Shopping, Making Pasta, and Spanish Steps

Hello family and friends! Again, I know it has been a few days, but to be honest, it is getting to the point where I don't have much exciting to tell you, so I might just be writing about once a week!

This week was very stressful because I was getting observed two days. It went ok, but my observer has a lot to say and I have some things to work on before he comes again in about 4 weeks. On Wednesday, we did get the day off for May Day, so I had a nice picnic in the park close to where I am staying. So many people were there! May Day is like their labor day, so many people were off of work. When Friday finally came, we went for drinks after school in the park. Then, we met up with the same people that I had met a few weekends ago at the concert for drinks and aperitivo. It's pretty cool because you buy a drink, and then they have all of these snacks out like pizza, pasta, bread, veggies, etc and it is 10 euros. You can go back and get food as many times as you want also! We went to one other place, but Jude (a teacher at my school) and I headed back home around 10 (much earlier than my usual outing ;) )

On Saturday, I went shopping with Jo and Jude. We went to H&M, where I bought a tanktop. We walked around Piazza Popolo, and it was so hot out. I know you all are hating me because you have snow, but I was sweating! We popped in and out of shops and had lunch on a street down from the piazza where I had lasagna. It was delicious! We continued on and we went into Zara, which is very popular in Europe. It is originally a Spanish company, but has expanded to all of Europe. I bought items here, but they are presents so I can't tell! We then went by the Spanish steps. Just for this week to celebrate Rome's birthday, they were decorated in a bunch of flowers. Here are some pictures of myself and my cooperating teacher, Jo!

The steps weren't as long as I had thought, but I am glad I got to see them!

We went to a different shopping street, Ottaviano, where we stopped quick to look at an apartment that Jo was interested in, and then stopped for, what else? Gelato of course! I had banana and it was delicious and refreshing. Our last stop was at a shoe store, Danielle. It proved fatal for my wallet, but it was great for my shopping :) I got a pair of sandals that will be better to walk around in, and a pair of leather boots :) I love them, but now I cannot shop anymore in Rome haha

After a recovered from shopping, Noreen taught me how to make pasta! I wrote everything down, so the lucky few of you will get a lesson from me as well! Hopefully I will be able to replicate the ingredients in the U.S. Here are some pictures!

Our finished product! We made spinach and cheese ravioli! It was very delicious and I think I did well for my first pasta making experience.

Today, I plan on getting some work done, going to the grocery store and possibly watching a movie as it is raining this morning.

I do want to mention some sad news that I received yesterday. My roommate, Elly, went to the hospital on Friday with symptoms of extreme thirst and overtiredness. Once there, she was diagnosed with type one diabetes. She had to miss her senior art show that she had been working towards for many weeks. I am so proud of her and I know she will be able to overcome this. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers! She's the best friend any girl could ask for! Love and miss you, El Bel!

Ciao!

xoxo Katie



American friends :)

Hi everyone! I am sorry I have written in awhile, but to be honest, I didn't have much to write about until this weekend. I spent my second week at school teaching all math classes, which they call "maths", (it really bugs me!!!) and getting to know my students. I finally felt like I was getting to know them! The math planning was pretty easy because they have a boxed curriculum, which means all of the lessons are already written for me. Thursday we didn't have school, which was a great break! It was a bank holiday. I spent Thursday sleeping in, watching movies, and doing a little homework. (wished I would've done more!)

