OH MY. I am not even sure where to start. Where has the time gone?? This last week at school was bittersweet. Even though I am excited to be home for Christmas and excited to see my family and friends, it was tough saying goodbye to all my little Kiwi’s today. Getting hugs from all my students and their parents this week was a tearjerker. The parents of my students have been so incredibly supportive and I will forever cherish the relationships I have made wit them and their amazing children. Spending time with them the last 8 weeks was beyond rewarding. Everyday was filled with laughter and lots of hugs. I will miss walking into a room with so many smiling faces and being bombarded with questions about America. They are definitely a special group of kiddos. This week was filled with lots of fun before holiday break. They did amazing at the Christmas Concert on Tuesday! Some of the girls in my class also did a Pacifica dance, which was beyond cute! BUT, my favorite thing that happened this week was when I was talking with two students about America and one of them looked at me and say, “ I really want to come to America,” and the other one said, “No, I would rather go to the United States.” I could not help but laugh.
This trip was absolutely incredible. From watching my students grow within the past 8 weeks, to traveling every weekend and making memories that will last a lifetime, I am beyond blessed to have had this opportunity. So many first happened while on this trip—surfing, zip lining, sail boating, being exposed to the Maori language and so much more. I will definitely miss all of our morning walks to the café for coffee (went here so much the barista knew our orders by heart), muffin Thursday’s, walks after school, all of our late night movies/venting sessions and of course, all of our spur of the moment trips. Even with all the fun I had, this trip would not have been possible without the help of so many people.
First off, I owe a big thank you to Swanson School and my co-op Spencer. Every single person at Swanson welcomed us with open arms and really made this experience enjoyable. Usually you dread staff meetings, but the morning meetings here were always filled laughter, jokes and lots of coffee. Everyone was always so energized. I learned so much from having Spencer as a cooperating teacher. I have never been paired with a male teacher before so I was unsure how it would differ, but he was a great person to work with. From the very start he let me jump right in. It is hard for any teacher to let a student teacher take over their class, so I am beyond grateful that he trusted and supported me from the very beginning. From this experience my overall confidence in teaching has soared and I have learned more than I would have ever thought about the Maori culture. I will truly miss everything about Swanson School.
Having a host family while here was also awesome. Being able to walk to and from school everyday from their house was perfect. Welcoming people into your house for 8 weeks is definitely not something everyone is able to do, so thanks to Viv and Gavin for allowing us into their home for the last two months. Their hospitality was much appreciated!
And to Dr. Delano—not sure how this wonderful lady does it sometimes. I owe her a huge thank you for organizing this once in a lifetime experience for us. The amount of time she has put into organizing a place for us to teach, finding a host family, and prepping us for traveling half way across the world did not go unnoticed one bit. This experience was unforgettable.
Lastly—this trip would have been absolutely IMPOSSIBLE if it wasn’t for my amazing parents. A HUGE thank you goes out to them for always encouraging me to follow my dreams and supporting me every step of the way. I have no idea where I would be without their love and support. Having them here to experience part of this trip with me is something I will never forget. Thanks to them for always answering my phone calls at odd times of the day because of the time difference and being my go to when I ran into problems millions miles away…like my blow dyer blowing up and having no idea what to do…whoops. I am beyond blessed to have such supportive parents!!!
OHHHH… and thanks Kelly for always putting up with my screaming when there was a bug and coming and killing it for Frankie and I…not sure we would’ve survived without you!
Seriously I cannot believe I am about to make my way back into the states. I am ready, but not ready. It is hard to put into words how incredible my time here has been. I cannot wait to come back here again soon! Wisconsin…I am on my way. I’ll try my best to bring some warmth back;)
