Yesterday I drove myself, but I followed Rale, Jagos' brother to school one more time, so I could remember the roads. There were not too many people because most people were working, so the roads were not so bad. One thing I have found is that the roads are narrow and there are lots of people that like to fit into the really small roads. And Serbians love to lay on the horn!
And Today, I drove all by myself. I was really nervous because if I got lost or into an accident I would not be able to talk with the people in Serbian. So I drove extra carefully. Today I drove past one of my favorite things in Belgrade, which is the Biggest and Oldest Tree in Belgrade. I love it, it is absolutely beautiful! Just think of a Big old tree with tons of branches and metal poles holding the branches up. They continue to add metal poles to the tree because it is big and heavy. I have a few picture that I will add later on. I get to see the tree every time we go to school. I look forward to it every morning! :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
American Thanksgiving
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| Yummy Thanksgiving Dinner...I also helped with the mashed potatoes! |
Later on that night, Jan, Alek, Marija, Mihailo, and I all went to see the "Cirque Du Soleil." It was amazing. My favorite actors were the sleepy guy and the three really flexible people.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Duda's Room
Duda is a wonderful friend of Jan's who teaches preschool at the International School; Mihailo is in her class and he loves it! I asked Duda if I could come into her classroom to observe her. I also wrote down ideas I get from her and the students' work on the walls. In her class there are only 8 students! As a teacher, could you imagine? Duda says she wishes there were more because when there are too few it is as hard as it would be to have 20 students! Apparently there are class sizes that are too small and too big; I have found from working with Duda and also teaching 18 to 20 students a good class size should be between 12 to 16 students; this is for the younger grades.
Morning Routines:
In the mornings, the students have to come in and write their names on a piece of paper and tape their names on one of the emotions on "the Emotions chart." It has to do with their PYP program. It is an International Baccalaureate program called the Primary Years Programme; which is like a problem solving program for students. You should check out the website! It is great!
Morning Meeting:
For their morning meeting, the students have to sit in a circle just like we would back in the states. Sometimes they will do a greeting and other times they will not. One they did was the "talking ball" which they tossed to their friends saying "Hello! How are you? How are you feeling?" (it was a connection with the Emotions/Feeling PYP unit they were working on). It was really cute and because they had to repeat the words, all the EAL students had to practice saying these words and listen to other students say them as well.
After the greeting, the first things Duda does is have the students change their names on the helper chart. There are only three jobs: line leader, helper, and caboose. There are letters on the back of their names, H, C, L and they have to tally which helper chore they are doing, so Duda and the students can keep track. It is a great way to keep track of how many times a student has done a helper chore. After the helpers are chosen, Duda then takes the days off the calendar and passes them out to students, they need to give her the correct day to put up on the chart. It is a great trick to getting them to pay attention and also it helps them learn the days. On the Calendar, there were patterns, numbers, and the helper had to find out the next shape in the pattern and the number. The students are the ones who write the numbers on the shape to put on the calendar. They have a resource just above the calendar, which they use to help them (they are big numbers, so the students can trace them with their finger and then draw them).
Ideas:
Number and ABC lines. The students get a scroll of a number or ABC line, but the blocks or squares are empty and the students need to find the correct letter or number from a pile in the middle and put them in order on their blank lines. They students work in pairs or in thirds and try to put it together. There are resources for the students to look at only if they are stuck and they love it! I plan on making this as a center when I get back!
Duda has this felt board book here that has different habitats on each page and they students have to put the correct animals in the right habitat. I thought of you Christy, Janis, and Judy when I say it! :) It is called "Discovering Animal Habitats." It is perfect for Kindergarten and First, but I think the second graders would love it as well!
A Little Side Note:
The pre-K here is very different from the pre-K back home, but also it is similar in some ways. The students learn through lots of play; the ideas and work are all student ideas, but back in the states they is much more structure and teacher led lessons. I am not saying one is better then the other; I am just stating things I have learned through my experiences. I do like how Duda gives the students supplies and tells them the end result, but then they have to figure out how to get there; for example, they had to make a 3-D square and she gave them supplies, showed them what their final project will be, but then just let them go. It was amazing to see what they came up with. Now I watched a few other projects being done like this and I had a hard time with just letting them go, but they were teaching them a bigger lesson, which is to be problem solvers because that is something they will have to do for the rest of their lives. Although I loved this part of the International school, I also really like that in the states there is more structure, so the kids are not getting too much down time because there are a lot of kids in the classrooms back in the states and the structure is needed. I would like to build a classroom with both the student led lessons and also the structure of the Maine schools; it would be a perfect school in my mind.
Also at the international school their is a lot more cultural differences which makes is exciting, and I feel that students in the states need to learn more about the cultural differences of other people. Pen Pals is a great idea I came up with between the two schools. It would help the students be more diversified in the states especially in Maine and it would also help the international students reach out and learn new things about students from a different continent. I mean with skype and all...there are so many possibilities. Just to keep in mind there is a 6 hour differences, so the time of skyping in school would be 8am Maine time and 2:00pm Serbian time.
