struggled with Alpha. I don't know why. I guess I don't like the way it tries to package God up neatly in a smart green booklet [1], and I don't find the videos at all inspiring. But I have enjoyed the discussions afterwards. I'd appreciate some Alpha-related prayer!
[1] If Noah were here we could take a break for him to tell you all about McDonaldization
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Jumping Beans
This afternoon we had PE! We were told to turn up in our PE kits (that is to say, loose/comfortable clothing and trainers), tie back our hair, and remove our jewellery. Then we all had to run around the hall playing Beans and Traffic Lights and Stuck in the Mud. That was ok. But then we progressed to throwing and catching skills, the difficulty of which increased quite rapidly. There are big windows in the doors of the hall where we do PE, and I'm fairly sure that 20 postgraduate students running about the room in random directions trying to throw and catch tennis balls with their weak hands [1] must have been an amusing sight to passers by.
Then it was back upstairs for yet another mass information session. It doesn't feel like I'm doing this PGCE, but more like the PGCE is something which is happening to me! I think we all felt we were getting to grips with things at the end of last week - we produced display boards and presentations, and had managed to assimilate at least some of the information they'd thrown at us. But the last two days have felt like chaos to me. I think it would be ok if I had a clear way of classifying all the different tasks, advice and guidance in my head - but I don't. It's all just sitting there in a big mental heap, not dissimilar to the big physical heap of information right here on the desk.
In fact it's rather like the PE lesson. All the different things we've been told are careering around inside my head in different directions, trying to catch runaway tennis balls... and I haven't a clue how to organise them! But I'm beginning to think that, clueless or not, I'm going to have to make an attempt. The heap on my desk must disappear. It's time for a little administrative trial and error!
[1] "That's the hand you don't colour with"
Then it was back upstairs for yet another mass information session. It doesn't feel like I'm doing this PGCE, but more like the PGCE is something which is happening to me! I think we all felt we were getting to grips with things at the end of last week - we produced display boards and presentations, and had managed to assimilate at least some of the information they'd thrown at us. But the last two days have felt like chaos to me. I think it would be ok if I had a clear way of classifying all the different tasks, advice and guidance in my head - but I don't. It's all just sitting there in a big mental heap, not dissimilar to the big physical heap of information right here on the desk.
In fact it's rather like the PE lesson. All the different things we've been told are careering around inside my head in different directions, trying to catch runaway tennis balls... and I haven't a clue how to organise them! But I'm beginning to think that, clueless or not, I'm going to have to make an attempt. The heap on my desk must disappear. It's time for a little administrative trial and error!
[1] "That's the hand you don't colour with"
Friday, 2 October 2009
Surprise!!
Crouching in a nook outside Milford Baptist Church, listening to the excited chatter of the departing Cruisers, I began to wonder how Noah would react to my unexpected presence. I hadn't really planned to surprise him but, after a busy morning of bear impressions, we had been released from university unusually early. And I've been missing him even more than usual over the past week. And there was that diary I needed to give to him... the opportunity seemed just too good to ignore.
Five hours and 350 miles later, I had plenty of time to ponder as I sat, half-hidden by Suzi, Noah's car, intently averting my eyes from all passers by so as not to attract their gaze. I was surprised, actually, that nobody saw me - one lady even walked within a metre of me and didn't notice me sitting there in the dark.
The Cruisers went home. I began to get a little chilly and quietly got out a jumper. After some time, the other leaders came out and drove away. By now I was shivering, and not a little anxious that the trip might have been misjudged - what if my arrival merely caused an inconvenience? Aaaah!
But eventually, Noah appeared. I saw him come over to his car, hesitate, and pick up the diary, which I had left under the windscreen wiper. He looked around but didn't see me at first. So I alerted him to my presence. I have to say that he appeared disappointingly unastonished, but he has assured me that he wasn't expecting anything. And he did seem happy. We went out to look at the stars, and to dance in the light of a moon so bright it cast our shadows, which danced as well.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Exhaustion!
People told me I was going to be tired... and they were right! Four days in and I'm exhausted. Today was actually a bit more relaxing - we spent most of the time in our groups rehearsing for our presentations. In my case this involved helping to write, type and rehearse a rhyming script about a bear looking for food in the forest; and making a giant slug out of shiny material [1].
Today I have also joined three teaching unions, bringing the number of free diaries in my possession up to four. That beats the total of free cloth bags, which is only at three - the NUT copped out and gave us plastic ones. However, their diary looks the best, and they also gave us a CD-ROM about behaviour management, so that's currently the favoured union among the Scarborough students.
