Week Seventeen: Professional

As my final week in Oxford arrived, so did final exams and many goodbyes.  As i sit writing this at the beach in Alabama I think back to the past months and how quickly they have went by and how amazing my time has been.

The last week of term saw the entire student population of Ole Miss study hard as finals where all that we had left to get through before our summer would begin.  Alot of students had 6 or more finals but luckily for myself and Sarah we only had two during finals week, and one we had taken the week before.  The final we took early was simply 30 multiple choice questions which was fairly straight forward.  Another one was a multiple choice paper made up of questions from old multiple choice tests we had taken earlier in the semester.  Thankfully we had been given our old papers to study off so the questions where oddly familiar!

Our third final was an online multiple choice test which I was able to take from the comfort of my own home, yet this still turned out to be the most difficult test, with strangely worded questions and some questions that you thought there could have been more than one answer too!  However all three tests where relatively problem free, and I was extremely happy come 5 o’clock Tuesday when all my finals where complete.

The rest of the week was spent relaxing by the pool and spending time with friends before we all had to go our separate ways.  I also had to start packing up my room into two suitcases, which was incredibly difficult!  Leaving my room in University Trials was really odd, as this had become my home for the past four months and a lot of good memories surround this campus.

The goodbyes started on Friday morning as Sarah left with her boyfriend Darren to return to Northern Ireland.  Even though I knew I would see her sooner than the rest of my friends I had to leave I was still slightly teary eyed.

The rest of my friends left at various stages over the weekend to start their travelling, or too return to their home countries or towns.  I knew this weekend was never going to be easy but it really is horrible having to say goodbye to people who have been part of your life for so long!  Some of them I may never see again, and some I know I will, but its safe to say that I have definitely made some life long friends during my time at Oxford

I am currently at my friend Ava’s beach house in Alabama where I will stay for a while before I do a bit more travelling and the take the long journey back home.  It will be lovely to see my family and friends again however I am truly gutted that my time here has ended to quickly ad I wound advise EVERYONE to experience study abroad at some stage in their lives.  You learn so much, meet so many amazing people and have some incredibly memorable experiences.

Week Sixteen: Cultural

One of my close american friends, Steph, is from Fort Worth, Texas, and this weekend she was kind enough to invite us to stay with her.  I had such an idea in my head of what Texas would be like.  Hot of course, but also full of cowboys, ranch's, and cactus.  Thankfully Texas totally lived up to my expectations!


On Friday evening when we arrive Steph took us to Cowboy which was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! I was totally blown away by this street in the middle of a city which was full of cowboys and bikers, horses and bulls!  The road was cobbled and their where cowboy shops and saloons the whole way along it! I was totally awe struck to see a place like this actually existed, and wasn't just a far fetched idea!  We spend Friday evening walking around the shops and looking around the worlds largest Honky Tonk, where there was plenty of country music and line dancing!  This was definitely a night I would not forget!

The next day we drove around the modern day downtown of Fort Worth, where we got to do some shopping, and visit the beautiful Water Gardens in the middle of the city!  On a scorning hot day is was bliss to sit under the trees in the water gardens beside the beautiful water features.  It truly was an amazing site to see.


We also went to visit Fort Worth's beautiful Botanic Gardens, where we saw the usual rose gardens and beautiful trees and lakes, along with the very unusual cactus garden! Saturday was a wonderful relaxing day as we got to see some of the nature and man made sites of Fort Worth.


As always I was also very excited to try Texan food, and was pleasantly surprised when I tried Texan BBQ beef for the first time, as normally I'm not that fond of beef.  However this food was gorgeous, and was made even nicer by the old Texan restaurant we where eating in.





On Sunday we drove into Dallas and went for a walk around the city, I also got to see the spot where President JFK was shot, and the building where his assassin stood, which was really rather chilling.


As the weekend came to an end and we started the nine hour drive back to Oxford, and finals, I realised that I had eventually found the place that I want to move to, Fort Worth, Texas.

Week Fifteen: Cultural

Every year in Oxford the 'Double Decker' Arts Festival takes place.  This is an opportunity for local artists and musicians to showcase their talents, and for local restaurants to make a lot of money!


As the weekend approached the people of Oxford made preparations for Double Decker, and on Friday and Saturday the square was blocked off from traffic as the festival took place, and floods of students and their families flooded in to witness or participate in the event.

