Art of being an immigrant class teacher

Part One, A PUZZLE

As some of you may know after returning to Finland I’ve been a teacher for immigrant children at the primary level. It’s like a prep class to learn Finnish, culture and some other subjects. Yeah, I know how ironic, ha me teaching Finnish. But shhh, they don’t know how bad I am in Finnish and it is simple Finnish, so it’s ok, I won’t spoil the kids, I promise. Now you’re wondering what is this, I was supposed to bring a smile on your face after reading my blog, I promise you will. I think many of you can relate to what I'm gonna tell you. Though, I admit lately I’ve been bit emotional and I’ve been thinking way too much… as someone would say to me…Little princess, you think too much! To get to the point telling about art of being me and punch of others who do what I’m doing…

After sleeping only about 5 hours because of the bloody full moon, that for some reason kept me awake or maybe more the fact that peace is over in my life for couple of months again.
I have nine kids in my class and I know most of you think ONLY NINE, what she is complaining about, she doesn’t know a thing! Wait…they’re from 5 different countries, out of these nine children, three are 1st graders…no sorry one of them is actually preschoolers, two 2nd graders, one 3rd grader, one 5th grader and two 6th graders. Top of that even the ones being at the same grade their level of Finnish differs, or they’ve never been to school before. They’re also integrated into to normal classes in art subjects and some others. And…yes, let me get into that…it means I have to make 9 different timetables to fit into other classes timetable so that each one of them is able to go to their integration lessons. Then I make one timetable, which tells me who integrated to where and when, (rather than looking 9 different ones or trying to remember everything by heart DOES NOT WORK FOR ME)After that I start making my own timetable trying to have somehow equal amount of time for each children and their needs!

When I started this autumn it was a NIGHTMARE I tell you, it took me weeks trying to make sense of anything. So each time I became smarter, admit I spent A LOT OF TIME figuring out what, where, how to make it easier and manage it.  Now I’m pretty good at making these puzzles, even if say it myself!!! IT ONLY TOOK ME about 8 hours this time to make all the timetables (being so fool that I actually made them ready over the holiday so that I’ll just see little changes here there when the school starts) I tell you, one or two hours changes here and there in other teachers timetable and I have to redo the whole thing!!!But it only took me ONE evening now when the school started (for sure there’ll be some changes as always)!!!

To make my life easier knowing what lays ahead (chaos as always, because, the kids have totally forgotten how to behave, sit still, listen and… Can you guess what are the first Finnish words they learn to say in my class after learning to say their name …SIT DOWN and BE QUIET!!!)  I was super active yesterday making food for the whole week :) just put it in a micro way for 2 min while you open your computer and start writing…in your dreams my thesis!!! But life feels so much better!

But I LOVE MY job (and there’s a lot more that I’m not telling you just trying to make it look nice)… at least the kids :D…all the hugs I got today, I tell you,even being tired and running around like mad man I still wanna go to work tomorrow!!!It can only get better!

Good night people, tomorrow is another day!

I felt as tired today, though not as relaxed as in the picture!

This is how I've been feeling! The Puzzle Song

The Love that You Bring

The Love that You Bring

The other day I talked with a good friend mine about sadness we both felt over the holiday, even if it was nice to see so many great people, but going back to home alone, hit you kind of hard. One reason being our non-existing love life, no more, having a special person in our lives, or maybe just in those particular moments you experienced. I mean I can honestly say I’m really really happy for all my friends, who have a healthy relationships or a family. Even if I’m not keen on having a family on my own, of course I’d love to share my life with someone special. I’m not bitter, nor crying out of my bittiness because I do enjoy my life, don’t get me wrong. Yet, sometimes I feel sadness because of some special moments I’d like to share with someone special because it simply makes life better. I don’t necessarily even mean being in love with someone, but to share some moments with someone special in that particular moment is amazing. Last year I shared my life with many special people, who I connected with various ways. To live together with special people is even more amazing and it just makes your everyday life so much better. There are different special people in different moments. When I was at my gramps cottage this Christmas (that’ll be another story) I especially missed someone special, even if I was happy to share that moment with Mimmi and Matias. Still, I wish to have experienced it with someone for the first time and I thought I hope you can come up here one day and I can take you there. It’s a magical place! I’m so grateful of those moments and places I’ve experienced for the first time with you, those moments were so special and fucking amazing, because you are special and the way you see things. You taught me so much!