Anyway, in my exhausted state I think I ought to go and read a little more about Reggio Emilia (which, in my limited knowledge, sounds fantastic!) before I collapse altogether. We've got the luxury of a 9.30 start in the morning - presumably they want us well-rested in order that we put on a good display tomorrow afternoon, when we bounce around the room dressed as woodland animals.
I love early years!
[1] I was about to comment about how very different this sort of thing is from the last degree I did... but then I remembered the Clemoes Reading Prize!
Today I have also joined three teaching unions, bringing the number of free diaries in my possession up to four. That beats the total of free cloth bags, which is only at three - the NUT copped out and gave us plastic ones. However, their diary looks the best, and they also gave us a CD-ROM about behaviour management, so that's currently the favoured union among the Scarborough students.
Anyway, in my exhausted state I think I ought to go and read a little more about Reggio Emilia (which, in my limited knowledge, sounds fantastic!) before I collapse altogether. We've got the luxury of a 9.30 start in the morning - presumably they want us well-rested in order that we put on a good display tomorrow afternoon, when we bounce around the room dressed as woodland animals.
I love early years!
[1] I was about to comment about how very different this sort of thing is from the last degree I did... but then I remembered the Clemoes Reading Prize!
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Day 3
Today began with the 62 of us modelling Year 1 pupils by jumping up and down doing action songs and telling our talk partners about the bears we had brought in. (I don't have a bear, so I took Joukahainen, my toy tiger, instead). We were then visited by an actual bear (she was real, she must have been, she talked to us! Although she did look uncannily like our course director dressed up in a furry suit...) before being divided into groups to begin preparing our own bear-themed presentations. This included the discussion of such weighty matters as whether it would be more effective to collect real leaves from outside or make our own out of paper; and the extent to which we needed to bowdlerise our invented world ("But if the Fox eats the Rabbits that will upset the children!")
Later we visited an actual Early Years setting, which was fun. It was after school so there were no children there, which was kind of nice, because we got the chance to play with all the equipment ourselves. And they gave us cake!
I'm really liking the idea of Early Years (as opposed to Key Stage 1). The Early Years Foundation Stage (the equivalent of a curriculum for 0-5 year olds) is great, as evidenced by the presence of a row of small wellies, ready for when the children want to go outside in the rain; videos and photos of children getting totally covered in mud and clay; and planning that involves listening to the children, seeing what they're interested in, and taking the learning from there. I could write so much more about play... but something tells me it's likely to come up again another day :)
Later we visited an actual Early Years setting, which was fun. It was after school so there were no children there, which was kind of nice, because we got the chance to play with all the equipment ourselves. And they gave us cake!
I'm really liking the idea of Early Years (as opposed to Key Stage 1). The Early Years Foundation Stage (the equivalent of a curriculum for 0-5 year olds) is great, as evidenced by the presence of a row of small wellies, ready for when the children want to go outside in the rain; videos and photos of children getting totally covered in mud and clay; and planning that involves listening to the children, seeing what they're interested in, and taking the learning from there. I could write so much more about play... but something tells me it's likely to come up again another day :)
Monday, 28 September 2009
It begins.
Today was my first day at Teacher School! This morning I made myself a packed lunch, found my pencil case, put on my uniform (not really!) and set off on the 25-minute walk to campus. On arrival I was, to my surprise, greeted by name by a lady I didn't recognise (she introduced herself as Elaine, and I realised she was the very helpful course assistant I had been emailing). All the PGCE and Education students piled into a big hall for an introductory talk, which in fact consisted of three introductory talks by three different people.
After the introductory talk, the PGCE students were taken off to a room upstairs to have an introductory talk. This was followed by a short break, and then another introductory talk. After that we did some science, which was fun: I won a bookmark for making a plasticene boat (it floated, but only just!) and we all did some Science Karaoke.
After that we had lunch, and then there was another introductory talk. After which we were separated into tutor groups and went to our different rooms for... wait for it... an introductory talk!
Then we went home.
Walking back along the seafront (yay!) I pondered the heaviness of my rucksack, newly filled with stacks of paper all about teaching small children. I guess I'm supposed to read it all, although not right now. Most of it is standards and procedures. But we were given some actual homework: a science audit to complete. The idea is that we test ourselves to see where the gaps in our knowledge are (although we do have to forward our scores to the science teacher!) The audit is available online, so if you're really bored, have a go and see what you think. I'm ashamed to say I only scored 73% (but I blame that on the confusing diagrams!)
On the whole, I think it's going to be fun.