On Friday night local bands played on a large stage in the centre of the square, followed by 'Iron and Wine' who were headlining this years event.  There was such a good atmosphere in the square of Friday night as so many people pilled into the square to see the bands.  However the atmosphere was even better on Saturday when all the stalls and food carts arrived!


The entire square was covered in stalls selling paintings, sculptures, clothes, quilts, jewellery and almost anything creative imaginable.  I really loved seeing so much local art work, and it was a fantastic opportunity for local artists to advertise, and for mothers who made crafts on the side to make some money.  Almost every restaurant in Oxford also had a food cart and I tried my first ever Snow Cone! 


On Sunday I went to Memphis to visit my Aunt and Uncle as they had came over for a holiday, and they took me to Graceland.  A place I had been desperate to go to since I found out I was going to Ole Miss.  I was able to tour Elvis' house, his trophy room, his cars, his private jet (called the Lisa Marie) and visit many more Elvis exhibits.  I was absolutely astounded as I was the place where he lived, and sadly his grave, which was covered in flowers.  It was also incredible to see what fellow Musicians had said about him, from Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake, to Bon Jovi, Trisha Yearwood and Joan Jett.  He was truly respected by Musicians from all era's and genres and he truly did change the future of Music, and especially the future of Music in Memphis.

Graceland was definitely a wonderful cultural experience as Elvis was such a big part of American history, and of the history of the South.  Music is such an important part of Southern Culture, as you can see by the Music filled weekend I had.  This weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to experience what music and art means to the people of the south and their culture.

Week Fourteen: Personal

Each year in the Grove at Ole Miss they host a free concert, and this year the artists where to be Craig Morgan and Gavin DeGraw.  This caused a lot of excitement all week as the free concert was normally one of the best events of the spring semester.  So as classes and work continued during the week, everyone was rushing to get everything complete so they could enjoy the upcoming weekend.

When Friday finally arrived the grove was full of life as the stage was sat up and eager fans lay on the grass in the sun, determined to be right beside the stage.  However, unfortunately at 8 o'clock, half an hour before the concert was due to start it started to rain, or rather the heavens opened!  Yet as they say the show must go on! About 400 crazy students, including myself put on our coats and boots and set of to the grove to see the concert, which turned out to be an extremely good night despite ending up absolutely drenched!  


I had never heard of Craig Morgan before but he turned out to be a very talented country singer who I really enjoyed seeing.  But the highlight of the night was definitely getting to see Gavin DeGraw live, who I have loved since he first wrote the theme song for One Tree Hill.  Halfway through his performance however, the rain got so heavy that the power cut out and Gavin was ushered off stage.  Yet he did not let this stop him putting on a show, and sure enough he came back on just so he could sing some of his biggest hits which he knew his fans wanted to hear.  It really was a brilliant night, and I definitely think Stran should look into having their own free concert!


This weekend I also went to A- Jax for food, which is famous for its southern for.  Although I had tried southern food before I was told numerous times that I HAD to go to A- Jax, and I must agree the food was amazing! I tried fried pickles, meatloaf, southern fried steak and many other famous southern dishes, all of which tasted absolutely amazing!  I would definitely recommend A- Jax to anyone wanting a true southern experience.




In conclusion I had a really lovely week at Ole Miss, its nice to know that despite all the work that myself and my peers have to complete that we still have time to enjoy what Ole Miss has to offer, and to experience the Southern way of life!   

Week Thirteen: Professional

After the Easter weekend I realised I only had a month left in Oxford and a lot of work and tests to complete before I left. The next few weeks are going to be the busiest yet, with finals, essays, and unit plans.


As I arrived back in Oxford on Monday night, extremely tired after the madness of easter, and with a lot of unpacking and washing to do, I had to start straight into revision for an online test on assessment.  Although an online test may seem easier, they are actually quite difficult, as the questions are often worded in a confusing way, so that sometimes it seems like there is more than one answer.  However I have become accustomed to them over my weeks at Ole Miss, and the more you do the better results you tend to get.


This week I have also had to start working on my Notebook for my Introduction to Special Needs class.  I am lucky to have had some experience already in this field which makes the work for the class easier.  However for this class we are required to put together a notebook of the 13 categories of special needs recognised by IDEA, 2004, an American law passed to protect the rights and needs of many individuals with special needs.  These include: Autism, Deaf- Blind, Developmentally delayed, Emotional disability, hearing impairment, language or speech impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopaedic impairment, other health impairment (including ADHD), specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury and visually impaired.


