So, I'm sure you are all dying to hear how my interview went today, and I hate to keep you all on the edge of your seats...
The interview was fantastic, the women I interviewed with seemed to really like me, and basically offered me the job. It really would be ideal for me in many ways. The kids are adorable, of course. Today was a special day, which they have twice a month. This one was International Day, so each room was a different country, and the kids all had costumes to represent other countries and flags painted on their faces. I got a tour of the school, and I felt excited by the idea of working there...
BUT... (always the but)
I felt that they were a little vague on the visa issue. They did not seem very familiar with the process of obtaining a work permit, which made me uneasy. ALSO, the pay is not very much for the number of hours I would be working. There would be no option as to whether I would have to work on the side. They want me to work 25 hours a week, which is part-time, but when you consider that a full load for a teacher is typically 25 classroom hours, it doesn't leave a lot of time for side work. Also, when I did the math, I would be making only 5 dollars an hour after taxes, compared to a decent salary teaching at a language school which would be more than twice that amount.
SO, sadly, I think I will have to turn down this position. If I did not have to worry about things like immigration law and paying my rent, things would be different, but unfortunately...it's life.
So summary of the day: Great interview for a job I can't afford to take. Lots of travelling across Prague on metro and bus. Teaching in the afternoon went very well. I've still been improving with each lesson. THEN, an awesome surprise...
I received an email from one of the smaller language schools I'd applied to called "Tea Time". It looks like a very unique one, actually. The email was from the owner. She said that while they did not have many openings at the moment, she is personally looking for a native speaker to teach her 15 year old daughter. She asked me to interview with her for the position. She also said that hopefully more positions would open up soon in the school.
This is very exciting because for one thing it would be great to get a private student in the first place. This is how you can make the most money. Even better is to have the opportunity to teach the daughter of someone who is so experienced. It's flattering to be asked. It would give me the opportunity to demonstrate my reliability and character so that when more postions open at the school I will be a candidate.
Here's the website for the school, you can read about Jana (the owner who I will interview with), as well as see how the school is somewhat different than a typical language school... mainly that it is very personalized. The students choose their own teachers based on their various backgrounds and interests. This seems like it would be a great opportunity to get recommendations for more private students.
Website: About tea time
After class, I headed out to my new apartment to sign my lease and pay my deposit and rent for March, when I move in. I stayed for a while and chatted with Iva. I told her how when I met her the other night I felt very good about it like it was "right" and she said that she felt that way too. I think I made a good decision there.
Friday I was going to spend the morning observing class at the preschool and getting to know everyone, but now that I've decided I can't accept the job I will have to cancel. The job fair is the same morning, and since I don't have a job yet, I think I should be there. I have an interview in the afternoon with one of the larger language schools in Prague who I know for sure helps with visas. The catch is that they are interviewing everyone from our program who applied with them. I think they are hiring for several positions, but there are five of us who are interviewing...it sucks to be competing with friends for the same jobs.
I guess it's just a dog eat dog world here in Prague.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Almost done...
Just finished the first day of our last week of the course. It's a short week, too, so it will really fly by.
I have an interview in the morning at a bilingual Arts Preschool for a part-time position. I hope I get the job (as long as I am able to get a work permit from them, that is). The school holds lessons in English in the mornings and lessons in Czech in the afternoon. If I can land this job and they can provide me with a work permit, it would be an ideal situation because I would be able to have a set schedule of working there in the mornings, which would leave my schedule open in the afternoon and evenings. Since I would have a work permit through that job, I could pick up part time work at any language school regardless of whether or not they can offer a work permit. That way I could teach adults part time as well.
It would be the best of both worlds. I would get to spend time with little kids, which I love. I would be able to use my art background, which would make me happy. And, I would still get to use all of the skills I learned in my TEFL course to teach English to adults.
Hopefully, this is what happens. BUT if not, I have another interview on Friday with a language school who I know helps with visas. Also, the job fair is on Friday as well.
Still, wish me luck...
I have an interview in the morning at a bilingual Arts Preschool for a part-time position. I hope I get the job (as long as I am able to get a work permit from them, that is). The school holds lessons in English in the mornings and lessons in Czech in the afternoon. If I can land this job and they can provide me with a work permit, it would be an ideal situation because I would be able to have a set schedule of working there in the mornings, which would leave my schedule open in the afternoon and evenings. Since I would have a work permit through that job, I could pick up part time work at any language school regardless of whether or not they can offer a work permit. That way I could teach adults part time as well.
