On top of all the big adventures I've had this semester, I also got to go on a few "mini-adventures" after Spring Break that never made it into blog posts.
Just days after I got back, Rachel and I took the train to Bristol for a Passover Seder. We spent much of the ride getting to know each other, as we hadn't spent much time together during the program. We stepped off the train and split a cab to the synagogue. We arrived just a few minutes early. We found a pair of seats at an unoccupied table, where we were soon joined by a mother and her 9-year-old son; she was originally from Washington DC and recognized our accents. A gentleman in orthodox dress sat at the head of the table, followed by another gentleman. Just as the seder was about to begin, a young man about the same age as Rachel and I took the last open seat at the table. We followed along with the seder, eagerly awaiting dinner, during which Rachel and I talked mostly with James, who we learned was just a few years older than us. He offered to drive us back to the train station at the end of the night, which we gladly accepted.
I undertook my next mini-adventure with nearly a dozen other ASE students when Lindsay led us on a walk along part of the Bath Skyline. The whole route circles around the city, but we just walked on a short stretch of it. From Nelson House, our journey took us past the residences south of the city to a hill overlooking Bath. The title of this post comes from this night; as we walked up the hill, we tried to distract ourselves from the exhaustion we were feeling, and Katie mentioned it at one point when she looked across the street. For most of the rest of the evening, we wandered through quiet, empty fields. One of the highlights of the night was running into a pair of dogs and their owner. One of the dogs ran right through our group to the fence behind us, but the other stopped, knowing we would likely shower her with attention. She was, of course, correct. We paused the walk for a minute so that everyone could have a chance to play with the dog, who loved all of the friends she had suddenly made.
My next two mini adventures brought me into London to check off items of my "to-do" list. The day we returned from Stratford, Megan and I took the train in to see "Once" on the West End. I was particularly excited because Arthur Darvill, a former star of Doctor Who, was playing the male lead in the show. His final performance would be the following day, so we made it just in time. While we were there, we learned that the female lead, who had held the role for 3 years, would also take her final bows when Darvill did. Both leads were fantastic, and I was so glad I finally got to see a show in London! We ran into Chelsea at the train station, who had been in London with Emily for a concert that evening, and rode back to Bath with her.
The following morning, I hopped back on the train to London to meet up with Ambar. We realized as we talked that we hadn't actually seen each other in just over 3 years, which meant that we certainly had plenty to catch up on. Although we had initially planned to spend just 2 or 3 hours together, the afternoon ended up lasting for over 5! I was so glad to get to see her after all this time, and we found we were able to pick up our friendship right where we had left it off. Our new rule has become that we need to see each other anytime we're in the same country :)
The last item on my tourist to-do list was to see the Roman Baths, which I finally did during finals week. Jasmyne, Amy and I met at Nelson house to grab a bite to eat at the Thai restaurant across the street, and then we walked to the Baths exhibit. We spent about an hour in the museum section, and then we took advantage of a free tour around the actual Baths. At the end, we tried a sip of the water (which was warm and tasted funny) before heading out.
That's it for the mini-adventures! I'm heading home tomorrow, but be on the lookout for two more blog posts for the semester in the coming days. Until then, cheers!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
St. Andrew's Visit 10: The Teacher's Role
Focus: The Teacher's Role
It's hard to believe this is my final journal for St. Andrews. 10 visits have absolutely flown by, and as I entered the school for the final time, I knew it would be a tough goodbye.
I arrived in the morning to find that Mr. Barry had a few tasks for me to complete before the students arrived for the day. He hoped that the busy work of photocopying letters and sharpening pencils could be done before the day even began, so I set about preparing the materials he asked for. When the students did arrive, they brought frantic questions; "Are you leaving today? Is today your last day? Why are you leaving?" I was touched by their concern, and when I confirmed that yes, this would be my final visit, they were quite subdued. The excitement of the moment gone, they sat on the carpet to learn about the physical aspects of the painting that they had been studying as part of the Take One Picture program. They then incorporated this information into a short paragraph (about 3 sentences) to be part of longer reports on all they had learned about the painting chosen this year, including its history, style, painter, and religious significance.
During guided and independent reading, Mr. Barry asked me to prepare the materials for a display board on the sunflower challenge he is coordinating. For the challenge, 4 participants from each of the school's tree-based houses (1 student each from years 3 through 6) have devised strategies for growing sunflowers outside the school. The sunflowers will be measured every 2 weeks from now to the end of the school year.
After a break, the students prepared for maths. They have an assessment coming up, so for the first time, I got to see them in the mode of preparing. They grumbled and complained as Mr. Barry drilled one question after another, pushing them in the hopes that they will recognize the questions when the assessment comes. R refused to participate altogether, and he stormed out of the room when Mr. Barry attempted to confiscate the book he had decided to read instead.
My skills in interacting with R were tested at this point, as Ms. Bryant asked me to sit with him in the hall after she had no luck. When I entered, my first task was to convince him to decide to come down from an apparatus he had climbed. My second was to ensure that he didn't climb back up. I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally settled on a spot on the floor, and when Ms. Bryant returned, she praised his choice as well as congratulating me on a job well done. Though he still refused to return to class for the end of maths (by this point he had missed nearly the whole lesson) he did eventually decide to join Ms. Bryant in the library, which was a good idea since the Key Stage 1 students would be arriving for lunch any minute.
During lunch, Mr. Barry expressed his frustrations regarding R, whose behavior has become increasingly difficult lately. Although he no longer assaults his peers when he becomes frustrated, he has learned that if he does not want to comply, he can generally leave the classroom, and the school has little power to stop him. Mr. Barry described feeling like a babysitter, especially since most days R does not complete any academic work or even attempt to join the class.
After lunch, the students changed into their PE kits for my lesson on isolations. They had a bit of a scare when Andrew Butterworth, who had arrived to observe my work with them, was introduced as a representative from a "school for naughty children," described as being "like prison, but a bit worse." J in particular became fixated on the idea, only letting it go when Mr. Barry revealed that it was just a joke. The lesson had its ups and downs, featuring a few moments of near chaos alongside moments of perfect peace. The machine game, which has always been a favorite of mine, proved to be a success among the students as well. After the lesson, I brought them back into the classroom.
Back in their uniforms, the class presented me with a card and a gift to thank me for being there this semester. A cluster ran up to give me a giant group hug. I answered a few questions that they still had about me, and then we released them for a few minutes of extra playtime. They ended up having even more time than anticipated when the day's assembly was cancelled. RJ and M convinced me to skip rope for a few minutes with them, and I laughed as they sang the "Teddy Bear" tune I had skipped to when I was their age. I left them to detangle M, who had gotten tangled in the rope ladder on the playground. Mr. Barry commented that there's no one quite like her, with which I concurred. We talked a bit about the character of the class, filled with its diverse students, before discussing a bit about my hopes for the future.
I shared a few of my observations about the teachers here, such as the larger role they play with their students. Though I would only be expected to teach the academics in a school in the states, teachers in primary schools in the UK also play the roles of art, music, PE and ICT instructors. In a school as small as St. Andrew's, they also take turns looking after the students during the midmorning break. One of the secretaries double as the nurse, and the other serves students during lunch.
As I dismissed the students at the end of the day, many of them expressed their sadness to see me go. For the first time since I have started working with students, I realized, I would not be seeing my students again, and I wished them all the best of luck moving forward. I thanked Mr. Barry for the invaluable experience and for his encouragement all semester, and he saw me out. In the blink of an eye, my day - and my experience - came to an end.
It's hard to believe this is my final journal for St. Andrews. 10 visits have absolutely flown by, and as I entered the school for the final time, I knew it would be a tough goodbye.
I arrived in the morning to find that Mr. Barry had a few tasks for me to complete before the students arrived for the day. He hoped that the busy work of photocopying letters and sharpening pencils could be done before the day even began, so I set about preparing the materials he asked for. When the students did arrive, they brought frantic questions; "Are you leaving today? Is today your last day? Why are you leaving?" I was touched by their concern, and when I confirmed that yes, this would be my final visit, they were quite subdued. The excitement of the moment gone, they sat on the carpet to learn about the physical aspects of the painting that they had been studying as part of the Take One Picture program. They then incorporated this information into a short paragraph (about 3 sentences) to be part of longer reports on all they had learned about the painting chosen this year, including its history, style, painter, and religious significance.
During guided and independent reading, Mr. Barry asked me to prepare the materials for a display board on the sunflower challenge he is coordinating. For the challenge, 4 participants from each of the school's tree-based houses (1 student each from years 3 through 6) have devised strategies for growing sunflowers outside the school. The sunflowers will be measured every 2 weeks from now to the end of the school year.
After a break, the students prepared for maths. They have an assessment coming up, so for the first time, I got to see them in the mode of preparing. They grumbled and complained as Mr. Barry drilled one question after another, pushing them in the hopes that they will recognize the questions when the assessment comes. R refused to participate altogether, and he stormed out of the room when Mr. Barry attempted to confiscate the book he had decided to read instead.