The fun really began on Friday! About a week ago, I looked on my program's website to see if any other girls were student teaching in Italy. There were two girls that were, so I emailed them and asked them if they were planning on traveling and such! They emailed back and said that they would be in Rome this weekend. Thankfully, my host mom agreed for them to stay here. It also worked out because all the teachers I know went to Brussels this weekend. The girls arrived and we got to know each other quickly! We talked about all the weird words they use, how we don't know Italian, and things we missed from home. They both go to school in Washington. It just so happened that it was Marissa, one of the girl' birthday, on Friday. I asked Jo were we should go for dinner and drinks! She is so helpful :) We got ready and hopped on our 62 bus towards Piazza Novona. Surprisingly, we found the restaurant and didn't have to ask for directions! haha (anyone who knows me knows that I am directionally challenged) The dinner was delicious! I had fettacine gorganzola. We also ordered bruschetta (in Italian the ch makes a k sound so we have been saying it wrong back in America!) and some wine of course! Oh, and we obviously split the tiramisu. It was a great dinner! Unfortunately, unlike the restaurant, we couldn't find the bar called "The Druken Ship" without asking for directions. It was pretty hilarious asking people because of the name of this place. Jo recommended it to me and said, "You should go here if you want to hang out with Americans." We found it and I instantly felt a little more at home when I saw the boys in the back playing beer pong! We obviously joined in, anyone who also knows me knows that I am pretty good at beer pong! I won 4 straight games :) Everyone was so friendly and we talked to so many people! Also, everyone was cheering for me in beer pong because I was the only girl! We stayed here most of the night and made our way home!

On Saturday, we went to the Vatican. It was so busy! We decided to join an English tour because then we were able to skip lines. Our tour guide was quite the character to say the least! We got in and it was so different than what I expected. Once you get in, you basically go through it in one big line. You cannot move most of the time because there are so many people! There were signs for the Sistine Chapel and I thought we were getting close....it was like a marathon to finally see this thing! I am glad I did it, but our feet were very, very sore. I am also glad that we went Saturday because it was raining and this was a good activity for that! We all wore a headset so we could hear our tour guide and he never stopped talking....he would sing in Italian, talk to other people, etc. He even led us around the line and people were complaining and he didn't even bat an eyelash. It was quite the experience. The Sistine Chapel was much smaller than I had imagined and everyone is packed in like sardines. It total, it took us 4 hours to get through.....

We rewarded ourselves with some gelato after this! I had coffee and hazelnut, both were delicious! We headed back home and put up our feet. We also decided to just make some pasta at home! It was a great idea. We got ready and went to our same bar again Saturday night! Not as much beer pong, but we still met so many cool people.

Today, we went to the Trevi Fountain and walked around all the shops. I really want to buy some shoes here, but I couldn't find any yet! I will keep searching....luckily, I have 8 more weeks here! Rebecca, Marissa, and I also plannd out our side trips during some weekends! I will be joining them to Luca/Pisa, Sicily/Palermo, Malta, and Tuscany/Sienna. I am so glad that we all get along and that I will be able to travel with some amazing friends! :)

This was one of the best weekends of my whole life and I am so sad to see it end! I really do not want to go teach tomorrow...I feel like I need a recooperation day! Luckily, we do not have school on Wednesday this week! I love you all and miss you!

Ciao!
xoxo Katie

The Trevi Fountain

After my late night on Saturday, I was feeling a little tired! However, Noreen suggested we go see the Trevi Fountain and how can you resist?! We hopped on a bus and were there in no time! There are so many ways to get around places here and there is always one way that is better depending on where you are going. By the Trevi Fountain there are tons of shops...some are touristy, but most are clothing stores or stores that would be in a mall. They only have shopping malls outside of the city accourding to Noreen, my expert! It was so surprising to me because the Trevi Fountain is very hidden. It wasn't like the Colosseum where it's like, "Hello, there it is right in front of me!" It's also very disproportionate to the surroundings. It is very large, and it is in such a small space. Of course, there were tons of people there taking photographs and tossing in their coins! I asked Noreen why the Trevi Fountain is so famous...there are loads of other fountains around Rome. Apparently it is a combo of things, but mostly because it has been in many movies and because of the coin situation. The thing with the coin is that if you throw in a coin backwards, you are coming back to Rome in the future. They have guards around the fountain with whistles to catch people who try to take money out of it! I made my American mark by throwing in a quarter! Here's a picture! :)

Here are some other photos I took whilst at the fountain....

