Another Day...Another Four Buses

Scoil Mhuire is the easiest school to get to, but the longest ride at about an hour on a good day. The school is actually at the last stop on the route, so there is no seeking out landmarks and intersections to ring the bell. I could just relax and enjoy the scenery from my second level perch on bus 15B. The teachers in the front of the bus were all commenting on how late they would be today with the traffic, and had to put a call in to the school to give them a heads up. One of the teachers who gets on at one of the later stops finally won the concert tickets that she had been bidding on eBay for the last three days. Each day she would give an update to her friends, and since I have been riding the 15B all week, I also was kept unofficially updated. She paid 205 euros for a group I never did catch, or perhaps did not recognize. It conflicts with her Christmas party though...Wonder what choice she will make!

The student teachers at Scoil Mhuire team taught a lesson on measurement, using Olympic track theme activities (straw throw for javelin, paper plate for discus and cotton ball for shot put). First, the students needed to estimate their throw distance, and then actually measure the distance. Finally, they did some basic math to find the difference. It was a good activity, and the fourth class (grade) enjoyed it. There were only five students present as the rest of the class left for their weekly swimming lesson shortly after I arrived.

I waited for about 10-15 minutes for the 15B to arrive to take me to my connection. I scoped out the stop on the way so I would know where to ring the bell on the way back, and so I was good to go with my connection to bus 74A. Now the waiting began. This is a tough connection because there are not too many runs for 74A and you are never sure when it will arrive. Last week we waited over thirty minutes, in the rain, with the Dean, before it showed up. Today was about the same length of time, but I found a ray of sunlight that I stood in to try to get warm. (Have I mentioned that it is cold here?!) It didn't help much, but at least it was not raining today. When the 74A arrived I asked the driver if he could give me a shout out when we got to the Yellow House (pub) as I wasn't sure when to ring the bell. He did and after crossing the street and a short 10 minute walk, I was at St. Mary's. As luck would have it, just in time for tea!

I observed two lessons at the boys school, first was a third class with reading comprehension and then a first class with an art project (Christmas trees). Both lessons went very well as the boys were a bit more behaved than I have seen them in the past. As I said my goodbye's at St. Mary's I was off in search of bus 16 or 16A, for the trip back to city center.