For this Notebook we had to put together class notes on each of the areas and come up with two additional strategies for each area.  We then had to organise it so that it is the correct order and place it in a binder.  The idea is that we will always have this folder with us.  As we get older and gain more experience with children with different needs, we will have strategies and knowledge of how to deal with them, and we will be able to add to the folder as we gain experience.


This notebook has been incredibly time consuming yet worthwhile as we will always have it to refer to whenever we need to.  This class had been extremely educational and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Although I had a basic knowledge of children with SEN, I now feel that I know a lot more about how to teach and provide for these children.

Week Twelve: Cultural

As the Easter weekend approached, I spent my days studying for tests, and trying to get as much work as possible done so that I could go away for the weekend with Ava and Sarah.  Thankfully all this work provided as a necessary distraction at this difficult time.

I was really excited when the end of class on thursday arrived, as this meant we would leave for Ava's beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where I would spend my first ever american easter.  We arrived late that night and went straight to bed.  On Good Friday we walked around some of the tourist areas of Gulf Shores, including a few souvenir shops, and the famous Lambert's Cafe, where the waiters throw hot bread roles at you while you are eating, and play practical jokes on you to keep you entertained!  In the end we where given that many rolls, and other free side dishes, that we took away about 5 to-go boxes!

The majority of the weekend was spent relaxing by the beach which was something we all needed, after a busy few weeks.  However on Sunday morning we caught the ferry from Gulf Shore across the bay to the city of Mobile where Ava is from.  We then made our way to her Aunt Michelle's house for our first traditional American Easter.

I was extremely excited about spending Easter Sunday with Ava's family, as Americans make a far bigger deal out of Easter than we do.  At home I'll get given a few easter eggs from close family, however here the children believe in the Easter Bunny the way they believe in Santa Claus, which I personally believe is a lovely idea.  The children wake up on Easter Sunday to find an Easter basket that has been left by the Bunny, and lots of little eggs hidden in their gardens for them to find as well!  I loved the idea of being a child for a day and participating in these wonderful traditional events, and was extremely grateful for the opportunity to do so.

When we arrived in Mobile, Ava's Mum had made baskets for me and Sarah as well as her own three children, which contained an teddy rabbit, flip-flops, jewellery, and lots of chocolate! We then had a beautiful easter lunch of honey roasted ham, homemade bread rolls, potato salad, green bean casserole, cupcakes and Key-Lime Pie (a typical dessert for this part of the country).  After we had eaten as much as we possibly could, we where allowed out into the garden, where the adults had hidden over 150 eggs for us to find!  It was definitely one of the most exciting afternoons as we all raced around like children, trying to find as many eggs as possible, and if we where lucky we might even find the golden egg!

This weekend I was truly spoilt by Ava's family, and it has made me really appreciate the wonderful friends I have made and how well I am looked after.  It was also a wonderful cultural experience to celebrate easter with an american family.  However unfortunately Good Friday is the only holiday the Americans get at easter, so it was back to Oxford for class on Monday.

Week Eleven: Personal

Everyday this week has been about 30 degrees, meaning that almost everyone brought their assignments and revision to the swimming pool to complete, yet with the heat it was hard to concentrate on much.  The days are slowly getting longer and considerably hotter, and there is much more to do around Oxford, including lovely walks during the warm evenings through the forest and trails that surround where we live.  The semester seems to be flying by before I'm even aware of it, and days are being spent trying to both study and fit in as much other things as we possibly can, as we have all just realised how little time we have left!


On Friday one of my close American friends Ava hosted a dinner party, where she prepared a number of Southern dishes, my favourite being her own recipe for buffalo chicken mac and cheese!  The food out here is something that I absolutely adore, so I was delighted at the opportunity to experience some home cooking from a native southerner.  This was also a brilliant opportunity to spend time with numerous international students and American students, who we have become friends with over the past few months.


