Good Things Coming My Way!

The last few weeks have honestly been pretty rough/emotional. With everything going on, I keep wondering whether I’m making the right decision in moving over 4,000 miles away for such a long period of time. I’m freaking out. But, this week a few things happened that helped me to remember why this is my plan and why this is absolutely the right decision.

Awesome Thing #1

I met my future principal via Skype! My principal, Mr. H., was so great. I had roughly a billion questions for him, but he answered them all so thoughtfully and gave me such a wonderful mental picture of the school. I learned that I would be working with two other women in the 4th grade team and that they were going to be awesome resources and team members, especially in helping me to figure out the Science and Social Studies curriculum. That’ll be great, especially because the program for those subjects has me a little lost. I’ll have an interactive whiteboard, and I LOVE those! I’m considering buying an ELMO to go along with it so that I can put anything up there, but we’ll see. I was a little shocked to find out about the breakdown of my students. Since it is an American school, I had thought I would have about 50% American students. Nope. The school is home to 52 different nationalities with about 40% Italian students. Next to none will be native English speakers. Gulp… But hey, this whole experience is going to be a challenge and that’s just one more that will make me an even better teacher in the end! On a more curricular note, I am and have been obsessed with CAFE and the Daily 5, and have always planned on using it as a supplement to my teaching no matter what the mandated reading program was. Guess what the mandated program is? DAILY 5! WOOHOOO! I am so excited to be able to use this! Part of the awesomeness is that the planning/record keeping binder for this program is called the Pensieve. Yes, after Dumbledore’s Pensieve. And anyone who knows me knows how much I love Harry Potter. Yay yay yay 🙂

I received an email from a woman at the HR department with options for next years apartment! I have two choices. The first was cute, but a little disappointing. The outside of the building was amazing, but the pictures of the inside weren’t great. There weren’t any of the living room or kitchen, and the rest were from awkward angles. It was quite a bit more expensive which makes me think it’s bigger and in better condition, but who even knows. The second was adorable- there were no pictures of the outside of the building, but the kitchen was absolutely adorable, with the most quaint white cabinets and a bench built into the wall of the kitchen for seating. I loved that one, but it is on the first floor of the building, which makes me a little nervous. I have to decide by Monday, and right now I’m leaning towards the adorable kitchen. Both are in easy walking distance from the bus stop, and I could bike to school. They’re also walkable to the other new teachers apartments, and to the main shops.

I’m such a planner, so these were two of the best possible things that could happen to shake me out of this funk. Now I have all that I could ask for to start planning my curriculum for next year and start making different materials and lesson plans. I can also start picturing myself in Italy better, heading home after a long day to my conveniently located, picturesque Italian apartment. In a town called Opera, which is pronounced like Oprah. Could the future look much better!?