Teaching the Von Trapps.

So...this morning found me heading, with some trepidation towards a school that I have not been to before. The village schools hereabouts are pretty much similar except that the one today only had 15 children and they were all in the same class. Yes, I was taking the whole school for the day, Prep to Year 6!When they first rang I said 'Yes' before asking which age group they wanted me for. At the time I was just thinking 'Oh good I can get my foot into another school.'So, most of my trepidation was wondering how to deal with the vast age differences but I was also driving there without a clue of what I was doing. I had asked for the planning to be sent the night before so I could prepare myself but was told that it was not possible. No reason was given...and so here I was heading into the unknown with Julie Andrews singing 'I Have Confidence' in my head...What will this day be like?I wonder.What will my future be?I wonder.It could be so exciting,To be out in the world,To be free!My heart should be wildly rejoicing.Oh, what's the matter with me?I've always longed for adventure,To do the things I've never dared.Now here I'm facing adventureThen why am I so scared?A school with fifteen childrenWhat's so fearsome about that?Oh, I must stop these doubts,All these worries.If I don't I just know I'll turn back!I must dream of the things I am seeking.I am seeking the courage I lack.I was greeted by Captain Von Trapp who showed me the pile of planning (so that's why it could not be sent, it would have broken the internet). The Captain told me of Gretl who was on the autistic spectrum and quite loud and screechy and of Marta who had a difficult background and was in care. The Captain was unsure whether they would be there today.I prayed to the teaching angels 'Oh please let them not be here today!' Sadly the teaching angels were busy elsewhere, possibly dealing with Ofsted in the North, to hear my plea and Gretl and Marta turned up.Gretl had no tact filter installed and the first thing she said to me was..."What happened to your hair?!"I told her I had been troubled with wind and that it had been blown off by a terrible gust. She looked alarmed. Frau Eins, one of the two teacher aides, stepped in and said,"But don't worry Gretl, your hair won't blow off."I had a little time to peer at the planning before the day started but when the bell finally rang I still didn't have a clue what most of it meant. It was a goo job I had Frau Eins and Frau Zwei to help me. They took the Preps to Year 2 while I took Year 3 to Year 6 outside for soccer practise for the first half hour.My feelings of trepidation were growing by the minute...I know nothing about soccer. We played some games to practise dribbling and after only 10 minutes Marta succeeded in kicking a ball into Leisl's face."It was an accident," said Marta."No, it wasn't!" snapped Leisl and off stormed Marta. I sent Friedrich after her to warn Captain Von Trapp and carried on with the dribbling.Friedrich returned shortly and told me that Marta was in her pod. If you know what that means then I commend you but Friedrich could have been speaking German for all I knew."What does that mean? " I asked. He told me that Marta had a kind of 'pea pod' thing that she gets into when she gets upset and that she was in there now and Captain Von Trapp was talking to her. (I had seen this pod by the teacher's desk but thought that it was some kind of inflatable canoe).The pod sure works for 5 minutes later Marta was back dribbling until Leisl 'accidentally' knocked her over and Marta disappeared again. This time even Captain Von Trapp couldn't find her and came out to look for her.It was not a great start to the day and I felt quite sure that if it did not improve I would be sent back to the nunnery. Luckily Marta turned up and we all went back into school.For most of the day I was working with Years 3 to 5, while the two Fraus kept the Prep to Year 2's busy. The two Year 6 boys worked independently and I hardly ever saw them."I'm stuck" said Leisl during Mental Maths. The question was;What time is it in Darwin if it is 4pm in Brisbane (Standard Eastern Time)?I wanted to say 'Who cares really?' but just said "Oh, leave that one."Marta went home after the first break with her carer. Kurt had brought in a gecko that he had found and wanted to keep as a pet. He had called it Tom. He showed it around the class.Part way though the day Captain Von Trapp came and lead us to the village hall where for 30 minutes we practised German Dancing. ( I kid you not!) They are having some kind of German evening tonight and all the children are dancing for their parents on the stage. Gretl and I sat on a piano stool and watched.Back at school I did Science with Years 3 to 5 on solar and lunar eclipses. The two Fraus were with the Prep to Year 2 looking at 'Seasonal Changes' and the two year 6 boys were in the library building a space station.I was on duty at second break and went out to relieve Captain Von Trapp who was supervising the eating part of the break. The Captain was sat with Gretl."Are you going to sing for us?" she said as I approached. My trepidation had been gradually waning as the day went on but now it suddenly leapt up again. Should I sing 'Eidelweiss'?Thankfully the Captain was talking to Gretl. She didn't want to sing and her tact filter failed once more as she looked at me saying,"You have a big, fat tummy."The day ended with us all writing algorithms for beebots...as you do.I am booked to go back there again in a few weeks and tomorrow I am at another school I have not yet been to.