Being away from home for such a long time was never going to be easy, yet the idea of leaving our new home and returning to the UK is equally frightening.  Personally I have hardly been homesick at all, with too many new experiences to preoccupy myself with, however when I woke on Sunday morning I got the news that my granny had passed away.  This was probably one of the most difficult things I have had to hear, made worse by the fact that I am miles away from home.  I have no doubt that the next few days are going to be extremely difficult, yet at a time like this I am comforted by the amazing friends I have made while I have been studying here.  With the absence of my real family, my new friends are truly like my family over here, and they are doing their best to look after me during this difficult time.


The week ahead brings yet another 3 tests, and much more work to be doing, which hopefully will be a welcome distraction during this time.  There is no doubt that being away from home was always going to be hard at times, and I'm sure all students studying abroad will agree with me that there are parts of home we miss, yet with only a few weeks left, we truly have to continue to make the most of our time here.

Week Ten: Cultural

After a week spent on the beach, it took a few days to get back into life at Ole Miss and especially to get back into the extreme onset of work which seems to be increasing by the day.  With the beautiful weather it's hard to concentrate on the amount of work we have to do, but needless to say I managed to get it completed anyway.


This week saw my last two days at Willie Price.  As I said goodbye on Thursday I realised that it was a lot more anticlimactic than the end of teaching practice at home is. This week as my peer's at Stranmillis finish their teaching practice they will be showered with cards, and small gifts and kind words, as the teacher and children have come to know and respect them over the past few weeks.  However here at Willie Price my role in their classroom was so small, that a simply goodbye is all that is said as myself and Sarah leave Willie Price for the last time.  It does make me slightly sad to think I'll never get to see the children again, although hopefully if I have spare time I will be able to go back before I leave.


This Saturday was probably my favourite day since I arrived in Oxford.  It was a beautiful day with the sun shining high in the sky and a slight breeze as we made the hour and a half journey to West Point, Mississippi, to visit the infamous Waverly Plantation.


The Plantation was built in 1852 by Colonel George Hampton Young and his wife Lucy, and was home to there family until 1913, when there last surviving son passed away.  The house was then left alone for 50 years to endure the harsh weather conditions, and the vandals, until in 1962 it was bought by Mr and Mrs Robert Snow, who restored it to its original beauty.

Today the Plantation stands on 50 acres of land, much less than the initial 5000, and has been almost perfectly restored, with the exception of the pool and bathing houses.  When we arrived I was stunned by the size and beauty of the house and its gardens.  We were warmly greeted by the Daughter of Mrs Snow, who now lives and looks after the house.  She gave us a wonderful and very informative tour of the house, describing the life, and parties of the Young family, and the people who have since came to visit the house.


We then had the opportunity to walk around the grounds by ourselves, and see where the old ice house was, and view an old Magnolia tree which is said to be over 200 years old, making it the oldest and biggest in the state.

I have always had a passion for history, so the opportunity to visit this wonderful plantation, and learn all about the history and culture of these people was unbelievable. 

Week Nine: Personal

Entering Panama

On Saturday 10th march I set off with some of my new friends for my first ever spring break experience!  As we loaded the Jeep on a beautiful spring morning my excitement increased at the thought of a week on a beach in Florida.  However I had the 8 hour drive to conquer first!  I have never been a good traveller, and realistically there is no where at home that I ever go that is more than a 2 hour drive, so the idea of 8 hours stuck in a car was not at all appealing.  Thankfully the car journey flew by with various food stops, and at 7 that night we drove into Panama City, where we would spend our spring break.


Our hotel was right on the beach, with a beautiful view of the sea.  Initially on Sunday it was a bit cloudy but warm, however Monday to Friday were warm sunny days, which we spent lazing on the beach and swimming in the sea.  It was so relaxing to be able to spend the days lying in the sun and playing beach volleyball, or swimming in the sea and collecting shells.  It was a perfect way to spend the week after the hectic few weeks which have just passed.  We also ate out at numerous local restaurants, and I experienced various forms of fish which seems to be the local food source in Florida, from crab, catfish to calamari and shrimp.

View from the hotel

One of the highlights of the week was the free concert on the beach by one of my favourite country singers, Luke Bryan.  I have always loved country music since I was a child and in America my love has tripled as country music is everywhere!  On Tuesday I headed down to a restaurant by the beach where I queued along with thousands of other college students to see Luke Bryan.  Finally after about an hour we got out onto the deck where he was playing, and I spent two hours standing in the sun on a beach in Florida listening to one of my favourite singers play.  It probably was one of the best afternoons of the trip and I am definitely going to try and see him again before I leave!