Duda's RESOURCES:
Morning Routines:
In the mornings, the students have to come in and write their names on a piece of paper and tape their names on one of the emotions on "the Emotions chart." It has to do with their PYP program. It is an International Baccalaureate program called the Primary Years Programme; which is like a problem solving program for students. You should check out the website! It is great!
Morning Meeting:
For their morning meeting, the students have to sit in a circle just like we would back in the states. Sometimes they will do a greeting and other times they will not. One they did was the "talking ball" which they tossed to their friends saying "Hello! How are you? How are you feeling?" (it was a connection with the Emotions/Feeling PYP unit they were working on). It was really cute and because they had to repeat the words, all the EAL students had to practice saying these words and listen to other students say them as well.
After the greeting, the first things Duda does is have the students change their names on the helper chart. There are only three jobs: line leader, helper, and caboose. There are letters on the back of their names, H, C, L and they have to tally which helper chore they are doing, so Duda and the students can keep track. It is a great way to keep track of how many times a student has done a helper chore. After the helpers are chosen, Duda then takes the days off the calendar and passes them out to students, they need to give her the correct day to put up on the chart. It is a great trick to getting them to pay attention and also it helps them learn the days. On the Calendar, there were patterns, numbers, and the helper had to find out the next shape in the pattern and the number. The students are the ones who write the numbers on the shape to put on the calendar. They have a resource just above the calendar, which they use to help them (they are big numbers, so the students can trace them with their finger and then draw them).
Ideas:
Number and ABC lines. The students get a scroll of a number or ABC line, but the blocks or squares are empty and the students need to find the correct letter or number from a pile in the middle and put them in order on their blank lines. They students work in pairs or in thirds and try to put it together. There are resources for the students to look at only if they are stuck and they love it! I plan on making this as a center when I get back!
Duda has this felt board book here that has different habitats on each page and they students have to put the correct animals in the right habitat. I thought of you Christy, Janis, and Judy when I say it! :) It is called "Discovering Animal Habitats." It is perfect for Kindergarten and First, but I think the second graders would love it as well!
A Little Side Note:
The pre-K here is very different from the pre-K back home, but also it is similar in some ways. The students learn through lots of play; the ideas and work are all student ideas, but back in the states they is much more structure and teacher led lessons. I am not saying one is better then the other; I am just stating things I have learned through my experiences. I do like how Duda gives the students supplies and tells them the end result, but then they have to figure out how to get there; for example, they had to make a 3-D square and she gave them supplies, showed them what their final project will be, but then just let them go. It was amazing to see what they came up with. Now I watched a few other projects being done like this and I had a hard time with just letting them go, but they were teaching them a bigger lesson, which is to be problem solvers because that is something they will have to do for the rest of their lives. Although I loved this part of the International school, I also really like that in the states there is more structure, so the kids are not getting too much down time because there are a lot of kids in the classrooms back in the states and the structure is needed. I would like to build a classroom with both the student led lessons and also the structure of the Maine schools; it would be a perfect school in my mind.
Also at the international school their is a lot more cultural differences which makes is exciting, and I feel that students in the states need to learn more about the cultural differences of other people. Pen Pals is a great idea I came up with between the two schools. It would help the students be more diversified in the states especially in Maine and it would also help the international students reach out and learn new things about students from a different continent. I mean with skype and all...there are so many possibilities. Just to keep in mind there is a 6 hour differences, so the time of skyping in school would be 8am Maine time and 2:00pm Serbian time.
Duda's RESOURCES:
- PreKinders: Resources for Pre-K Teachers It has everything you could imagine and it is great for Pre-Kindergarten teachers!
- Every Printable you could imagine: PRINTABLES
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Vicky's Room
Vicky is one of Jan's best friends here in Serbia. She is really great and I love being with her in her classroom. I have been volunteering in Vicky's classroom for a few weeks now and I am learning a lot!
Vicky's room is very similar to a regular kindergarten classroom in Maine, but this year her class is smaller (16 students). When the students get in there in the mornings, the first things they do is start writing in their journals. They do a really good job writing in their journals because of their Jolly Phonics Program. I am absolutely impressed with "The Jolly Phonics program." It is an early systematic phonics program where students learn the sounds of letters and letter blends using multi-sensory movements. In it there are 42 sounds and during the first 8-9 weeks of school the students do a letter and sound a day and this continues throughout the school year, much like the Scott Foresman Reading Program; but with the added movements and sounds, it makes it sooo much better! :) I am really happy Vicky showed me all of the things she uses.
Another thing I love is the amount of technology the school and even the kindergarten classrooms use. It is amazing the things the Middle School Kids are doing. If you haven't you should check out Jan's Blog on my Blog page and you can see some of the Science Blogs the students are doing...let me tell you: it is amazing!
In the Kindergarten classroom, each day one of the students gets to go on the computer and type up a sentence from an old journal entry or type up a new sentence. Vicky's Teacher Assistant prints off their paper and then they draw a picture to go with their sentence and then they are put into their computer books. It is a wonderful way to get students used to using the computers and also they get some really great books out of it as well.
