October 13, 2009

  • The news here yesterday was full of how "the cold is on its way" - temperatures may drop by up to 10 degrees, snow in high areas, storms, rain etc... weather to get your coat out for...

    Up until now it has been really hot still, for October! 24 degrees and I've been overheating on a regular basis. Today I did indeed wake up a bit chilly, but then it was 6.15am. When I left the house at 7am it was very fresh air and I was definitely glad of my jumper (first day I've left the house with one since arriving). However, looking out the window now it is bright and sunny, and I would say pretty warm looking, so I expect I will overheat again on the way home!!

    I've just booked a flight to Cagliari, Sardinia for the long bank holiday weekend of 7/8 December (they have 2 days off to celebrate the Immaculate Conception on the 8th). I will go over there on Friday and come back on the Monday, so 3 days and nights on the island. Really looking forward to it as it's another region to check off. My goal is to go to every single Italian region. I've ticked off almost all of the North, it's the South I really need to get down to. Will have to see when I can make it to Sicily, Puglia etc...

    Lessons continue to go by without incident. By the end of this week I will have met all my classes and worked with all 6 different teachers, and hopefully established roughly what I am expected to do with each class. It's kind of a shame I have to follow their textbook syllabus as some of the topics are really boring and it's hard to think of activities to make them more interesting. I don't want the students to get so bored that they dread every lesson... hopefully after Christmas when I am going to be allowed to choose my own topics and lesson plans things will pick up as I can pick more interesting stuff than the UK Economy and Pre 1066 British History... still, I am endeavouring to do interesting activities each week, I just feel as they want me to get to the end of the syllabus I can't really spend time playing games or doing other things.
    Some of the classes (and teachers...) really do struggle with understanding English, so conducting the whole lesson with no Italian is difficult. I have to stick to it though so I am just trying to speak as slowly as possible and repeat things often. I guess they will get better and I will get more used to it....
    Anyway, I'm still enjoying it, and enjoying coming up with different plans! I guess in a way I should be grateful I do have a fixed syllabus as when I have to come up with the ideas each week it will probably take more of my time!

    I was approached by another teacher today about doing private lessons with a group of younger children, which sounds good. I am also apparently going to be doing conversation with a group of teachers, so that'll mean my afternoons start to get a bit busier! That will be good though, and a few extra Euros to supplement my borsa di studio won't go amiss!