June 28
I’m above the clouds
again – literally. It seems that
life these days hasn’t been able to hand me enough time to sit down with a
clear slate and write about my “edventures” or life in Melbourne. Flying for some, as you can see, is
terrifying. For others, it’s a
challenge to keep your young children calm and quiet for the duration of the
flight. For others, it’s nothing
more than a flight to work, or back home after a long week. Most often for me, it’s a vessel to
something new, or long awaited, or is the way I start a new chapter in my
life. In this case, today, I’m
sitting on a plane – in a window seat… always a window seat - on my way to
Brisbane, where I will board a Greyhound bus to Toowoomba for a few days! I haven’t been this excited in a while,
and have been in touch with Rachel for the past few weeks about how I could get
there without Michael, Charlie or Ava finding out. A quick refresher, Rachel, Dave, and their three children
are the family – my family – in Toowoomba, where I stayed for a month prior to
the cattle station. I fit into
their family perfectly as Auntie Commander (with an Aussie/English/Scottish
accent combo, Amanda and Commander sound alike, and since Ava started calling my
Commander, it just stuck.
Michael’s birthday is tomorrow, and I am so happy to be there to
surprise him for it! I was with
the Girdlers for Ava’s birthday and for Charlie’s, and one afternoon, Michael
was pretty down about the likely chances of me not being in attendance for his
birthday. “Mummy, will Commander
be here for my birthday?” I will
be on a Greyhound at 3:10, pulling into Toowoomba at 6:10, where I will be
picked up by a happy and excited Rachel and her three gorgeous children, who
had best be ready to be bear hugged by Auntie Commander. I’m not sure what we
will get up to, but I am ecstatic.
Today is the first day
of the two weeks break from school, which separates me between random teaching
days here and there, in scattered grades, and a four week teaching contract in
Melton, which is about a fifty minute train ride from down town Melbourne. I have worked there for about a week in
different classes, getting acquainted with the staff and students of the
school, and it’s quite a lovely community. I am very fortunate to have been offered such a contract,
especially when there are not many of them being handed out or offered. I got a bit of a tease offer though, as
did some other girls working for anzuk, for a six week contract at a rural school
near Mildura, (several hours north of Melbourne), teaching Prep/Year 1, which
is right up my alley with rural schools and further north than here. I’d see some more sun and meet new
people and see new things. I’m
always up for a new start, and for a new experience. I made my interest known, and now I just wait. It seems too perfect. Very affordable staff accommodations
are available within a two minute walk from the school, and other young
Canadian teachers. If the Melton
contract can be filled, then by the looks of things, the six week Mildura
contract is mine! I should find
out today, but we will see what comes about. Fingers are crossed, although I’m truly lucky to have both
options and one guaranteed regardless.
I’ll be able to stay in touch with the friends I’ve made here, and can
visit them whenever I’m back in Melbourne or we can meet up as we travel, which
is such a great thing about traveling teachers.
Over the past few weeks,
I’ve been between a few different schools, including the high needs school I’ve
been at several times before. I
haven’t been called the big “C” word again, but have definitely been developing
and strengthening my behaviour management skills and patience, to say the very
least. Last week though, after two
solid weeks of 5:30am wake ups and long days, I’d had it. It wasn’t so much that I was a grumpy
mess, more of a touchy teacher that was actually on the brink of tears from the
crappy and defiant behaviour of a PREP STUDENT! … that’s a five year old. It was such a combination of things,
from arriving to schools without a plan or daily agenda left for me, and having
to wing a whole day, to being time release, and bouncing around from class to
class, which can get more difficult that you can imagine in a big school, when
you’re done in one class at 10am, and to start the next time cover at 10am, but
need to hike the length of the school to get there on time – to find a class of
wild rat bags, no plan, and no seating plan for names. It’s a known fact amongst teachers that
knowing new students’ names is power.
They think you don’t know them, but we teachers have methods of
memorizing students’ names and antics quickly, and can usually rhyme out a
class list after a period teaching them.
“Aaron, sit down please!” or “Kelly, please stop talking.” or “Jesse,
keep your hands to yourself please.” – is much more convincing, useful and
powerful with a stern look than, “girl with the--- what’s her name?! Sit down
please!” Ask any teacher. Anyway, this little feral prep student was
in a class that actually had a plan left behind for me, and several things that
the teacher wanted completed by the time the bell rang. Game on! I’ve got this! … this student
was beyond being a nuisance. The last period of the day, on a Friday, after a
long week, he was distracting the entire class. No one could focus with him yelling out profanities,
crawling around the classroom, sticking out his tongue at me when I tried to
get him and the class in line, and then refusing to move or leave the room when
I’d asked him first to move to the corner, and upon refusal of that, to
completely remove himself from the room.