With the technology, Vicky can show students a clip on a projector of how to make Eric Carle characters, so she is not the only one giving them directions and also she doesn't have to make a mess, she just shows the students the clip and then they are ready to start.By the way she got the clip off his website http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html. Another thing they do is a blog for the kindergarten class (both classes). On it there are things about what the students are doing in school and they also post the student's work on there with their sentences. I will add Vicky's Blog soon, so you can enjoy it as much as I have!
Upon talking with Vicky I have found out a lot about the PYP Program, which is called the Pre Years Program or Primary Years Program. It is a program where the children come up with things on their own: classroom rules, jobs on the job charts, their writing journals. They have very little help from the teachers when making these things, which makes them much more interested in their learning. The PYP program goes from Pre-K all the way through middle school and it is based on what the students want to learn about. I have found that with the older kids (2nd to 3rd grade on) it is easier for the teachers to teach what they want to know; like if you are teaching about water and the students are asking a lot of questions about waterfalls, then the teacher will start teaching about waterfalls and motion etc.
One of my favorite things I found was the portfolios that Vicky made. The kids draw their faces on a big sheet of paper, and then Vicky makes a portfolio out of two big construction papers and staple only two sides, so all the students work could be put into the portfolio no matter what size they are! It is a great idea especially for us Pre-K through first grade teachers.
When working in Vicky's class, I also have been working on my masters. I had to research and make a Literate Learning Environment. This was my first time using PREZI. It is a really cool website, where you can make interesting presentation. In my prezi, it shows the different things I have learned in the past and now. You should check it out. I am really proud of it!!
The Beginning Reader Presentation. OR http://prezi.com/zjzo0emmppc3/the-beginning-reader-presentation/
Vicky's room is very similar to a regular kindergarten classroom in Maine, but this year her class is smaller (16 students). When the students get in there in the mornings, the first things they do is start writing in their journals. They do a really good job writing in their journals because of their Jolly Phonics Program. I am absolutely impressed with "The Jolly Phonics program." It is an early systematic phonics program where students learn the sounds of letters and letter blends using multi-sensory movements. In it there are 42 sounds and during the first 8-9 weeks of school the students do a letter and sound a day and this continues throughout the school year, much like the Scott Foresman Reading Program; but with the added movements and sounds, it makes it sooo much better! :) I am really happy Vicky showed me all of the things she uses.
Another thing I love is the amount of technology the school and even the kindergarten classrooms use. It is amazing the things the Middle School Kids are doing. If you haven't you should check out Jan's Blog on my Blog page and you can see some of the Science Blogs the students are doing...let me tell you: it is amazing!
In the Kindergarten classroom, each day one of the students gets to go on the computer and type up a sentence from an old journal entry or type up a new sentence. Vicky's Teacher Assistant prints off their paper and then they draw a picture to go with their sentence and then they are put into their computer books. It is a wonderful way to get students used to using the computers and also they get some really great books out of it as well.
With the technology, Vicky can show students a clip on a projector of how to make Eric Carle characters, so she is not the only one giving them directions and also she doesn't have to make a mess, she just shows the students the clip and then they are ready to start.By the way she got the clip off his website http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html. Another thing they do is a blog for the kindergarten class (both classes). On it there are things about what the students are doing in school and they also post the student's work on there with their sentences. I will add Vicky's Blog soon, so you can enjoy it as much as I have!
Upon talking with Vicky I have found out a lot about the PYP Program, which is called the Pre Years Program or Primary Years Program. It is a program where the children come up with things on their own: classroom rules, jobs on the job charts, their writing journals. They have very little help from the teachers when making these things, which makes them much more interested in their learning. The PYP program goes from Pre-K all the way through middle school and it is based on what the students want to learn about. I have found that with the older kids (2nd to 3rd grade on) it is easier for the teachers to teach what they want to know; like if you are teaching about water and the students are asking a lot of questions about waterfalls, then the teacher will start teaching about waterfalls and motion etc.
One of my favorite things I found was the portfolios that Vicky made. The kids draw their faces on a big sheet of paper, and then Vicky makes a portfolio out of two big construction papers and staple only two sides, so all the students work could be put into the portfolio no matter what size they are! It is a great idea especially for us Pre-K through first grade teachers.
When working in Vicky's class, I also have been working on my masters. I had to research and make a Literate Learning Environment. This was my first time using PREZI. It is a really cool website, where you can make interesting presentation. In my prezi, it shows the different things I have learned in the past and now. You should check it out. I am really proud of it!!
The Beginning Reader Presentation. OR http://prezi.com/zjzo0emmppc3/the-beginning-reader-presentation/
Monday, November 22, 2010
Good News!
