Surviving the 1st 6 Weeks of School!

Hi all! Sorry it has been soooooo long! I've been on survival mode for the last 6 weeks; learning a whole new school system. There are a lot of similarities: the kids, the politics, the playground, the computer lab...However, there are many more differences: textbooks for each student (only 10 anthologies to share with both classes), smartboards ("whiteboard" like board that works like a touch screen for a computer, you can have the kids write on it with an electronic pen, type, or double click with your finger), governing board vs. school board (essence is the same, but the governing board is more hands on and a bit more powerful), the head has a lot more power/control than a principal, 32 kids vs. 20, more art, more computer time, more mental math, less reading instruction, more analysing types of text, more PE, etc. The list could go on, but the main difference is the ideolgies. While we are more test based, they are more classroom evidence based. I have to hold onto everything we do in class and for homework. I also don't test anywhere near what I do in the States; so far, only weekly spelling tests. We didn't even give a math test at the end of the +/- unit. I'm still not totally sure how we know if they learned it all, but I'm sure that will become more evident as the year progresses. The main benefits that I can see are that the kids are less stressed and can be taught in a more well-rounded manner. However, there aren't many interventions for the kids that are low. I don't know if its just at my school or national. The new head is looking into getting loads more interventions in place. However, there is a national TV ad that says that 1 in 5 kids leave primary school not being able to read well. It has been fascinating to watch 2 schools become 1. We have made some fabulous steps and we have many more to make, but I think its really going in the right direction. I can't wait to see the end result. I may have to come back to visit...=)
Well, I'm off to Dublin and, possibly, Waterford for the half term! Write again soon!