My skills in interacting with R were tested at this point, as Ms. Bryant asked me to sit with him in the hall after she had no luck. When I entered, my first task was to convince him to decide to come down from an apparatus he had climbed. My second was to ensure that he didn't climb back up. I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally settled on a spot on the floor, and when Ms. Bryant returned, she praised his choice as well as congratulating me on a job well done. Though he still refused to return to class for the end of maths (by this point he had missed nearly the whole lesson) he did eventually decide to join Ms. Bryant in the library, which was a good idea since the Key Stage 1 students would be arriving for lunch any minute.
During lunch, Mr. Barry expressed his frustrations regarding R, whose behavior has become increasingly difficult lately. Although he no longer assaults his peers when he becomes frustrated, he has learned that if he does not want to comply, he can generally leave the classroom, and the school has little power to stop him. Mr. Barry described feeling like a babysitter, especially since most days R does not complete any academic work or even attempt to join the class.
After lunch, the students changed into their PE kits for my lesson on isolations. They had a bit of a scare when Andrew Butterworth, who had arrived to observe my work with them, was introduced as a representative from a "school for naughty children," described as being "like prison, but a bit worse." J in particular became fixated on the idea, only letting it go when Mr. Barry revealed that it was just a joke. The lesson had its ups and downs, featuring a few moments of near chaos alongside moments of perfect peace. The machine game, which has always been a favorite of mine, proved to be a success among the students as well. After the lesson, I brought them back into the classroom.
Back in their uniforms, the class presented me with a card and a gift to thank me for being there this semester. A cluster ran up to give me a giant group hug. I answered a few questions that they still had about me, and then we released them for a few minutes of extra playtime. They ended up having even more time than anticipated when the day's assembly was cancelled. RJ and M convinced me to skip rope for a few minutes with them, and I laughed as they sang the "Teddy Bear" tune I had skipped to when I was their age. I left them to detangle M, who had gotten tangled in the rope ladder on the playground. Mr. Barry commented that there's no one quite like her, with which I concurred. We talked a bit about the character of the class, filled with its diverse students, before discussing a bit about my hopes for the future.
I shared a few of my observations about the teachers here, such as the larger role they play with their students. Though I would only be expected to teach the academics in a school in the states, teachers in primary schools in the UK also play the roles of art, music, PE and ICT instructors. In a school as small as St. Andrew's, they also take turns looking after the students during the midmorning break. One of the secretaries double as the nurse, and the other serves students during lunch.
As I dismissed the students at the end of the day, many of them expressed their sadness to see me go. For the first time since I have started working with students, I realized, I would not be seeing my students again, and I wished them all the best of luck moving forward. I thanked Mr. Barry for the invaluable experience and for his encouragement all semester, and he saw me out. In the blink of an eye, my day - and my experience - came to an end.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
"If I had a Roman Sword, I'd run on it!"
As April turned to May, ASE - and particularly my Mythologizing Shakespeare class - got ready for a slew of Shakespeare exposure, starting with our class's study trip.
As with most trips, our class's outing to the Globe Theater started early in the morning. North Parade was the first pick up point, where we were joined by Andrew Butterworth, our chaperone for the day. Next was Widcombe, followed by Northampton, where we hit our first snag of the day. Because of a miscommunication, we waited for 20 minutes for Carrington, who had already traveled to London the previous evening and would be meeting us at the theater. Not the most auspicious start to the day.
Regardless, we set out for London, where we arrived a few hours later. We hopped off the coach and walked around the corner to the theater, although we managed to pass the street the first time around. When we finally arrived at the Globe, we met our tutor Brian Hazel, his wife Ruth, and the elusive Carrington. We were escorted on a tour of the theater and explored the neighboring exhibition before breaking for lunch. Megan, Chelsi, Carrington, Bella and I grabbed a bite at Wagamama, a noodlebar around the corner, and then headed back to the theater to rent cushions for the show.
The doors opened, and we took our seats for a particularly gory production of Titus and Andronicus. I couldn't watch much of it (as my classmates discovered, I don't exactly do well with blood), but the rest of the group seemed to somewhat enjoy it. We gathered at the gift shop following the show, where Andrew did a final head count and we said goodbye to Carrington, Kendall and Ola (who would all be staying in London) before we walked back along the river to where the bus would pick us up.
As we waited at the curb, Uriel spoke up from the back of the group. Somewhere between the theater and our pick up point, we had lost one of our classmates! Uriel and Miranda turned around to find him, and Andrew rushed after them. The bus pulled up a few minutes later, so those of us who had remained piled on, scouring the sidewalk for our classmates and chaperone. A few minutes later, Uriel, Miranda and Andrew returned with Brian and Ruth in tow. Andrew, unfortunately, looked extremely frazzled as he searched for his phone to call the student. As it turned out, the student would be staying in London for the evening and had neglected to tell Andrew. As he walked onto the bus so we could finally leave, Andrew blurted out the title of this blog.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, and before long, we were gearing up for our 3-day residency in Stratford-Upon-Avon starting on Tuesday. We piled onto the bus, where I took a seat next to Kris as we set out on our way. About halfway through the trip, Ali blurted out "Look whose face I'm wearing" from across the aisle, at which point I decided to start collecting potential blog titles. Keep a look out for those throughout the post.
We unloaded the bus and gathered in the park, where we sorted into groups based on our Bed and Breakfasts for the week. I scoured the crowd for Kendall and Rachel, my roommates for the week, and together we joined the rest of the Adelphi House group. Lindsay escorted us across the road and dropped us off with the owners, who welcomed us openly. Once we found our rooms, we returned to the park, which would be our meeting point for the week.
We split into two groups and took a quick tour around Stratford, which is a fairly small town. The tour ended in front of the Shakespeare Center, where we would need to meet for lectures during our visit. We broke for lunch, at which point Megan dragged me off to have my first fish and chips of my trip here (in my defense, I don't eat french fries, and I'm not a big fan of fried foods).
Our first lecture began with Brian Hazel, who discussed the history of Stratford and the theaters. His wife Ruth took over halfway through to introduce Henry IV part I, the first of 3 plays we would be seeing that week. After the lecture, a few of us visited Shakespeare's birthplace. A few of us grabbed a light bite before returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theater for the show. Jonathan and Lindsay met us at the entrance to distribute tickets. We found that our seats constituted 3 clumps - one group sat in the Orchestra (referred to as the "Stalls" here) and two groups sat on either side of the Mezzanine (which they call the "Circle"). After Henry IV part I, we split into smaller groups to either go out for a drink or go back to the B & B's. As Emma, Alyssa, Grace and I walked past the Dirty Duck - one of Stratford's best-known pubs - we started to talk about the name. This, of course led to a discussion of pub names in general, at which point Emma asserted that "If something sounds fairly improbable, it's probably the name of a pub".
Wednesday started early once again, this time with breakfast and a morning lecture. As in Oxford, breakfast was a chance to see other students in the program we might not otherwise see, in this case those staying at the same B & B. Lucy, who was staying at our B & B, walked us back to the Shakespeare Center, where Ruth led a talk-back session on Henry IV part I, followed by an introduction to Arden of Faversham - the non-Shakespeare play we would be seeing on our second night - with Brian. After the lecture, we had free time, so Emily, Rachel, Megan, Jasmyne and I grabbed sandwiches and set off on our adventure of seeing the city!
We started at the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptized and later buried.The church was much simpler than many we had previously seen, which was a welcome change. From there, we walked down the street to Hall's Croft, which had once been the residence of Shakespeare's granddaughter. One of the most interesting parts of the house was actually outside of it, in the gardens. The flowers that have been planted in the garden all come from Shakespeare's works, and a sculpture in its center features the two heads of Bottom - human and donkey - fused into one.
From Hall's Croft, we visited Nash's house, beside which New Place once stood. The former was the home of Thomas Nash, while Shakespeare lived in the latter. Nash's house featured a dress-up station, which we of course latched onto. As I prepared to photograph the rest of the group wearing crowns, Emily turned to me seriously and said, "You may bow to us". This elicited a round of laughter from us all, and we continued through the exhibit, testing our knowledge of Shakespeare's plays (which sadly was fairly low). Unfortunately, New Place was destroyed many years ago when its owner became tired of the multitude of visitors who would flock to the site. However, the gardens behind the house still remain, and we wandered through, visiting the various sculptures depicting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. From there, we crossed the river Avon to visit a monument that once stood in the courtyard of the Royal Shakespeare Theater. When fire destroyed the original theater and it had to be rebuilt, the monument was moved to its current location. We stopped in the theater on our way back to the park, where we met Lindsay and Lucy for a trip to Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, grew up about a mile outside of Stratford. The house in which she lived remained in the family for over 400 years. Surrounding the house is a vast garden, including a small lavender "maze" shaped as the comedy mask. We eventually walked back into town, picking up Sarah on our way. As we got ready for dinner, Emily yawned, which Sarah pointed out, saying "Let's go take you a nap". We were all so exhausted from the long days that it took us a moment to realize what she had said, but eventually we caught it. I split off from the rest of the group I had been with to meet Kendall and Rachel in the park. We had decided to get dinner that night at a local Greek restaurant, which was definitely one of the best meals I ate all week. Afterwards, we walked to the Swan Theater (a small theater right beside the Royal Shakespeare Theater) for the performance of Arden of Faversham.
