FOUR business classes, and I am completely unqualified to teach it! I have no idea what I'm doing, and my students can tell. I've asked for assistance, but those higher up keep putting it off to a later date. As always, this class of Year 10's (9th graders) is wild. They won't sit where I tell them to sit. A couple of girls sit in the back and laugh and laugh. They blatantly make fun of me--my clothes, my accent, my mannerisms, commenting on the way I walk, etc. It doesn't offend me, just pisses me off that they're disrupting my lesson. They're going on and on about my shoes. I'll admit, they aren't the cutest things in the world--brown loafers with a high, chunky heel--but they're comfortable to wear when I'm standing all day, which ... read more

When I was back in the States for Christmas, a lady who read my blog emailed me requesting an interview for her next book. Victoria Westcott is the author of Guide to Teaching in London: A Survival Guide for Canadians and the co-founder of the teacher recruitment agency, Classroom Canada. Check out her websites at: http://www.GuideToTeachingInLondon.com http://www.classroomcanada.blogspot.com http://www.classroomcanada.com She plans to write a book for Americans teaching in London and wanted interview me for the book. Since she's in Canada at the moment, she emailed me her interview, and I filled it out and sent it back. Next thing I know, she's taken me under her wing, offering advice for my troubles in school and suggestions on how to get out of it. Eventually, she asked me to give her a call when I get home ... read more

Where I've investigated job opportunities in the last two days: 1) Metro School System in Nashville, Tennessee 2) Rutherford County Schools in Murfreesboro, Tennessee 3) The TES.com site, where school vacancies throughout the UK are posted regularly. Current problems with switching jobs: 1) My visa legally binds me to my current school. To work anywhere else requires a new visa. 2) If another school wants to sponsor my visa, it will cost me only $450 USD, plus a plane ticket home to wait for the visa. 3) However, the only schools that need to sponsor a foreign teacher are schools that are so horrible that they can't find anyone who wants to work there. These are also the schools who get agencies to find teachers for them. Again, because no one wants to work there. 4) ... read more

Stephanie is on a mission to collect Americans. She met a dark-haired American girl, Katherine, who works at Banana Republic, and Katherine has invited all of us to her apartment for a New Year's party. Her apartment is cute, in a cool location near the South Bank. Katherine's energetically bouncy roommate, Caroline, grew up in Connecticut and moved here to get her MBA. "I was actually born here," Caroline quickly explains while she's cooking. "But I did all my schooling in America until I got my MBA." She sounds totally American, and she says "y'all"! I like this girl! After we eat salmon, cheese and crackers, and drink our fill of wine, our party of ten climbs up the dark, narrow staircase to the roof. We have an amazing vew of the city from here! The ... read more

Murfreesboro I spend the day running errands, getting things done. I stop to go out to eat at Red Lobster with Rebekah, and then we saw a matinee of Valkyrie, the new Tom Cruise film about the German rebels who plotted to kill Hitler. Quite a tear-jerker, and yet I found it uplifting and inspiring. It's important to remember that even in the midst of total evil and insanity, there are pockets of goodness. According to the book of John, "The light shines in the darkness; and the darkness shall not overcome it." I don't stop running errands again until about 6:30 that evening, which is when I go to Rebekah's house and load as many boxes of my stuff as I can into Rhiannon's car. Dad said I can take it to his house and ... read more