After the introductory talk, the PGCE students were taken off to a room upstairs to have an introductory talk. This was followed by a short break, and then another introductory talk. After that we did some science, which was fun: I won a bookmark for making a plasticene boat (it floated, but only just!) and we all did some Science Karaoke.
After that we had lunch, and then there was another introductory talk. After which we were separated into tutor groups and went to our different rooms for... wait for it... an introductory talk!
Then we went home.
Walking back along the seafront (yay!) I pondered the heaviness of my rucksack, newly filled with stacks of paper all about teaching small children. I guess I'm supposed to read it all, although not right now. Most of it is standards and procedures. But we were given some actual homework: a science audit to complete. The idea is that we test ourselves to see where the gaps in our knowledge are (although we do have to forward our scores to the science teacher!) The audit is available online, so if you're really bored, have a go and see what you think. I'm ashamed to say I only scored 73% (but I blame that on the confusing diagrams!)
On the whole, I think it's going to be fun.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Soup Kitchen
Sometimes, God is hilarious.
I've been getting all excited about big ideas like 'community' and 'hospitality', feeling a strong desire to live in a loving way - but without quite knowing exactly how to go about it. So a couple of nights ago I had a pray, and felt that one good idea would be to try to set up a meal to invite homeless people to, or lonely people - the kind of people who'd appreciate a good meal and someone to chat to. I wondered vaguely if at some point something like that might happen through my new church.
Then this morning at church, the sermon was about anointing: how we can know our calling, but it is only by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (given by the grace of God) that we really become effective - become natural - at doing whatever it is that we're called to do. We were invited to go forward to be anointed (symbolic!) and prayed for (powerful!) and I felt it would be right to go, so forward I went. Michael, the minister, briefly asked what I felt my calling was - "Community, hospitality and loving people," I replied. He prayed and said he had an image of me loving people practially, giving out bowls of soup, that kind of thing. I was excited at this confirmation of my vision, presuming that it meant, at some nonspecified time in the future, I would be equipped to feed people.
But within 40 minutes, there I was, handing out actual bowls of soup to hungry people!
It turns out that Ebenezer already run something called The Kitchen every Sunday, providing a three course meal and company for people who need it. It turns out that it's run by a lady in the cell group I went to on Wednesday, and who was short of helpers today and asked if I'd like to go along. I did indeed like to go along, and I think it's something I may well become involved with long-term. I'm amazed that this vision came to be so quickly - but I know that God meant more than just this, and I'm really excited to see what happens next!
I've been getting all excited about big ideas like 'community' and 'hospitality', feeling a strong desire to live in a loving way - but without quite knowing exactly how to go about it. So a couple of nights ago I had a pray, and felt that one good idea would be to try to set up a meal to invite homeless people to, or lonely people - the kind of people who'd appreciate a good meal and someone to chat to. I wondered vaguely if at some point something like that might happen through my new church.
Then this morning at church, the sermon was about anointing: how we can know our calling, but it is only by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (given by the grace of God) that we really become effective - become natural - at doing whatever it is that we're called to do. We were invited to go forward to be anointed (symbolic!) and prayed for (powerful!) and I felt it would be right to go, so forward I went. Michael, the minister, briefly asked what I felt my calling was - "Community, hospitality and loving people," I replied. He prayed and said he had an image of me loving people practially, giving out bowls of soup, that kind of thing. I was excited at this confirmation of my vision, presuming that it meant, at some nonspecified time in the future, I would be equipped to feed people.
But within 40 minutes, there I was, handing out actual bowls of soup to hungry people!
It turns out that Ebenezer already run something called The Kitchen every Sunday, providing a three course meal and company for people who need it. It turns out that it's run by a lady in the cell group I went to on Wednesday, and who was short of helpers today and asked if I'd like to go along. I did indeed like to go along, and I think it's something I may well become involved with long-term. I'm amazed that this vision came to be so quickly - but I know that God meant more than just this, and I'm really excited to see what happens next!
Saturday, 26 September 2009
My first excursion
Today I had my first excursion by railway from Scarborough. It felt momentous, somehow... Scarborough feels more like home now that I've been somewhere and come back to it.
York was the destination of this first trip [1]. York, glorious county town, oozing with history; brimful of Roman, Norman and Medieval architecture; abounding in narrow, winding streets and Norse-influenced onomastics. Yes, there are tourists, modern high-street chains and lots of cars and buses... but there are gargoyles! A river! The Railway Museum! So many things to enjoy!