It would be the best of both worlds. I would get to spend time with little kids, which I love. I would be able to use my art background, which would make me happy. And, I would still get to use all of the skills I learned in my TEFL course to teach English to adults.
Hopefully, this is what happens. BUT if not, I have another interview on Friday with a language school who I know helps with visas. Also, the job fair is on Friday as well.
Still, wish me luck...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
I'm so good at hunting
I got back from looking at the room a little bit ago.
As soon as I met Ivana, who will be my flatmate and who I'd been writing to online about the apartment, I felt very comfortable. The apartment is really cozy. It's very clean and everything is nice. I will have lots of room for storage in my room. One wall is all wardrobe space and another is all bookshelves. I have my own little balcony and window which my desk faces. My bed is really big, which will be nice. There is one other flatmate, a male. I met him just for a moment and he also seems very friendly. Both of my flatmates are Czech. Ivana's English is really good (she wanted an English speaking flatmate to brush up on her speaking skills). Hopefully I can coax her into helping me learn a little Czech as well.
I can move into the room on March 1st. Between the end of the course and when I can move into my new flat, I will stay at the hotel which works with my school. They are offering rooms for those who want to stay in Prague for a very cheap month's rent. The other girls who are going to stay in Prague will also be staying the month at the hotel, so we'll all be there together.
It feels so good to have accomplished one of the big things on my list. After I got home, I cooked myself a nice dinner. A stir-fry with broccoli, onion, garlic, ginger and tofu. I found these really delicious tofu cutlets at Tesco the other day. I made dinner for Marissa Friday night and she really liked them too. She and Sasha both bought some today, so now our fridge is stuffed with tofu. :)
I'd really love to write more right now but unfortunately I need to work on school stuff. Those lesson plans aren't going to write themselves.
As soon as I met Ivana, who will be my flatmate and who I'd been writing to online about the apartment, I felt very comfortable. The apartment is really cozy. It's very clean and everything is nice. I will have lots of room for storage in my room. One wall is all wardrobe space and another is all bookshelves. I have my own little balcony and window which my desk faces. My bed is really big, which will be nice. There is one other flatmate, a male. I met him just for a moment and he also seems very friendly. Both of my flatmates are Czech. Ivana's English is really good (she wanted an English speaking flatmate to brush up on her speaking skills). Hopefully I can coax her into helping me learn a little Czech as well.
I can move into the room on March 1st. Between the end of the course and when I can move into my new flat, I will stay at the hotel which works with my school. They are offering rooms for those who want to stay in Prague for a very cheap month's rent. The other girls who are going to stay in Prague will also be staying the month at the hotel, so we'll all be there together.
It feels so good to have accomplished one of the big things on my list. After I got home, I cooked myself a nice dinner. A stir-fry with broccoli, onion, garlic, ginger and tofu. I found these really delicious tofu cutlets at Tesco the other day. I made dinner for Marissa Friday night and she really liked them too. She and Sasha both bought some today, so now our fridge is stuffed with tofu. :)
I'd really love to write more right now but unfortunately I need to work on school stuff. Those lesson plans aren't going to write themselves.
The hunt is on!
The job hunt and the apartment hunt, that is...
I had my first interview on Friday. The interview went fine but this school could not help me with a work permit (which I need for my visa). So, the hunt continues. I received another email today from an arts preschool inviting me for an interview. I responded with my availability and hope to hear back with a date tomorrow. I sent out a lot of CVs on Friday so hopefully I will hear from some of those schools over the next few days. Also, we have a job fair at our school later in the week where some language schools come to recruit. I have already been corresponding with one of them so hopefully I will have an interview there too.
Apartments - I looked at some flats yesterday owned by an Irish fellow I met. They are very nice and brand new but more for students as they are shared bedrooms. Today I looked at one in the afternoon. It was in a nice quiet part of Prague but a little dingy and depressing. I don't think that will be the one. Tonight I will be viewing another apartment. Its downside is it is a little bit far out (not sure how long it will take to get there yet) probably about 20 minutes to get to the center. The upside is that the woman I've been corresponding with, who would be one of my flatmates, is very nice and the apartment looks extremely clean and neat from the pictures. Also, I would have a king size bed and lots of storage space in my room, and all of the furniture looks very sleek (probably all from IKEA).