We mingled as we waited, and suddenly, Sarah turned to me and aggressively asked "DO YOU HAVE A DOG NAMED HUMPHREY?" (for the record, she insisted that I use all capitol letters). Sensing her disappointment that I did not, in fact, have a dog named Humphrey (or any dog at all for that matter), I attempted to help her determine whose dog she was thinking of, recalling the conversation from when I sat beside her the previous night. We soon discovered that Humphrey (as well as a dog named Teddy) belonged to Emma, who had been sitting on my other side for Henry IV part I. We had decided that their names, "Humphrey and Teddy," sounded like a sitcom, which was why it had stuck in Sarah's mind. After the show, we milled about the lobby, deciding what to do next. Emily and I opted to go back to the B & B while others went to the Dirty Duck. When Bobby was asked what he would be doing, he looked at us and replied, "gotta ask the boss lady", waiting patiently for Emma to join us.
On our last day in Stratford, we packed our bags before we assembled for breakfast, sad to have to say goodbye to the wonderful hosts of our B & B. Brian began the morning's lecture with a talk-back of Arden of Faversham, followed by an explanation of what we would see at Kenilworth Castle that afternoon. The lecture ended with Ruth's introduction of Henry IV part II. We broke for lunch, taking with us instructions to meet back at the park just after noon so we could load our cases onto the coach and ride to the Castle.
The first thing we did when we walked off the coach was take a group photo, after which we spent the afternoon wandering through the remains of Kenilworth Castle. I had a wonderful time practicing my photography skills on some of the ASE students as we climbed through state rooms, dungeons, and more before finally strolling through the Elizabethan Garden. A few hours after we arrived, we loaded back onto the coach to return to Stratford, thoroughly exhausted.
Before our final play of the week, most of us grabbed dinner at a local pub called the "Golden Bee", which is part of the Wetherspoons chain. The UR students gathered in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theater to take a picture with our mascot Rocky (our first time all semester!) before we watched Henry IV part II. By the time the show ended, we were ready to go back home and happily piled back onto the coach for the ride back to Bath, where we finally arrived at nearly 1 AM. Our last big adventure had come to an end.
As with most trips, our class's outing to the Globe Theater started early in the morning. North Parade was the first pick up point, where we were joined by Andrew Butterworth, our chaperone for the day. Next was Widcombe, followed by Northampton, where we hit our first snag of the day. Because of a miscommunication, we waited for 20 minutes for Carrington, who had already traveled to London the previous evening and would be meeting us at the theater. Not the most auspicious start to the day.
Regardless, we set out for London, where we arrived a few hours later. We hopped off the coach and walked around the corner to the theater, although we managed to pass the street the first time around. When we finally arrived at the Globe, we met our tutor Brian Hazel, his wife Ruth, and the elusive Carrington. We were escorted on a tour of the theater and explored the neighboring exhibition before breaking for lunch. Megan, Chelsi, Carrington, Bella and I grabbed a bite at Wagamama, a noodlebar around the corner, and then headed back to the theater to rent cushions for the show.
The doors opened, and we took our seats for a particularly gory production of Titus and Andronicus. I couldn't watch much of it (as my classmates discovered, I don't exactly do well with blood), but the rest of the group seemed to somewhat enjoy it. We gathered at the gift shop following the show, where Andrew did a final head count and we said goodbye to Carrington, Kendall and Ola (who would all be staying in London) before we walked back along the river to where the bus would pick us up.
As we waited at the curb, Uriel spoke up from the back of the group. Somewhere between the theater and our pick up point, we had lost one of our classmates! Uriel and Miranda turned around to find him, and Andrew rushed after them. The bus pulled up a few minutes later, so those of us who had remained piled on, scouring the sidewalk for our classmates and chaperone. A few minutes later, Uriel, Miranda and Andrew returned with Brian and Ruth in tow. Andrew, unfortunately, looked extremely frazzled as he searched for his phone to call the student. As it turned out, the student would be staying in London for the evening and had neglected to tell Andrew. As he walked onto the bus so we could finally leave, Andrew blurted out the title of this blog.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, and before long, we were gearing up for our 3-day residency in Stratford-Upon-Avon starting on Tuesday. We piled onto the bus, where I took a seat next to Kris as we set out on our way. About halfway through the trip, Ali blurted out "Look whose face I'm wearing" from across the aisle, at which point I decided to start collecting potential blog titles. Keep a look out for those throughout the post.
We unloaded the bus and gathered in the park, where we sorted into groups based on our Bed and Breakfasts for the week. I scoured the crowd for Kendall and Rachel, my roommates for the week, and together we joined the rest of the Adelphi House group. Lindsay escorted us across the road and dropped us off with the owners, who welcomed us openly. Once we found our rooms, we returned to the park, which would be our meeting point for the week.
We split into two groups and took a quick tour around Stratford, which is a fairly small town. The tour ended in front of the Shakespeare Center, where we would need to meet for lectures during our visit. We broke for lunch, at which point Megan dragged me off to have my first fish and chips of my trip here (in my defense, I don't eat french fries, and I'm not a big fan of fried foods).
Our first lecture began with Brian Hazel, who discussed the history of Stratford and the theaters. His wife Ruth took over halfway through to introduce Henry IV part I, the first of 3 plays we would be seeing that week. After the lecture, a few of us visited Shakespeare's birthplace. A few of us grabbed a light bite before returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theater for the show. Jonathan and Lindsay met us at the entrance to distribute tickets. We found that our seats constituted 3 clumps - one group sat in the Orchestra (referred to as the "Stalls" here) and two groups sat on either side of the Mezzanine (which they call the "Circle"). After Henry IV part I, we split into smaller groups to either go out for a drink or go back to the B & B's. As Emma, Alyssa, Grace and I walked past the Dirty Duck - one of Stratford's best-known pubs - we started to talk about the name. This, of course led to a discussion of pub names in general, at which point Emma asserted that "If something sounds fairly improbable, it's probably the name of a pub".
Wednesday started early once again, this time with breakfast and a morning lecture. As in Oxford, breakfast was a chance to see other students in the program we might not otherwise see, in this case those staying at the same B & B. Lucy, who was staying at our B & B, walked us back to the Shakespeare Center, where Ruth led a talk-back session on Henry IV part I, followed by an introduction to Arden of Faversham - the non-Shakespeare play we would be seeing on our second night - with Brian. After the lecture, we had free time, so Emily, Rachel, Megan, Jasmyne and I grabbed sandwiches and set off on our adventure of seeing the city!
We started at the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptized and later buried.The church was much simpler than many we had previously seen, which was a welcome change. From there, we walked down the street to Hall's Croft, which had once been the residence of Shakespeare's granddaughter. One of the most interesting parts of the house was actually outside of it, in the gardens. The flowers that have been planted in the garden all come from Shakespeare's works, and a sculpture in its center features the two heads of Bottom - human and donkey - fused into one.
From Hall's Croft, we visited Nash's house, beside which New Place once stood. The former was the home of Thomas Nash, while Shakespeare lived in the latter. Nash's house featured a dress-up station, which we of course latched onto. As I prepared to photograph the rest of the group wearing crowns, Emily turned to me seriously and said, "You may bow to us". This elicited a round of laughter from us all, and we continued through the exhibit, testing our knowledge of Shakespeare's plays (which sadly was fairly low). Unfortunately, New Place was destroyed many years ago when its owner became tired of the multitude of visitors who would flock to the site. However, the gardens behind the house still remain, and we wandered through, visiting the various sculptures depicting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. From there, we crossed the river Avon to visit a monument that once stood in the courtyard of the Royal Shakespeare Theater. When fire destroyed the original theater and it had to be rebuilt, the monument was moved to its current location. We stopped in the theater on our way back to the park, where we met Lindsay and Lucy for a trip to Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, grew up about a mile outside of Stratford. The house in which she lived remained in the family for over 400 years. Surrounding the house is a vast garden, including a small lavender "maze" shaped as the comedy mask. We eventually walked back into town, picking up Sarah on our way. As we got ready for dinner, Emily yawned, which Sarah pointed out, saying "Let's go take you a nap". We were all so exhausted from the long days that it took us a moment to realize what she had said, but eventually we caught it. I split off from the rest of the group I had been with to meet Kendall and Rachel in the park. We had decided to get dinner that night at a local Greek restaurant, which was definitely one of the best meals I ate all week. Afterwards, we walked to the Swan Theater (a small theater right beside the Royal Shakespeare Theater) for the performance of Arden of Faversham.