After a long day of volunteering and coaching basketball, Jan and I were walking back to the high school when she broke the good news to me...She said Jagos was searching online and found some really cheap tickets and a good rate for a hotel, so guess what we are going to ROME!! I almost CRIED I was sooo happy! I counld't believe I was going to the place I wanted to visit the most! As soon as I got home and thanked Jagos I got on the computer and researched all the places Jan and I could go! We are going to see the Colloseum, the Vatican, Naples and Pompeii, and Ancient Rome. I can't believe it I am sooooo excited! Now I only have to wait 28 days! haha the countdown has begun!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Slava
Slava is a Serbian celebration of the Husband's family's "Saint's Day." It is known as an annual celebration of a family's "Parton Saint's Feast Day;" Slava actually means "Christened Name" in Serbian. Each family has a Saint and the family celebrates their Slava on their Saint's day. Jagos' Saint is St. Mihailo and they celebrate it on November 21st every year. They have friends and family over and have a big feast just like we do for our Thanksgiving. I am not entirely sure why the Saint's day is a particular day meaning I am not sure if they were born on that day or they became a Saint on a that particular day, but I will get back to you on that. This year because there were so many people, Jan and Jagos split their Slava into two days Saturday and Sunday. Jagos' family and a few friends came the day before Slava on November 20th and then more friends came on the actual Slava Day, which is November 21st.
Saturday, November 20th, 2011
This morning, Jan, Jagos, the kids, and I were preparing foods and getting the tables all set up for the Slava. In these next few pictures you will see us making Red Pepper Roll or Rolat (in Serbian) it is made with red peppers that are baked, and then dipped in eggs and flour and then fried, once they cooled we make a layered roll with the fried peppers, cheese, and ham and then repeat until it is about 4 inches high then top it off with cheese, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, and parsley. We put it in the fridge and then sliced it for all to enjoy. It was really good!
This is a huge process with TONS of food and drinks. Once the house was all set up, we then got all dressed up for dinner.
When people started showing up, Jan and Jagos had to meet them at the door to greet and kiss each person as they entered the door to the house and take their coats. People always bring flowers into the wife or mom of the family. The flowers that were brought were really pretty.
When I introduced myself I had to say "Ya sam Janice-sina Sistrachina," which is I am Janice's sister's daughter or niece. Everyone was really surprised when I said this because I don't speak Serbian. It was a really good dinner and I got to talk with a few people who spoke English. Jagos' friend Vladimir was really nice and was talking to me in English most of the night, so I didn't feel left out. It was a weird sensation having everyone around you talking in a different language and you don't know what they are saying. I now know what if feels like to be an exchange student or an English Language Learner. It is a little intimidating.
Sunday, November 21st, 2010
In the morning we relaxed all morning. It is tiring eating so much food! Haha We all got ready and ate Slava at Beba and Rale's house. Beba is Jagos' mom and Rale is Jagos' older brother. At their house, the kids split the Holy bread, which is a round bread that has different kinds of biscuits in it. The kids have to break it and try to find the coins that are rapped in aluminum foil and cooked in the bread. If they find the coin it is supposed to bring them good luck. Once done with the Slava at Rale and Beba's house, we then came back to Jan and Jagos' house to have another Slava with Malina, Rob, Duda, Vicky, and Bane. During dinner we had what was called Sarma, which is a vinegar cabbage wrap with meat and rice on the inside. It is really good, but we had a lot of leftovers and after eating it for a few days, it is not as good! ;)
I really enjoyed my first Slava experience, but I think I gained all my weight back! haha Thanks Jan and Jagos for a wonderful time.
Saturday, November 20th, 2011
This morning, Jan, Jagos, the kids, and I were preparing foods and getting the tables all set up for the Slava. In these next few pictures you will see us making Red Pepper Roll or Rolat (in Serbian) it is made with red peppers that are baked, and then dipped in eggs and flour and then fried, once they cooled we make a layered roll with the fried peppers, cheese, and ham and then repeat until it is about 4 inches high then top it off with cheese, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, and parsley. We put it in the fridge and then sliced it for all to enjoy. It was really good!
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| The meats are called persuta (per-shut-ah), which is different kinds of dried meats. The orange stuff in the bowls are ajvar (i-var), which is boiled red peppers mixed with oil. It is great! The rectangular plate was the Red Pepper Rolat and the white bowl is what I call Serbian Salad or Ruska Salata (Russian Salad). |
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| Jagos and Alek already for Slava. We set up the living room and got all the appetizers out on the tables for when everyone arrived. |
When people started showing up, Jan and Jagos had to meet them at the door to greet and kiss each person as they entered the door to the house and take their coats. People always bring flowers into the wife or mom of the family. The flowers that were brought were really pretty.
When I introduced myself I had to say "Ya sam Janice-sina Sistrachina," which is I am Janice's sister's daughter or niece. Everyone was really surprised when I said this because I don't speak Serbian. It was a really good dinner and I got to talk with a few people who spoke English. Jagos' friend Vladimir was really nice and was talking to me in English most of the night, so I didn't feel left out. It was a weird sensation having everyone around you talking in a different language and you don't know what they are saying. I now know what if feels like to be an exchange student or an English Language Learner. It is a little intimidating.
