PREPARING FOR A NEW ADVENTURE

I often look back fondly on a previous teacher exchange that I participated in when I was much younger! I was very fortunate to spend a year in Ontario, Canada, as part of a Commonwealth exchange programme. This was my first experience living in someone else's home, alongside assuming their teaching role at school too.  In hindsight, it had shades of what I now see as an 'almost' AirBnB scenario, at least on the home front. I arrived to a fully functioning home away from home, equipped with every single thing I could ever possibly need. At school, it meant walking into a classroom that was set up and in those days, all I needed was the hard copies of all my necessary syllabus documents before I got my teeth stuck into the Waterloo Catholic District School Board's mandated curriculum. 

Times sure have changed and I knew the moment I heard about an exciting new prospect presented to me at ASB in 2017 that applying for an exchange to CAC in 2018 had my name written all over it. 

After much dialogue with John Smithies and establishing my commitment to being one hundred percent ready, willing and able to be a part of another exchange, the process then meant interviewing and being matched with Trillian! It was a moment of pure joy and immediate thoughts of all that I would learn and devour in my time spent in another early childhood classroom across the seas became a reality. 

Trillian and I participated in pre-visits to our new destinations and I gathered much information from my time at CAC in March 2018. It was an opportunity to observe, make connections and get first hand knowledge of what to except as we embarked on this exciting renewal programme.  Highlights included meeting my future teaching assistant and spending time in Maadi, which I knew immediately on arrival, would be a perfect place to live, work and use a base for exploring all that Cairo has to offer.

ARRIVAL AND ORIENTATION

I arrived in Cairo to be met by Julie Jackson-Jin, escorted home and then the real settling in began.  Trillian had very kindly already shown me all of the local shops, so I retraced our steps and found a beautiful little Fair Trade shop around the corner and made a few purchases.  Trillian has a gorgeous apartment that I feel so comfortable in.  It is a six minute walk to school and I have everything I need, which is such an added bonus when you are adjusting to life in a new home.

The warm and effusive welcome from all members of the CAC team went a long way towards setting the scene for an upcoming year of new sights and sounds.  It is clearly a very strong community who devote time and energy to making sure people feel as if they are indeed part of the larger CAC family.  Getting to meet a whole new set of people from all around the world and touring the beautiful campus made a lasting impact on my first impressions.

The orientation has been fabulous and our first three days together have proven to me that our decision to partake in this experience will be instrumental in taking my teaching and travelling 'skills' above and beyond my wildest dreams. 

It's always a wonderful sign when there is a healthy balance of socializing, presentations and information sharing sessions for your first three days in a new land.  It is at this point that I am eternally grateful to the cast of thousands, particularly John and Julie, that have made this opportunity possible.

                                                                                         ~ Samantha

Landing in Cairo

My fantastic gift - a new school bag!

First Days and First Thoughts from Trillian

I am writing this blog post from somewhere that I never dreamed I would actually get the chance to live- Mumbai, India!  Let me tell you a little bit about how I got the opportunity to live and work here for one year. 

It all started almost one year ago today, when my head of school at Cairo American College mentioned at an all staff meeting, almost casually, that we were going to be participating in something called a "Teacher Renewal" program and that anyone interested in an exchange year with another school should get in touch with their principals or him to discuss details soon. Interested? I was very interested! I had just begun my fourth year in Cairo, and while I was very happy in my position and with my colleagues, I had realized that part of international teaching meant experiencing new cultures and schools around the world- something that I hadn't done, as my first posting outside of the US was CAC. The Teacher Renewal program was a perfect opportunity for me to try something new, without having to say goodbye to Cairo American College just yet!

After setting up a series of interviews with CAC and then with my prospective school, the American School of Bombay, it was a yes!  I had been matched with an amazing educator, Samantha, at an incredible school. We were both thrilled about the idea of traveling for a year. I was able to meet Samantha when she came to Cairo for an orientation session in the spring, and she showed me around when I visited Mumbai for a week during my spring break as well. As soon as I landed in India, I knew I had made the right choice.  I loved the culture, the climate, the sights and sounds. It was an extremely busy week and I tried to soak up as much as I could between meetings, observing teaching and learning, filling out paperwork, and even some shopping. When it came time for my flight home, I didn't want to leave!

I had a wonderful beginning at the American School of Bombay. The administrative team welcomed all new teachers by placing a flower wreath around our necks and daubing red paste on our foreheads, according to Indian tradition. Since my arrival here, I have felt immersed in the culture of India and I see how it flows through and around everything that happens in this country. I am joyfully embracing it as a part of my journey. The teachers have been very busy preparing for the school year. We set up two new classroom spaces this year on the Pre-K floor, and we were so happy to welcome the new families to orientation this morning.  Tomorrow will be the first school day for all children at ASB.

Now, I am sitting here in my home for the next year- Samantha's beautiful apartment in Bandra. I have had a very smooth transition to India. Since I am staying in Sam's place, I have not had to worry about shipping over my things. In fact, I brought over a few things in April, so I traveled with just two suitcases for the entire year!  Without an apartment to unpack, or various necessities to find in a new city, the relocation to Mumbai has been so much less stressful that any other move in my life. When I visited in April, I learned so much about the routines and expectations of the school day that I feel extraordinarily relaxed and ready as I anticipate the first day of school tomorrow. I know that I am prepared to be a collaborative team member with the other three Pre-K teachers, and I understand how things work here at ASB.

I am so happy and grateful to be here. I love India, and after my first week at ASB, I am so enthusiastic about being a part of the team. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for me, and I can only hope that I continue to be a positive contributor and support students, families, and my colleagues here. I know the adventure is just beginning for me during my year in the teacher renewal program.

Onward I go! Until next time.... Trillian