Noreen and I! (my host mother)

After the fountain, we walked along to see all the shops! We stopped in Noreen's favorite chocolate shop and treated ourselves to one chocolate! I had coffee, and it was seriously delicious! They make all of their own chocolate on site. We continued strolling and met up with Noreen's friend Rosie. Rosie has lived in Rome for 40 years and such a sweet lady! She took us to a shoe stop, but in order to get there, we needed to travel by tram. This was my first tram experience and after this occurance, I hope it is my last! There was a man in a wheel chair that got on, but he was scruffy and looked homeless. Rosie said he was probably not disabled at all, but just used it for sympathy so people would give him money. He was yelling and talking to himself in Italian. Rosie said he was very drunk. He wheeled his chair over to a woman sitting by the door and he was apparently yelling at her saying she was blocking the doorway. She was yelling back, and remember, this was all in Italian! All of a sudden, the man slaps the woman across the face! It was a packed tram and everyone was a little shaken up, including me! A dad who was taller, told the guy off and stood in front of the women so he couldn't hit her again. Luckily, we got off at the next stop! Like I said, I hope I don't have to use a tram again any time soon! We made it to the shoe shop and also went through a little outside shopping area where people set up tables outside and sold stuff they made! We also grabbed a drink, because that's what everyone does around 7 pm! We made it home and had some dinner, and I quickly went to bed because I was so tired!

Tomorrow, it is earth day at school and we are having an alternate schedule! We are playing games, making crafts out of recyclable material, and making smoothies. Should be a fun day! We also don't have school Thursday because it's a public holiday. Who doesn't love a 4 day week? :) I miss everyone, but I am having a fun time! Love you all!

Ciao!

xoxo Katie

The Courteeners

It is the weekend! I started off the weekend with a great time! First, after school, some teachers get together and have drinks in the park across from the school. It was great to sit in the sun and talk to them not about school stuff! Then, Claire, a teacher at the school, told Jo and I about a band that was playing that night. We agreed to go, but the venue was closer to to Jo and Claire's places than from where I am staying. I grabbed my stuff from Noreens, and Jo and I were off! We went to Jo's apartment (very cute) and got ready for the evening. We met Claire, and her boyfriend Marco, for dinner at a pizza place! It was tasty- I liked this place better than the first place I went for pizza. With pretty much every meal, they have wine, so that is fun! We then took a taxi (the metro and other public transportation was on strike. They do this for a day randomly and never accomplish anything!) to the venue. Tickets were only 10 euros and The Courteeners were really great to listen to. They are from Manchester, so a lot of the other teachers I was with really knew the band and their songs. I got to meet more teachers from the La Storta site- it seems that this group goes out almost every weekend! It was fu, but I do have to say that a night out in Rome is much more expensive than a night out in Eau Claire, WI :) After the band played, there was an area outside with bars and there were so many more people there than when we went in! We met some other people just who were sitting next to us. A common first question people ask each other is "Where are you from?" or "What country are you from?" After chatting awhile, we went back into the venue and they had a DJ, so we got to dance! There are many American songs they play here (I've heard them in shops and on radios). We took a taxi back to Jo's and I discovered that it was 4 in the morning! ha! I have not stayed out that long, I don't think ever. This morning, we woke up, and we were planning on going to the beach, but it was cloudy and it is supposed to rain later today. I took the train and metro home and I am about to eat some lunch! I would say it was a great first night out in Rome! I am looking forward to more :)

Ciao!

xoxo Katie

The past few days!

Hello everyone :) I have been busy my first week! I have been going to school and observing all classrooms...it'sgood, but I am now ready to be with my students and start getting to know them better!

On Wednesday after school, Jo and I went to TIM, which is a phone company in Italy. My problem was that I couldn't get in touch with the teachers from my schoo except through email. The solution was to buy an Italian SIM card which I did thanks to Jo! She also gave me a new phone to use since the SIM card didn't fit in my phone. After we did that, we went and had drinks. In Italy, they eat around 8:30/9 pm, but they often go have drinks and/or tea. When you have a drink between around 6-8, they add 2 euros onto it, and you get little snackies. I grabbed  a sandwhich that looked good, but then realized it had tuna in it. I think it is a good idea though, because I do get hungry!