Sunday, November 21st, 2010
In the morning we relaxed all morning. It is tiring eating so much food! Haha We all got ready and ate Slava at Beba and Rale's house. Beba is Jagos' mom and Rale is Jagos' older brother. At their house, the kids split the Holy bread, which is a round bread that has different kinds of biscuits in it. The kids have to break it and try to find the coins that are rapped in aluminum foil and cooked in the bread. If they find the coin it is supposed to bring them good luck. Once done with the Slava at Rale and Beba's house, we then came back to Jan and Jagos' house to have another Slava with Malina, Rob, Duda, Vicky, and Bane. During dinner we had what was called Sarma, which is a vinegar cabbage wrap with meat and rice on the inside. It is really good, but we had a lot of leftovers and after eating it for a few days, it is not as good! ;)
I really enjoyed my first Slava experience, but I think I gained all my weight back! haha Thanks Jan and Jagos for a wonderful time.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Girl's Day Out
Today I stayed home for one more day to relax, re-coop, and get my things organized at Jan's house! Nena was teaching me how to say the Serbian words of clothing like scarf = sholl, jacket = yak-na, pants = pant-a-loh-na (like the spanish word), and shirt = majica (may-e-sa).
Later on Jan took me out...this was the first time I had been out of the house in days! It feels really nice getting out. Jan, Malina, Marija, and I all went shopping at the Mall. I was feeling a little homesick the day before, so it couldn't have happened at a better time besides a little shopping always makes me feel better. :) I bought a scarf that was zebra printed and sparklie. :) It was so me I just had to buy it. It was my first time buying something in Serbia all by myself! It was great because the lady spoke English!
Later on Jan took me out...this was the first time I had been out of the house in days! It feels really nice getting out. Jan, Malina, Marija, and I all went shopping at the Mall. I was feeling a little homesick the day before, so it couldn't have happened at a better time besides a little shopping always makes me feel better. :) I bought a scarf that was zebra printed and sparklie. :) It was so me I just had to buy it. It was my first time buying something in Serbia all by myself! It was great because the lady spoke English!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Food Differences
Just a little thing I have learned while I was here...the food is very different in some countries and your body takes a little while to adjust to it. About a week after I got here, I was VERY sick with diarrhea or Big D because the foods are different. I know you are probably thinking what in the world are you tell us this...well it's because no one told me that because the foods are different your body has different reactions to it. I wish they would have warned me, SO if you plan on going to another country for a while, be prepared after about a week your body may need to adjust to the different foods meaning you may get sick! I am not sure if it was just me, but we are talking losing 11 pounds in four days sick! Just a little heads up!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Avala Tower
Today I went to Avala Tower; I can see the tower from my window at Jan and Jagos' house!
We drove all the way over and stood in line (I felt like I was in Disney :) ) Oh the tower was called Avala (Av-ah-la) or "Avalski Toranj" which means the "tower of Avala." The front of the line was near a ramp that lead you up to the bottom of the tower.
Once to the top of the ramp, we all had to get into a REALLY crowded elevator up to the top. The elevator was really hot and CRAMPED! I was hoping it wouldn't quit half-way up because the latter on the outside of the tower was not very safe looking!! When we got to the top, Jagos took pictures of us all and I took pictures to show how far I could see. It was a little hazy, but I could see really far! On the way down, we took another picture to show how big the tower was.
Just a little tid-bit of info. for you = the Avala Tower was destroyed when Serbia was bombed a few years ago and was just finished being built and opened only a few weeks before I got here. On the way down, we stopped at a restaurant. By the way the roads are very windy and there are two roads, one one-way going up and one one-way going down!
The restaurant was built into the side of the mountain and had a huge kid's play area and what looked like a theater down in the middle. The food was the best food I have eaten in Serbia!!
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| This is the scene from my bedroom! |
We drove all the way over and stood in line (I felt like I was in Disney :) ) Oh the tower was called Avala (Av-ah-la) or "Avalski Toranj" which means the "tower of Avala." The front of the line was near a ramp that lead you up to the bottom of the tower.
Once to the top of the ramp, we all had to get into a REALLY crowded elevator up to the top. The elevator was really hot and CRAMPED! I was hoping it wouldn't quit half-way up because the latter on the outside of the tower was not very safe looking!! When we got to the top, Jagos took pictures of us all and I took pictures to show how far I could see. It was a little hazy, but I could see really far! On the way down, we took another picture to show how big the tower was.
Just a little tid-bit of info. for you = the Avala Tower was destroyed when Serbia was bombed a few years ago and was just finished being built and opened only a few weeks before I got here. On the way down, we stopped at a restaurant. By the way the roads are very windy and there are two roads, one one-way going up and one one-way going down!
The restaurant was built into the side of the mountain and had a huge kid's play area and what looked like a theater down in the middle. The food was the best food I have eaten in Serbia!!
