SCHOOL'S IN SESSION

After a weekend of getting settled in, we started becoming familiar with the schools (and how to get there). On Monday, the six of us met up at the University downtown and were driven to our schools. Mackenzie and I are at the Nutsschool Zorgvliet; it is located by all of the embassies and the home that the Prime Minister can choose to live in. Many of the students ride bikes to school or are dropped off by their parents in cars. Each morning, Mackenzie and I walk a mile to the bus stop which takes us right by the school. There’s usually a learning curve when it comes to a big change in routine, especially when a different language is involved. We learned the hard way that there are only certain spots you can “top off” your bus/train/tram card. The handy cards can be used on basically any form of public transportation you can think of--incredibile, right? Right. The one problem, is you have to have the amount for the full trip, even if you are only going part of the way. Say you start at “A” and the line ends at “E;” even if you’re getting off at “C,” you need to be able to afford the whole trip all the way to “E.” Makes sense, I totally understand why the system is the way it is. The only problem is, after taking the bus to school in the morning, we were 75 pence short on our bus card to make it home (we realized this after buying a heavy bag of groceries). So, much like the main characters in a realistic fiction novel or some variation of a comedy, we carried our heavy groceries 4.5 kilometers to centraal station where we could fill up our card. Now we know to always, always, check the balance on our transportation cards. There's a lot to love about this quaint little school. At this small villa turned primary school, you immediately feel welcome as you step through the tiny, green front gates. The school is surrounded by trees, which is why the school mascot is “a tiny bird” according to the teachers at the school. The students are placed into groups instead of grade levels like we are accustomed to in the United States. Nutsschool is home to students ranging from Group A/B all the way up to Group 8. Once students complete Group 8, they move on to the equivalent of our middle school. When we got to the school, three boys from the Group 8 class gave us a tour; they either had family from the UK or the US, so they spoke English very well.

On Tuesday, we were placed in the Group 8 class. We got to see the friends we made from our tour the morning before. The students were incredibly hard working; even when the teacher left the room, they continued to work diligently. The school day itself was very fast paced--they spent 15 minutes on spelling, but got everything done the teacher wanted accomplished. The transitions between subjects were quick and easy which isn’t something we’re used to seeing at school back home. I had the opportunity to work with a small group of “higher level” English students on a reading passages about the beaches of Bali. It was really interesting to work with students who would fall into the “Gifted and Talented (GT)” category back home because it requires different strategies than I use when working with my ACCESS students back in Hurst, Texas. I am grateful that I have the chance to work with such a large range of students because I am really getting a well-rounded student teaching experience. The students that I worked with at the Nutsschool were full of great ideas and it was interesting to see them work on talking and writing out their ideas in English. I loved hearing their questions about America and what Americans liked; one girl even said I looked like Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale because of my red hair.

After school on Tuesday, we made our way by tram and train to the town of Delft. Delft is full to the brim with history and beautiful architecture. I’m known for stopping every two seconds to snap a photo of what’s around me, but this was especially true in Delft. Between massive windmills to old and new churches, I couldn’t help but want to capture every intricate detail. Every so often, Mackenzie and I had to pop into a shop to warm up our hands (according to our teachers, this week has been especially cold for February in Holland). We came across wonderful cheese shops with what seemed like endless free samples; if you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend trying pesto cheese--don’t let the green color scare you away. We also came across the Chocolate Coffee Company, home of hot chocolate on a stick. This was brand new to me, much like a lot of things I’ve experienced this past week. It was lovely in every way, and I can say without a shred of doubt that I am in love with the chocolate here.

So far, I’ve learned a little Dutch, eaten more hagelslags (sprinkles) than I’m proud of, and have met so many incredible people--older and younger than I am. I can’t wait to see what else I will experience in the Netherlands, a place known for it interesting breakfast, happy children, and its notorious architecture.