What's the Diff?

Now that I've almost survived the first quarter at my new teaching job, I've had ample opportunities to observe the subtle differences between teaching English in Poland and in the USA. I have to be honest, Poland is suffering by comparison.

When I started my current job, I was informed that I'd be receiving lots of information about the courses I'd be teaching. I had no idea that would turn out to be an understatement. I was given calendars, syllabi, books, and access to computer files full of lesson plans. I found myself in the presence of colleagues who continually ask how I'm doing and offer me their own expertise any time I'm stuck.

In Poland, I was given a teaching schedule, class lists, and, after repeated requests, copies of old final exams.

Since September, I have attended weekly meetings with all the instructors who teach the same courses I do. We discuss what we've covered, what we're going to cover, what should be on the upcoming tests, and who's going to write which part of said tests. We generally all give the same test, within a day or two of each other, and compare our results to see if anything needs to change for the next test.

In Poland, I remember having a few meetings where we discussed what we might want to cover before the end of the year. The final exam was the same for everyone, but it was up to me whether I gave any other tests, and whether those tests were reliable or completely random.

Having said all that, I really don't want to give the impression that everything in Poland is bad, and everything in the US is good. I'm working more hours here than I ever had to there, and commuting almost 2 hours a day. There's a lot more accountability, not only to my bosses but also to my students - after all, they're paying a rather large sum of money to be here.

But overall, I have to say that I'm really enjoying this job, not least because of the well-organized program I've managed to find myself in. I would definitely consider returning to Poland at some point, but for the time being, I feel very lucky to be where I am.

Where Ya Been, Marv?

OK, it's been a little longer than I expected, but I think things have finally settled down somewhat. I've moved into a friend's house in West Seattle, and am s-l-o-w-l-y getting settled in. I keep looking at my pile of boxes and wondering what might be in them - some of them have been in storage for the last 4 years.

I greatly enjoyed my first family Thanksgiving since 2002, even with 4 pre-teens sliding down the stairs and fighting all day. I'd forgotten how much I like the whole process, from the food preparation all the way to the next morning, when we spend hours making traditional Norwegian Christmas cookies.

The job is going really well, despite the lack of time to do anything other than work. My students are really great, the other teachers are wonderfully helpful, and I've been invited back for winter quarter.

Overall, everything's good at the moment. Now I'm just hoping the Cougars can shape up and win the Apple Cup. Go Cougs!

I'm Not Wigging! I'm....Regrouping!

I know, it's been a while, and it'll be a while longer before I can start posting regularly. My housing situation is still on hold, and my current dwelling place isn't exactly conducive to extensive typing sessions. Also, my job is taking up a large portion of my time. I hope that'll eventually be less true, but I'm trying to get into a rhythm and figure things out right now. So something has to suffer, and it's going to be this blog.

Just give me a month or so, and I should be back to my semi-regularly posting self. Until then, rest assured that things are good in all the major aspects of my life. I'm just really busy.

I Don't Want to Buy Anything, Sell Anything, or Process Anything

I got a job!

OK, that's not such a huge deal, I've had lots of jobs. But this one is a better job than I expected to find. I actually managed to land a full time teaching job at a community college, something I had been led to believe was rarer than the dodo bird.

I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. It's more teaching hours than I've had in the past, and from what I've been told so far it's going to be a challenge. But I'm really looking forward to only working one job - it's been a while since I've been in a position where I didn't need a supplementary income.

I don't start for a couple more weeks, so I have lots of time to stew over it & freak myself out. And attempt to get an official copy of my transcript from my university in Poland. Something tells me that's going to be a long, slow process. I knew I'd never really be free of that place.

In other news, my I-am-an-idiot moment of the month came yesterday, when I realized that it's possible to play CDs on a DVD player. I've only been carrying the new Indigo Girls CD around with me for a month, hoping to remember to play it during the rare moment when I'm in a house with a CD player. Don't ask, just enjoy a chuckle at my expense.

I'm an Excellent Driver

I've been doing more driving than I care to since I've been back home. I don't yet have a permanent dwelling, so I've been bouncing between my parents' house, 2 hours south of Seattle, my friend Angela's house, 40-60 minutes south of Seattle, and my sister's house, 45 minutes north of Seattle. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to be in Seattle some mornings by 9:00 AM.

Here's a pop quiz: True or False, Wendy is a morning person. Here's a hint, it's NOT true.

So far I'm dealing with it, because I know it won't last forever. In fact, I have a home lined up in Seattle. Unfortunately, my room has to be redone a bit before I can move in, so the bouncing will continue for another month or so. Boing, boing.

There's No Place Like Home

Here I am, finally back and with my promised new blog. Apologies for the delay, but it's been a month of readjusting to my home country, job searching, and general wandering.

I'm marginally employed at the moment, doing part time work at a private language school. Hmm, that sounds familiar. It's just like Bell, but with more technology and more languages available. It seems good so far, but I've only had 3 lessons: the first one was a late cancellation, the second was a no-show, but the third day I actually got to teach! And to a woman from Warsaw! Yes, it's all VERY familiar.

I'm currently homeless, but I have family and friends who are willing to let me stay for a while. We'll see how long it takes me to wear out my welcome. I plan to find a place in Seattle, once I know that I have a consistent, reliable income, so it may be a month or so.

There's really no other news at the moment. My re-entry has been relatively painless so far, which I account mostly to the fact that Poland is so much more modern than it was when I first lived there. There are remarkably few differences, though I still catch myself being overly aware of people speaking English. I hope that wears off soon!

I hope everyone is doing well, and not suffering too much without me. :) Keep in touch, and watch to see how this next phase of my life develops!