Last Observation!

It's hard to believe that today is the last day that our student teachers will be in the schools. There is no school on Monday and we head back to the states on Tuesday. I had one more school and two more student teachers to get to this week. For those counting, that makes nine schools and 19 student teachers for the week (and 13 buses). So my day started with catching bus 49 not far from the flat. I waited about ten minutes for the bus, rode it about 45 minutes and then another 10-15 minute walk to Scoil Carmel. I got there around 9am, with my observation scheduled for 9:20. Just enough time for tea!

I observed a language arts lesson with the senior infants (kindergarten, age 5-6). This was my third visit to this classroom so I was pretty comfortable on my little chair watching Chico, Tara and Sophia (the students nearest to me) work on their beginning words sounds with assistance from the student teacher. After this class went to PE, I went upstairs to observe a second class. I caught the tail end of their Irish lesson (yes, Irish is taught in all the primary schools) and then the student teacher taught a math lesson on symmetry. It was a good lesson and the students were all actively engaged in the activity. I have enjoyed supervising a variety of subjects this fall, instead of just health and physical education. It's been a great experience and one that I will repeat again next fall, as I will be leading a new group of students to Ireland.




After I returned from Scoil Carmel, Annie and I hit a local pub for a late lunch and then decided to visit Dublinia, which is right across the street at Christ Church Cathedral. I defer to her blog for all of the details. Check it out once she updates it. (No pressure there.) It was a great interactive visit through history with the Medieval time period and the earlier Vikings and their impact on Ireland. When we left we tried to walk to the old jail, but realized that our map is very disproportionate as we walked a good 20 minutes and then stopped and asked how much further (according to the map, we should have been there by then). When the answer was a good 30 minutes, we made the decision to head back to the flat. We have plans this evening and decided we didn't have the time (or energy) to go that far so late in the afternoon.



We will be leaving soon for a farewell dinner at the Arlington Hotel. It is located on the other side of the liffey (river) and about a 15 minute walk from here. John, our tour guide, arranges an evening of great food and music as our farewell to Ireland. We still have the weekend but everyone is on their own. Three students are going to London and a few others pondered Rome and another Scotland. I think funds are dwindling and most will be staying in Dublin for the last few days. Monday will be spent packing and Tuesday we head home, bright and early. We meet at Delaney's Pub at 5am for John to take us all to the airport for our 9am flight. It has gone fast.