Empty Classroom

But it wasn't empty for long, shortly after I took this picture it was full of small Welsh children wearing bright blue jumpers!

And so, today, I entered a classroom again for the first time in about 8 years.

One of the purposes of my visit here was to go back into a school and see how I found it. The answer to that question was that it wasn't a problem at all. Admittedly it was a VERY nice school, with extremely well-mannered children, but I was quite happy with them, almost like I'd never been away from school!

Last night, after I blipped, a Polish man who is staying here for a few days to do some fishing joined us for supper and brought some wine, which was lovely. This morning was a latish morning after a very good sleep, and I got a few minutes on the internet before we set off on the journey to school, via stunning Welsh scenery which I didn't manage to photograph owing to being in the car.

The first half of the afternoon lesson was taken up with talking about stringed instruments, and particularly the violin family. I didn't understand very much of it because it was all in Welsh. When it came to me talking to them about the viola, with demonstrations, my host translated into Welsh at appropriate places. I finished by playing them the first couple of movements of the Telemann Viola Concerto and they, and their teachers, were captivated! Apparently they don't have a lot of stringed instruments around here, except for harps!!!

After afternoon break they did practical work, and I was surrounded by the familiar noise of classroom instruments - glockenspiels, keyboards, tambourines, drums etc. Then they sang in Welsh! I felt EXTREMELY English!

I believe it to be the only time in my entire teaching life that I've been in a classroom where every single child was white, and also the only time where I've only understood about 1% of all the words spoken! Furthermore, the school was tiny, just 2 classes! Very different from the large multicultural Comprehensive schools in inner London where I trained and taught for about 5 years!

I set off for home tomorrow, but the trip has definitely been a success. As a result of yesterday's viola session I may have got myself some playing in a small concert in February, and today I proved that I can go back into the classroom without it being a major hurdle to me, which means that some form of teaching is possible as part of the new "portfolio career" I'm now trying to build for myself.

And tonight I've bought myself a bottle to have this evening since my host doesn't drink!

Cheers! And blip you again when I get home! These last three blips have been possible thanks to my wonderful netbook! :-)