York was the destination of this first trip [1]. York, glorious county town, oozing with history; brimful of Roman, Norman and Medieval architecture; abounding in narrow, winding streets and Norse-influenced onomastics. Yes, there are tourists, modern high-street chains and lots of cars and buses... but there are gargoyles! A river! The Railway Museum! So many things to enjoy!
I'll try not to idealise it too much, but I've always loved York. Today Pam and I spent some time soaking up the stillness inside the Minster. I was excited to find that you can go up the tower - I don't know if you used to be able to, but I never have before. After enough spiral staircasing to make us quite dizzy we emerged into the shining blue world of outside. The sky was fenced off from us but we could see for miles: Clifford's Tower; the city walls; the North York Moors; even Pam's house! Definitely well worth the climb.
After a sandwich we wandered through the food festival, all agog to see whether this cornucopia of sights and smells could offer any cake that took our fancy. We found that, indeed, it could. The largest and most chocolatey muffins I have ever seen, and I mean ever. Mmmm!
A trip to Clifford's Tower and a sit beside the river in the sun concluded a very pleasant day of touristy exploring. And a conversation on the way back to the train station suggested another idea for a blog post. Pam and I had been talking all day about books and kept recommending things to each other, but I knew I'd never remember them all so I asked her to send me an email with the top ten. Then I thought other people might be interested too, so I've posted my top ten here. Have a look, let me know what you think, and post some recommendations for me to look up!
[1] Well, first apart from Whitby last week - but that was more of an impromptu family trip. And it was by car, not train.
After a sandwich we wandered through the food festival, all agog to see whether this cornucopia of sights and smells could offer any cake that took our fancy. We found that, indeed, it could. The largest and most chocolatey muffins I have ever seen, and I mean ever. Mmmm!
A trip to Clifford's Tower and a sit beside the river in the sun concluded a very pleasant day of touristy exploring. And a conversation on the way back to the train station suggested another idea for a blog post. Pam and I had been talking all day about books and kept recommending things to each other, but I knew I'd never remember them all so I asked her to send me an email with the top ten. Then I thought other people might be interested too, so I've posted my top ten here. Have a look, let me know what you think, and post some recommendations for me to look up!
[1] Well, first apart from Whitby last week - but that was more of an impromptu family trip. And it was by car, not train.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
When the Internet Breaks
My internet 'connection' has not been working very well recently, which is why I haven't posted anything for a few days. Sometimes it's fine; other times it just cuts out. Frustrating. Even Thom couldn't tell me what's wrong with it!
So, in the absence of instant communication with everywhere in the world, I've actually been doing a little pre-course reading. I have several nice books here, of which I think my favourite is The Excellence of Play by Janet Moyles. Not only does it have the best title ever for a textbook, it's also full of interesting articles and research showing how valuable play can be in the classroom. Marvellous.
I've also been walking along the clifftops (it's surprising how much the sea distorts things you're trying to look at - I was staring at a speck for absolutely ages, unsure whether it was a wave or a distant boat... I think I need some binoculars!)
Baking bread has formed another occupation in these heady pre-course days of freedom. Not to mention my (varyingly successful!) endeavours at cooking Indian style food, reading the whole of The Life of Pi (very good, I'd recommend it) and even... tidying my bedroom!
I've been doing a bit of churchy stuff too. Last night I went to a cell group where I met some very friendly people, and this evening I'm going to help out with the alpha course. I often find alpha frustrating and there are many reasons why I don't like it, but it's what the church is doing, I want to be involved, and even if it's not perfect, it's better than doing nothing. I've been reading The Irresistible Revolution again too (well, bits of it) and getting all excited.
Time, I think, to go and partake of some of that freshly baked bread (mmm).
Oh, and in case you're wondering, it was a boat.
So, in the absence of instant communication with everywhere in the world, I've actually been doing a little pre-course reading. I have several nice books here, of which I think my favourite is The Excellence of Play by Janet Moyles. Not only does it have the best title ever for a textbook, it's also full of interesting articles and research showing how valuable play can be in the classroom. Marvellous.
I've also been walking along the clifftops (it's surprising how much the sea distorts things you're trying to look at - I was staring at a speck for absolutely ages, unsure whether it was a wave or a distant boat... I think I need some binoculars!)
Baking bread has formed another occupation in these heady pre-course days of freedom. Not to mention my (varyingly successful!) endeavours at cooking Indian style food, reading the whole of The Life of Pi (very good, I'd recommend it) and even... tidying my bedroom!
