T.I.A: Interesting Start to Term 4

It has been awhile since I have had to work really hard at Yirara. The kids have come back quite unsettled and it certainly has been a testing time. This does not mean I don't enjoy what I am doing, I have just been taken out of my comfort zone and had to again rely on being well prepared, consistent and really live by the saying "firm, fair and friendly". The quality of relationships I have established with many of the students is still there, I just have to work harder to keep their focus on what I am trying to achieve in my lessons, and to maintain their interest. I won't give up, I have been having some good night sleeps though and been praying a lot more, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I have picked up a Grade 10 English class and had to get my mind back to being inside the classroom. I tried to get out of teaching it by saying "Well, if i have to lose a PE class to teach English, I will teach them Shakespeare!" Everyone thought that was a wonderful idea, so it teaches me it is sometimes better to keep my mouth shut.

Headed out to Titjikala (Maryvale) to pick up three students (came home with one, the other two eventually made it in...they ran away from school this weekend), with Harry from Ossies Outback Tours in his white Toyota Landcruiser. We have had over 10 times more rain this year than last year. The temperatures are still cool, which is good for the comfort of all, but not for my swimming program. I am supposed to be running a Swimming Carnival postponed from Term1..it needs to get hot soon. The wildflowers are amazing and many of the flowers have not been seen round these parts for many years. Great for photographers, terrible for hayfever sufferers like me and Kurtis.

We headed out to Kings Canyon (Watarrka) for a weekend. Kurtis and I completed the 6km Rim walk and the 2.6km Kings Creek walk. We both did our best Man V Wild impersonations and found some refreshing water stops along the way. We sneezed most of the afternoon away.