We mingled as we waited, and suddenly, Sarah turned to me and aggressively asked "DO YOU HAVE A DOG NAMED HUMPHREY?" (for the record, she insisted that I use all capitol letters). Sensing her disappointment that I did not, in fact, have a dog named Humphrey (or any dog at all for that matter), I attempted to help her determine whose dog she was thinking of, recalling the conversation from when I sat beside her the previous night. We soon discovered that Humphrey (as well as a dog named Teddy) belonged to Emma, who had been sitting on my other side for Henry IV part I. We had decided that their names, "Humphrey and Teddy," sounded like a sitcom, which was why it had stuck in Sarah's mind. After the show, we milled about the lobby, deciding what to do next. Emily and I opted to go back to the B & B while others went to the Dirty Duck. When Bobby was asked what he would be doing, he looked at us and replied, "gotta ask the boss lady", waiting patiently for Emma to join us.
On our last day in Stratford, we packed our bags before we assembled for breakfast, sad to have to say goodbye to the wonderful hosts of our B & B. Brian began the morning's lecture with a talk-back of Arden of Faversham, followed by an explanation of what we would see at Kenilworth Castle that afternoon. The lecture ended with Ruth's introduction of Henry IV part II. We broke for lunch, taking with us instructions to meet back at the park just after noon so we could load our cases onto the coach and ride to the Castle.
The first thing we did when we walked off the coach was take a group photo, after which we spent the afternoon wandering through the remains of Kenilworth Castle. I had a wonderful time practicing my photography skills on some of the ASE students as we climbed through state rooms, dungeons, and more before finally strolling through the Elizabethan Garden. A few hours after we arrived, we loaded back onto the coach to return to Stratford, thoroughly exhausted.
Before our final play of the week, most of us grabbed dinner at a local pub called the "Golden Bee", which is part of the Wetherspoons chain. The UR students gathered in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theater to take a picture with our mascot Rocky (our first time all semester!) before we watched Henry IV part II. By the time the show ended, we were ready to go back home and happily piled back onto the coach for the ride back to Bath, where we finally arrived at nearly 1 AM. Our last big adventure had come to an end.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
St. Andrew's Visit 9: Teaching a Lesson (2)
Focus: Teaching a Lesson
One of the best parts of having come in on a Friday was that I got a little bit more continuity than usual, especially in science and maths. I worked individually with I during microwriting, talking him through the brainstorming process by asking probing questions and recording his responses on a whiteboard. When he went to write his sentences, he was able to pull from the words he had already generated.
While the students read independently, I went into the library and collected additional information for their animal mindmaps, part of their current unit in science. I rejoined the class in time for maths, where they were adding geometric shapes to their preexisting work with coordinates. Mr. Barry offered three levels of difficulty for the lass to practice labeling points and drawing geometric shapes. He and I had a fun moment discovering another difference in our vocabularies - I learned when he drew on the board that what he referred to as a "trapezium" we call a "trapezoid". I wandered around the room answering questions and observing the students. One interesting interaction I observed was between J, G and X, who sit around the same table. J is one of the top students in the class in all subjects; G is excellent in literacy but struggles in maths; X is a good student when he actually does his work, but he's easily distracted. When I approached their table to answer a question from G, J helped me to explain it to her, and together they helped X understand it as well.
I sat with I for the end of maths, who was having particular difficulties labeling points. After a few minutes of struggling, however, it finally clicked, and he breezed through the remainder of the exercise. Not only did he finish labeling the points without assistance, but he was able to then build his own shapes based on coordinates he had been given. As difficult as it was to watch him struggle, the moment he finally understood was that much sweeter.
After maths, the students pulled out their mind maps to begin writing reports on the animals they had researched. By the time they left the room to eat lunch, they had completed their first topic sentences. During lunch, Mr. Barry and I discussed some of the morning's happenings, including the story I mentioned of J, G and X. He was glad to hear that his plan for seating them together was working. He also explained that just sitting next to M has brought out a better work ethic in A as well as increasing M's social skills. He also explained why W had been pulled out of the classroom starting at the middle of maths. As with a number of the students in Year 4, W's home language isn't English. St. Andrews was interested in seeing whether the difficulties he was having in class were because of the language barrier or because of an underlying problem, so a specialist was testing him as well as a few other students facing the same issues.
After lunch, the students returned to their reports for a bit before changing into their PE kits for dance. The brain dance warm-up took an extra twist this week: in preparation for our lesson on levels, they were required to do the whole thing sitting down. Afterwards, the students moved across the room at different levels. Interestingly, when I lined them up at one side so that I could give instructions, they turned it into a bit of a race. Students edged forward, ready for my cue to go. They then made poses with a partner using the same concept of levels. I dismissed them back to the classroom in pairs so they could get ready for assembly.
After the students were dismissed, Mr. Barry and I spent a few minutes talking about the lesson I would do on my next and last visit. I mentioned that I hoped the boys would enjoy it, knowing that whether they enjoyed it could make or break their behavior. Mr. Barry explained that this year, 6 out of the 7 boys in Year 4 don't have dads at home, compared to 2 out of 12 in his class last year. We talked a bit about the difference in the boys' behavior and role modeling between the two years - while he could previously count on the majority to model good behavior, this year it had fallen almost entirely to him.
One of the best parts of having come in on a Friday was that I got a little bit more continuity than usual, especially in science and maths. I worked individually with I during microwriting, talking him through the brainstorming process by asking probing questions and recording his responses on a whiteboard. When he went to write his sentences, he was able to pull from the words he had already generated.
While the students read independently, I went into the library and collected additional information for their animal mindmaps, part of their current unit in science. I rejoined the class in time for maths, where they were adding geometric shapes to their preexisting work with coordinates. Mr. Barry offered three levels of difficulty for the lass to practice labeling points and drawing geometric shapes. He and I had a fun moment discovering another difference in our vocabularies - I learned when he drew on the board that what he referred to as a "trapezium" we call a "trapezoid". I wandered around the room answering questions and observing the students. One interesting interaction I observed was between J, G and X, who sit around the same table. J is one of the top students in the class in all subjects; G is excellent in literacy but struggles in maths; X is a good student when he actually does his work, but he's easily distracted. When I approached their table to answer a question from G, J helped me to explain it to her, and together they helped X understand it as well.
I sat with I for the end of maths, who was having particular difficulties labeling points. After a few minutes of struggling, however, it finally clicked, and he breezed through the remainder of the exercise. Not only did he finish labeling the points without assistance, but he was able to then build his own shapes based on coordinates he had been given. As difficult as it was to watch him struggle, the moment he finally understood was that much sweeter.
After maths, the students pulled out their mind maps to begin writing reports on the animals they had researched. By the time they left the room to eat lunch, they had completed their first topic sentences. During lunch, Mr. Barry and I discussed some of the morning's happenings, including the story I mentioned of J, G and X. He was glad to hear that his plan for seating them together was working. He also explained that just sitting next to M has brought out a better work ethic in A as well as increasing M's social skills. He also explained why W had been pulled out of the classroom starting at the middle of maths. As with a number of the students in Year 4, W's home language isn't English. St. Andrews was interested in seeing whether the difficulties he was having in class were because of the language barrier or because of an underlying problem, so a specialist was testing him as well as a few other students facing the same issues.
After lunch, the students returned to their reports for a bit before changing into their PE kits for dance. The brain dance warm-up took an extra twist this week: in preparation for our lesson on levels, they were required to do the whole thing sitting down. Afterwards, the students moved across the room at different levels. Interestingly, when I lined them up at one side so that I could give instructions, they turned it into a bit of a race. Students edged forward, ready for my cue to go. They then made poses with a partner using the same concept of levels. I dismissed them back to the classroom in pairs so they could get ready for assembly.
After the students were dismissed, Mr. Barry and I spent a few minutes talking about the lesson I would do on my next and last visit. I mentioned that I hoped the boys would enjoy it, knowing that whether they enjoyed it could make or break their behavior. Mr. Barry explained that this year, 6 out of the 7 boys in Year 4 don't have dads at home, compared to 2 out of 12 in his class last year. We talked a bit about the difference in the boys' behavior and role modeling between the two years - while he could previously count on the majority to model good behavior, this year it had fallen almost entirely to him.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
St. Andrew's Visit 8: Teaching a Lesson (1)
Focus: Teaching a lesson
Because of the program's schedule, only 9 of our 10 visits took place on Tuesdays, so I popped in on a Friday to round off my semester.
The morning began with a bit of confusion on their part - they weren't used to seeing me on a different day - but they quickly settled to finish labeling and correcting maps they had drawn. I sat with A to help him complete his Venn Diagram, walking him through the process by which he would determine whether an item fell in one of the circles or in the overlap area. Students who had finished their maps and their Venn Diagrams completed a short microwriting session or added to the previous day's writing.
