And the answer is...

No. I did not get the job in Kenya.

We were quite disappointed to hear that but when things are meant to be they happen and when they don't they weren't meant. Now the waiting game begins with the other schools I applied to. Two have already written back to tell me they have filled the vacancies for this upcoming year.

Have we considered the option we may be here for a year? The answer to that question is yes. This answer saddens us as we have been working towards Africa for so long. Timing is everything though...

In the meantime I am focusing on completing my practicum as I only have another 5 teaching days left. I will miss my grade 4/5's tremendously. I have learned so much from them about teaching, homework, classroom management and life in general. When I think back to my grade 4/5 teachers I don't remember much about them negative or positive but one thing I hope is that I made a positive impact on these students-that I inspired them to reach for the stars and beyond, that I encouraged them to try their best and that I made them work hard. A professor at school said that as a teacher, students may not remember much about their teacher but they will remember if the teacher cared and how the teacher made them feel. I hope these little guys could feel that I put my heart into teaching them and helping them to the best of my abilities.

Criteria for a school

So what is the criteria D and I are using to choose a school? Should there really even be a criteria?

To answer the second question first, yes there needs to be a criteria otherwise it becomes very difficult to navigate. That, and the fact that by deciding that we would settle for just anything would impact our future in numerous ways. All that being said the criteria looks like this

• Is this school in Africa?

Africa is a place that has been on my heart since the age of 10 and a place I have wanted wanted to return to since 2006. D having been there 3x as well can not wait to get back and fully embrace the role of documentary photographer/photojournalist and explore the infinite video possibilities.

• Can Daniel come with me?

We want to go somehwere together not seperately. In interviews this question comes up all the time. "Will you be coming alone or will your partner be accompanying you?"

• Does this school pay or provide benefits?

Certain schools require you to pay or fund raise in order to teach at them. While this may seem like an ok way to do things, it is not very practical. We could easily work with one of these schools as they are always in desperate need for someone to teach at them but at this current time it does not suit our future plans/goals.

• Is this an accredited school? Or a school in the process of seeking accreditation?

This also is something that needs to be considered when applying for shcools overseas. Will this school be recognized if I were to leave it and attempt to gain employment elsewhere. If not then that could be a wasteful few years.

• Is there any literature on this school? Have they been reviewed on International School Review? If so what do the reviews say?

I was made aware of the ISR website through a seminar at school. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of working overseas as it helps give a clear picture of what certain schools are like.

There are a few other considerations as well but these 5 are the major questions that we are asking before we seriously consider the possibilities.

Where in the World is Moses?

Since we are getting ready to embark on an adventure halfway around the world we figured we would adopt a mascot who would come with us. The mascot's name is Moses and he is a sock monkey. I received Moses as a gift from one of my violin students. He came with a different name but we have decided to make it his second name so Moses the Jazz monkey he is.

Over the next few months we will be taking pictures of Moses in some of our favourite or memorable places. Then when I have my own class we can make up stories about Moses and his travels around the world.

So here is picture #1 taken during a snowstorm that left 10 cm of wet snow outside of house and blanketed the rest of the city as well.

Life in a Nutshell

School is going well. I am really enjoying my grade 4/5 class. The kids are so much fun to be around and at times it feels like I am learning mroe from them then they could ever learn from me. They challenge me constantly to think in new ways and present information differently so they remain engaged. I love the challenge of it. I love how each day is different. There is no getting bored as the day flies by to quickly for that. In fact, it's hard to believe how quick this practicum is moving. In less than 4 weeks I will be finished practicum with only one large research project standing between me and graduation! The date for university grad is June 10th.

Still waiting to hear back from Kenya. Will let you know as soon as I know what's going on.