Unfortunately St Patricks day fell on the Saturday we were due to drive home from Florida, so I didn't really get to celebrate it.  However everywhere I looked American's were wearing green T-shirts and hats and making more of a fuss about the holiday than we do at home!  On the way home we stopped at Burger King, where we were given green ketchup and green drinks, I was half expecting my chips to end up being green.


Despite an amazing week away with some amazing people, I found myself slightly homesick for Oxford, and I was extremely glad to finally make it home late Saturday night, despite the large amount of washing, revising and work which lay ahead of me!  Although this does make me wonder how homesick for Oxford I will be when I finally leave, as a week away caused me to miss it!

Week Eight: Cultural

The week before spring break definitely was an incredibly busy one.  With the days getting longer and warmer campus took on a new life with people lazing in the sun, or frantically trying to revise for their mid terms.  It seemed as everyone was truly ready for the week break which begins for me tomorrow.


On Monday I had to give my first American presentation on a Behavioural Theorist, Spencer Kagan.  I was in a group of four and we had to talk about his behavioural strategies for 30mins.  Although I found this initially nerve wreaking, it actually went really well, and I felt that I learned a lot by watching and participating in the presentations.  The rest of the week consisted of more work for classes, and assignments which were due.


Even during my observation this week I noticed a slightly more relaxed atmosphere.  On thursday the children were hyper, running around singing or bursting into tears for no apparent reason.  I am constantly learning every minute I spend with the kids.  Its a great experience getting to work with children so young and from a completely different culture.  As Willie Price is on the University campus the children tend to be from well off family's and I found it quite amusing to hear them talk about flying halfway across the county to their holiday home for the week, or going to stay at their beach house.  For such young children they really are extremely bright!

A Professional photo of Rowan Oak

This week I experienced even more of the wonderful american culture, with a trip to a southern restaurant on the square.  It really is so strange eating so much fried food! The Americans fry literally everything from chicken to pickles and tomatoes!  Also their love of catfish and grits is something I can't quite get used to!  We also visited the house of famous author and nobel prize winner, William Faulkner.  Faulkner grew up in a beautiful southern house in Oxford, which is now open to the general public.  Rowan Oak (Faulkner's house) was built in 1844 and is situated on over 29 acres of land. He is such an influential character within southern literature, and a big claim to fame for such a small town like Oxford.  I have also had a real interest in both history and reading so visiting his house was a lovely experience.


Walking around the square on a sunny March afternoon is a lovely experience, as the grass is getting greener, the leaves and flowers are growing back, and everyone seems happier.  Sometimes I forget that I'm in a different country.  I feel lucky that along with the stress of the last week before spring break, I was still able to experience a lot more of the culture of Oxford and it's local community.

Week Seven: Professional

As part of my observation in Willie Price I have to write a three day lesson plan and teach one lesson.  As myself and Sarah are in the same class we decided to co teach for our one lesson.  This was more convenient because there is only one hour a day where the class teacher actually gets to teach so we had to make full use of this hour.  It also meant we both gained a new experience, and were able to learn from each other.

As we started to learn about lesson planning in one of our classes, it became apparent to us how much we knew about teaching in comparison to third year students at Ole Miss.  Here the student teachers don’t actually go to a school until their third year and they only teach one lesson that year. I found this extremely odd, especially in comparison to home, where we are made to teach for four weeks in first year.  Therefore having to plan and teach one lesson was something myself and sarah actually looked forward too, as we had a lot more experience than the rest of our class.

We decided to teach our lesson this week as the topic for the week was transportation, which was something we both felt we could plan good activities for.  On thursday we taught our lesson on cars, which the children appeared to thoroughly enjoy, and get a lot out of.  The main challenge for myself and Sarah was not actually the co teaching. We managed to structure our lesson very well, with one of us teaching the opening and one the closing.  We then shared the main content and activities.  However our main challenge was in fact planning activities to suit the age group.  The children in our class are all either three or four years old, which made them younger than any children we had previously taught.  The children couldn’t actually read or write, yet they were extremely intelligent.  They knew their alphabet, number, colours etc, so we had to come up with a way for them to learn without actually having to do any formal writing.