At 9:30, students engaged in quiet reading time. I pulled out K and I (and later M and J) to assess the progress they had made in reading comprehension since an intervention had begun for them in November. They each read a story that was 2 levels higher than where they had been initially and answered a few questions. If they answered all the comprehension questions correctly, they then tried another level up.
Mr. Barry later explained that the assessment was, in part, to test the method's effectiveness for each of the students as well as to determine their current levels. For many years, the school had simply thrown a variety of resources and supplements at students who lagged behind, hoping that something would work without knowing for certain. In recent waves of accountability, the focus has been on figuring out which interventions work and which ones don't. Interestingly, students who had tested on the same level initially and have been exposed to the same intervention have not all made the same progress. Some struggled with the initial test (2 levels higher than where they had started) while others excelled and completed tests at 3 or even 4 levels higher without issue. To me, this simply proved that students learn in different ways, and not every plan will work for every pupil.
For the rest of the morning, both before and after the break (which was sadly inside because of rain) the students researched different animals for their current science unit on food chains and predator-prey interactions. Mr. Barry explained to the students how they could create mind maps to organize the information they collected. I sat with W, who was eager to learn about sharks regardless of his partner R's absence.
Rain continued through lunch, forcing the students inside again. Containing the students within the small classroom proved treacherous as it removed their ability to put space between them and potential conflicts. More than one disagreement erupted as a result. Ms. Bryant and I took turns removing students from the classroom when the need arose. I had a particularly interesting interaction with J, who I would describe as introverted, but not shy. She has no issue interacting with other students, but I've seen her at times opt to work alone on an assignment when there is an odd number of students. She had been building with a pair of other students during the midmorning break and during the first part of the lunch hour (they eat their lunches right in the middle of the lunch hour, allowing them a chance to play before and then again after). During the last part of the lunch hour, she continued to build, but this time she gathered some materials and then found a quiet corner of the classroom away from other students. I checked in with her briefly and discovered that she was happy to be on her own. What I assessed as contented, however, Ms. Bryant thought to be loneliness. She subsequently tried to convince J to join other students, which she eventually did reluctantly.
After lunch, the students completed a short session of micromaths, followed by a chance to choose their own activities. 9 of the girls joined me for a dance lesson, although I ended up having to send 2 of them back to the classroom when they refused to listen to instructions. For those who remained, I opted for the animal game (in which they embody an animal and others try to guess) followed by the food chain game (a version of rock-paper-scissors that helps them understand the pyramid-nature of a food chain as only one person ends at the top and many more are at the bottom, with a medium number at the middle level) until it was time for the afternoon assembly.
Because of the program's schedule, only 9 of our 10 visits took place on Tuesdays, so I popped in on a Friday to round off my semester.
The morning began with a bit of confusion on their part - they weren't used to seeing me on a different day - but they quickly settled to finish labeling and correcting maps they had drawn. I sat with A to help him complete his Venn Diagram, walking him through the process by which he would determine whether an item fell in one of the circles or in the overlap area. Students who had finished their maps and their Venn Diagrams completed a short microwriting session or added to the previous day's writing.
At 9:30, students engaged in quiet reading time. I pulled out K and I (and later M and J) to assess the progress they had made in reading comprehension since an intervention had begun for them in November. They each read a story that was 2 levels higher than where they had been initially and answered a few questions. If they answered all the comprehension questions correctly, they then tried another level up.
Mr. Barry later explained that the assessment was, in part, to test the method's effectiveness for each of the students as well as to determine their current levels. For many years, the school had simply thrown a variety of resources and supplements at students who lagged behind, hoping that something would work without knowing for certain. In recent waves of accountability, the focus has been on figuring out which interventions work and which ones don't. Interestingly, students who had tested on the same level initially and have been exposed to the same intervention have not all made the same progress. Some struggled with the initial test (2 levels higher than where they had started) while others excelled and completed tests at 3 or even 4 levels higher without issue. To me, this simply proved that students learn in different ways, and not every plan will work for every pupil.
For the rest of the morning, both before and after the break (which was sadly inside because of rain) the students researched different animals for their current science unit on food chains and predator-prey interactions. Mr. Barry explained to the students how they could create mind maps to organize the information they collected. I sat with W, who was eager to learn about sharks regardless of his partner R's absence.
Rain continued through lunch, forcing the students inside again. Containing the students within the small classroom proved treacherous as it removed their ability to put space between them and potential conflicts. More than one disagreement erupted as a result. Ms. Bryant and I took turns removing students from the classroom when the need arose. I had a particularly interesting interaction with J, who I would describe as introverted, but not shy. She has no issue interacting with other students, but I've seen her at times opt to work alone on an assignment when there is an odd number of students. She had been building with a pair of other students during the midmorning break and during the first part of the lunch hour (they eat their lunches right in the middle of the lunch hour, allowing them a chance to play before and then again after). During the last part of the lunch hour, she continued to build, but this time she gathered some materials and then found a quiet corner of the classroom away from other students. I checked in with her briefly and discovered that she was happy to be on her own. What I assessed as contented, however, Ms. Bryant thought to be loneliness. She subsequently tried to convince J to join other students, which she eventually did reluctantly.
After lunch, the students completed a short session of micromaths, followed by a chance to choose their own activities. 9 of the girls joined me for a dance lesson, although I ended up having to send 2 of them back to the classroom when they refused to listen to instructions. For those who remained, I opted for the animal game (in which they embody an animal and others try to guess) followed by the food chain game (a version of rock-paper-scissors that helps them understand the pyramid-nature of a food chain as only one person ends at the top and many more are at the bottom, with a medium number at the middle level) until it was time for the afternoon assembly.
St. Andrew's Visit 7: Planning a Unit of Work
Focus: Planning a Unit of Work
"A unit of work (sometimes described as a scheme of work in English schools) describes what earning is planned for students over a period of time"
This Tuesday was the first school day after a two-week holiday, so I was prepared for the students to be a little off their game. Their entrance was particularly morose (no one likes coming back to school after two weeks off) and the excessive chatting throughout the day indicated that their minds certainly had not joined their bodies in returning from the break.
Microwriting started the day, which went about as well as could be expected. Although the students all completed the assignment, they struggled to begin, so Mr. Barry tried to do a set on the board with them. He focused on adjectives and adverbs, which I decided to continue in their dance lesson that afternoon. As they completed microwriting, we collected their jotters and distributed FIFA World Cup sticker booklets, which they'll be using for their newest maths unit.
For the next few weeks, Year 4 will be learning to analyze and visually represent data. All the data will come from the booklets, which Mr. Barry was able to find for free. The data was particularly engaging for the boys, especially H, which was exciting because he either engages completely and does wonderful work or he doesn't engage at all and barely completes his assignments.
The assignment Tuesday was to choose four teams, find out the number of goals they had scored during the qualifying rounds, and draw a bar graph with the information. They then used the bar graphs to answer a series of questions. As is routine, Mr. Barry and I circled the room, providing assistance as needed. Unfortunately, many of the students hadn't been paying full attention when Mr. Barry had explained the instructions and the basics of bar graphs, which meant that I had to re-explain much of what had been covered all over again.
After lunch, Mr. Barry implemented micromaths for the first time, which is a series of short maths problems meant to keep the students' skills sharp and enhance their mental maths capabilities. They then changed into their PE kits for dance.
I led the class into the hall, where we started with the brain dance. Once they had warmed up, we talked briefly about the functions of adjectives and adverbs before they moved across the room based on different words. However, when I tried to put them into groups for the next part of the lesson - guessing adjectives I assigned - chaos ensued. It took nearly 7 minutes for them to settle, forcing me to rush the instructions.
After my lesson, we attended an assembly led by Mrs. East, the head teacher. She asked the students how their holidays had been and then taught them about William Shakespeare in honor of his birthday. After the assembly, Mr. Barry tested the students on time, which they had been learning before the holiday. He asked them each to answer a question before leaving, making sure that they didn't start to lose the progress they had previously made.
"A unit of work (sometimes described as a scheme of work in English schools) describes what earning is planned for students over a period of time"
This Tuesday was the first school day after a two-week holiday, so I was prepared for the students to be a little off their game. Their entrance was particularly morose (no one likes coming back to school after two weeks off) and the excessive chatting throughout the day indicated that their minds certainly had not joined their bodies in returning from the break.
Microwriting started the day, which went about as well as could be expected. Although the students all completed the assignment, they struggled to begin, so Mr. Barry tried to do a set on the board with them. He focused on adjectives and adverbs, which I decided to continue in their dance lesson that afternoon. As they completed microwriting, we collected their jotters and distributed FIFA World Cup sticker booklets, which they'll be using for their newest maths unit.
For the next few weeks, Year 4 will be learning to analyze and visually represent data. All the data will come from the booklets, which Mr. Barry was able to find for free. The data was particularly engaging for the boys, especially H, which was exciting because he either engages completely and does wonderful work or he doesn't engage at all and barely completes his assignments.
