Tuesday was an observation day for us. We mainly followed the years 12-13 around watching their video conference math class (where I learned that I still do not understand how to do grade 12 math) as well as their English, Science and general class which is like an independent study class where some of them do technology, media studies or work on their math and science. The year 12-13 science class is an independent study type of class where they have a supervisor but they all study different things. We watched one student work on his chemistry experiment while thinking we should probably move to the other side of the room. He taught us that apparently the chemicals can burn your hands and not following directions can result in turning your beaker black.
Wednesday morning we watched the years 1-6. Holly was with the 1-3 and I was with the 4-6 class. They were so cute and it was really interesting to see the different ways of teaching but since it was all in Maori, it was hard to understand what they were doing so I felt like I couldn’t help out very much. For part of the morning, however, a student’s mom came to start an aerobics program so Holly and I decide to join in and make a fool out of ourselves. In pure New Zealand style, we do this on pavement but without any shoes on. They don’t wear shoes very often here, some of the kids come to school without even bringing shoes as they are not allowed to wear them in the classrooms. I love this and fully embrace wearing shoes as little as possible. After we officially made complete fools of ourselves doing aerobics my class was headed out for their run to the swimming hole and asked if I was coming along. This run is on mostly gravel, something I prefer to wear shoes on, and I go looking for my shoes to join them. Turns out my shoes are nowhere to be found. I look everywhere possible and can’t find them. I figured they would show up eventually but asked my teacher if she had seen them where I had left them just to make sure I didn’t leave them somewhere else. She said she had seen them there earlier but was also confident they would show up. Finally at recess I ask Holly if she has seen my shoes as they still haven’t shown up and she tells me that her teacher was wearing them! She thought they were one of the kids shoes and it wasn’t until she had asked the class who’s shoes she was wearing that they told her they were mine. We all had a good laugh about it, I guess that’s what happens when you wear kids shoes.
The afternoon is when the years 9-13 have their gym classes together and from now until the end of term they are doing something called Waka Ama. This is where they go out in outrigger canoes and enjoy the afternoon. They kept asking us if we were going and we weren’t sure at first and originally had no idea what it even was but we were eager if there was room. Thankfully there was and we joined them for some canoeing. I went with the first group to be dropped off near the beach while Holly stayed with the second group. Little did we realize the hike it would take to even get to where the canoes were stowed. Their teacher told one of the older students to make sure he looked after me because this was my first time going out there. I think he was regretting taking on this task as I continually kept falling over fences or landing on my face while jumping over holes in the mountain we seemed to be climbing, he was nice enough to walk back with me as well though so I guess it wasn’t that bad.
The actual canoeing part was insanely fun, they had Holly and I in the same canoe along with three older students who were well versed in this and one other student who was also going out for the first time. They were very patient with us showing us the different strokes and counting out loud so we would know when to switch sides. At one point they made us all paddle the boat by ourselves for 10 strokes, I of course had to go behind Spartan. That’s what the students call him, we found this out after he picked up a log in the water that was in our way, walked away with it and threw it back in the water, he could row the boat as fast if not faster by himself then when we were all rowing. Him and I were in the “power” spots of the boat. It was then I started to apologize for my lack of muscle. While we were canoeing I could hear one of the students behind Holly continuously pointing out fish and things in the water at one point when we had stopped we had seen a whole bunch of jumping fish! The student was also telling Holly about the stingray that apparently live in the water we were in, water they also go swimming in. When we were headed back to shore to give others a turn we had to jump out and walk back but not before giving us a stingray scare, they look like black shadows in the water as we were told and they will go away if you splash around. We didn’t actually see any. We had an interesting walk back to shore, instead of getting shallower, the water seemed to get deeper, there were also many rocks that my toes found and holes we fell over. We made the other student walking back to shore slow down and warn us if any rocks or holes were coming up, we still ran into them all anyway. When we get to shore we find Holly bleeding profusely, leaving a blood trail for the stingrays to follow. She decides the best way to stop the bleeding is to give herself a sand band-aid. Surprisingly, it worked. By the time we make it back home our clothes and legs were covered in mud, which could have been a lot worse considering how unsteady we were walking through it. I have a feeling one or both of us will end up face down in it before the end of term. We’ll be sure to bring a camera next time.
Stay tuned, there is lots more to come.
To Be Continued...
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