I need to head out to look at the flat, I'll try to write some more later and let everyone know if I like it or not!
I had my first interview on Friday. The interview went fine but this school could not help me with a work permit (which I need for my visa). So, the hunt continues. I received another email today from an arts preschool inviting me for an interview. I responded with my availability and hope to hear back with a date tomorrow. I sent out a lot of CVs on Friday so hopefully I will hear from some of those schools over the next few days. Also, we have a job fair at our school later in the week where some language schools come to recruit. I have already been corresponding with one of them so hopefully I will have an interview there too.
Apartments - I looked at some flats yesterday owned by an Irish fellow I met. They are very nice and brand new but more for students as they are shared bedrooms. Today I looked at one in the afternoon. It was in a nice quiet part of Prague but a little dingy and depressing. I don't think that will be the one. Tonight I will be viewing another apartment. Its downside is it is a little bit far out (not sure how long it will take to get there yet) probably about 20 minutes to get to the center. The upside is that the woman I've been corresponding with, who would be one of my flatmates, is very nice and the apartment looks extremely clean and neat from the pictures. Also, I would have a king size bed and lots of storage space in my room, and all of the furniture looks very sleek (probably all from IKEA).
I need to head out to look at the flat, I'll try to write some more later and let everyone know if I like it or not!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Nice, quiet weekend - Ready to begin the second half!
As promised, I'll write this time about our trip to the Jewish Quarters last weekend. First, a little background:
Jews have a rich history in Prague, having been in the area for over 1000 years. In fact, Prague was one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe for many centuries leading up to the Holocaust, after which much of the small portion of the country's Jewish population that survived chose to emigrate. It should be noted that although the Jews have a long and rich history in Prague, that history, as in Jewish communities the world over, is rife with persecution and inequality. World War II was certainly not the first time Jewish people were forced to live in ghettos, made to wear distinctive clothing, or expelled from large areas of Europe. Jews in Prague were forced to live in a ghetto as early as the 12th century. In 1389, almost the entire Jewish population of Prague was killed when the Jewish quarter was ransacked, pillaged and burnt (with support of the clergy). There were several times between 1500-1750 when Jews were expelled from Prague. Yet in the early 18th century, there were more Jews living in Prague than in any other city in the world. Despite such a rocky path, the Jewish people did make progress over time in regard to their rights. The ghetto was finally abolished in 1852, and became an official district of Prague. It is named Josefov, after Emperor Joseph II (1780-1790) who unlocked the gates to the ghetto and issued an Edict of Toleration, allowing the Jews to engage in commerce and culture.
Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, is now a big draw for tourists. It is especially notable because, unlike with other cities in Europe, where the Jewish areas were partially or completely destroyed during German occupation, Prague's Jewish Quarter was allowed to stand. Presumably this was because Hitler intended the area to be used in the future as a sort of museum of "an extinct race". My first thought was that it was surprising Hitler would have chosen a place so illustrative of the highly developed sense of beauty and culture of the Jews. Whatever the reason, it is fortunate for all of us that the Quarter survived the war. Today it features beautiful synagogues now housing museums of Jewish history and culture. The architecture in this part of the city is amazingly beautiful. I could spend many days wandering around this area. The exhibits inside the synagogues are also amazing, albeit sobering. The first one we went to had many ancient texts surviving from Jewish history in Prague. I love looking at really old books and manuscripts. The craftsmanship, and the amount of time it must have taken to hand letter entire volumes... it astounds me.
The second museum we walked through (Pinkas synagogue) was definitely the most sobering. It is a beautiful synagogue, empty except for the names of all of the Bohemian and Moravian Jews that died in the Holocaust, painstakingly hand-painted in tiny script with the birth and death dates. They cover the walls from floor to ceiling. During the communist occupation, this museum was partially destroyed, so all of the names had to be carefully repainted again a second time years later. It's so hard for us as people to picture what 80,000 looks like. This display helps to show us just how many it is. The hardest part is seeing the dates, when you see one that looks like this: (1937-1944) or (1940-1944). The really mind-boggling part is that 80,000 (the number of Bohemian and Moravian Jews killed) is only a fraction of the much larger number (6,000,000) killed during the Holocaust. I just did the math, and the number of names written on the walls of that synagogue, which seem to go on an on and on, represent only .013 percent of the total.