I've been doing a bit of churchy stuff too. Last night I went to a cell group where I met some very friendly people, and this evening I'm going to help out with the alpha course. I often find alpha frustrating and there are many reasons why I don't like it, but it's what the church is doing, I want to be involved, and even if it's not perfect, it's better than doing nothing. I've been reading The Irresistible Revolution again too (well, bits of it) and getting all excited.
Time, I think, to go and partake of some of that freshly baked bread (mmm).
Oh, and in case you're wondering, it was a boat.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Scarborough by Night
It got to about 6.30 this evening before I realised that I hadn't yet seen the sea today. Very remiss, I felt, given my proximity to it, so I wandered out for an evening walk along the front, and took a few photos. They're all taken with my phone, as my film and digital cameras both managed to stop working about a month ago (woe!)
South Bay, from over by the harbour
I love the green illumination on Spa Bridge!
The geology museum just down the road
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Ebenezer Baptist Church
I have just been to one of the most beautiful church services I've ever experienced. It was beautiful not because of how the building looked, or because of how the music sounded (although I did enjoy it), or for any external reason - it was beautiful because of the Spirit of God present among us and within us, and because of the sense of welcome and community I felt.
We began by singing some worship songs in a modern style. These gradually gave way onto a period of silence, infused by the Holy Spirit. To my great surprise, an individual suddenly began to sing. He wasn't singing in English - I didn't recognise what the language was - but I did recognise the recurring word Iesu. The style of the song was somewhat reminiscent of a monastic chant. After some time he began to sing in English, translating what were praises to Jesus. After that, other people spoke, or sang, what was in their hearts. Sometimes we all joined in, and sometimes we didn't. We waited on God. It was beautiful.
After a time the band began to play again and somebody read from the Bible over the music. Then came a talk about the importance, and the difficulty, of using the gifts God has given us to serve him. It's not always easy, and it's often demanding. Sometimes what we have to do can scare us. But this is how we serve our Lord. It's not about setting up a comfortable life, a comfortable church, for ourselves. It's about being obedient and showing God's love to the world.
At the end of the service, there was conversation galore! Indeed, before the service had even ended, one of the elders approached me and surprised me greatly (in a good way!) by asking whether I might be willing to come on the Alpha course the church is about to run, not as a guest, but to help out. They were in need of volunteers around my age, and had been praying about it in the afternoon. I was (and am!) terribly excited - I know that God has reasons for my being in Scarborough other than the PGCE I'm about to start, and though of course I will ensure that I give my studies all the energy they demand, I know that if God wants me to be doing other things too he'll give me the extra energy I need for that. I was made to feel even more welcome (and even more excited!) by chatting with some other church members, being generally invited to the stuff that goes on at Ebenezer - and even being given a lift home by a very kind lady called Helen.
I am delighted to feel so much part of things already. It seems that this is the beginning of God's wonderful answer to many of my prayers: prayers about how to serve him; prayers for opportunities to love people practically; prayers about community; prayers that I would find people in Scarborough to be with; prayers that he would guide me to the right place. Thank you Lord!
We began by singing some worship songs in a modern style. These gradually gave way onto a period of silence, infused by the Holy Spirit. To my great surprise, an individual suddenly began to sing. He wasn't singing in English - I didn't recognise what the language was - but I did recognise the recurring word Iesu. The style of the song was somewhat reminiscent of a monastic chant. After some time he began to sing in English, translating what were praises to Jesus. After that, other people spoke, or sang, what was in their hearts. Sometimes we all joined in, and sometimes we didn't. We waited on God. It was beautiful.
After a time the band began to play again and somebody read from the Bible over the music. Then came a talk about the importance, and the difficulty, of using the gifts God has given us to serve him. It's not always easy, and it's often demanding. Sometimes what we have to do can scare us. But this is how we serve our Lord. It's not about setting up a comfortable life, a comfortable church, for ourselves. It's about being obedient and showing God's love to the world.
At the end of the service, there was conversation galore! Indeed, before the service had even ended, one of the elders approached me and surprised me greatly (in a good way!) by asking whether I might be willing to come on the Alpha course the church is about to run, not as a guest, but to help out. They were in need of volunteers around my age, and had been praying about it in the afternoon. I was (and am!) terribly excited - I know that God has reasons for my being in Scarborough other than the PGCE I'm about to start, and though of course I will ensure that I give my studies all the energy they demand, I know that if God wants me to be doing other things too he'll give me the extra energy I need for that. I was made to feel even more welcome (and even more excited!) by chatting with some other church members, being generally invited to the stuff that goes on at Ebenezer - and even being given a lift home by a very kind lady called Helen.