We used the idea of centres to help the children learn.  At one centre they practiced their letter C, at one they sorted their toy cars into various categories, at another they made their own car picture out of paint, and at the last centre they made car noises which they had heard in the book we read them.  All four centres worked extremely well, with the children practicing various skills.  Myself and Sarah were extremely pleased with the outcome of the lesson.

Despite the increasing amount of uni work, I am still loving life here in Oxford.  As the weather warms up there is so much more to see and do, with Baseball season starting and spring break just around the corner.  As I sit out in the sun writing this I still find it hard to believe that I’m in Mississippi, and I’m beginning to wonder will it ever sink in!

Week Six: Professional

For one of my classes (Teaching Children with Severe Disabilities) we were asked to attend North Mississippi Regional Centre for ten hours.  NMRC is a centre set up to serve people of all ages who have severe disabilities within the north of Mississippi.  My class attended this centre on two fridays, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to experience a place like this. 

 NMRC has over 200 clients at any one time and over 1000 staff.  They are entirely self sufficient with a number of cottages divided depending on gender, age and disability where the clients are well looked after, and in some cases are completely reliant on the staff in their cottage.  The cottages also have life skills classes where clients can learn basic skills, such as grooming and getting themselves dressed.  

More able clients can then attend Stovall an on campus school where they learn everything from numbers and letters to developing basic fine motor skills. I spent a few hours in a class of nine, where each client was doing a different activity according to their needs.  In these classes there where clients as old as forty who just weren’t ready to leave school yet.  Stovall is broken down into various classes depending to ability, and once the client reaches the transition class they are able to leave school and attend Hopkins.

Hopkins is a centre on campus where the clients go to work and earn money.  Local companies pay them to put together, take apart or sort various materials, and there is a recycling plant where they can get paid for simply shredding and recycling paper.  Although these may seem like simple tedious tasks to you and I, in reality they give the clients something to do and a way to earn money themselves.

There is also a centre for senior citizens, where they can decide to go to and relax if they feel that they are not up to working on a particular day.  On campus their is also a doctors, pharmacy, gym, hairdressers, canteen, park and basically everything that the clients could need.  They have a good amount of freedom and are able to come and go over campus as they please, and sometimes they get taken on trips to the Mall or cinema etc.

Over my two fridays there I met many amazing people.  Teachers, nurses and staff who care for the clients so well, and give them the best quality of life possible.  I also met clients with disabilities ranging from being physically disabled, to blind to severely autistic.  I think it is a wonderful thing that these people do and it is a brilliant idea to have somewhere that people of all ages can go to for a short 90 day stay to give their families a break, or to live more permanently.  I honestly never realised places like this existed or could be so effective.

This has definitely been a highlight of my week as I have been able to experience a place where so many people work so efficiently together.  Not only has this helped me develop professionally, it has also helped me develop personally, and realise exactly how many people there are in the world who need our help and support.

Week Five: Professional

As the rest of my year start their six week block of placement, I start my 30hours observation.  This may seem minor in comparison to the workload I’m used to, however after only six hours in an American Kindergarten I already find myself learning so much.

For my observation I attend a school called “Willy Price”, every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-11.  I am in the "Bear" classroom, which consists of 18 three to four year olds.  Both myself and Sarah are observing in the same classroom, which was one of the first major differences between here and home.  It’s really strange having Sarah with me, and I think it’ll be even stranger when I have to teach the children.  However I also believe that this will be very beneficial for the both of us, as we will get the opportunity to learn from each other, and observe each others teaching skills.

Another main difference is how relaxed the schools over here are.  The children call myself and Sarah, Miss Kelly and Miss Sarah, and the general teacher is also addressed the same.  I believe this is a good idea as the teachers don’t seem so scary to the children as they would do if they called them by their surnames.  The children still have respect for us, however they are more friendly and open with us.  It is also really relaxing in the sense that the children are always coming up to us and hugging us and sitting on our laps.  Initially I found this so strange, because at home you have to be so careful about touching children, or you could end up with a law suit on your hands, yet over here the children get carried about and I would find two or three children trying to sit on my lap at the same time, and nothing is said about it.  It’s completely normal.

On my first day of class, (Tuesday 14th February) the children had a valentines day party.  In America Valentine’s day is so over commercialised, and it’s a holiday for everyone, not just couples.  The children had a party in class, and all their parents came in with food, and drinks and craft activities.  Also each child brought in a “happy” or valentines day gift for each child in the class, so every child was leaving with 18 gifts.  I found it lovely that the parents are so involved over here.  They are always coming in and out of school to help out, and bringing in stuff for the children to eat or play with.