As if that weren't enough to have you feeling a little sick inside, the most intense portion of the museum is upstairs, where there is an exhibition of artwork created by Jewish children in Terezin. Terezin (German name, Theresienstadt) is a garrison city in what is now the Czech Republic. It was built during the reign of Joseph II (mentioned above), but the Nazis took it over and turned it into a large ghetto and prison. If you've heard of the propaganda video where the Nazis painted a picture of concentration camps as "nice communities" for Jewish people (to combat international rumors of human rights abuse) this is where it was filmed. In fact, conditions in Terezin were nothing like what was portrayed in the film. 50,000-60,000 Jews were forced to live in barracks designed to hold 7,000 soldiers. Additionally the camp was often used as a temporary holding area; most of the prisoners who did not die in Terezin were sent on to death camps. Of the 15,000 children who were transported to Terezin, only 100 survived.
While the living conditions in Terezin were deplorable, people did what they had to do to survive, and in the ghetto, Jews were able to have a small amount of self-government. One of their biggest concerns (understandably) was the large number of children. How could they keep children from becoming depressed and despondent in such a depressing and desperate environment? They arranged secret lessons for the children. They designated "children's barracks" and tried to have all of the children live together. The Jewish community worked very hard to provide an environment for the children that would help them to find some hope and comfort. The children's artworks in the exhibition are products of some of these secret Terezin lessons. One of the teachers, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, when she was forced to leave Terezin to be killed at a death camp, buried suitcases filled with the children's art and writing (over 4,500 pieces). After the war, the suitcases were discovered and the contents are on display in Prague, at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and other places.
Next we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery. Within its walls are buried possibly 100,000 people with headstones dating from as early as 1489. Because the Jews were not allowed to bury their dead outside of the ghetto, the dead were buried one on top of another, sometimes up to ten graves deep in a single plot. The tiny cemetery is literally stuffed with headstones, although the number that stand probably only represents about 12 percent of the actual burials located there. It is very beautiful. I took a lot of pictures here, because pictures are not allowed inside any of the museums. We had to pay a couple dollars for a ticket to take pictures in the cemetery, too. Unfortunately, I took so many pictures my camera went dead, so I didn't get to take any more after that.
After the cemetery we had lunch at a restaurant nearby where I had my first goulash, in a bread bowl. Then we went to the Spanish Synagogue which was so ornate and beautiful inside. By the time we had walked around there, we were feeling pretty exhausted. We went to the last museum that our tickets paid for, and then headed out. I stopped at the grocery on my way back to get ginger because my stomach was upset. In fact I was not feeling very well by this time. Little did I know that I was infected with Bohemian Flu...
Anyway, that's how our trip to Josefov went. It was very beautiful, though it was cold that day. I can't wait to stroll around the area in the spring. That's really the last sightseeing I've done; I've just been working a lot and resting a lot, trying to get healthy. It was a long week, but at the end I felt really proud of myself. In spite of not feeling physically well all week, I had managed to get all of my work done and more, to get good marks (I think my lesson Friday went quite well), and to finish the lesson plan for the job I want and feel really good about the result. I worked on that lesson plan until late Friday night and then got up at 7 am on Saturday and worked on it all morning. I sent it out in the early afternoon and then crashed into bed until early evening. It was so pleasant to wake up later feeling well enough to go out and to realize I am in Prague and I can just hop on the subway and go see the city.
Last night I wandered around Old Town for a bit. I splurged on a really long strand of beautiful red crystal beads. I had some yummy red coconut curry for dinner and then came home and started working on the first piece of jewelry I've made since I arrived in Prague. I made a long necklace with the red crystals I had purchased that evening, some beautiful green Czech glass pieces I'd found at the bead store, and some turquoise I threw in for fun. I finished it today and made a pair of earrings to match! I'm excited to wear it tomorrow, which will be the first day of the second half of the course! I'm sure it will be just as tough as the first two weeks, but I'm feeling so good about it. I feel like if I got through last week with flying colors, I can't have too much trouble making it through to the end. I'm hoping to hear back from a couple of schools this week and hopefully have a face-to-face interview soon.
I will keep everyone updated.
Hugs and kisses.