The assignment Tuesday was to choose four teams, find out the number of goals they had scored during the qualifying rounds, and draw a bar graph with the information. They then used the bar graphs to answer a series of questions. As is routine, Mr. Barry and I circled the room, providing assistance as needed. Unfortunately, many of the students hadn't been paying full attention when Mr. Barry had explained the instructions and the basics of bar graphs, which meant that I had to re-explain much of what had been covered all over again.
After lunch, Mr. Barry implemented micromaths for the first time, which is a series of short maths problems meant to keep the students' skills sharp and enhance their mental maths capabilities. They then changed into their PE kits for dance.
I led the class into the hall, where we started with the brain dance. Once they had warmed up, we talked briefly about the functions of adjectives and adverbs before they moved across the room based on different words. However, when I tried to put them into groups for the next part of the lesson - guessing adjectives I assigned - chaos ensued. It took nearly 7 minutes for them to settle, forcing me to rush the instructions.
After my lesson, we attended an assembly led by Mrs. East, the head teacher. She asked the students how their holidays had been and then taught them about William Shakespeare in honor of his birthday. After the assembly, Mr. Barry tested the students on time, which they had been learning before the holiday. He asked them each to answer a question before leaving, making sure that they didn't start to lose the progress they had previously made.
"Just don't eat my arm"
Although Spring Break had technically ended already, I still had one more adventure in the books: a weekend in Manchester and London. Around midday Thursday, Megan, Mackenzie and I grabbed our bags and headed back to the train station to catch our train to Bristol. Because of a delay, we missed our initial train to Machester, but we were able to grab the next train, getting us into Manchester at around 4:30. A bus took us to our hostel, where we dropped our bags, and then back into the city center.
We ate dinner a few blocks away from the concert hall we would be sitting in later that night at a cute little Italian restaurant. I managed to find a dish that was mostly kosher for Passover - no pasta or breading on the chicken - which was a welcome surprise. We ate quickly, knowing we only had a limited amount of time before we had to be out. From the restaurant, we walked to the main feature of our visit: a Piano Guys concert! Although Mackenzie isn't as big of a fan, Megan and I were ecstatic to be there. We bounced giddily in our seats as they played our favorite pieces - "Secrets" for me, "Titanium" for Megan - and even Mackenzie jammed along when they closed the show with "What Makes you Beautiful." We returned to the hostel after the show and went straight to sleep, excited for the rest of our weekend to begin.
I spent Friday morning doing some important shopping in Manchester while Megan and Mackenzie found a cafe to do some work, where I met them in time to catch our midday train into London. Once we got into London, we decided that we needed to drop off our bags and then find something to eat (Megan's response to Mackenzie's complaint of hunger became the title of this blog), so we hopped on the tube to our hostel to check in. Once we had left our things, we took the tube back in and grabbed a late lunch (this time I found Passover-friendly salmon), followed by a quick scoop of ice cream.
We decided to buy tickets for one of those hop on-hop off buses and spent the rest of the afternoon seeing the landmarks of London from the top of a double-decker bus. Although it got a bit chilly on the top deck, we had a fantastic time seeing the city from a whole new perspective. After dinner at a normal time, we finally headed back to the hostel to plan our Saturday adventures.
My Saturday started a bit earlier than my roommate's. As part of our tour bus ticket, we could watch the changing of the guard ceremony with the tour company. Although Megan and Mackenzie weren't interested, I certainly was, so I headed into the city early and agreed to meet them afterwards for lunch. The tour left from Trafalgar Square and traveled to the oldest residence of the palace complex, the soldier's barracks, Buckingham Palace, and finally the Clarendon residence. Getting to watch the changing of the guard was fantastically fun, and I was glad to have taken the opportunity.
After the ceremony ended, I took the tube to King's Cross Station, where Megan, Mackenzie and I took our pictures at platform 9 3/4. We waited in line, growing increasingly excited each time we got closer to the front. When our turn finally arrived, I went first, announcing "Slytherin" when asked for my house. One of the women working there had wrapped the Slytherin scarf around her neck to demonstrate how to avoid crushing your fingers, and she had to be called over so that I could wear it for my photo. When she heard that I was a Slytherin, she cheered and gave me a high-five before handing over the scarf. While I posed, she chatted with Mackenzie. When I went to return the scarf, she asked me what I was doing hanging out with a Gryffindor. I joked that I was really friends with her sister the Ravenclaw, and all was forgiven.
After we took our pictures at King's Cross Station, we rode the tube to Westminster Station for a London Walk to see some of the locations used for filming the Harry Potter. The guide asked trivia questions, and we were proud to answer some of the more difficult questions. Our answers regularly earned stickers not just for us but for some of the younger participants. Unfortunately, we had to duck out early so that we could make it to London Euston Station and take our train to Watford Junction. From there, we caught a bus to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
The Studio Tour was incredible. We walked through the Great Hall and marveled at the costumes and still-standing sets. We gaped at the various books and potions, amazed by the number of props that had been created for the film series. Outside, we met a pair of owls, who had played Hedwig and Pigwidgeon in the films. We climbed aboard the night bus and rode on Hagrid's motorcycle. We crossed the bridge that exploded in the last film ("BOOM!"). The second half of the tour brought us through the creation of many of the monsters, followed by a stroll down Diagon Alley. Finally, we reached the exhibit on model building and concept art, which led to the model of Hogwarts built for the last film. The moment of seeing that was overwhelming, as if for a moment, the fiction became reality, and every instant of the tour had led to it.
We explored the gift shop and grabbed a bite at the cafe after the tour before heading back into London, where we took the tube back to our hostel for the night. We had to be up early the next morning to get to Paddington. I waited there while Megan brought her sister back to Heathrow, and then we hopped on the train back to Bath. Back home.
We ate dinner a few blocks away from the concert hall we would be sitting in later that night at a cute little Italian restaurant. I managed to find a dish that was mostly kosher for Passover - no pasta or breading on the chicken - which was a welcome surprise. We ate quickly, knowing we only had a limited amount of time before we had to be out. From the restaurant, we walked to the main feature of our visit: a Piano Guys concert! Although Mackenzie isn't as big of a fan, Megan and I were ecstatic to be there. We bounced giddily in our seats as they played our favorite pieces - "Secrets" for me, "Titanium" for Megan - and even Mackenzie jammed along when they closed the show with "What Makes you Beautiful." We returned to the hostel after the show and went straight to sleep, excited for the rest of our weekend to begin.
I spent Friday morning doing some important shopping in Manchester while Megan and Mackenzie found a cafe to do some work, where I met them in time to catch our midday train into London. Once we got into London, we decided that we needed to drop off our bags and then find something to eat (Megan's response to Mackenzie's complaint of hunger became the title of this blog), so we hopped on the tube to our hostel to check in. Once we had left our things, we took the tube back in and grabbed a late lunch (this time I found Passover-friendly salmon), followed by a quick scoop of ice cream.
We decided to buy tickets for one of those hop on-hop off buses and spent the rest of the afternoon seeing the landmarks of London from the top of a double-decker bus. Although it got a bit chilly on the top deck, we had a fantastic time seeing the city from a whole new perspective. After dinner at a normal time, we finally headed back to the hostel to plan our Saturday adventures.
My Saturday started a bit earlier than my roommate's. As part of our tour bus ticket, we could watch the changing of the guard ceremony with the tour company. Although Megan and Mackenzie weren't interested, I certainly was, so I headed into the city early and agreed to meet them afterwards for lunch. The tour left from Trafalgar Square and traveled to the oldest residence of the palace complex, the soldier's barracks, Buckingham Palace, and finally the Clarendon residence. Getting to watch the changing of the guard was fantastically fun, and I was glad to have taken the opportunity.
After the ceremony ended, I took the tube to King's Cross Station, where Megan, Mackenzie and I took our pictures at platform 9 3/4. We waited in line, growing increasingly excited each time we got closer to the front. When our turn finally arrived, I went first, announcing "Slytherin" when asked for my house. One of the women working there had wrapped the Slytherin scarf around her neck to demonstrate how to avoid crushing your fingers, and she had to be called over so that I could wear it for my photo. When she heard that I was a Slytherin, she cheered and gave me a high-five before handing over the scarf. While I posed, she chatted with Mackenzie. When I went to return the scarf, she asked me what I was doing hanging out with a Gryffindor. I joked that I was really friends with her sister the Ravenclaw, and all was forgiven.