I am delighted to feel so much part of things already. It seems that this is the beginning of God's wonderful answer to many of my prayers: prayers about how to serve him; prayers for opportunities to love people practically; prayers about community; prayers that I would find people in Scarborough to be with; prayers that he would guide me to the right place. Thank you Lord!
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Three whales, one Abbey and 199 steps
Mum, Luke and Ed have been to drop off the rest of my stuff (in fact most of my stuff) which I'd left in Cambridge. Thank you all very much!!
After we'd unloaded the car (not as easy as it sounds, as you'd notice if you saw the steep slope my house is built on!), and of course sampled Cake No. 1 (recipe now posted below), our priority was to take a trip to the cornucopia of Sutcliffe Family nostalgia that is Whitby. Most of my classic childhood memories seem to be associated with Whitby: wandering in awe around the huge ruined abbey; sitting right on the edge of the cliff eating our sandwiches; counting the 199 steps; fudge from Justin's; fish and chips on the beach; and, of course, playing in the sea until we were almost blue with cold.
Yesterday was a fine opportunity for us all to reminisce about these and other things. I liked the new set-up at the Abbey - they have a big visitor centre now, with some interesting displays, and a new back entrance. I was a little disappointed by the audio tour (which pronounced Cædmon incorrectly, talked about his poetry without quoting any Old English at all, and was generally read in a very over-emphatic way) but the abbey itself remained as craggily peaceful as always. They've now fenced off the sloping cliff-edge where we used to happily gambol about eating our picnic; clearly the authorities sided with Mum and Dad's view that it was a little too dangerous. The pier remains the same - as does Justin's Fudge Shop, even down to the 'bags of scraps' we always used to buy.
But we were very disappointed, scanning the skyline on the opposite side of the valley, that we couldn't see the whale's jawbone arch. Passing through it had been an almost ritual event in childhood trips to Whitby: shivering slightly, awed at the immensity of the jaw and disquieted that it was real bone, I would walk nervously through the arch. I never dared to actually touch the bones, but a trip to Whitby wasn't a trip to Whitby without it. Suddenly one of the boys glimpsed the arch, there atop the cliff after all. We climbed the slope to go and have a look, complaining as we approached that we had remembered the arch as being much bigger.
For once, though, this feeling was not just one of nostalgia. The arch we remembered from our childhood had, it turns out, become too fragile through erosion to remain in place any longer. It was replaced in 2003, after a worldwide search for spare whale bones, the council being wisely unwilling to kill a whale for the sake of preserving Whitby's heritage. This new arch is made from the jawbone of a bowhead whale [1], and is 15 feet tall, a good 5 feet shorter than the one we remembered. So it wasn't just that we had grown since the old days - the arch actually has shrunk as well [2]!
[1] Killed in Alaska by Inuits.
[2] It seems that the arch I remember from my childhood wasn't the original either. The first whalebone arch to stand at Whitby was placed there in the 1850s, and is now in the Whitby Archive and Heritage Centre; it was replaced in 1963 with the arch I recall, the jawbone of a fin whale caught by Norwegian Thor Dahl off Antarctica. I'm curious to know where the 1963 arch now is.
After we'd unloaded the car (not as easy as it sounds, as you'd notice if you saw the steep slope my house is built on!), and of course sampled Cake No. 1 (recipe now posted below), our priority was to take a trip to the cornucopia of Sutcliffe Family nostalgia that is Whitby. Most of my classic childhood memories seem to be associated with Whitby: wandering in awe around the huge ruined abbey; sitting right on the edge of the cliff eating our sandwiches; counting the 199 steps; fudge from Justin's; fish and chips on the beach; and, of course, playing in the sea until we were almost blue with cold.
Yesterday was a fine opportunity for us all to reminisce about these and other things. I liked the new set-up at the Abbey - they have a big visitor centre now, with some interesting displays, and a new back entrance. I was a little disappointed by the audio tour (which pronounced Cædmon incorrectly, talked about his poetry without quoting any Old English at all, and was generally read in a very over-emphatic way) but the abbey itself remained as craggily peaceful as always. They've now fenced off the sloping cliff-edge where we used to happily gambol about eating our picnic; clearly the authorities sided with Mum and Dad's view that it was a little too dangerous. The pier remains the same - as does Justin's Fudge Shop, even down to the 'bags of scraps' we always used to buy.
But we were very disappointed, scanning the skyline on the opposite side of the valley, that we couldn't see the whale's jawbone arch. Passing through it had been an almost ritual event in childhood trips to Whitby: shivering slightly, awed at the immensity of the jaw and disquieted that it was real bone, I would walk nervously through the arch. I never dared to actually touch the bones, but a trip to Whitby wasn't a trip to Whitby without it. Suddenly one of the boys glimpsed the arch, there atop the cliff after all. We climbed the slope to go and have a look, complaining as we approached that we had remembered the arch as being much bigger.