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| The best soup I have had! It is like a stew, but more runny and the meat is so tender! YUM! |
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| This is the clay pot that older Serbians have used to cook in and they were still using. Also see the cabbage on the plate to the right, it was soaked in vinegar and cut into slices (just like our sauerkraut) and it is served with almost all Serbian meals. |
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Day #1 of Shopping!!
Today I went food and beauty supply shopping with Jan! We went to Pijaca (Piy-zah), which is a giant farmers market here in Belgrade. The farmers market here only happens on the weekends and they sell everything fresh you could possible imagine! We got fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, meats, etc. Oh by the way the money over here is called dinars. And the exchange rate is about 800 dinars is about 10 American dollars. Jan and I also drove to Mercator, which took a really long time cause there was a lot of traffic...living in a city...WAY different then in Maine and the Serbians love to drive really close to each other and they have lots of scratches on their cars from getting too close! I am not sure if I can drive like this without crashing! On our way Jan and I listened to Bob Marley the comedian! He is the best!
Mercator is like a huge Shaws. We got school supplies, food, and finally come conditioner...over here they use tons of shampoo, but not a lot of conditioner! And conditioner is not called conditioner; it is called Balsam! That was a chore trying to find conditioner when it is not called conditioner! haha
When Jan and I got back, we went to Marija's game. Her team won...she did really well. After we stopped for some yummy McDonalds (so not like American fast food...they look a lot nicer and is like a treat to go to McD's). Then Alek, Marija, and Mina all played with me while Jan and Jagos took care of things.
Mercator is like a huge Shaws. We got school supplies, food, and finally come conditioner...over here they use tons of shampoo, but not a lot of conditioner! And conditioner is not called conditioner; it is called Balsam! That was a chore trying to find conditioner when it is not called conditioner! haha
When Jan and I got back, we went to Marija's game. Her team won...she did really well. After we stopped for some yummy McDonalds (so not like American fast food...they look a lot nicer and is like a treat to go to McD's). Then Alek, Marija, and Mina all played with me while Jan and Jagos took care of things.
Friday, November 12, 2010
First Day at International School of Belgrade
The kids had a half day today, so I went in with Vicky to see how her kindergarten classroom works. I am finding that a lot of the things I did in the states is very similar to the things done here at an International school. Two of my favorite things I am finding is that everyone is one board. All of the teachers talk with each other and know what is going on all over their school. The principal here makes sure the school is all connected and on the same page. I really enjoy coming in because everyone is very welcoming. Another one of my favorite things is that this school is very up to date with their technologies. The kindergarten classrooms have a blog where parents and the students can read about what the students are doing online and they also can comment on all of the work students are doing. Also the students type on the computer; just one sentence and then print it off and draw a picture that can go with their sentence. They love it and it is very simple; one student a day will type their sentence as best they can. Also in the classrooms there are projectors, so the students can watch videos on how to make Eric Carle's artwork instead of watching the teacher all the time. It has really helped me to see the different things teachers can do to incorporate technology into the classroom, but also be appropriate at the same time.
Jannie has a BLOG This is her Teaching Blog - if you look at her blog list, you can see her separate blog lists and you can look up Alek's blog as well (he is in 6th grade) All of her middle school students have their own blogs for Science. It is great how much these kids know when it comes to technology!
Alright back to kindergarten: Their reading program and the Scott Foresman Phonics part of the reading program are very similar. They teach the students the letters and sounds along with movements. At this school they use the Jolly Phonics Program: http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/, or http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/jp.htm The Jolly Phonics is a great program that has lots more movement when teaching phonics. Like when teaching the letter f teach the students to squish a balloon in between their hands like they are letting the air out and make the f sound. The students really get the sounds; even the students who are autistic because they can learn the letter by learning the movement or sound. It is really neat. It incorporates the Multiple Intelligences (http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.php) with Phonics. It involves movement, letter symbols, sounds, and acting out the phonics.
I have really enjoyed being in Vicky's classroom and am really happy she has given me this opportunity to learn new things, so I can use them in my classroom one day again!
Jannie has a BLOG This is her Teaching Blog - if you look at her blog list, you can see her separate blog lists and you can look up Alek's blog as well (he is in 6th grade) All of her middle school students have their own blogs for Science. It is great how much these kids know when it comes to technology!
Alright back to kindergarten: Their reading program and the Scott Foresman Phonics part of the reading program are very similar. They teach the students the letters and sounds along with movements. At this school they use the Jolly Phonics Program: http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/, or http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/jp.htm The Jolly Phonics is a great program that has lots more movement when teaching phonics. Like when teaching the letter f teach the students to squish a balloon in between their hands like they are letting the air out and make the f sound. The students really get the sounds; even the students who are autistic because they can learn the letter by learning the movement or sound. It is really neat. It incorporates the Multiple Intelligences (http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.php) with Phonics. It involves movement, letter symbols, sounds, and acting out the phonics.
I have really enjoyed being in Vicky's classroom and am really happy she has given me this opportunity to learn new things, so I can use them in my classroom one day again!