After we took our pictures at King's Cross Station, we rode the tube to Westminster Station for a London Walk to see some of the locations used for filming the Harry Potter. The guide asked trivia questions, and we were proud to answer some of the more difficult questions. Our answers regularly earned stickers not just for us but for some of the younger participants. Unfortunately, we had to duck out early so that we could make it to London Euston Station and take our train to Watford Junction. From there, we caught a bus to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
The Studio Tour was incredible. We walked through the Great Hall and marveled at the costumes and still-standing sets. We gaped at the various books and potions, amazed by the number of props that had been created for the film series. Outside, we met a pair of owls, who had played Hedwig and Pigwidgeon in the films. We climbed aboard the night bus and rode on Hagrid's motorcycle. We crossed the bridge that exploded in the last film ("BOOM!"). The second half of the tour brought us through the creation of many of the monsters, followed by a stroll down Diagon Alley. Finally, we reached the exhibit on model building and concept art, which led to the model of Hogwarts built for the last film. The moment of seeing that was overwhelming, as if for a moment, the fiction became reality, and every instant of the tour had led to it.
We explored the gift shop and grabbed a bite at the cafe after the tour before heading back into London, where we took the tube back to our hostel for the night. We had to be up early the next morning to get to Paddington. I waited there while Megan brought her sister back to Heathrow, and then we hopped on the train back to Bath. Back home.
Monday, May 5, 2014
"They wanted their independence, and when they got it, they didn't like it"
Although our spring break had ended, students in England got another week of holiday, so on the first Tuesday back, Andrew Butterworth led us on a field trip to the local American Museum. Housed in an old country house on the outskirts of Bath, the museum is the only one of its kind in the UK. There, we got a special tour courtesy of Emily, who interns at the museum.
Our afternoon started in the heritage rooms, the museum's display on Native Americans. The space often hosts school groups and was designed to be very kid-friendly, including many interactive displays and a few dress-up stations, of which we took full advantage. Although the whole museum was fun, I have to say that one of the greatest moments was watching Andrew Butterworth don a cowboy hat.
All joking aside, we did have a task embedded in our trip. Andrew asked us to look at the exhibits not as visitors to the museums but as future teachers, bringing students of our own on a field trip. We talked about what ages would do well in the setting as well as how it could tie into different aspects of the curriculum. Emily shared some of her experiences working with school groups and developing materials for younger students.
From the heritage rooms we moved into the period rooms, which are extraordinarily unique. Each room is a space that has been transplanted directly from the US. Every aspect comes from the original room - wallpaper, furniture, everything. The rooms are arranged to move through history from just after the Revolutionary War (known here as the War of American Independence) through the early and mid 1800s. Each room features a volunteer who is knowledgeable about all the details of the room. For instance, the man who worked in the first room - an old tavern from the period immediately following the Revolutionary War - told the story of an early rebellion, which he summed up in the quote I pulled for the title of this post.
The woman who works in the lush New Orleans room, dated from the early 1800s, had a wonderful time pointing out the mustache comb and teaching us about the mirror, which was slightly curved so that no matter how close you stood to it, you could always see your feet. Although Andrew didn't quite understand why, we all delighted in walking up to it and discovering this fact for ourselves.
One of the other features in the museum is their vast collection of quilts and textiles. On the day we visited, they were actually hosting a quilting bee in the room where the quilts are displayed. The perfect place for a quilting bee, right?
At the end of our visit, we stopped in the café for tea. The chef appeared with a beautiful cake, which we topped with candles to celebrate Tory's birthday, which we had missed while on our break. When we cut into the cake, we discovered that the batter had been colored, revealing a bright, colorful tie-dye effect. Andrew brought out tea for the table, and we listened to a few of the folk tales Emily shares with students on her tours until it was time to go.
Our afternoon started in the heritage rooms, the museum's display on Native Americans. The space often hosts school groups and was designed to be very kid-friendly, including many interactive displays and a few dress-up stations, of which we took full advantage. Although the whole museum was fun, I have to say that one of the greatest moments was watching Andrew Butterworth don a cowboy hat.
All joking aside, we did have a task embedded in our trip. Andrew asked us to look at the exhibits not as visitors to the museums but as future teachers, bringing students of our own on a field trip. We talked about what ages would do well in the setting as well as how it could tie into different aspects of the curriculum. Emily shared some of her experiences working with school groups and developing materials for younger students.
From the heritage rooms we moved into the period rooms, which are extraordinarily unique. Each room is a space that has been transplanted directly from the US. Every aspect comes from the original room - wallpaper, furniture, everything. The rooms are arranged to move through history from just after the Revolutionary War (known here as the War of American Independence) through the early and mid 1800s. Each room features a volunteer who is knowledgeable about all the details of the room. For instance, the man who worked in the first room - an old tavern from the period immediately following the Revolutionary War - told the story of an early rebellion, which he summed up in the quote I pulled for the title of this post.
The woman who works in the lush New Orleans room, dated from the early 1800s, had a wonderful time pointing out the mustache comb and teaching us about the mirror, which was slightly curved so that no matter how close you stood to it, you could always see your feet. Although Andrew didn't quite understand why, we all delighted in walking up to it and discovering this fact for ourselves.
One of the other features in the museum is their vast collection of quilts and textiles. On the day we visited, they were actually hosting a quilting bee in the room where the quilts are displayed. The perfect place for a quilting bee, right?
At the end of our visit, we stopped in the café for tea. The chef appeared with a beautiful cake, which we topped with candles to celebrate Tory's birthday, which we had missed while on our break. When we cut into the cake, we discovered that the batter had been colored, revealing a bright, colorful tie-dye effect. Andrew brought out tea for the table, and we listened to a few of the folk tales Emily shares with students on her tours until it was time to go.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Spring Break Part 5: "I've never been serenaded by an accordion on the French metro"
I arrived back in France on Saturday morning and made my way to the hostel on the metro. Once I arrived at the right stop, however, I got a bit turned around and ended up heading in the wrong direction. Luckily, a number of kind locals helped me get back to where I needed to go. Megan and her sister Mackenzie arrived not long after I did, and we set off for the center of the city.
To get back into the city, we hopped back on the metro. Just after we got on, a gentleman stepped on carrying a speaker and an accordion. As the train began to move, he began to play, swaying with his music. Megan, Mackenzie and I just turned to each other, at which point Megan made the comment I pulled for the title.
Our first stop of the day was the Tour Eiffel, where we ate lunch. They served the food picnic style, basket and all, with each dish in a small tuperware. Although it was a bit expensive, how many times will you get the chance to eat a meal on the Eiffel Tower? The view was incredible and well worth the trip up. Although Megan and Mackenzie decided to continue up the rest of the tower, I opted to go back to the base. I wandered through the garden behind the tower for a bit and then met them when they returned. We decided it was time for a snack, so we found a stall selling crepes and at them as we walked along.
Our next stop was the Arc de Triomphe, which unfortunately was covered in scaffolding on one side. We walked along the Champs Elysees, passing the many restaurants and shops along its route as we headed toward the Louvre. We walked by three palaces on one corner and monuments to Charles de Gaulle and King Louis XIV (or maybe it was XVI?). We meandered through the gardens that led us to the Louvre, where we finally arrived. Although we didn't have the time to go in, we did get to see the courtyards and the pyramids within them.
Our stomachs started to growl, so we found a creperie around the corner and grabbed dinner there. After we ate, we found a bakery a few streets away so that we could buy macaroons to eat as a snack later that night. Snack in hand, we returned to the river bank beside the Louvre and bought tickets for a hop-on-hop-off boat tour that would bring us past many of the monuments. We hopped on at dusk and rode first to the Tour Eiffel, watching as it lit up for the evening, showered in gold light. We stayed on for the full tour, riding by the Notre Dame as we came around to the Louvre again. There, we hopped of for just a few minutes to see the pyramids again - now lit - and devour our snack. One of my favorite moments was standing in front of the Louvre and being able to look all the way down the Champs Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe glowing at the other end. We rejoined the next boat to arrive, which brought us back to the Tour Eiffel so we could take the metro back to our hostel.
When we woke up Sunday morning, we had enough time to grab a leisurely breakfast and pack our things before heading back to the train station. We took the chunnel back to London, then the tube to Paddington Station, and finally a train back to Bath. Spring break had come to an end.
To get back into the city, we hopped back on the metro. Just after we got on, a gentleman stepped on carrying a speaker and an accordion. As the train began to move, he began to play, swaying with his music. Megan, Mackenzie and I just turned to each other, at which point Megan made the comment I pulled for the title.
Our first stop of the day was the Tour Eiffel, where we ate lunch. They served the food picnic style, basket and all, with each dish in a small tuperware. Although it was a bit expensive, how many times will you get the chance to eat a meal on the Eiffel Tower? The view was incredible and well worth the trip up. Although Megan and Mackenzie decided to continue up the rest of the tower, I opted to go back to the base. I wandered through the garden behind the tower for a bit and then met them when they returned. We decided it was time for a snack, so we found a stall selling crepes and at them as we walked along.
Our next stop was the Arc de Triomphe, which unfortunately was covered in scaffolding on one side. We walked along the Champs Elysees, passing the many restaurants and shops along its route as we headed toward the Louvre. We walked by three palaces on one corner and monuments to Charles de Gaulle and King Louis XIV (or maybe it was XVI?). We meandered through the gardens that led us to the Louvre, where we finally arrived. Although we didn't have the time to go in, we did get to see the courtyards and the pyramids within them.