Jews have a rich history in Prague, having been in the area for over 1000 years. In fact, Prague was one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe for many centuries leading up to the Holocaust, after which much of the small portion of the country's Jewish population that survived chose to emigrate. It should be noted that although the Jews have a long and rich history in Prague, that history, as in Jewish communities the world over, is rife with persecution and inequality. World War II was certainly not the first time Jewish people were forced to live in ghettos, made to wear distinctive clothing, or expelled from large areas of Europe. Jews in Prague were forced to live in a ghetto as early as the 12th century. In 1389, almost the entire Jewish population of Prague was killed when the Jewish quarter was ransacked, pillaged and burnt (with support of the clergy). There were several times between 1500-1750 when Jews were expelled from Prague. Yet in the early 18th century, there were more Jews living in Prague than in any other city in the world. Despite such a rocky path, the Jewish people did make progress over time in regard to their rights. The ghetto was finally abolished in 1852, and became an official district of Prague. It is named Josefov, after Emperor Joseph II (1780-1790) who unlocked the gates to the ghetto and issued an Edict of Toleration, allowing the Jews to engage in commerce and culture.
Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, is now a big draw for tourists. It is especially notable because, unlike with other cities in Europe, where the Jewish areas were partially or completely destroyed during German occupation, Prague's Jewish Quarter was allowed to stand. Presumably this was because Hitler intended the area to be used in the future as a sort of museum of "an extinct race". My first thought was that it was surprising Hitler would have chosen a place so illustrative of the highly developed sense of beauty and culture of the Jews. Whatever the reason, it is fortunate for all of us that the Quarter survived the war. Today it features beautiful synagogues now housing museums of Jewish history and culture. The architecture in this part of the city is amazingly beautiful. I could spend many days wandering around this area. The exhibits inside the synagogues are also amazing, albeit sobering. The first one we went to had many ancient texts surviving from Jewish history in Prague. I love looking at really old books and manuscripts. The craftsmanship, and the amount of time it must have taken to hand letter entire volumes... it astounds me.
Our first stop
Sign outside of Pinkas Synagogue
As if that weren't enough to have you feeling a little sick inside, the most intense portion of the museum is upstairs, where there is an exhibition of artwork created by Jewish children in Terezin. Terezin (German name, Theresienstadt) is a garrison city in what is now the Czech Republic. It was built during the reign of Joseph II (mentioned above), but the Nazis took it over and turned it into a large ghetto and prison. If you've heard of the propaganda video where the Nazis painted a picture of concentration camps as "nice communities" for Jewish people (to combat international rumors of human rights abuse) this is where it was filmed. In fact, conditions in Terezin were nothing like what was portrayed in the film. 50,000-60,000 Jews were forced to live in barracks designed to hold 7,000 soldiers. Additionally the camp was often used as a temporary holding area; most of the prisoners who did not die in Terezin were sent on to death camps. Of the 15,000 children who were transported to Terezin, only 100 survived.
While the living conditions in Terezin were deplorable, people did what they had to do to survive, and in the ghetto, Jews were able to have a small amount of self-government. One of their biggest concerns (understandably) was the large number of children. How could they keep children from becoming depressed and despondent in such a depressing and desperate environment? They arranged secret lessons for the children. They designated "children's barracks" and tried to have all of the children live together. The Jewish community worked very hard to provide an environment for the children that would help them to find some hope and comfort. The children's artworks in the exhibition are products of some of these secret Terezin lessons. One of the teachers, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, when she was forced to leave Terezin to be killed at a death camp, buried suitcases filled with the children's art and writing (over 4,500 pieces). After the war, the suitcases were discovered and the contents are on display in Prague, at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and other places.
Next we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery. Within its walls are buried possibly 100,000 people with headstones dating from as early as 1489. Because the Jews were not allowed to bury their dead outside of the ghetto, the dead were buried one on top of another, sometimes up to ten graves deep in a single plot. The tiny cemetery is literally stuffed with headstones, although the number that stand probably only represents about 12 percent of the actual burials located there. It is very beautiful. I took a lot of pictures here, because pictures are not allowed inside any of the museums. We had to pay a couple dollars for a ticket to take pictures in the cemetery, too. Unfortunately, I took so many pictures my camera went dead, so I didn't get to take any more after that.
The Old Jewish Cemetery
After the cemetery we had lunch at a restaurant nearby where I had my first goulash, in a bread bowl. Then we went to the Spanish Synagogue which was so ornate and beautiful inside. By the time we had walked around there, we were feeling pretty exhausted. We went to the last museum that our tickets paid for, and then headed out. I stopped at the grocery on my way back to get ginger because my stomach was upset. In fact I was not feeling very well by this time. Little did I know that I was infected with Bohemian Flu...