For once, though, this feeling was not just one of nostalgia. The arch we remembered from our childhood had, it turns out, become too fragile through erosion to remain in place any longer. It was replaced in 2003, after a worldwide search for spare whale bones, the council being wisely unwilling to kill a whale for the sake of preserving Whitby's heritage. This new arch is made from the jawbone of a bowhead whale [1], and is 15 feet tall, a good 5 feet shorter than the one we remembered. So it wasn't just that we had grown since the old days - the arch actually has shrunk as well [2]!
[1] Killed in Alaska by Inuits.
[2] It seems that the arch I remember from my childhood wasn't the original either. The first whalebone arch to stand at Whitby was placed there in the 1850s, and is now in the Whitby Archive and Heritage Centre; it was replaced in 1963 with the arch I recall, the jawbone of a fin whale caught by Norwegian Thor Dahl off Antarctica. I'm curious to know where the 1963 arch now is.
Friday, 18 September 2009
Tide Tables
Today I have managed to fulfil an ambition I've held for several years. It wasn't a majorly important one - in fact I suspect it may be quite sad, as ambitions go - but I don't care. I am very happy to inform the world that I am now the proud owner of a local Tide Table.
Ever since I heard of the existence of this majestic document, detailing predictions of the times of high tide throughout the year, I have longed to be one of the privileged few to be able to consult its pages. Casual beach walks would be transformed; no longer a mere tourist, I would be able to predict the best moment at which to swim; to choose the ideal place for a sandcastle so that it would be just ready to defend when the waters began to surge around it; to say, with an informed air, "Well, the tide is going out, so it doesn't matter where we put our deckchairs." [1]
I jest. But truly, it is an interesting document to me, probably because I don't understand tides at all, and find them quite fascinating. Of course the ambition to own a tide chart was probably in reality an ambition to have a legitimate reason to own one - and I consider living three minutes' walk from the sea to be quite legitimate [2]. Should I wish to view the next high tide I must venture out at 4.50 in the morning; my subsequent opportunity would be at 5.23 tomorrow afternoon. I was surprised, actually, how quickly the time of high tide changes. There seems to be a difference of 40 to 50 minutes between high tide one afternoon and the next; for no particular reason I used to imagine that the difference would be much smaller. But I learn from the BBC's Tide FAQ page (!) that high tides occur about every 12 hours 25 minutes. I am also excited [3] to discover that the highest spring tides [4] occur close to the equinoxes. The autumnal equinox is about to occur, and indeed I note from my copy of the local Tide Tables (tee hee!) that Sunday morning's tide is predicted to be a particularly high one.
I am, however, unlikely to be getting up at 5.30 in the morning for the purpose of viewing the spectacle.
[1] Sentence for illustrative purposes only - I don't think I've ever actually taken a deckchair to the beach.
[2] Not to mention rather exciting.
[3] Mildly excited.
[4] That's 'spring' as in 'bounce', by the way, referring to the highest tide in a lunar month; its antithesis, the neap tide, is worth mentioning simply because it has a great name.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Cake No. 1
Cake plays a significant part in my plans for the coming year. Might sound silly, but I think cake is a jolly good way to build community - it's much easier to talk to somebody if you have something to offer them. And it might be a bit of an old-fashioned-housewife sort of attitude, but I really do think that giving someone delicious home made food is a good way of showing them you care. However, despite my good intentions, the food I make isn't always delicious, so I thought I'd better break my new kitchen in slowly with a bit of practice. Cooking with electric hobs takes a while to get used to (Tuesday's noodles would have been ready a lot sooner if I'd remembered to turn that switch on the wall to 'on'...) and I'm already thinking it would be nice to have more than a metre of worktop, but really I can't complain. There's a fridge, freezer, grill, oven, hobs, sink and loads of cupboard space, and thanks to the kitchen-lounge arrangement there's even space for people to hang around while I cook [1].
I am sampling a (small) second slice of Cake No. 1 as I type [2]. It's actually quite delicious, which came as something of a surprise, because I thought I was making a complete mess of the weight conversions. It's from a Canadian recipe book [3] so everything is measured in cups, but I never quite liked the idea of measuring butter by squishing it into a mug, so I used this handy conversion site and it came out fine. I love the icing - you make it by melting up some jam and chocolate with a little milk, and it comes out yummy and sticky.
