Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

WOW! 

I can't believe I only have four teaching days left and less than five days before I return home! The time really has gone by extremely fast here. It seems like just yesterday it was January 10th, and  I was looking in my planner thinking, 

"Oh my goodness, am I really going to be here for eight weeks?" 

Well...I made it!! 

Needless to say, I have had an incredible time in Dublin. More importantly, I've had an exceptional experience at Ballinteer Community School. I really am going to miss all the teachers and students at BCS. Everyone is so friendly and supportive, I love it! Even just today, my supervisor was coming in to evaluate me. I couldn't tell you the number of teachers who made it a point to ask how it went! They were genuinely concerned! It really is uplifting to be working and teaching in such a positive atmosphere. 

As I'm preparing to leave, I am finding it quite difficult to leave my students. I really have become attached to them! I wish I could take them all home with me and continue teaching them. I guess I will have to get used to it since, unfortunately, my students will move on every year. 

In my previous teaching placements, a lot of my strategies and methods were learned from my cooperating teachers or applying methods discussed in my courses. Here, it has been different. Since I was basically on my own, a lot of my methods developed as a result of trial and error. I've learned a lot about my teaching style this way, and I definitely think it has developed over the past two months. I've also picked up a number of great strategies from my cooperating teachers here, Mr. O'Donovan, Mrs. MacAlidan, and Ms. Logue. They really are expert teachers with a lot of great and differing ideas!

Leaving Dublin is very much so bittersweet. However, I am more than ready and excited to see my family on Saturday.... and eat some mexican food.... and take a bubble bath... and warm weather.... and lay on the couch, be lazy, and watch TV, and many, many, many other things!

Oh, and what am I going to do without tea break every day? Maybe, we can implement a tea break into the American school schedules!