Eating goulash
Taken by Alex P. :)
Walking around at night, I thought this building was pretty.
Last night I wandered around Old Town for a bit. I splurged on a really long strand of beautiful red crystal beads. I had some yummy red coconut curry for dinner and then came home and started working on the first piece of jewelry I've made since I arrived in Prague. I made a long necklace with the red crystals I had purchased that evening, some beautiful green Czech glass pieces I'd found at the bead store, and some turquoise I threw in for fun. I finished it today and made a pair of earrings to match! I'm excited to wear it tomorrow, which will be the first day of the second half of the course! I'm sure it will be just as tough as the first two weeks, but I'm feeling so good about it. I feel like if I got through last week with flying colors, I can't have too much trouble making it through to the end. I'm hoping to hear back from a couple of schools this week and hopefully have a face-to-face interview soon.
My first jewelry made in Europe :)
I will keep everyone updated.
Hugs and kisses.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Bohemian Flu
Sorry, all, that I haven't written for so many days. I was struck sometime Sunday by the Bohemian Flu. It is characterized by fever, headache, coughing, sore throat, and most notably waking up for nights in a row completely drenched in one's sweat. In other words, it's a nasty, ass-kicking sort of thing. It's been a challenging week.
In addition to attending classes, writing lesson plans, and teaching classes, I've also been applying for jobs, which means being asked to write extra lesson plans as part of the selection process. For instance, Tuesday night I was working on my lesson plan for class the next day when I received an email from a school I'd sent a resume to only a couple of hours before. They wanted me to write a detailed lesson plan covering some pages from a book they sent me, and they wanted it by the next day (it was already 5 pm). So after I finished my lesson plan for the actual class I had to teach the next day, I had to spend three more hours writing a lesson plan for a hypothetical class. I have a similar situation with another school I've applied to (although they have generously given me two days to prepare), so tomorrow night after I've finished teaching the lesson I've been working on all night tonight, I'll be writing another hypothetical demo lesson plan. Whew! Usually if I'm sick I try to just rest and not do anything, but obviously that's not an option in this situation. Like I said, it's been a challenging week.
All in all though, things are going very well. I love that the course is challenging, and I'm really glad I'm hearing back from schools and being asked to submit demo lessons (that means they at least liked my CV and cover letter). I taught again yesterday and this time I was evaluated, and I think it went pretty well. I just need to assert my authority a little more (I'm too nice) and watch my teacher language (sometimes I use language students may not have had yet, like 'would' and 'could'). These are things that will become much easier with practice but are difficult at first.
So there's a little update on where I'm at. I did have a nice day of sightseeing last weekend, but I'll have to write about that next time. For now, I am going to go to bed so I get a good night of sleep. I have class and then teach tomorrow, and he lesson plan I have to write afterward is for my top choice school I'm hoping to work for, so I'm going to work really hard to make it awesome.
Even though I'm not going to post about sightseeing yet, I still wanted to post at least one picture (this one was taken by Marissa, one of my flatmates). It's a beautiful sunny view of Prague. See Prague castle in the back:
In addition to attending classes, writing lesson plans, and teaching classes, I've also been applying for jobs, which means being asked to write extra lesson plans as part of the selection process. For instance, Tuesday night I was working on my lesson plan for class the next day when I received an email from a school I'd sent a resume to only a couple of hours before. They wanted me to write a detailed lesson plan covering some pages from a book they sent me, and they wanted it by the next day (it was already 5 pm). So after I finished my lesson plan for the actual class I had to teach the next day, I had to spend three more hours writing a lesson plan for a hypothetical class. I have a similar situation with another school I've applied to (although they have generously given me two days to prepare), so tomorrow night after I've finished teaching the lesson I've been working on all night tonight, I'll be writing another hypothetical demo lesson plan. Whew! Usually if I'm sick I try to just rest and not do anything, but obviously that's not an option in this situation. Like I said, it's been a challenging week.
All in all though, things are going very well. I love that the course is challenging, and I'm really glad I'm hearing back from schools and being asked to submit demo lessons (that means they at least liked my CV and cover letter). I taught again yesterday and this time I was evaluated, and I think it went pretty well. I just need to assert my authority a little more (I'm too nice) and watch my teacher language (sometimes I use language students may not have had yet, like 'would' and 'could'). These are things that will become much easier with practice but are difficult at first.
