Today was the first day of our Teacher Exchange Orientation. It was our chance to meet everyone on exchange in Victoria. RVS' other 2 teachers were placed in different states so I wanted to find out how many were here in Victoria. The final count was 8 Canadian teachers (4 from Alberta, 3 from Ontario, and 1 from BC) and 1 couple from Germany! We were all giddy to meet each other and talked nonstop about our adventures so far.

Everyone except us have settled into their houses and checked out their school. Some have started setting up their classroom for the new school year so they were armed with a list of things to buy this weekend in Melbourne. There are no teacher stores here like Scholar's Choice so Aus teachers have suggested that we look for things in Kmart and dollar stores. I unfortunately have not been to my school yet so my class will be au naturel. Coming into Melbourne is not a quick jaunt for us with a 2.5 hours drive. I'll call my style 'Reggio' then and use natural, calming colors. LOL.

One teacher is right in Melbourne and lives in a community that is undergoing gentrification, the process of rejuvenating an old neighborhood, but in general, most teachers are within an hour of Melbourne in the suburbs. The rest of us are scattered amongst the state from Prep / Kindergarten / Reception to Grade 7. I'm teaching a Grade 3 /4 combined class.

The Victorian Education have moved into a philosophy of having students guide their own learning. Teachers are to encourage inquiry and problem solving. Teachers need to be flexible to address what students are interested in rather than always directing learning. Does this sound familiar? In Canada, in my Science LENS class, I was already challenging students with a problem or encouraging them to find avenues to seek out answers to their questions instead of me providing an instant 'fix'. If students can't learn the way you are teaching them, then teach the way they are learning. I'm so excited to hear that I will be in my element.

Their report cards look so familiar to the new formats that we are piloting this year at RJ. Their visual continuum not only lists current academic progress but also levels obtained 12 months ago in LA (reading, writing, speaking, representing), Maths, Science, Humanities, Arts, Languages, etc. I also can comment on their interpersonal characteristics, thinking skills, personal learning, communication, civics and citizenship. The last page includes areas for positive remarks, goals that students should work towards, and activity suggestions for parents to work on with their kids. It seemed like they wanted parents to commit to their child's education. Amazing!

My first report cards are due May then Sept! I wonder how much work they will be????

When I meet and work with my new staff next Tuesday, I'll find out how many hours a week I have for supervision, meetings, and preps. From what I understand, every week, I have PD with my Learning Team for 1.5 hours. There is also a weekly staff meeting. In return, they give us 2.5 hours of Admin Prep time. I'll be in a team of four Grade 3 /4 teachers who meet weekly to collaborate on upcoming events and lessons. I'm quite eager to be able to learn from them as well hope to share my knowledge and skills with them.

Looks like this will be a year of great learning, not simply a holiday year!