Overall I have noticed so many differences between school at home and school in America, and hopefully as I spend more time at Willy Price, I will learn a lot more.  The children are absolutely adorable, and despite the different accents, they understand us better than some adults do.  They are incredibly confident and outgoing and even though most of them can’t read or write yet they can already speak spanish.  I really think I am going to thoroughly enjoy my time here and experience so many different skills and techniques which I can then bring back home to my own teaching.

Week four: Cultural

By now I have truly settled into life at Ole Miss.  I have managed to create my own routine, get on top of all the work they give us, and have some amazing experiences with amazing friends. 

Week four started off pretty much the same as every other week, with Monday through to Thursday being hectic.  However this weekend I was invited to the home of one of my American friends, Ava.    On Friday we made the five hour journey to Alabama which was long and tiring but entirely worth it, when we reached the city of Mobile, and I realised just how big Alabama was! Nothing like it is in the movie ‘Sweet Home Alabama’!

Outside the Mardi Gras Museum

On Friday night Ava took us into the city centre where we watched our first Mardi Gras parade.  Most people aren’t aware that Mardi Gras actually originated in Mobile Alabama.  It is seen as a time of celebration before lent, starting after epiphany and ending on ‘Fat Tuesday’ the day before lent begins.  During this time people attend Balls, and Parades, they get dressed up, they dance and eat fatty foods, all before they start to fast at lent.  This was a hugh culture shock for me and a wonderful event to see.  We watched all the brilliantly crafted floats, the dancers and the marching bands at the parade, and we got millions of beads, teddies, cups and cakes.  I really enjoyed watching the parade and catching the beads, and I love that I had the opportunity to see Mardi Gras.

The next day we got a chance to look around the beautiful town of Mobile.  We drove to the bay, where I noticed a lot of poles in the water.  It turns out that these were what remained of a number of piers, which had been destroyed in various hurricanes.  I found it hard to believe that a place of such beauty could be destroyed so easily, and that so many people’s lives could be turned upside down.

With all our beads

Unfortunately on Sunday we had to make the five hour drive back to Oxford, and back to a lot of readings and papers for the next week.  I feel so grateful that I’ve had this opportunity to experience another part of the county, another tradition and a lot more southern hospitality.  Everyone we meet treats us with kindness, and together they are all helping to make this trip better than I could have imagined. 

Now I have to settle back into life in Oxford for another while, and concentrate on the tests, and start of observation which are approaching this week. 

Week Three: Cultural

During my few weeks here I have really noticed the culture difference, and just how naive some people are.  This week I was actually complimented on my english about three times, as people thought that Irish was my natural language.  Yet despite the ridiculous questions I am still absolutely loving it here, and I adore the accent! With my new favourite phrase being “Y’all Come Back Now”.

Week two of classes, and already the workload is constantly increasing, with chapters to read and handouts to complete, but I have managed to get myself into a routine, so the work doesn’t seem quite so bad.  One of my classes is on teaching children with severe disabilities, which is extremely interesting.  I feel like I am learning so much new information, and new teaching strategies which I know I will use when I get home.  I was also horrified to learn this week that corporal punishment is still used in schools in America! This completely shocked me, and I was happy to learn that the school I will be observing in is not one of them.

This week also went by in a blur of classes, and new experiences.  Everyday I see something new or meet someone new.  I have met so many nice people, and my new favourite place to eat is YaYa’s, where you can get the most delicious frozen yogurt with every topping imaginable!  The weather has also been a big shock, as it was 21 degrees during the day, which is definitely a lot nicer than being at home where it is probably close to freezing!

However my favourite part of the week was my trip to Memphis shopping centre on Saturday.  The international office had arranged to take us up to Memphis to do some shopping and go to the market.  I don’t think I have ever been so excited to actually get to some proper shops!  Oxford is beautiful but the only shops there are extremely beautiful and extremely overpriced boutiques, so I was like a child at christmas, surrounded by 100’s of shops.  The market was also very interesting as you could literally get any kind of food imaginable.  This was particularly good for some of the Asian students as they could get food from their own countries.