Today, I went to the main school site calle La Storta. Here they have an elementary school, as well as a "senior school", so they have 3 year olds up to high school. It was much, much bigger than Nomentana, and it was in the country, so they had a lot of room. I went with Year 4 kids- 3rd grade- for a field trip. It was really cute because the students didn't know about it, and it was set up like a WWII evacuation. The kids are learning about WWII at the moment. When they got to school, their classroom was marked "dangeous" and they had to be evacuated. They got on the bus, and didn't know where they were being taken! I was going to just ride on the bus with them, but they did not put the order in on time, so they got 2 vans, but Claire the year 4 teacher and I didn't fit! I was able to catch the metro and train to get there, and I didn't get lost which I am proud of :) The day was really fun doing WWII activities, but we were in a sports dome, and it was so stuffy and hot in there! I was sweating...also I felt as though I was starting all over again meeting everyone and feeling helpless! haha Overall though, I am glad I went so I could see the other school.

After school, Noreen and I went out for my first pizza. I am sorry to say that I was a bit dissappointed! The crust here is very thin, and there is not a lot of cheese.....so much different than the American pizza I know and love!

This weekend Jo, Noreen, Claire, her boyfriend Marco, others, and I are planning on going to the beach. There are many beaches, and it usually takes about one hour to get to one. I am also excited for the weekend after that because I will be spending it with two American girls. They are both from Boston and are teaching in Bologna. I got in touch with them through EAST, the program I am doing. Hopefully it will be a good time!

That's about all for now! Miss you all- or mi manchi in Italian....I have been trying to learn little phrases!

Ciao!

xoxo Katie

My first assignment for EAST....

Hi everyone! I just fiished my first assignment for Educators Abroad Student Teaching or EAST. I have to do one of these papers about every other week, which is a little annoying because I also have papers and a portfolio due in Eau Claire. Nevertheless, I thought I would post it here to keep track of it!

Katie Steege

EAST

April 18, 2013

First Impressions

                I arrived in Rome a few days before my placement started. I thought that this would help me and allow me to get familiar with the area, but looking back, I think being here a few days without having a schedule and I place to be was a little scary! Moving for three months to not only a new home, but also a whole new country where you have never been before is terrifying! I can say though, on Monday when I met my students, and socialized and got to know the other teachers, everything became ten times better. On Tuesday I was with the four year old students and it was so comforting when they came and just sat on my lap while I read a story. To them, I was just another person in the room; it didn’t matter what I looked like, or what language I spoke, or if I embarrassed myself. Working with these students made me feel at home in a way, and definitely more normal.

                My first day was overwhelming, as any first day would be. You are getting to know the other teachers, your students, your cooperating teacher, and the school practices. I have been in this situation before, so I know that it gets better over time, but adding on to that a new culture that the school runs on, as well as the Italian culture it gets to be a lot. I think I handled it well and I am so thankful to my host mother. She also works at the school and she has not only been able to help me around in Rome, but also with my questions about the school. She has been a great resource to me and I am very thankful to her! I came to Italy not knowing anyone; she was the first one I met, and we already have a special bond and relationship.

                There are many classroom practices that are very different from the United States, so I am a little nervous about teaching lessons. There are words that teachers have used that I don’t know, and the students are used to their regular routine in their classroom. I believe that by getting to know my cooperating teacher and the students, I can ease my way into the classroom and become a part of their community. One of the days in this first week, the head master was giving a tour, and I was outside helping a teacher with younger students. In the United States, I would be unimportant and the principal probably wouldn’t even have known my name. Instead, Michael, the headmaster, stopped with the parents, introduced me and told them they were lucky to have me all the way from the United States. Michael even asked me if I would like to help run a club after school. In this way, I feel very included in the school community already.

                I have learned about discipline practices, testing, curriculum and other classroom management just in my first week. I know I will learn even more spending time here at Nomentana. I like the fact that they have pre-school in their school. It gives the students many years to become part of the community. Unfortunately, a problem I see at the school is that many of the students move and leave school in the middle of the year based on their parents and what jobs they hold. I would imagine that this would be hard for the students because they need to learn a whole new routine once they move! I could tell in the first days I was there which students had just moved to Rome. I do believe, though, that Nomentana does everything to make themselves welcoming to these types of students.

