tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758883086340911672012-02-17T03:51:43.570+01:00This is meant to be the diary of my Comenius assistanship (EU Lifelong Learning Programme) in Oslo, Norway. I'll be working in a primary school as an assistant teacher from 18 August 2009 to 24 May 2010 and therefore thought a diary will help me keep track of things happening during this time.Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-63791385214061352042010-05-24T20:47:00.011+02:002010-10-28T11:45:56.116+02:00

Today is officially the last day of my Comenius assistantship at Voksen Skole, in Oslo. It is time to look back, reflect on this whole experience, write the report, and send it to the National Agency. It has been a wonderful year. I have learned and lived so many may different things, most of them good, although not all of them. Everything is very intense in these sort of situations, when you

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-50857314081984996892010-05-17T20:18:00.004+02:002010-05-18T21:21:25.680+02:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-91550707225266319582010-04-07T19:50:00.003+02:002011-12-17T01:36:09.080+01:00

2nd grader, sitting alone during the lunch break.

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-81406636882922129562010-03-06T10:16:00.004+01:002010-03-06T10:23:52.908+01:00

Yesterday there was a Carnival party for the children at Aktivitesskolen :)

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-71205847541667313402010-02-25T00:09:00.013+01:002010-10-28T11:45:01.222+02:00

The University of Oslo estimates that the living costs for a student in Norway for five months and on a "modest budget" are approximately NOK 43 800 -> 5 446 EUR (at the moment), which represent around 1 100 Eur a month. This includes housing, food, Books & supplies, transportation (although this amount is for students who are less than 30 and therefore pay less) and other expenses. The Comenius

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-77201396870725749742010-02-21T00:14:00.002+01:002010-02-21T00:20:44.548+01:00

Norwegian phonetics in particular is a bit difficult and it may take some time until one is able to pronounce things correctly. And, as I have experienced so many times before, if you don't say it right, people won't understand you. You might as well have a paper with the name of the place you are looking for if you are lost and need to ask for directions :)

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-19813469920382055352010-02-19T19:42:00.005+01:002010-02-20T11:20:40.415+01:00

Today was the last day before the Vinterferie (Winter holidays) - which is a one-week break in Norwegian schools (as well as other northern European countries). The children had a very relaxed day. Instead of classes, they watched the film "Kiki's Delivery Service" and had some popcorn.In the afternoon, the ones who stayed in the Aktivitesskolen (after school care) have had an ice-sculpture

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-10536821885556772332010-02-09T00:44:00.016+01:002010-02-09T11:01:11.333+01:00

One of the first things I have learned in the teachers room was the happy birthday song. People were having lunch and suddenly and for no reason(or so it seemed to me) everybody stood up and started singing:"Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!Ja, deg vil vi gratulere!Alle i ring omkring deg vi står,og se, nå vil vi marsjere,bukke, nikke, neie, snu oss omkring,danse så for deg med hopp og sprett og

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-22370251889655683722010-02-09T00:13:00.002+01:002010-02-09T00:17:23.621+01:00

Uteskole day!

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-49032305475862960482010-02-09T00:06:00.003+01:002010-02-09T00:10:46.306+01:00

The children have been learning Astronomy :)

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-18051010777674522142010-02-08T23:59:00.004+01:002010-02-09T00:05:35.507+01:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-16530665130868838092010-02-08T23:54:00.001+01:002010-02-08T23:58:13.732+01:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-18059238838365916192010-02-08T23:43:00.002+01:002010-02-08T23:49:47.159+01:00

School begins to change as snow starts falling, slowly but surely.

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-64163148090714535822010-02-08T23:36:00.001+01:002010-02-08T23:42:23.622+01:00

Temperatures in the Winter can reach -20º ... it's very beautiful, but very harsh.

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-71160787640328434252010-02-08T23:10:00.002+01:002010-02-08T23:16:39.832+01:00

2A painting Autumn colours

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-71357119717041550262010-02-08T22:46:00.004+01:002010-02-08T22:57:17.856+01:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-42742904245893840192010-02-08T21:53:00.002+01:002010-02-08T22:03:04.199+01:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-44730651394452192362010-02-08T21:48:00.002+01:002010-02-08T21:53:16.246+01:00

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-21554215142551236462010-02-08T21:04:00.006+01:002010-02-08T21:22:53.771+01:00

Another day out, this time for a theatre play downtown :)

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-39616245846794541462010-02-08T20:50:00.003+01:002010-02-09T00:34:25.503+01:00

This is one of the Winter activities the school provides for the students as part of the Uteskole (classes outside the school).

