No dramas! Just for once!
Counting to seven (Part 9) Placed third, story of the month20 total reviews
Comment from barbara.wilkey
I'm sorry you lost contact with most of the seven. Unfortunately, life gets in the way. I know you will cherish this trip for the rest of your life. I am glad you shared it with us. I wish the US had as good a train system as Europe does.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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I'm sorry you lost contact with most of the seven. Unfortunately, life gets in the way. I know you will cherish this trip for the rest of your life. I am glad you shared it with us. I wish the US had as good a train system as Europe does.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Yes, I am also a bit sad to have lost touch, as I?d love to know about their lives after they finished school, and also ask about their memories of the trip. Thanks so much for your thoughtful review, and for following all these stories. I wish Australian trains were as good also!
Wendy
Comment from Mary Shifman
Well, the trip sounds exciting, interesting, illuminating and quite exhausting! It also sounds as if everyone, including you enjoyed it to the hilt. It's great that you are still in touch with some of the students. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Well, the trip sounds exciting, interesting, illuminating and quite exhausting! It also sounds as if everyone, including you enjoyed it to the hilt. It's great that you are still in touch with some of the students. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Thank you so much Mary. You summed it up very well! Great review.
Wendy
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I always enjoy your posts.
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Super writing. You allow the reader to see exactly as you see the people and issues. You also present history and geography in interesting tones. I never before thought I would be interested in visiting France.
Best wishes.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Super writing. You allow the reader to see exactly as you see the people and issues. You also present history and geography in interesting tones. I never before thought I would be interested in visiting France.
Best wishes.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Ah Wayne, your words are wonderful, but your rating is heartbreaking. I?ve never had a one star rating before! So I am hoping like crazy that your hand slipped! Please tell me you didn?t mean it! Lol. Here I am grovelling for a few more stars.
Wendy
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No!!!!!
How do I fix it?
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Please tell me if I have it changed.
I'm so sorry. I had no idea.
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Thank you Wayne. All fixed, all good. I was sure you'd just slipped. No worries.
W
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whew!
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I've slipped a few times, it's easy to do. Don't worry, all good.
Comment from Paul McFarland
Nicely done. This has turned out to be a very important adventure for the "Magnificent Seven". Did you see the movie? I imagine that it was also a great adventure for you.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Nicely done. This has turned out to be a very important adventure for the "Magnificent Seven". Did you see the movie? I imagine that it was also a great adventure for you.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Yes it was a wonderful and memorable trip. And they were great kids despite our little dramas. Many thanks for a wonderful review and the lovely honour of six stars.
Wendy
I think I saw the movie - many moons ago.
Comment from Faith Williams
Sounds like a wonderful walk through history. Did you and your students enjoy either Paris or its surrounding areas more? Thank you so much for sharing your adventures and the updates in your notes.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Sounds like a wonderful walk through history. Did you and your students enjoy either Paris or its surrounding areas more? Thank you so much for sharing your adventures and the updates in your notes.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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I had lived in France for a couple of years and had been back several times. There?s so much to see and do it would take a lifetime, so everything is always just "a taste". I think when they were in Paris they thought nothing could be more wonderful. Then they realised the richness and diversity of everywhere. Not sure they could pick. For them every day was wonderful. Which was very rewarding for me too. Thank you for a wonderful review.
Wendy
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
Wendy, I'm exhausted just reading this, lol! I forget, how long ago did this happen? You write as though it was yesterday, so the memories obviously are burned into your mind. You were blessed to have such a wonderful group of kids, as they were very lucky to have someone who watched over them so carefully.
Paragraph that begins "Yes, they learned French, and French culture, BUT THEY ALSO THEY ABSORBED.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Wendy, I'm exhausted just reading this, lol! I forget, how long ago did this happen? You write as though it was yesterday, so the memories obviously are burned into your mind. You were blessed to have such a wonderful group of kids, as they were very lucky to have someone who watched over them so carefully.