                What is also unique about my school is that it is part of two other schools that call themselves St. George’s British International School. Nomentana is the inter-city school, while La Storta is more on the outskirts of Rome. I got the sense that Nomentana is often forgotten about and the school functions more on its own. Important decisions and such are made for all three schools, but most teachers do not collaborate with teachers at the La Storta site. I was looking at “The Georgian” which is like a yearbook for St. George’s from last year and found that Nomentana only got about 5 pages out of the 30 or so that the book was made up of.

                Overall, my first week has gone smoothly and I have already been learning a lot. I thank all of the teachers that have welcomed me and look forward to what is to come.



First day of school...first day of school!

So, the finding nemo quote is in my head! haha Nemo was very excited to go to school, and so was I! Today was my first day at Nomentana, and it was a good one! The day went by very fast. Where I am staying is only a 10 minute walk from the school, so that is great! I walked this morning with my host mother, because she is a teacher at the school, and I finally got to meet my cooperating teacher, Jo! She is very nice and also very young. She is tiny, likes to run marathons, and loves to go tanning in the sun on the beach!

She got me acquanted and showed me around the school. The building the school is in was not meant for a school, so many classrooms are very small. It seems to have worked out all right though. There are only 10 children in my class! I kept looking for more of them to come :) The morning went quickly, but I already noticed some differences. When writing the topic for the journals they wrote "Walt" which must mean topic or subject. I am not sure! They also always say the phrase, "let's have a go at it" or "off you go." It will take some getting used to. I am sure there will be plenty of times where I say something that all of them will be like "hmmm" Ha!

All the kids are very cute and they all have accents. They are from all over, really. I as expecting most of them to be Britsh, but that does not seem to be the case. In my class I have kids from Spain, Italy, Sweeden, Holland, Britain, the U.S. and Ireland. They have a lot of energy, but seem well-behaved. Over the break, some of them did not speak any English at all, so we could tell it was harder for them to get back into the groove of things.

What I have noticed here is that everyone is always drinking tea or coffee. Like this was what it was like today: I got up for breakfast and Noreen asked if I wanted coffee or tea. I said no, because I just had coffee after dinner last night! Then we walked 10 min to school and Jo was like "Do you want coffee or tea?" and I said no thank you. Then, they have a break at 10:20 AM for twenty minutes so they can go have tea or coffee. At least three other people in the staff room asked me if I wanted some. Then we had lunch only an hour and a half later, and after lunch guess what? You got it. "Do you want tea or coffee?" Then, I got home after school about 4:30 and Noreen asked if I wanted tea or coffee. What is it with these people!? And like I said, I also have had it after dinner. Good lord!

Today I watched a literacy lesson and a beginner's Italian lesson. I told the Italian teacher that I needed to be a student in her class. She is going to look for worksheets for me so that I can practice! They were learning about clothes today. There were two children from the U.S. and they seemed to struggle the most! It figures; the Europeans, that never learned Italian, were better off because they had at least some background with other languages.

In the afternoon, we had a break for lunch. They get an hour and 15 minutes for lunch, which is long! I am used to eating in about 25 minutes! Also, it is very nice because all of the teachers get free lunch, so that will save me some money! Today there was pesto pasta, salad, and broccli.

In the afternoon, I did a "getting to know you activity" which the kids liked. I had them do their "quality world." In the circle, or their world, they drew things that they like, and outside of the circle they drew things that they did not like. I got to know more about them and I am going to hang them up in the classroom. I also did one for myself and they were very interested in looking at it. They are also getting very confused when I say football, because in their head, that is soccer! At the end of the day, they had 5 minutes and they actually played a familiar game- heads up, 7 up! However, they call it heads up, thumbs up.

On Mondays, there are staff meetings, so the head master introduced me to everyone. I had met most of the teachers already though throughout the day. The school staff is small- only about one or two teachers per grade level.

All in all it was a good, but overwhelming day. It will get better and I will get to know the rules and ways of doing things!

Thanks for reading :)

Ciao for now.

xoxo Katie