We began
week 11 with a placement preparation class with Marie. During this class we
discussed what would be expected of us during our in placement, the goals we
wish to achieve and how we will go about reaching these throughout our time in
placement. Marie also covered how we will be assessed once we have completed
our three weeks in placement, through both an oral presentation and a presentation
portfolio. Being bombarded with exam information was daunting and also brought
about a sense of realism; that even though Erasmus is a brilliant opportunity
to meet new people and experience new things, we also have to put in the hours
and work to really get the most out of our time here in Denmark.
After our
intense class with Marie, my class and I were ready to relieve ourselves of the
pressure of assessments and celebrate with Ian for his 21st
Birthday. We all gathered at Ana’s flat to welcome Ian with sparklers and Lea
came prepared a yummy apple cake. It was a great night with beer tasting and
Belgian games.
On Wednesday
we got the opportunity to visit each of our placements for the day. I felt
slightly nervous when I first arrived at Åby Skole because I wasn’t sure what
to expect from a Danish school and how their values and principles differed
from ours back home in Ireland. After searching for some time we finally found
our mentor, Niels. He was more than welcoming and thankfully spoke very good English.
We had a quick tour around the SFO (after-school club) and got to see the different ‘class bases’ or
common rooms along with the areas home to a wide variety of activities such as
the creative room where they work with all different types of materials and
textiles, the drama and theatre room and the fourth grade base; where we would
be spending most of our time. I thought it was a really good idea that each
grade had their own common room, it gives the children a sense of independence as
well as personal space and I’m sure we’ll see this displayed as we spend more
time within the school and particularly the SFO.
After the
quick tour we sat with Niels and discussed our hours and our role whilst out on
placement, we briefly discussed with him that we are required to carry out
activities with the children in relation to our Nature, Health and Democracy
module and when we finish this will act as the vital component to our
presentation portfolio.
After
finishing our placement visit at Åby Skole, I was excited to get back, meet the
children and because of the vast amount of resources and opportunities at this
setting, I was already beginning to think of ideas for activities and couldn’t wait
to get started.
Thursday
brought us St. Patricks Day and I was really looking forward to introducing my
classmates to the iconic Irish day of celebration and how to celebrate our
feast day in true Irish style. There was no better place to do this than an
Irish bar itself, Tir Na Nóg and that’s where we spent the majority of the
night, listening to typical Irish music and just by chance meeting some other
Irish people. What better place to meet fellow Irishmen than in an Irish pub on
St. Patricks Day?
‘Being Irish is very much a part of who I
am. I take it everywhere with me.’ – Colin Farrell
Unfortunately
we had to call it a night pretty early, as I had a flight to catch on Friday
back to Ireland to spend the Easter break with family and friends. I felt saddened
having to part with my class mates for just this short break so who knows what
state I’ll be in come the end of May, it’s not something I really want to think
about just yet!
References:
Colin
Farrell - http://heavy.com/social/2016/03/st-patricks-day-quotes-2016