Me and Sarah at the Shopping Mall

This week has been amazing, just like the past two weeks, and I am so unbelievably grateful to have been given this opportunity to study in Ole Miss, and continue to grow professionally and personally.

Week Two: Professional

Outside one of the buildings on campus

This week I saw an entirely different Ole Miss as students from all over appeared for the beginning of classes.  All of a sudden the sleepy town of Oxford came alive with the buzz of university students.  Campus was crowded, and there were plenty of people about to make sure we didn’t get too lost during our first week of classes.  

This week I have only attended three out of the four classes which I will be taking, as the fourth one is yet to be confirmed, yet already I have a ridiculous amount of work to be doing!  The three tutor’s whom I have met so far are incredibly friendly, organised and helpful.  They spent the first class going over our schedule for this semester, pointing out exactly what we would be learning each week, which readings we had to do and when each of our assignments were due.  I found this really helpful, as being in a class in a foreign country can be extremely daunting, whereas I now feel like I know exactly what I should be doing and when.

The content of our classes, seems pretty similar to what we would be learning at home, and I feel pretty confident that both myself and Sarah will be able to cope with the workload. Our week of alternative placement in a Special school back home will also be an asset as we are taking a class on Special Education, and the majority of students in it have had no experience at all.  I believe that Stranmillis has us well prepared for the classes we will take this semester, and that we actually know a lot more about teaching than we give ourselves credit for!

Basketball game

One main difference between here and Stranmillis is that we have to do exactly three hours of each class a week.  In some cases these three hours are split into three one hour classes, but unfortunately for us we have a three hour class from 4-7 instead.  These long late classes shocked me, but were actually a lot more bearable than I thought, as they are very interactive, and we are given the chance to both teach and learn from the American students and other International students.  I really believe that this semester I will learn a lot about teaching and about becoming a better teacher myself.

On a more personal level, I attended my first Basketball game this week, which despite my normal dislike for sports, I actually really enjoyed!  It felt great to become part of the Ole Miss community and join in with the Hotty Toddy cheer as we almost won the game.  Everyday Ole Miss becomes more and more like home, and I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to experience all aspects of American life.

Myself, Sarah and Kathryn at the game

My First Week: Personal/ Cultural

My first week at the University of Mississippi, more commonly known as Ole Miss was an absolute whirlwind! I spent the first few days in a daze of slight homesickness, excitement and amazement!  As expected saying goodbye was never going to be easy, but after a few days Ole Miss already feels like home.  After a long and tiring trip we made it to Memphis where we spent our first night in a hotel.  On Tuesday we were collected by a shuttle bus and brought to University Trails which was to be our new home for the next four months.  It has to be said that in comparison to halls, these rooms were lovely, with double beds and slide wardrobes, and after a trip to Walmart they soon felt like home.

The next few days flew by as we attended orientation talks, completed all the different tasks we had to do, and ran around campus trying to get registered.  Thankfully we were constantly being helped by numerous American students, and staff who were willing to show us around campus or even drive us to places we needed to be.  The term “Southern Hospitality” is unbelievably true, as I have never experienced such kindness from strangers.  It makes me realise how much more we could do at home to help Erasmus and International students settle in, and I will definitely never forget how kind people were to me over here and how they helped me settle in.

As well as making many American friends, the first week has also been full of international bonding activities, and I have met people from all over the world.  I am living with two girls from Norway and a girl from Korea, and I have also became close friends with people from australia and many other countries.  It is amazing how many places and cultures are represented here, and I feel that I will learn a lot from each of my new friends as I study over here.

Lastly, despite being in the supposedly small town of Oxford, I couldn’t help but notice how big everything is!  The University is about 10 times the size of Stranmillis, with a massive building for every subject you could think of, a life size football stadium, and baseball stadium, and even a nursery on Campus.  The student’s Union also contains about 10 different fast food options, so it is guaranteed that I’ll never go hungry!  I was also absolutely amazed the first time I was in Walmart, as it too was massive, and sold just about everything you could think of, and in about five more different flavours than you could get at home.  It seem’s people were right when they said you could get anything you wanted in America, as I decided whether to buy peanut butter cheerios, caramel ones or the regular ones which I know I like!

The first week really has been an experience, and already I’m in love with the gorgeous town of Oxford, the American way of life, and I have made friends who I know I will remain friends with for a long time.  Now all thats left is to start classes next week, which should be interesting.