Our stomachs started to growl, so we found a creperie around the corner and grabbed dinner there. After we ate, we found a bakery a few streets away so that we could buy macaroons to eat as a snack later that night. Snack in hand, we returned to the river bank beside the Louvre and bought tickets for a hop-on-hop-off boat tour that would bring us past many of the monuments. We hopped on at dusk and rode first to the Tour Eiffel, watching as it lit up for the evening, showered in gold light. We stayed on for the full tour, riding by the Notre Dame as we came around to the Louvre again. There, we hopped of for just a few minutes to see the pyramids again - now lit - and devour our snack. One of my favorite moments was standing in front of the Louvre and being able to look all the way down the Champs Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe glowing at the other end. We rejoined the next boat to arrive, which brought us back to the Tour Eiffel so we could take the metro back to our hostel.
When we woke up Sunday morning, we had enough time to grab a leisurely breakfast and pack our things before heading back to the train station. We took the chunnel back to London, then the tube to Paddington Station, and finally a train back to Bath. Spring break had come to an end.
Spring Break Part 4: Hamburg, Germany
As night began to fall in Venice, I rolled my suitcase onto my first night train, which would take me to Munich. From there, I jumped on a train up to Hamburg. I took the tram to my hostel before I set off for the small neighborhood of Harburg.
You're probably thinking - why Harburg? It's a valid question, and one that I was asked often. Each time, I had the same response.
In the late 1920s, my grandmother was born in the suburb of Harburg-by-Hamburg. Her family fled in the mid 1930s to America, and she's never looked back. She'll tell us stories about growing up in New York, like how her older brother used to sneak her under the subway turnstiles, or about the day that she got home and met the man she would later marry studying with her brother, but Germany is off limits. To this day, my grandmother has never returned to the town where she was born. In fact, to my knowledge, none of the family has been back.
Until me.
I couldn't do much while I was there. Because she won't talk about her old life, we don't know exactly where she grew up, or what school she went to, or anything like that. I was, however, able to find a few buildings that were built in the late 1800s, old enough to have seen my grandmother's childhood. I wondered often whether she ever knew they were there.
After an emotional afternoon in Harburg, I returned to the city center and wandered through the botanical gardens. After the flowers in Italy had been in full bloom, it was amazing to see the buds in Germany just beginning to open up. I took the trams back to the hostel and found something to eat before going to bed.
The next morning, I set off just after breakfast, leaving my suitcase in luggage storage once again. I spent the morning near the center of town, exploring the Brahms and Telemann museums, honoring a pair of musicians who called Hamburg "home" at different points in their lives. From there I saw St. Michael's, the most famous church in Hamburg, and then it was off to the old town hall, called the "Rathaus" (which I pronounced as "rat house" but I'm not sure if that was right), where I picked up a late lunch.
I spent the afternoon down on the harbor, including a visit to the Miniature Wonderland. I'm not an artist, so the precision of the work there was absolutely incredible. Tiny people lived in little houses. Day became night and then day again. The USA area was particularly entertaining, featuring Mount Rushmore and Las Vegas as the main attractions.
I took the trams back to the hostel to pick up my bag and then went back to the central train station, where I bought dinner until it was time for my train. The second night train would take me to Paris, the last stop on my spring break.
You're probably thinking - why Harburg? It's a valid question, and one that I was asked often. Each time, I had the same response.
In the late 1920s, my grandmother was born in the suburb of Harburg-by-Hamburg. Her family fled in the mid 1930s to America, and she's never looked back. She'll tell us stories about growing up in New York, like how her older brother used to sneak her under the subway turnstiles, or about the day that she got home and met the man she would later marry studying with her brother, but Germany is off limits. To this day, my grandmother has never returned to the town where she was born. In fact, to my knowledge, none of the family has been back.
Until me.
I couldn't do much while I was there. Because she won't talk about her old life, we don't know exactly where she grew up, or what school she went to, or anything like that. I was, however, able to find a few buildings that were built in the late 1800s, old enough to have seen my grandmother's childhood. I wondered often whether she ever knew they were there.
After an emotional afternoon in Harburg, I returned to the city center and wandered through the botanical gardens. After the flowers in Italy had been in full bloom, it was amazing to see the buds in Germany just beginning to open up. I took the trams back to the hostel and found something to eat before going to bed.
The next morning, I set off just after breakfast, leaving my suitcase in luggage storage once again. I spent the morning near the center of town, exploring the Brahms and Telemann museums, honoring a pair of musicians who called Hamburg "home" at different points in their lives. From there I saw St. Michael's, the most famous church in Hamburg, and then it was off to the old town hall, called the "Rathaus" (which I pronounced as "rat house" but I'm not sure if that was right), where I picked up a late lunch.
I spent the afternoon down on the harbor, including a visit to the Miniature Wonderland. I'm not an artist, so the precision of the work there was absolutely incredible. Tiny people lived in little houses. Day became night and then day again. The USA area was particularly entertaining, featuring Mount Rushmore and Las Vegas as the main attractions.
I took the trams back to the hostel to pick up my bag and then went back to the central train station, where I bought dinner until it was time for my train. The second night train would take me to Paris, the last stop on my spring break.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Spring Break Part 3: Venice, Italy
From Florence I took a train to Venice, arriving in mid afternoon. I checked into my hostel and then set off to explore the beautiful city. Although you can get a map of Venice, they don't help all that much. It's easier (and more fun) to just follow the signs from one place to another. I spent my first few hours just exploring, wandering through the narrow streets and over the innumerable canals.
Unexpectedly, I found the old Jewish quarter on my travels. After learning about it in my Mythologizing Shakespeare class (we covered The Merchant of Venice among other plays), it was intriguing to see its remains. To this day, the area is populate by Jews. The restaurants in the area are kosher, as is the little grocer's stall. Shops sell Jewish jewelry and art. Around every corner was a sign wishing residents and visitors a happy Pesach. After exploring the area a bit, I noticed the sun had begun to set, so I headed back to the hostel to grab dinner and get to bed.
The next morning, I woke up early. I packed my things and brought my bag to the luggage storage that the hostel provided before grabbing a cup of tea and a light breakfast. I set out for the Ponte Rialto and the Piazza San Marco, two of the most famous aspects of Venice. One of the greatest parts of waking up early was that when I arrived at the Piazza, very few tourists had woken up. I got to see the monuments without the crowds that would appear later in the day. I wandered around for a bit and then headed for Academia, an area filled with art schools and galleries. I found a cafe for lunch, and then treated myself to gelato before going back to the Piazza to go into some of the monuments I had seen earlier in the day.
I started with the Doge's palace, which was probably my favorite site of the day. I especially loved the golden staircase, so named because of the gold leaf covering much of the ceiling. After spending a good portion of the afternoon there, I toured the inside of the Basilica and then walked across the Piazza to a museum made of rooms that were once the Empress's chambers. It was so interesting to see the two different living areas on opposite ends of the square. Though originally inhabited at different times, they both had the same royal feel.
Finally, I made my way back toward the train station. I grabbed a bite to eat and picked up my bag, moving my belongings around so that I would be ready for the train that would take me to my next stop: Germany.
Unexpectedly, I found the old Jewish quarter on my travels. After learning about it in my Mythologizing Shakespeare class (we covered The Merchant of Venice among other plays), it was intriguing to see its remains. To this day, the area is populate by Jews. The restaurants in the area are kosher, as is the little grocer's stall. Shops sell Jewish jewelry and art. Around every corner was a sign wishing residents and visitors a happy Pesach. After exploring the area a bit, I noticed the sun had begun to set, so I headed back to the hostel to grab dinner and get to bed.
The next morning, I woke up early. I packed my things and brought my bag to the luggage storage that the hostel provided before grabbing a cup of tea and a light breakfast. I set out for the Ponte Rialto and the Piazza San Marco, two of the most famous aspects of Venice. One of the greatest parts of waking up early was that when I arrived at the Piazza, very few tourists had woken up. I got to see the monuments without the crowds that would appear later in the day. I wandered around for a bit and then headed for Academia, an area filled with art schools and galleries. I found a cafe for lunch, and then treated myself to gelato before going back to the Piazza to go into some of the monuments I had seen earlier in the day.
I started with the Doge's palace, which was probably my favorite site of the day. I especially loved the golden staircase, so named because of the gold leaf covering much of the ceiling. After spending a good portion of the afternoon there, I toured the inside of the Basilica and then walked across the Piazza to a museum made of rooms that were once the Empress's chambers. It was so interesting to see the two different living areas on opposite ends of the square. Though originally inhabited at different times, they both had the same royal feel.
Finally, I made my way back toward the train station. I grabbed a bite to eat and picked up my bag, moving my belongings around so that I would be ready for the train that would take me to my next stop: Germany.
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