The Settling in Period

So, it would appear I am woefully behind on my blog. I was writing once a fortnight, but as the end of term approached I think I became somewhat busy and overwhelmed. I'm not sure if it really matters whether or not I actually publish when I intend to or not as I'm fairly certain that no one waits impatiently for each Thursday to come around and for my blog to be updated!

I came to realise a few things as I got to the end of the first semester. The main epiphany I had was that nearly every member of staff new to the school, and especially those new to teaching internationally went through a period of adjustment. There was a definite cycle and I am glad to be at the end of it.

Phase 1: Extreme positivity. I also like to refer to this as the "Miss Bates" phase, I apologise for using fictional characters to express my point but it is just how my brain works. Despite being poor and with little to look forward to Miss Bates finds delight in everything, just as new teachers do "Lovely, lovely".

Phase 2: Disillusionment. I suppose you could consider this the grumpy phase and one of my favourite grumpy characters is Gimli. He isn't 100% grumpy but he does have some moments where his expectations are not quite met. For new teachers this is our realisation that the school isn't perfect or the place that we live. We see the pitfalls of everything and struggle a little to deal with our disappointment that our new life is not perfect.

Phase 3: Acceptance. I saw this take many forms among my colleagues but the vast majority have made the decision to make the most of it and be happy despite the negatives they have found. Others have not been quite so positive but are getting to the phase where they can live with it. In general most teachers care a great deal and it is the caring that makes it much harder to deal with the negatives.

Now that myself and my colleagues are out of the cycle we are starting to get on with life. A good number are already considering next year and the decisions they will have to make. Despite only having taught one semester by December I will have had to make the decision as to whether I will sign a further contract with the same school or move elsewhere. Semester 1 is hectic for everyone. It has been an interesting journey over the last year. I am glad that I made the decision to teach internationally and I am glad I am now out the other side of "the settling in period".