Goodmorning Bikbee!

I love my kids!! That's how they greet me in the morning, don't think they'll be able to master the name Brittany! :) I've really settled into my job and have a good grasp of what I'm doing. Well...at least I think! I really enjoy working with the kids and have been focusing on assessing them and learning what they know. They're a really sweet bunch and we have so much fun! I've been working on getting them to socialize with one another and become friends, it so sweet when I see them holding each other hands and looking at one another. Today we went on a walk around the local area, it was really cool to get them out of the classroom and around town to show them different things. They really enjoyed it and it's just nice for us to get out!! :) I plan to take a lot more walks around as well as grocery shopping and cooking! I love my job.

In other news I've just been so busy! This weekend I spent it running errands and getting my life together. Before I got this job my life was very temporary, I didn't want to do many things because I thought "well this is a temporary situation so I shouldn't bother" Now that I'm here more permanently things need to change!! I finally got a blackberry that works properly! I absolutely love it. I brought over my blackberry from the States and it just couldn't get Internet and everything from the UK signals. All I could do with it was make and receive calls--really lame. This weekend I got a contract with Orange and got a new blackberry. Now I can use all the features and this was has a camera! Fabulous!

On Saturday night I went to The Regent with Antonia and Nadia. We love The Regent, it's our most local place for a night out. It's always a good time. :) When I was in France, Nadia and the girls met Josh Hartnett there!

Now I just have to get through the week and then Nick is having a massive party at his country house on Saturday! :)

Birthdays and beginnings

Wow--life has been a whirlwind lately!! Everything is coming at me so quickly. This past weekend was Nadia birthday which was so much fun! On Saturday we had a bunch of her friends from home and university come over to the house. I know all of them so it was nice to have everyone over. We hung out at our flat for a while and then went out to Eve in Central London. I'm finding it really hard to find good clubs in Central, everywhere either has bad music or weird people. (usually both) Nick says that they're out there and he'll show me, I'm very interested to see!!

On Monday I started my new job!! I am the teacher of Class 14! I love my kids, they're really great. All of them are very sweet, 5 boys and 1 girl. I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what level they're all at. They're all at so many different places. Right now I'm trying to learn what they know, and then figure out the next step for all of them. Even though I only have 6 kids, it's a lot to juggle considering they're developmentally so low. I'm so lucky to have 3 really good aides. They work really well with the children 1 on 1, but I'm the one that has to plan and orchestrate everything. I get a bit overwhelmed from time to time, but the school staff is really helpful. I've just been trying to figure out what I need, so I can determine who I need help from!! It's just the beginning so I'm sure that once I get more settled things will be easier. Also I have a budget of £700 to spend on things for the classroom!!! That's an amazing amount of money...almost overwhelming. I really want to buy the most that I can that will the most useful to me! It's so exciting to have my very own classroom that I can do whatever I want with! Woo hoo!

I got a job!!!!!!

Yes yes the rumors are true! I did get a teaching contract! My papers are in the works for my new work visa! Life is good. Alright let me tell you about the school...it's called Manor School and it's SO close to my flat! It's about a 20min bus ride and it drops you right in front of the school. I could walk it in 30mins if I needed to. It's a special needs school with about 100 students. The schools is huge and well funded from the state, so a lot of resources and great facilities. I'll be working in a classroom of 6 children with autism. I'd say their ages are around 8-9, but they're VERY low in ability. I have 3 other aides in the classroom working with me, so I'll be well supported!! It's definitely going to be a challenge, as I don't have a strong background in special ed...but I know that I can do it! I'm going to put everything into this classroom! I start on Monday! Everything just seems to be falling into place just as the last moment...it still hasn't all set in yet. I know that everything happens for a reason and this just all seemed to work out so well, I know it's what I'm supposed to do.

I'll have a contract till July with paid holidays, I couldn't be more happy to get consistent work. Supply teaching is great, but when kids are on holiday and you don't get paid--life sucks. Basically I'm flat broke right now, and I just can't wait for that first paycheck!! It's really tough now, but I know I'll be doing well in the future!

In other news...the other night Nick and I went on a party boat on the Thames! Our friend Tanya invited us. It was so much fun, lots of swanky old people dancing to a live jazz band!

This weekend is Nadia's birthday!! We're having a lot of people over on Saturday and we'll go out in Central. Woo Hoo! Then Monday I start my job!!!!

No one ever got ahead by sitting on their behind

Life is crazy. So I went to Spain with Nadia, we were in Santa Sussana which is a very small town in the Costa Brava. We laid out on the beach mostly and had all food and drinks provided free from the hotel..altogether a good deal. However, all the idle time spend on the beach and lounging around got my mind really thinking about everything. I was already majorly stressing out before the trip..and then once I got there it only got worse!! All that free time to think seriously killed me, I've never felt more stressed/sick in my life. I was so stressed that I had to book an early flight home! I just couldn't relax on the beach knowing that I still haven't found a job yet and that I could be potentially forced on a one-way ticket back to America!! Ugh..

The last couple days have been moderately successful. I've been very busy since coming back, I've signed up with a couple more agencies...more people pushing my name out there to headteachers!! I even got work yesterday, which made me want a job even more! Being in the classroom yesterday got me so exciting at the thought of having my own classroom. I'm really ready for this now. At this point it's just a waiting game. I'm doing all I can to get my name out there to anyone that may need a teacher and just working as much as I can in the meantime! Money is tight considering I haven't worked in a little over a month and a half--so that's a little added fun...

I've lately been considering the option of getting my Masters out here. Classes start in a couple weeks and I could get in a 1 year program. The tuition is £9,000 which isn't that bad and I could get a student loan. It's something I'm considering, one university has an open night next week and Nick and I are going to ask all of our questions. I have always known that being a teacher, you pretty much have to have your Masters...never thought I would actually be doing it this soon. BUT, I really want to stay in the country and this is a way that I could get a student visa to stay. I'll be doing more research into this over the weekend, so I'll make a decision soon. My first choice would really to get my own classroom, but this is another option.

Other than that...nothing else is going on because my visa situation consumes my life! Tonight we're going out to a place called Buddha Bar, and if the weather is good (doubt it) a group of us might be going out near Windsor Castle to rent a boat and spend some time out in the country :) How lovely!

This is a photo of me and a policeman at Notting hill carnival. I'm obsessed with their hats and have been dying for a photo ever since I moved here! hehe :)