Anyway, it's quite a large cake, so there should be plenty left on Saturday to offer as a reward to any of my brothers who might feel like coming along with Mum to help carry the rest of my boxes up the stairs...
On the whole I would deem Cake No. 1 a success. May it be the first of many!
[1] All I need is some people... but, as I've mentioned, that's why I'm baking cake!
[2] For the peace of mind of Claire and Matthew, I would just like to state that before I had any cake I ate all of my first course, which included salad.
[3] Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, very kindly purchased for my by my Auntie Ann when I visited her in Vancouver in 2002.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Exploring Scarborough
I'm exhausted! I've spent the afternoon roaming the streets of Scarborough, discovering the exciting attractions it holds in store for myself and my potential visitors. Firstly, I should note that the number of pick 'n' mix purveyors I've discovered has gone up to five, one of which is a genuine scoop and weigh shop! Why do you only ever see those at the seaside? Chip shops are too numerous for me to count, and Scarborough seems to have almost as many churches as Cambridge.
In fact I'm quite baffled which church to attend. I've been praying about it quite a bit, because I've decided I don't really want to go "church shopping" - that is to say, attending services at several churches and choosing one on the basis of what I believe will best serve my own needs. I've been thinking a lot about community lately, and I reckon it's rather more important to be involved in a very local church that serves the area I live in. I want my walk with God to be about how I can do stuff for him and focus on others instead of myself. But here's where it gets paradoxical, because in seeking the best church environment in which to serve and worship, I find myself once again "church shopping"!
Going with the community thing, though, I've decided to attend Ebenezer Baptist Church this Sunday. I had seen from the website that they appear to be quite interested in community involvement. Then today I was wandering around looking for the castle, and suddenly felt like it would be a good idea to walk down a particular street, even though it apparently led into a residential area. A couple of minutes later I glimpsed a church-like building. Although I vaguely wondered if it was Ebenezer (it looked sort of baptisty, somehow...), I was astonished when I got there to discover that it actually was! Not only that, but there was someone there - one of the elders, putting a box of books into a car. We had a nice chat. Maybe it was just coincidence, but the combination of finding the place by getting lost and making my second acquaintance in Scarborough (the first was a homeless lady who likes egg sandwiches) gave me that Holy Spirit sort of feeling.
I then had a gleeful gallivant around Peasholm Park, saw the miniature railway, and watched waves crashing into the sea wall and coming up onto the pavement along Royal Albert Drive. Ascending to the castle via a playground I had espied halfway up the hill, I met a boy who laughed with me at my futile attempts to shimmy up the climbing post (this was a good playground!) and did his best to show me how it was supposed to work. I had a good look around the castle itself, reminiscing about childhood visits (I'm sure I was drilled as a Roman Soldier there on one occasion) and delighting in the fact that I could see the bottom of my street from its battlements.
51 hours in, I'm loving being a resident of Scarborough!
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Morning View
It's a bit of a wonky photo (taken on a phone), but I wanted to show a glimpse of the glorious beauty of the view down towards Flamborough Head from the beach at the end of the road. It doesn't always look the same, but it seems to always look beautiful. This morning the mist came in a little, but there was sunshine behind the clouds. The sea was full of people surfing!
Living on my own
I'm quite excited about my new flat. The location is one of my favourite things about it. Not only is it ideally situated for gallivanting (only five minutes from the beach) and for visitors (five minutes the other way to the station), but town (with a fine range of shops including three separate purveyors of pick and mix!) is also very nearby.
I'm enjoying being inside the flat too. Its position on the second floor of a building set back from the road up a fairly steep incline affords a delightful sensation of high-up-ness and the chance to look out of beautiful large sash windows down to the street below. The huge windows also let in a lot of sunlight (fortunate perhaps, as my electricity is on a pound-coin-operated meter!) and make me all nostalgic about the house I grew up in.
It's sort of strange not to have housemates. I'm very much enjoying being able to arrange things exactly as I like and to do the washing up just when I want, and it's nice to know that I definitely won't be getting in anybody's way if I decide to stay up all night reading in the living room [1] or get up to make breakfast at 6am [2]. I have to confess, though, that I do get lonely quite easily, and I'm already trying to work out how I can be hospitable with this exciting space I've got. Initial attempts to make friends with my next door neighbour didn't go brilliantly (there was no answer when I knocked on the door), but I have a hope and a faith that God will lead me into friendship and community during my time here. Please pray that he leads me to the right people!
[1] This is quite likely.
[2] This is considerably less likely. At least, it is until my placements begin...
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