Dinner at a Traditional Serbian Restaurant
Today was a half day at school for the kids and I, so Rale picked us up from school and brought us home. I made the kids lunch and then we played outside for about two hours. We played basketball, soccer, and played on an old mattress. When Jan and Jagos got home, they decided we, could go out to dinner. We went to a cute little restaurant called the Dáco (Da-cho). It is a traditional Serbian restaurant that served all traditional foods.
YUM!! Their potatoes were to die for! They were my favorite parts. I loved the inside of this restaurant because it was decorated in antiques things that came from Serbian Homes for centuries. They even made their lights out of cheese graters. It was great!
YUM!! Their potatoes were to die for! They were my favorite parts. I loved the inside of this restaurant because it was decorated in antiques things that came from Serbian Homes for centuries. They even made their lights out of cheese graters. It was great!
We posed outside with a old Serbian people!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Mihailo's Day!
Mihailo said he wanted to stay home with me today!! :) He and I played all day long. It was lots of fun. He gave me a tour of the WHOLE outside of the house. I now know every nook and cranny. We played basketball, pass, and inside we played LEGOS. It was really nice to get to know Mihailo better. I am really close with Alek and Marija and now I can get closer to Mihailo! After we came inside, we watched TV and both of us took a nap on the couch before Marija and Alek came home. Mihailo said the cutest thing today. He said "You know we will go to school tomorrow. I replied, "Well you are going, but I am not sure I am going." He then told me "Well sometimes I stay home for two days in a row!" He is soo cute!! Later when Jan came home, I got to practice new words with Alek and Jan. Bilja (Bil-ya) (Alek and Marija's mother tongue or Serbian teacher) gave Alek words to teach to me, so I could practice.Milk = Milako,
Later on, when Marija had basketball training (over here they call practice: training), Jan and I went out for coffee with her spunky Australian friend, Malina. Malina lives above the garage at Jan's house. The coffee shop we went to was really cute, but it was smoky in there. Recently there was a law that passed that stated there is no more smoking inside public areas. Some places can pay to have a particular license to have smoking inside like the clubs. I guess a lot of people are upset about it. I am okay with it!
Later on, when Marija had basketball training (over here they call practice: training), Jan and I went out for coffee with her spunky Australian friend, Malina. Malina lives above the garage at Jan's house. The coffee shop we went to was really cute, but it was smoky in there. Recently there was a law that passed that stated there is no more smoking inside public areas. Some places can pay to have a particular license to have smoking inside like the clubs. I guess a lot of people are upset about it. I am okay with it!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Serbian 101
After going to the Police Station to tell them I am here and will be here for 3 months with Jagos. I went back "home;" it is weird saying home :). I unpacked all my things and made a collage of pictures around the sign Alek, Marija, and Mihailo made for me. And I attempted to do some homework (for my masters) and fell alseep for a three hour nap! OOps I was tired!
The Nanny or Nena (Nena is her name) was trying to help me around the kitchen. She was teaching me Serbian and I was struggling. She speaks very little English also. We struggled through our first day today. I had better learn this language to communicate with the people here. She said she will teach me 5 words each day; I can only remember 1 word "yabooka" (my spelling) meaning apple. The other ones were picture and beautiful, but I didn't remember them. Alek and Marija are continuing to work with me on Serbian. It is funny...if I don't understand it, they say it LOUDER and S...l....o....w....e....r..... I am like I still don't understand! haha
The Nanny or Nena (Nena is her name) was trying to help me around the kitchen. She was teaching me Serbian and I was struggling. She speaks very little English also. We struggled through our first day today. I had better learn this language to communicate with the people here. She said she will teach me 5 words each day; I can only remember 1 word "yabooka" (my spelling) meaning apple. The other ones were picture and beautiful, but I didn't remember them. Alek and Marija are continuing to work with me on Serbian. It is funny...if I don't understand it, they say it LOUDER and S...l....o....w....e....r..... I am like I still don't understand! haha
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
I'm Here!
I fell asleep in the Frankfurt Airport for about an hour. I woke up in a panic because I thought I was going to miss my flight. I walked around a little because my butt was numb from sitting for such a long time. I got on the plane at about 11:00ish and we flew into Belgrade. I was able to sleep for about two hours on the plane, which gives me about 3 hours of sleep for the past 2 days!! Yeah Me!
When the plane landed, I felt panicked!! I had to find my way to out of the airport and there weren't many people in there. Also it is not like the states, where the people who are coming to get you can help you. I had to get my luggage and I had to wrestle all the suitcases onto a cart, then go through a passport check and then find my way the rest of the way out. The passport lady was asking me my name and such. I was thinking great I am not going to make and I am so close. Finally they let me out!!
I was greeted by Jan and Alek. Jan was so excited, she nearly cried, so did I because I was so excited about not flying anymore for quite a while. If you haven't noticed by now...I AM NOT A FAN OF FLYING!! All of my luggage made it and now I am in my NEW HOME for the next 6 months.
We picked up Marija and Mihailo from school early and went home. They were really excited to see me! Jan and the kids set up my room really nicely and the kids made me a poster that said "Welcom Sera!" It is really cute. I love it!! I started unpacking and STRUGGLED to stay up until night time. I couldn't sleep until night so I can get on track.