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-37297817966805584922010-02-08T20:38:00.003+01:002010-02-08T20:49:58.133+01:00

2B went to a farm to see sheep clipping (sau klipping), but also rabbits, goats, cows, and even the artificial insemination of a cow! :)

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-86430801597385787232010-02-08T20:29:00.006+01:002010-02-08T20:37:31.877+01:00

Elections last two days: Sunday and Monday. There were no classes on Monday because schools are used for voting, but children had to come to school for a day out in the nature - a normal thing here!

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-11893339059053880972010-02-08T18:33:00.005+01:002010-02-08T19:57:04.245+01:00

On 15 and 16 October 2009 the Comenius assistants studying in Norway had a meeting with the Norwegian National agency, in Bergen (on the West coast). 19 students from 9 different countries gathered to hear and talk about the Comenius assistanship programm. For two days we gathered to ask questions, talk about difficulties and problems we meet and brainstorm on what could be better. Also, both a

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-81108276940048379792010-02-08T17:21:00.004+01:002010-02-08T21:20:17.452+01:00

A lot has happened since I began the assistanship at Voksen skole and since I last wrote here. Time goes by so fast, there are so many things happening at the same time, that it can be overwhelming and very time consuming. These last 6 months have been totally amazing, although sometimes difficult. There are too many different things one must learn when one moves to another country. It's not just

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-41736038043638628472009-08-21T21:25:00.006+02:002010-01-02T14:22:37.911+01:00

On Fridays the day starts with a Music class. The children learn and sing songs and can eventually dance too. They seem to like it, although some are shy and others just don't know enough Norwegian to sing along. The rest of the day was spent out in the open. Today we had what in Norwegian is called Utskole, or "outdoor school". We are going to do this every two weeks on Fridays. Even during the

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-22073076380309061542009-08-21T21:09:00.006+02:002010-02-04T22:12:40.800+01:00

I found out today that Thursday is a long day. We have more classes than in the other days of the week. It was a tiring, but fun day! The children got to dance and see a video on Youtube with the famous Alexander Rybak. He is very popular amongst the children here. S., their teacher who I am assisting, knows this so I think it is a good thing that they get this kind of treat, since they are so

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-26282005837261874052009-08-20T21:13:00.004+02:002010-10-31T19:02:51.879+01:00

Today I have had the chance to participate in a meeting with all the school teachers and staff. I couldn't really understand much of what was being said, since they obviously speak in Norwegian, but the principal presented me and spoke a little about me in English so that everybody knew me. I was also invited to a dinner on Thursday night with the other teachers (unfortunately I couldn't make it

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-48006895714799182182009-08-18T16:49:00.006+02:002010-10-31T19:01:39.023+01:00

This morning I decided to take the T-bane (subway), to try out something new (well, which is pretty much what has been happening since I got here anyway and one of the amazing things of moving to a new place!). I did it also because: One, I wanted to know how long it takes to get to school using this public transportation in particular; two, because it arrived first (I would have to wait more

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-83428965905839637762009-08-17T22:47:00.007+02:002009-08-22T11:34:32.005+02:00

My first day at Voksen Skole was pretty nice! Early in the morning I met the Rektor, as well as others teachers and students. After a small meeting with the her, she showed me around and presented me to other people who work at VS. I also got to know some parts of the building and some classrooms. This is a Primary school with children aged from 6 to 13. Lovely cute little children, some of them

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675888308634091167.post-67093353936311745762009-08-17T16:10:00.009+02:002010-02-08T23:35:47.709+01:00

This is meant to be the diary of my Comenius assistanship in Oslo, Norway. I'll be staying here until June next year and therefore thought a diary will help me keep track of everything happening during this period.Today was the very first day at school and I shall be writing about it later on.

Silvia Pinheirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329022731659629918noreply@blogger.com0