Karaoke and a Teaching Contract? I’m Living the Life!

Hello all I hope you enjoy update #3!

Well, I did it! I reached my goal, that’s right, all these years I’ve been telling my students that you can achieve anything if you just set your mind to it and apparently it’s true! Who knew! I’m sure you’ve all guessed exactly what I’ve accomplished, I found KARAOKE in Dublin, Ireland!!! Oh, right, I also got a full time 3 month teaching position as well, but seriously, you’ve got to have priorities! Haha!

The bar is called Break for the Border and is located in Dublin on Stephens Street Lower and only has Karaoke on Fridays. Hmm, a Karaoke bar on Stephens Street! It’s meant to be! I met a few other people from Canada and Germany a few nights prior at a social put on by the “Swap, Work in Ireland Program” and I convinced them all that we needed to go to this place on Friday. I texted about 12 people and most showed up. We had a great time, I got to sing 5 songs (and the limit is 4, oops!) and at the end of the night I found in another song book that they had some Nickelback songs, I begged to sing one more time but the DJs had to put away their equipment. So you know what that means? I must go back!
Okay, let’s Tarantino this email and go back a few days,

I’ve settled into my new place, met all of my roommates and checked out most of the area (lot’s of walking). I’m living in a 5 bedroom house with 4 other people. 2 Irish girls, 1 German guy and 1 Lithuanian guy, and they’re all great people! A 5 bedroom house may sound big, but it’s not. There should only be 4 bedrooms because our kitchen is also our living room and laundry room. It all works out fine, most of us aren’t around at the same time.

I’ve been substitute teaching for the past couple of weeks and learning a lot about the Education System here. They day starts at 9 and ends at 2:30, they get a 15 minute break in the morning and 45 minutes for lunch. Students start at 4 years of age in Junior Infants (equivalent to pre-school) and then move into Senior Infants (equivalent to Kindergarten). From there they go into First Class, then Second Class, etc. (Which is like Grade 1, 2, 3 etc.). I’ve had the opportunity to sub in 1st Class, 2nd Class, 5th Class, a class Special Needs class with students in Wheelchairs who have Cerebral Palsy and also teaching Remedial Maths and Language. Maths is not a typo, that’s what they call math here, I’m slowly getting used to the lingo. Ah the lingo, let me tell you about my first day of teaching in Ireland.

My first day was in Rathfarnham, which is very far from where I’m living (still in Dublin, but Dublin is HUGE). I caught the train to city centre and planned to them take the bus to the school. I get to the bus stop and the one I need only runs every hour and I’ve missed it because I’m still figuring out the bus system here. So, I catch a taxi to the school and make it in the nick of time. I got to the school, talked with the principal and he showed me to my classroom. He also informed me that there will probably be no lesson plan for the day, but that with my experience he’s sure I’ll be fine. Of course I did great! If that was my first year of teaching with no experience behind me I would have been screwed, but luckily I’ve got a few years under my belt and I’m good! So the day starts, there’s an assembly first thing in the morning and after that we get right into regular school work, I told the students a bit about Canada and myself and asked them to tell me their name and something about themselves. I then eased us into doing some actual school work and while they are working very hard one of them asks me for a rubber, I don’t really know what they want and of course I’m a bit concerned. Turns out they call erasers rubbers here, phew, that’s a relief, haha. The day was good, but I was exhausted after, thank goodness I was able to meet up with a friend for a pint after.

I spent more days at a few other schools and was then spent a week at Inchicore National Primary School, which was only a 20 minute walk from my place. I was originally asked to stay for 4 days to teach Remedial Maths, which is working 1 on 1 with students. It’s a good thing I’m flexible because my first day there I was told 5 minutes before class that I was instead going to cover 2nd Class because that teacher was ill. Then I would do the Remedial Maths the rest of my days there, no problem! Again, no plans, but luckily next door is another 2nd Class teacher and she gives me a schedule of what the students usually work on throughout the day. It’s a bit of a challenge coming into a class for 1 day when you don’t know their routines and are used to different expectations, but of course it’s nothing I can’t handle, remember… I’m good! Well, all those years of Asthma Camp are finally paying off! The students were getting a bit restless and arguing over pencil crayons (they call them simply colors), they are all 7 years of age, it’s to be expected. I ask the class to stand up so I can teach them a great song that I know from Canada called the “Moose Song”. I have to thank Catherine who brought the “Moose Song” to Asthma Camp and now I’m spreading it all over Ireland like wildfire! There are 3 verses and actions to the song, I teach the students the first verse and let them know that throughout the day, depending on how well we do, perhaps we will have time to learn the other 2 verses of the song. I was able to teach them the song and after a few days at the same school I started getting requests from other teachers to come to their class and teach them the “Moose Song”. By the end of my week there I had the entire yard of school children doing the moose song outside during break with actions and all! They loved it, good times!