Now, my journey has begun!!
(My poster the kids made me and pictures I brought to see my family and friends everyday!!)
When the plane landed, I felt panicked!! I had to find my way to out of the airport and there weren't many people in there. Also it is not like the states, where the people who are coming to get you can help you. I had to get my luggage and I had to wrestle all the suitcases onto a cart, then go through a passport check and then find my way the rest of the way out. The passport lady was asking me my name and such. I was thinking great I am not going to make and I am so close. Finally they let me out!!
I was greeted by Jan and Alek. Jan was so excited, she nearly cried, so did I because I was so excited about not flying anymore for quite a while. If you haven't noticed by now...I AM NOT A FAN OF FLYING!! All of my luggage made it and now I am in my NEW HOME for the next 6 months.
We picked up Marija and Mihailo from school early and went home. They were really excited to see me! Jan and the kids set up my room really nicely and the kids made me a poster that said "Welcom Sera!" It is really cute. I love it!! I started unpacking and STRUGGLED to stay up until night time. I couldn't sleep until night so I can get on track.
Now, my journey has begun!!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Where is Serbia??
"Where is Serbia??"
A lot of people have asked me this question; even the lady who works at AAA (before I left). She said "I am a travel agent and I don't know where that is!" haha Here is a little history lesson: Serbia used to be called Yugoslavia, but now is split into Serbia and Montenegro. [For more information see this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia_and_Montenegro]
Okay to find Serbia you need to find Italy (the boot) then look at the heel and go Northeast from there (across the Adriatic Sea). To see a picture click here: SERBIA OR you can see it in EUROPE.
Okay to find Serbia you need to find Italy (the boot) then look at the heel and go Northeast from there (across the Adriatic Sea). To see a picture click here: SERBIA OR you can see it in EUROPE.
The countries that surround it are Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Bosnia & Herzegovnia.
If you use Google Maps you can find it, but you have to look for the English spellings because they are written in their own or other languages. I hope this helps!!
My Trip Begins!!
It's official! I said my "Goodbyes" to everyone and the last ones, were mom and dad. Now I am on my way to Serbia. Saying goodbye to Mom and Dad was hard; on the bus I had an overwhelming feeling of "What in the hell am I doing?!" I wasn't sure what I was doing or if 6 months is too long to be away from my family. I know I will be with Jan and Jagos, but the thought of 6 months or183 days is very scary! The bus ride was decent, but I was crying off and on through the whole ride.
Once into Boston, I had to wrestle three BIG suitcases, my carry-on, and my purse into the airport. A "bellman" came to my rescue about halfway to the door and said he would help me. He said come see my friend, meanwhile, I am thinking great I found some creep who is going to steal my luggage or something! He then took me to see his friend at the counter. He said "I told her I would take care of her!" The guy asked me for my passport and flight information and that was it. I didn't have to pay for the extra luggage!! The "bellman" took me over and said, "You pay me $150.00 cash, and I will save you $100.00; because it would have cost you $250.00!" I said, "Okayyyy." I wasn't sure about the whole thing; I was thinking to myself, "SHIT...I told him too much, his little friend over there is going to steal my shit and I am going to show up in Serbia with a nice purse and polka-dotted carry-on. Despite the paranoya I did it anyway.
My flight from Boston to Frankfurt, Germany was a little more then 7 hours and ...I didn't sleep a WINK! I was excited and nervous. I watched many movies and had a glass of wine to relax myself, but it didn't work. I finally got into Frankfurt at about 3:00a.m. (American Time). A funny thing happened on the airplane... the guy who was sitting next to me asked if I was okay when we were landing. He noticed I was trying to fly the airplane (Just like DAD).
Once into Boston, I had to wrestle three BIG suitcases, my carry-on, and my purse into the airport. A "bellman" came to my rescue about halfway to the door and said he would help me. He said come see my friend, meanwhile, I am thinking great I found some creep who is going to steal my luggage or something! He then took me to see his friend at the counter. He said "I told her I would take care of her!" The guy asked me for my passport and flight information and that was it. I didn't have to pay for the extra luggage!! The "bellman" took me over and said, "You pay me $150.00 cash, and I will save you $100.00; because it would have cost you $250.00!" I said, "Okayyyy." I wasn't sure about the whole thing; I was thinking to myself, "SHIT...I told him too much, his little friend over there is going to steal my shit and I am going to show up in Serbia with a nice purse and polka-dotted carry-on. Despite the paranoya I did it anyway.
My flight from Boston to Frankfurt, Germany was a little more then 7 hours and ...I didn't sleep a WINK! I was excited and nervous. I watched many movies and had a glass of wine to relax myself, but it didn't work. I finally got into Frankfurt at about 3:00a.m. (American Time). A funny thing happened on the airplane... the guy who was sitting next to me asked if I was okay when we were landing. He noticed I was trying to fly the airplane (Just like DAD).
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