Every ounce of me wanted to lift him up and physically carry him out of
the room and leave him in the hall, but that is pushing limits. After accomplishing nothing with regards
to the work I was to have completed with the students and with this student,
and the class wasn’t helping with their noises and chirps, I’d had it. I actually had to call the principal to
come and remove him, which upset me to think I actually needed to call for back
up. What upset me even further,
was that she came for a minor “chat” with him to see what the problem was. Kids are smarter than we give them
credit for at times. He knew he
was winning this little confrontation, by being a little angel for her, telling
her he had a lot going on a home and that he was just having a bad day. Yes he would behave for the rest of the
day, and yes he would apologize, if I would take his “reflection room”
punishment down from recess and lunch the next week down to just one recess. She said that would happen, and … do
you think he behaved after she left?
Get serious. What a little
manipulative monster. The very
best part about being a casual relief teacher is that after a long hard day,
you get to leave when the bell rings.
You get to forget about the issues and mishaps of the day, or the things
that you saw or heard. You get to
go home and enjoy your evening.
It’s much better when you’re in a class for a longer period of time,
because you can establish a routine and the kids know that you’re coming back
again and again and they gain the utmost respect for you, as their teacher –
another reason I am looking forward to a contract position after the break.
Last weekend, I went to
Kristen and Colin’s house for a night, and they got a babysitter for the girls
so that we could go see the new Fast and Furious 6! I am suck a sucker for the men they showcase in those
movies. Such badasses. With the exception of one “are you
kidding me?” part where Vinny leaps through the air and catches his little
woman midair and they collapse together on the hood of a car, I thought it was
really well done. Best ending,
too: a preview for Fast 7! AND IT HAS JASON STATHAM IN IT! That cannot come out soon enough.
---
July 3
Took a few days off from
writing and got myself settled into my other family! The rest of the flight and Greyhound bus ride were
uneventful, and I waited for only a short time in Toowoomba at the Greyhound
stop for his arrival. In that
short time, I got a fantastic phone call from Ana, the principal from Robinvale
9-12 College! I got the six week
contract! So that was a big bonus,
and we chatted about basics until Dave picked me up, and have been in touch
since to finalize things and get things sorted for my arrival. 
Pulling into the
driveway was magical. Rachel and
Dave had both kept their promise of keeping my visit a surprise! Timing was ideal, since as we were
pulling into the driveway, Rachel and the three kids were outside, the kids
each on their own scooter or skateboard. Michael, the eldest, had the best look
slide across his face – a combination of confusion and surprise, as I half
heard/read his lips as he asked his Mummy, “Mummy! Is that Camanda?!” Charlie played it cool, but the excitement
was hard to hide, and Ava was shy for about four seconds before we were BFFs
again. I feel at home here, just
as I did when I was here before my adventures at Wentworth. 
The last few days have
been a blur – but a fantastic one, full of laughs and smiles and funny stories. We’ve been to the park, coloured,
played outside, watched a few movies, gone on walks and made meals
together. Michael’s 10th
birthday was on Saturday, so we had a lovely day together and had pizza for
dinner, while watching the British and Irish Lions vs the Australian Wallabies
rugby union game. Rachel is the
long lost older sister I never had.
She and I are so similar on so many different levels, and I love her
company and friendship. In the
Girdler household, I don’t have to be someone I’m not, and am accepted for the
wild bunch of energy I am – and I fit in perfectly with this lot! You wouldn’t believe how loud this
household can get, in the most positive way! Listening to the kids play and laugh and joke and of course,
squabble, can be tiring, but mostly makes you laugh and appreciate the
simplicity of a good imagination and sibling friendship. The things that Michael, Charlie and
Ava talk about and say amongst the three of them can have the adults within
earshot in stitches! The trio are
three of the best, most well rounded, happy and respectful kids I’ve ever come
across in my life! (Hence why I’ve adopted them as my other family! I just love them.)
I extended my stay until
next Monday, and will be spending the night on Sunday on the Sunny Coast with
James’ family again. I’m
unfortunately missing him by three days, since made a quick trip home for a few
days prior to going to New Zealand skiing and snowboarding with a heap of
friends. On Sunday, the whole
family (as the kids call it, including me in the lot), is going to Brisbane for
Rachel’s birthday for the day. I’ll
be dropped off somewhere before they all head back to Toowoomba, and I’ll be
heading north to the Sunshine Coast.
I head back down to
Melbourne Monday night, arriving quite late. Tuesday will be a busy day, picking up my stuff from Kristen’s
house, organizing for Mildura/Robinvale, and meeting up with my friend Ange who
is back from a trip home after her first year visa was completed. I am planning on flying out of
Melbourne on Thursday morning, arriving into Robinvale mid day. Robinvale is about an hours from
Mildura, and has a population or around 2200. It’s situated on the Murray River, just south of the VIC/NSW
border. It’s known for the production of grapes, olives, carrots and almonds. I am really thrilled about my placement
there, and can’t wait to try a different slice of rural Australia!
For now, I need to hit
the hay! I will add pictures to
this post soon, and will be sure to write a solid update about my travels to
Mildura and Robinvale next weekend!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
LOVE!