This is not dwelling in the past, but keeping these special people with me even when they are far. If I was in a relationship my life would have been so different and I haven’t met or get to know these special people who I have in different places, like in Australia. Once again reason for everything. So instead I should be extremely happy that I have and still will have so many special people in my life. That’s why we meet different people in different times. Sometimes I fall in love or have a crush on people just because they’re so special!

I realized that Australia, as well as Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Zambia and so on have been such amazing experience for me because of the people I shared my life with while living there. Even if I’m not so good with my love life, I am extremely fortunate to have so many special people in my life. Of course there are many special people in my life in Finland as well, that’s why it’s worth living here at the moment, even if I miss some other special people. We will meet again! 

This Christmas holiday came out completely different than I expected because of so many special people I spend time with. This is probably the best Christmas in years in Finland. My plan was to just write my thesis after I come back from Rovaniemi, but life planned something different. Suddenly, some people I hadn’t seen ages were all here in Oulu. Don’t know when I have time to see them again so I chose these people over my thesis. A friend of mine said to me after hearing I got a job and again I was struggling to finish my bloody thesis, you know that your work is more important, even if it means delaying your thesis another year! He was right. My thesis will come and for some reason after having a holiday I’m in a mood for writing again. I know I should be writing my thesis right now, but just writing this blog switches my mind into English and makes me going on with my thesis as well, because after this my mind is empty. Someone once said that it’s good to write down everything you have in your mind in the morning and then you’re ready for new things. And I will finish my thesis this spring just wait and see. I know I’ve said so many times, but now it’s written down and you can all see it!

  

This is to all special people in my life! Thank you for those moments we shared together! For sure there’ll be more in the future, but till then, the ones far away, I carry you in my heart till we meet again.

Laugh, joy, peace, love, being together…some highlights of the year! 

Part of my family in Melbourne

 Alice Springs with special people

 Love

incredible moment

 being together

Sorry the first song is in Finnish but it talk about importance of family and friend. He sings… This is for you all, to my family and dear friends, who are there for me, we hang around together, there is no room for hate. This is for all my family and friends. We'll meet again where ever we go because you will stay in my heart forever! If you wanna know more use Google translator 

Raappana, Perhesuhteet 

The other song was posted by a friend Jaci from Melbourne. I like the message.

The Love That you Bring

Something different

Happy New Year 2012!

It's time to start something different to brighten my day in this “dark” land of Finland. For the past couple of years I've shared climbs of my life occasionally when I've lived somewhere else than in Finland. However this time I have decided to write what's in my mind, maybe about my life wherever I am and find something positive about each day. I promise to write, share a picture or what ever when ever I feel like. At least I want to share a smile with you!

Today my happy moment was going to yoga Pilates after having a long break. Now I'm feeling great, it’s time to start having my life back! I highly recommend yoga to everyone; it makes your life so much better! Another happy moment was neighbors’ girl, who came to say hi because she hasn’t seen me for a long time (one week :) I was on the phone and she promised to come back tomorrow. To see her smile just made my day!

I also spend some time looking back at my life during the past year. It started out in Melbourne, Australia and ended up in Oulu, Finland, year before that other way around, how funny. In total it was an excellent year! I’ve shared my life with so many amazing people, seen wonderful places, so many unforgettable moments. Of course life wasn’t just a one happy life every day, but I want to remember the good ones! There are few people who made my life so much better this year, some of you are far at the moment, some closer, but I hope you all know how much you mean to me, even if the time we shared together was short, but even more important. 

Things I’ve learned last year is to try to live in moment, (even if I don’t succeed to live according to that every day, but I try) to believe that things will work out no matter what, to be honest to yourself and your feelings even when it might means it hurts. Remember that we only live here once and it’s best to make most of it!

Even if I feel sadness in my heart today, still there is always hope…maybe tomorrow will be brighter day, at least days are finally getting longer…minute by minute light is coming back in to my life!

Happy New Year to everyone! Let’s make this year a good one! 

I love you all!

I want to share this photo with you because it makes me smile. While writing my thesis I've also looked at the photos from Zambia. This is from Nc'wala ceremony from Eastern Zambia. 

Enjoy life, dance and smile!

While looking at the pictures song in my head...number one hit while I was there :) makes me wanna move, I miss dancing!!!

Fendela fenduze