One of the joys of being an international school teacher is the trips. 18 months ago, I journeyed to Bintan Island in Indonesia with a group of Year 5s. This time around, I will be taking Year 4s to Malacca on a cultural excursion. This Friday I had a quick taster of the sights and... Continue Reading →
Hiraeth – saying goodbye
Hiraeth: "homesickness tinged with grief or sadness over the lost or departed. It is a mix of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness, the grief for lost places in your past" The end of the school year brings with it a huge rush of emotions. Relief that the frenzied activity of the year has come to end.... Continue Reading →
The airport run… a global village.
The last day of school in an international school is often accompanied by an airport run where both students and staff jet off to a new location. In the space of 24 hours I: Bumped into 3 families from my school in two continents. Was seated next to colleague and his family on the flight... Continue Reading →
Comings and Goings
This time of year many international families are on the move. Some are moving back to their 'home' countries, some on to another location others saying goodbye as they watch cherished friends depart. International children have little control over this part of their life. It's just a roller-coaster of farewells and hellos. Over the next few weeks, it can... Continue Reading →
Homesickness – AKA Social Media FOMO
My Facebook life looks awesome. Every few weeks I jet off to foreign lands, I dragonboat, I share cool stuff going on at school. This is the awesome part of being an international teacher. However the non-awesome part can rear its ugly head every so often, homesickness. This week it hit with a vengeance. While I... Continue Reading →
Bringing the classroom out into the world…
A few days ago I ventured out into Singapore with my class to capture different cultures as part of the My Story. Your Story. Our Story. photography project and our current Unit of Inquiry. The photos from this post are all student photos from the day. The trip involved a trip to Singapore's cultural neighbourhoods of Little... Continue Reading →
Back to school is different in International schools 12/365
You'll be welcoming several new students to your class While you and 2/3s of the kids are jet-lagged You spend time practising the names of new students so you don't mispronounce them... But inevitably you do... Your wallet has several different currencies But none of them are legal tender in the cafeteria... You'll push you're carry on luggage to... Continue Reading →
Being there is everything 10/365
After a frenetic three weeks visiting my family I am again airborne. There is a harried activity that comes with returning home from an extended period abroad - visiting old haunts and renewing relationships. The joy of touching down is quickly eclipsed by the awful realization that there is not enough time to do all... Continue Reading →
Where are you from?
Where are you from? It's the question often most asked when you live abroad and often the one that is most difficult to answer. International school students have connections to several continents before they've hit double digits in age. Their parents might be from different countries, they might be born in a third and now... Continue Reading →
Weekly Reflection: taking time, making space
In the next few weeks the Year 5 classes have to do a mini exhibition. For those not familiar with the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the exhibition is the culmination of the PYP where kids get a chance to showcase their learning to the broader community. My school has mini-exhibitions for younger children. Year 5's turn is at... Continue Reading →
Teaching the Teacher 