For me that is. I know there are many of you who still have a month or two to go before the end of the academic year (I'll keep this one short). The timings are a little different in Greece, partly due to the sudden arrival of the summer sun. Already temperatures are reaching 30°C and it's set to get hotter. Someone even commented how in Athens, it can reach 45°C by July! It is also different for me in that my contract was due to end by May 30th. From now until June, my students will be taking final tests. It has truly been an amazing eight months, and I look back with much joy on all the experiences from teaching at the language school. It feels like only yesterday that I was arriving and greeting my children for the first time. One of the greatest pleasures has been getting to know my classes, and hopefully in some small way, helping them improve their English skills. One of the sadder aspects of leaving a job, is that you can easily look back and think how things could have been better. There are so many ideas that never really materialised, and I know that I would do certain things differently a second time round. I think this is only natural, yet I know that I have learnt much which no doubt will prove useful as I move into my next place of employment. Above all, I leave with a thankful heart, and much praise to God for providing me with this opportunity to work in Greece. I thought it would be good to share some of my experiences from the past eight months. Here it goes.
I remember my first day well. It was a hot day and as I made my way to the school, I really had no idea what to expect. Yes I had been to the school before, but this was completely different. It hadn't really hit me until then what I was about to begin. I was actually going to be responsible for teaching classes! Although this was a daunting task, I am so thankful for my previous job working in a primary school, and of course the training I had completed to get my 'Certificate in English Teaching to Adults'. All this was invaluable and meant that I approached my new job with a smidgen (never used that word before) of confidence.
It was definitely a 'diving into the deep end' experience, but gradually as the weeks unfolded, I began to settle into the job set before me. I wasn't the only one feeling this movement into the unknown. The eyes of my children had to contend with this strange Englishman, who no doubt had strange ways compared to their Greek teachers. I think this has ended up to be a fun experience on both parts. I have found it hilarious at times when the younger children (5-7yrs - who I don't teach), often treated me like an alien from another planet. It has been much fun indeed getting to know my classes, and although there have been trying moments, in the end, I can say that they have all been a delight to know.
As I journeyed ahead into the first term of teaching, it took a good number of weeks to find my bearings. This of course was to be expected, and I confess that most of what I've learned over the past eight months, has come from my mistakes. It took a while to discover what worked with different classes, and how to manage the behaviour of such a varied group of children. There were successes along the way as classes started to accept me and also show changes in their approach to their learning within my classroom. Some children who had proven tricky customers in the early stages of the year, ended up being more focused and ready to learn. I don't claim to be the only source of this improvement, but I hope that some of my encouragement and input over the year has played a small part in these children's educational development. For me, learning to be more firm in the classroom has proven challenging but in the end a very rewarding experience. I have certainly seen the importance of being firm but fair, and clear and consistent when it comes to classroom discipline. Also, the importance of setting boundaries and having a system of dealing with those who cross such boundaries. I hope over the year I have proven a fair judge.
If you enter my classroom, then be warned you are likely to be in for much fun and games. I balance this of course with hard work but can't deny I've enjoyed trying different games over the year to help the children learn English. Some have failed disastrously, others have brought forth moments of sheer hilarity. Getting the children to make animal noises to guess the animal was a personal favourite. The picture to the left was a game I used in an attempt to get to know my classes. The only draw back was that for some reason, my children expected Haribo every week (not gonna happen). Many more stories to share, perhaps for another time!
 |
| Planning hard to think of ways of utilising the teaching tool that is Haribo |
 |
| One of a number of messages left on my whiteboard |
Christmas time at school is always a joyful time and in Greece it was no different. We had planned to put on a nativity play for the parents, which I was helping prepare and coordinate. I very much enjoyed the experience. All the children who took part eventually learnt their lines, and I think they had much fun being involved in the play. Amongst my favourite moments were a missing Mary and a late Angel Gabriel. Oh, and one angel forgot to come on and so missed his lines completely. Still... in the spirit of Christmas it was received well by all, and I think proved a success. Sadly, there were no takers for doing a summer performance. Instead, we decided to host some games in the local park.
Think back to your classic primary school sports day, and you will have some picture as to the spring games our school hosted in the park. I use the word spring loosely, because to me, it felt much more like summer. All in all, it was a fantastic day, with games such as the egg and spoon, three-legged and sack race (not all at once, although that would be amazing). Not to mention a rather competitive football tournament. It was a brilliant occasion and everyone left with medals for taking part in the games!
 |
| Preparations for the 3 legged race! |
It will be sad to say goodbye to all my children and the colleagues at the school. I repeat my earlier sentiment by saying that the time has just flown by! I know that this year in Greece and been an important year, and my time teaching at the school has played an important part in that. I know it's easy to say, but when I say I would like to stay in touch, I do mean it, and hope to be able to visit the school once in a while when possible.
I've come to realise that one of the hardest things about working in a school, is that you can only do so much. There is a time when you need to step back and hope and pray that you may have been a part of the process of nudging a child on a path toward a better life. I feel this more strongly knowing as a Christian that these children are on an eternal path, leading to either life with or without God. I'm thankful that I can trust in the good sovereign Lord who knitted these children together, and knows and has numbered all their days. I know I could have done so much more these past eight months, and so I will be praying for them and know that they will always hold a special place in my heart.
