Summer in the city

Well, not quite summer seeing as it's about -2°C outside, but we do have perfectly blue skies and sunshine...

Midday in Bergisch Gladbach

Shame I'll be spending the afternoon indoors gazing longingly out of the windows during the next Lehrerkonferenz...

Last week was definitely record breaking, and not in a good way >> last week I worked just one lesson. Poor effort. But thanks to my school's complete lack of organisation I effectively got given my own private half term! And what better week to have it than when having visitors to stay :) Good times.

It also gave me time to (finally!) go on a trip to Dortmund, where not only was it match day, but there were also these two really good piano buskers being filmed for the local TV station, and playing songs such as Umbrella / Just the Way You Are.

This week I have already more than sextupled (is that even a word?!) the hours I worked last week. With a third early morning in a row to go, I have already worked 6 hours, attended a (far from fun) Beratungstreffung in Köln, and somehow agreed to run an English conversation AG for near fluent students in Klasse 8/9... Definitely actually earning my money this week!

I'm also talking a lot more to teachers / Referendare in the staff room, and not just the conversations that have to happen. If ranks of importance are declared by how many people you speak to / speak to you during the breaks, then I'm definitely working my way up! Now just to shake off the always moaning Referendarin...

When doing an exercise in Klasse 6 about making polite requests in a cafe, today's 'overheard when teaching English':

"Excuse me, this table is dirty. Could you wash it up please?"