A Slight Difference

For those of you who don't know I graduated from Northern Arizona University. I loved NAU! It was beautiful, green, peaceful, and I had some of the best times of my life there during my four years. So it was with fond memories that my TA (teaching assistant from Germany that is here on a grant)and I ventured out to explore some of the colleges in Oxford.
Oxford is unique in that they have dozens of colleges that make up the university. The other universities in England do not follow Oxford and Cambridge. It is a similar arrangement at Cambridge (boooo!, our rivals here in Oxford) but the rest of the universities in England are similar to the style seen in the USA. This makes Oxford all the more incredible because each of the colleges here in Oxford have their own style and feeling. When I took a bus tour at the beginning of my stay here I heard about the different colleges and the history of each of them. Some of these colleges are hundreds of years old and have buildings dating back to the beginning of the founding of Oxford.
This particular weekend it was a festival in Oxford called "Oxford Open Doors" where many of the attractions in Oxford open their doors and allow people to explore for free. Normally the colleges are locked only to be gazed at from afar. But this weekend many of the larger colleges were open for people to explore. The three in particular that I was eager to see were Magdalen College, New College (not very new at all though), and Trinity College.
With understanding that Oxford has a few hundred years on NAU and that it is one of the foremost universities in the world, I understood that it would be grander. Grander is not even the right word.
To start with Trinity College has a garden area that is the size of many of the parks that you would find in the USA. This garden is just for strolling, picnicking and general enjoyment of the students. What I don't understand is how any of the students can get any studying done with a garden of that in their backyard. After enjoying this college it was off to New College. New College knows how to present a garden as well but it was not this garden or intricate cloisters that captured my attention, it was the dining hall that was so intricate and formal that any 4 star restaurant would be put to shame. All this beauty in a dining hall for 18-22 year olds, it is almost comical. The students are required to where their formal university attire and are treated to a three course meal. The "eating plan" is an extra expense to the students but I asked one of the students that was playing host to the college and she shared with me that their meal plan was well worth the additional expense. Finally it was off to Magdalen College where I witnessed my greatest surprise... gardens, yes...beautiful dining hall, to be sure...fantastic chapel for worship, but of course... but a deer park, this I was not expecting. This college boasts of a deer park that is significant in size to have the deer live comfortably. It was said that years ago each professor was aloud to have a deer as a present for their Christmas meal. Now a days they lounge around eating the grass in one of the meadows, drink from the river which flows through the college grounds or have a nap under one of the beautiful stone bridges that surround the area, not a bad life for a deer.
As Romina and I chatted about life at Oxford we both realized that although we remain faithful to our alma maters (go Jacks!) it would suffice to say that we could have survived a year or two attending Oxford. At least I would have done it for the sake of appreciating the work that has been put into these colleges to provide for one of the most incredible learning environments that this former student has ever seen.

A Look Back

As I sit here watching reruns of the British version of the office (which I find even more funny than the American version) I have time to reflect over this last week and the reason that I am here... to teach an adorable group of 6 and 7 year olds. Until this week I have been settling in, exploring, learning Oxford and meeting people. This week I went back to school... the party was over.

I went to an inset day on Wednesday and had my first official day of tears. Between trying to get ready, understanding the nice British man and his data, trying to understand the acronyms (there are plenty in the British school system) and working through the list of things that need to be done, should be done, should have already been done and things I have forgotten to do but then remembered to do... I was a bit overwhelmed. Luckily teaching is not a profession that is by any means lonely. My team and fellow teachers at Phil and Jim pulled me back together and helped me to get ready for the infamous FIRST DAY.

For those of you that have never read it there is a book called "First Day Jitters". It is a wonderful book that goes through how the character won't get out of bed, has to be coerced to get dressed, dragged to the car and lead to the classroom. In the end you find out that it is not the student that had the first day jitters, it was the teacher. I can relate to that book. I defiantly dragged that morning, did the speed limit, had an extra cup, and walked a little slowly through the corridor.

So how does this story end, like most good stories, with a happy ending. Students are students no matter where you go. They are quiet the first day, coming out of their shells the second, and chatty by the third. They make pictures for you, tell you that you are pretty (and that you have a funny accent in instance), and are confused how to get home. They are special from the very beginning. This will be my class from England, my group of parents from England and the staff that helped me survive my year in England (there is a special place in heaven for this staff, they are getting through each day). In the end I look back at my first week and think about all the things that had me stressed. I know that those things will fade away and that I will eventually learn that I need to know (and then it will be time to go) but it is the kids that I won't forget. I have 29 precious students and I realize now that they might be my favorite thing about England.