On my 5th day at the school I was asked to cover 5th Class (coincidence?). The routine for the students is to line up in the yard and wait for their teacher to collect them (yup, they say collect as opposed to get or getting). I went to collect 5th Class and got standing ovation and cheer from the students, I even chatted with a few parents and they mentioned that their children were very exited that I was teaching them. The students here are very curious about myself and love my accent, they always ask me to say various words and love the way I sound, I tease them of course and tell them that I don’t have an accent, they do. I think it’s a great experience that some of these students have an opportunity to meet a teacher from so far away, most of them will only know Ireland their whole lives. The principal told me if she had a job opening she’d hire me on the spot. She did ask me to stay for 2 more days to teach Remedial Language and I really enjoyed it. It’s not nearly as exhausting working one on one with a child as opposed to teaching an entire class, but of course just as rewarding. Well, needless to say, I’ve left a bit of an impression on the school, but I’m just doing my job and having fun.

Something of the things I’ve noticed here are there are not many male primary teachers, maybe even less than home. The school and classes here are so small, we are so lucky with the space we have in Canada. There’s not even an indoor gymnasium at the schools I’ve been to, just the yard outside without grass or an apparatus, nothing but a cement ground to play on. All schools here have students in uniforms and it makes them look so much more professional. I’ve chatted with a few other teachers about the uniforms and they really like them, one teacher mentioned that when you go on a field trip it’s much easier to find them because they all look the same, good point! The teachers don’t have a uniform (I wish they did too, then I wouldn’t have to think about what I’m wearing that day) and some wear jeans with a jumper (which is a sweater, haha) during the week days, that surprised me. The students seem a bit more respectful, always addressing me as Sir (I’m not used to being called Sir) and when a teacher assistant talks to them they show the same respect as when their classroom teacher does. One of the coolest things I observed was when a teacher come into the class I was covering and asked the students who would like to volunteer for some school event many of them put their hands up and wanted to be picked. The teacher decided which student she would take and the class applauded that student, there was no complaining, not one “I never get picked”, the students knew that they would get a chance to participate next time. It’s very interesting to see the differences, but overall kids are kids and will treat you with the same respect you treat them with.

On Monday I interviewed for another job and after subbing and experiencing different schools I went into the interview with the mindset of “I don’t really want this job, I just want to continue subbing”. This job was to cover the rest of the school year (until June) but I told them that I was only interested in a 3 month contract (I’d like to experience many different schools while I’m here). So of course I nail the interview and they call me an hour later to offer me the job until December, crap! I think that’s appropriately called Murphy’s law, haha. I told them that I would get back to them the next day. The job involves teaching primary students with severe disabilities and limited speech. I would have 2 teacher assistants working with me and the school is connected to a hospital with a full medical staff. There are also other classes with teachers that I would have the opportunity to work with and learn from. So, I accepted the position because of the following,

1. This will be an excellent learning opportunity and very rewarding, I have some experience with students of severe and moderate disabilities, I even subbed in one school similar to this one and enjoyed it
2. Job security for 3 months will be more stable and it includes the last week in October and December off with pay
3. It’s fairly close to where I’m living, takes 1 hour to walk and 20 minutes by bus, maybe I’ll look into getting a bike, or maybe I can carpool!
4. The school is attached to a facility with a pool and gym
5. I have an amazing colleague from back home who will be a great person to contact for ideas and help
6. I need my own class with my rules and expectations, I’m a control freak!

So, working full time until December will work out very well for me and I got an email about a teaching job for January in London teaching ICT (Computers) to staff and students. Before I decided I was going to come to Ireland I signed up with a teaching agency based in London, England. They recently phoned me and told me about this position and wondered if I might be interested, I should have a phone interview within the next few weeks. If that doesn’t work out I will continue to live in Dublin, I’d like to teach for 3 more months after this job and then go backpacking through Europe, and if I run out of money come back and sub some more. Who knows where I’ll end up teaching and living next! This adventure has only begun.

This of course brings us full circle back to the Karaoke night (very Tarantino, isn’t it?). The one thing that’s keeping me sane (and not as homesick) have been the great people I’ve met and befriended. Since the start of my travels I’ve met some amazing people and had such great times! I’ve come to realize that this experience is about more than just sight seeing, it’s about connecting with people and choosing to spend time with them and experience life!

So, basically, as long as I can continue to find Karaoke (in all the countries I visit) and convince the great people I’ve met to join me, I think I’ll be very happy! (You’ve got to have priorities, right!?)

Take care everyone, hope to hear from you all soon!
Stephen Horyn

P.S. If you don’t get the reference to Tarantino then you need to see the films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction

P.P.S.S. I’ve started a blog, it’s at http://teachinginireland.blogspot.com/ right now it’s just these emails, so if you’ve missed the first one and want to catch up it’s there!