So there's a little update on where I'm at. I did have a nice day of sightseeing last weekend, but I'll have to write about that next time. For now, I am going to go to bed so I get a good night of sleep. I have class and then teach tomorrow, and he lesson plan I have to write afterward is for my top choice school I'm hoping to work for, so I'm going to work really hard to make it awesome.
Even though I'm not going to post about sightseeing yet, I still wanted to post at least one picture (this one was taken by Marissa, one of my flatmates). It's a beautiful sunny view of Prague. See Prague castle in the back:
Saturday, January 14, 2012
One week down, three to go!
I can't believe our first week of the course is already over. It really flew by.
I taught my first 45 minute solo lesson yesterday. I was afraid I would be nervous (I always seem to get really nervous when it comes down to actually getting up and speaking in front of people), but it was fine. I actually really enjoyed it! As long as you've prepared and planned your lesson well, there's nothing to be afraid of. Even if something goes awry, you can always go back to your plan and on to the next part. I was surprised how comfortable and confident I felt teaching.
In my spare time this week I made it to a local bead store and picked up some nice Czech glass beads. I can't wait to start designing with them! In the meantime, I'm really busy with the course and preparing to apply for jobs. I just finished my CV (resume) and cover letter and plan to send out my first round to schools here tomorrow. The plan is to send the CV and cover letter via email to my top schools, then follow up later in the week with phone calls and/or visits in person. I've gotten advice on which schools will help pay for my visa, so those are the ones I plan to focus on. Also, we will have a job fair at our school later in the course.
Today was a bit of a lazy day. I rested, read a little and decompressed from a hectic week. I've been having fun cooking meals for myself again. I was so busy at home before I left that I hadn't really cooked in quite some time! I purchased some really yummy mushrooms (the kind that look like chicken) from the market the other day, so for dinner last night I sautéed them with olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and spicy pepper and ate them over brown rice. It was so delicious I had the same thing for lunch today! I'm still marveling at the amount of delicious food I can buy for so little money. Especially baked goods... I bought a huge loaf of braided, lightly sweetened bread with cinnamon and slivered almonds the other day, and it cost only 7 kc (35 cents). I've been breaking off pieces of that for the last few days. There's also a nice little cafe by the metro on our way to class that has fancy pastries in the same price range.
In the morning we're all going to visit the Jewish Quarter of the city, which I've heard is beautiful. I'll try to make up for this post's lack of pictures by taking plenty tomorrow, which I'll be sure to post soon.
For now,
Dobrou noc (goodnight)
I taught my first 45 minute solo lesson yesterday. I was afraid I would be nervous (I always seem to get really nervous when it comes down to actually getting up and speaking in front of people), but it was fine. I actually really enjoyed it! As long as you've prepared and planned your lesson well, there's nothing to be afraid of. Even if something goes awry, you can always go back to your plan and on to the next part. I was surprised how comfortable and confident I felt teaching.
In my spare time this week I made it to a local bead store and picked up some nice Czech glass beads. I can't wait to start designing with them! In the meantime, I'm really busy with the course and preparing to apply for jobs. I just finished my CV (resume) and cover letter and plan to send out my first round to schools here tomorrow. The plan is to send the CV and cover letter via email to my top schools, then follow up later in the week with phone calls and/or visits in person. I've gotten advice on which schools will help pay for my visa, so those are the ones I plan to focus on. Also, we will have a job fair at our school later in the course.
Today was a bit of a lazy day. I rested, read a little and decompressed from a hectic week. I've been having fun cooking meals for myself again. I was so busy at home before I left that I hadn't really cooked in quite some time! I purchased some really yummy mushrooms (the kind that look like chicken) from the market the other day, so for dinner last night I sautéed them with olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and spicy pepper and ate them over brown rice. It was so delicious I had the same thing for lunch today! I'm still marveling at the amount of delicious food I can buy for so little money. Especially baked goods... I bought a huge loaf of braided, lightly sweetened bread with cinnamon and slivered almonds the other day, and it cost only 7 kc (35 cents). I've been breaking off pieces of that for the last few days. There's also a nice little cafe by the metro on our way to class that has fancy pastries in the same price range.
In the morning we're all going to visit the Jewish Quarter of the city, which I've heard is beautiful. I'll try to make up for this post's lack of pictures by taking plenty tomorrow, which I'll be sure to post soon.
For now,
Dobrou noc (goodnight)
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