Hello from Wales!

                                                  Anglesey, North  Wales

This Blog is to share my Job shadowing experiences between 13 th and  25th April 2015 with all my colleagues and friends all over Europe!  Erasmus +KA1 project gives you the opportunity to get to know different ways of learning and teaching together with this marvelous experience to challenge yourself as a teacher when entering a class room in a foreign country and sharing your own  professionalism with different  approaches. So whatever you think about European Union,  this is one of the best ways in bringing people from all over Europe together and making the slogan  " Unity in Diversity" to come true.

Monday 13- Wednesday 15 April

So today was my third day here in Colwyn Bay, Wales at the Rydal Penrhos School. During my First day I was introduced to the  Headmaster,  Deputy Head, IB Coordinator and for many teachers of the School. Everyone welcomed me with a very warm touch and I would especially like to thank my colleague Mr Andrew Price for making this experience possible and for sharing everything so openly.

According  to school's websites "Rydal Penrhos School is a leading independent co-educational day and boarding school in the North West that provides exceptional opportunities for boys and girls aged 11-18.From the Early Years and Pre-Prepdepartments right up to the Upper Sixth where pupils
have two pathways available – the International Baccalaureate, for which the School is ranked 14th 
in the UK, or A-levels – their pupils are rightly proud of the school."Rydal School was founded by 
T.G. Osborn on 19 September 1885. The School, which was to be a boys’ boarding school in the
Methodist tradition, was named after the house on Lansdowne Road , which Osborn had acquired through the good offices of the Reverend F.W. Payne, a wealthy benefactor and Wesleyan minister 
who lived in Colwyn Bay. Five years earlier, in 1880, Penrhos College had been founded as a Methodist girls’ boarding school, also as a result of the generosity of  Frederick Payne, who also founded St John’s Methodist Church which, from its opening in 1888, was used regularly by both Rydal and Penrhos for over a hundred years. In 2010, the church and the school began exploring the possibility of the school taking ownership of St John’s Church, which is used for school worship and
special events.

Rydal Pernhos School, Colwyn Bay Wales

Thursday 16

Today 16 April  my School day started at 8.00 and  8.30 I attended the school worship at the St John's Church nearby the Rydal premises where Chaplain's sermon introduced themes like the climate change, and inhumane killing of migratory birds in Malta. Students wearing suits and School uniforms  listened to the sermon quietly and intensively. What a different World I am experiencing here in Wales! Just wondering that it could be a nice way to start the day with some kind an assembly,
 gathering all together, headmaster wearing a robe and that feeling of unity and togetherness ! It could
be something else than a sermon, maybe just those old 10 O'clock  news, which we used to have at the Old Lyseo Building.

Mr Andrew Price, Head of the History  Department of Rydal Penrhos School 

During the day I followed several history lessons: IB section still having their revision period:
students doing now the rise of Mussolini. For next Tuesday I promised to prepare a Kahoot Quiz for this class and also introduce the snowball method based  revision on the rise and rule of Authoritarian
 and single-party states. Looking forward to that!  All the groups are very small, both in the IB and theBritish  national A -level section between 4 and 11 students within the group! That is theadvantage of being a private school in this country. Students behave very formally and whenever speaking to MrPrice they call him " Sir". Lunch is " served at 13.00 and it is  free for all the teachers ( for  students as well , their school fee covers everything). After the Lunch  the IB group continued
their studying at the IT class preparing their power points on Mussolini.


                          


                                       Working hard: IT work going on.


                       

                              
At 16.00 I could call it a day and it was time to go and have some fresh air after this long, but a very interesting  day. 

Colwyn Bay

Friday 17

The day at School went on very quickly: IB students continued their revision. I Also followed a lesson of the ; per- sixth level, which was full of international students, many of the came from Germany. I worked with one of those German students and we revised Paper 1 type exam paper and discussed the theme on the Roaring Twenties of the US. After the day history teacher, my tutor, Andrew Price and I sat down and took a look on next weeks schedule: on Monday morning Also some drama lessons coming up: Looking forward to that.




In the evening at 7 PM it was time for the Murder Mystery Night at the Price's  childrens' School : an
interesting experience I would say!

Www.suddendeaththeatre.co.uk

The weekend was for relaxing and getting to know more about North Wales. My host teacher  Andrew and his wife Amanda Price ( together  with their lovely children) showed us some best parts of the area. Conwy, Llandudno, Beaumaris and Anglesey made an impression: I love Wales!