Blog Week 8

My lessons last week were quite mixed as not all classes are doing the same activity in the same week for one reason or another. With many classes I ran the Didgeridoo craft lesson while with others we completed the Marmite tasting session or the plasticine activity. I especially enjoyed the plasticine classes where the kids brought in plasticine in different colours so they could create eye-catching monsters from my instructions. Additionally, Beata and I continued to practice the 'Happy Little Vegemite' song with our Grade 3s and they're getting very good! The lyrics are becoming clearer each time they sing it and their improvised dance moves to the instrumental break haven't failed to entertain me yet. It's so satisfying to see the kids enjoying themselves during lessons - learning should be fun!

This weekend was the second in a row that I stayed in Warsaw. To be honest, it was quite a quiet few days. My friends and I continued testing out Warsaw's restaurants and bars (though we're yet to venture from the Old Town or the city centre!) and I spent some time exploring my local area. As the weather has been so nice I've taken to getting outside more and wandering around a bit, making the most of the sunshine.

Blog Week 7

Last week was quite a quiet week. To begin with, I ran the Jeopardy lessons with most of the classes on Monday and Tuesday (I think this has been my favourite activity so far, with many of the kids becoming incredibly competitive!). With the Grade 3's, however, I had much delight in introducing , and together with Beata, teaching them the 'Happy Little Vegemite' song. This is the jingle from a famous, old Australian advert for Vegemite (which is much like the English Marmite). It took the kids a while but eventually they picked up the lyrics and the tune and I cannot wait to film them performing it next week! Thursday saw my classes either creating Didgeridoos (Indigenous Australian instruments) or doing a describing activity with plasticine where they had to make monsters that either I or a peer described. For both activities the kids' creativity was evident and their interpretations of Aboriginal art and imaginary monsters was very entertaining. 

I stayed in Warsaw over the weekend in an attempt to save money, but all the other volunteers from around Poland came here so we still had a great time. On Thursday night, we visited a vegan burger shop not far from Centrum and it was amazing! I loved it so much I'm planning on going back this weekend, and maybe every weekend after that... 

Thought the weather over the weekend wasn't fantastic, the start of last week and now the start of this week have been been beautiful. I've been missing the sunshine for weeks and now Spring is here (hopefully to stay) I feel so positive and even slightly less homesick!

Jessica:)

Week 6

Last week was so busy it's amazing to think it was only 7 days! For my Monday and Tuesday classes we ran the interview activity I've done with other groups previously. Many students produced lovely portraits of me and summaries of my life, a couple even attempted to draw my brother (though in stick figure form). On Thursday I ran 'ordering food' lessons during which the kids ordered and tasted the infamous English Marmite and Bovril (less well known). The general, revolted response was not entirely unexpected - I think we only had five students all day who enjoyed one or the other spread and came back for more!

My wonderful friends in Warsaw all came out for dinner for my birthday on Thursday then on Friday I left for England to spend the weekend with my family. It was brilliant to see them, though of course my Mum and Dad are still in Australia so it was not quite the whole family. Surprisingly, the sun even came out on Saturday and I spent a wonderful few hours in a t-shirt and a skirt. Who would think of going to England to get some sunshine!

Jessica:)

Week 5

This week found most classes putting together puzzles of cultural icons of Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia and matching the picture to its label. I had a very amusing time watching the confused faces when the students were confronted with words like 'bogan' and 'poutine', and even more fun when they matched things like 'redneck' to a picture of a wombat or 'pavlova' to Mount Rushmore. 

Over the weekend I visited Wroclaw with all but one of the volunteers currently in Poland (so there were 20 of us) and we all had a brilliant time taking over the hostel and catching up on the last three weeks. Wroclaw has a beautiful Old Town, similar to Krakow, but of course it has many little gnome statues dotted around so, in my opinion, that gives it one up on the former capital!

Jessica:)