Paragraph that begins "Yes, they learned French, and French culture, BUT THEY ALSO THEY ABSORBED.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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More than fifteen years ago! I had to put my thinking cap on a few times. I'd kept a copy of their journal with the trivia questions and things to look out for, on my computer. I had forgotten that, at the start of the stories. Thanks for picking up the typo, and for a wonderful review.
Wendy
Comment from Pantygynt
Would you do it again? After a bit of a rest perhaps.
This sort of thing is so much better than the way I was taught French. After two years I had graduated from 'Madam Souris a une maison' to the equally useless 'our postillion had been sttuck by lightning'. When we got to 'le cri du dodo' I was all for giving up.
Joking apart, this has been a really interesting series. I will miss your adventures.
The six stars are my reaction to the lot.
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Would you do it again? After a bit of a rest perhaps.
This sort of thing is so much better than the way I was taught French. After two years I had graduated from 'Madam Souris a une maison' to the equally useless 'our postillion had been sttuck by lightning'. When we got to 'le cri du dodo' I was all for giving up.
Joking apart, this has been a really interesting series. I will miss your adventures.
The six stars are my reaction to the lot.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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I am so disappointed about your French lessons! What a shame. The first and most essential step for teaching a second language is to make it fun and relevant. I did several trips with large groups and another teacher to New Caledonia. (Eight days, and less than three hours' flight.) This one however took my whole winter holiday, and it was straight back into teaching within a few days, with major exams looming for the Seniors within three months.
If I'd had a second responsible adult to share the load and be there for a plan B in case of illness or emergency, I would gave done it again. But no-one else seemed to want to miss their holidays ... And it was expensive.
Thank you so much for the six star review. So greatly valued and appreciated. I have very much enjoyed writing and sharing these stories, and the exceptional review is like icing on the cake. Thank you again.
Wendy
Comment from T B Botts
Hello Wendy,
Did you sleep for a week after you got home? I really don't know how you managed to do it. I would have been a nervous wreck at best, and a raving lunatic most likely. Would you do it again if you could? I know myself well enough to know that I would never even consider embarking on such an adventure. Well done gal. Thanks for sharing this story with us.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Hello Wendy,
Did you sleep for a week after you got home? I really don't know how you managed to do it. I would have been a nervous wreck at best, and a raving lunatic most likely. Would you do it again if you could? I know myself well enough to know that I would never even consider embarking on such an adventure. Well done gal. Thanks for sharing this story with us.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Unfortunately I couldn't sleep for any length of time. The trip took all my winter holidays, so a few days later I was back at school teaching in third term leading up to major exams for the Seniors.
It was also, in retrospect, too risky having all that responsibility with no other adult to help if anything went wrong, as there was literally no plan B (eg if any of us got sick or had an accident). I was very aware of God's help and strength throughout.
Thank you for following all these stories and for your wonderful reviews each time. I greatly appreciate it.
Wendy
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
So. Europe is ended. I loved being pulled through Avignon and Arles - many happy memories of work trips sprang to mind. Also, the question that arises from this post - it was so good for the students. Both learning and development would you have / did you do it again? Kate xx
very to cool have > very cool to have
hstory > history
quite exhausted. > exhausted. (you either are or you're merely tired)
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reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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So. Europe is ended. I loved being pulled through Avignon and Arles - many happy memories of work trips sprang to mind. Also, the question that arises from this post - it was so good for the students. Both learning and development would you have / did you do it again? Kate xx
very to cool have > very cool to have
hstory > history
quite exhausted. > exhausted. (you either are or you're merely tired)
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 09-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Thanks for a super review, Kate. Thanks too for picking up those typos.
I didn't do a France trip again, as looking back I was aware that I had no plan B if anything went wrong (eg illness or accident) without another responsible adult. The whole trip would be aborted. The other thing was that it had to be done during our winter school holidays which meant I got no break, and taught for six months straight, either side of an exhausting trip. I really needed a male teacher too in case any boy got sick. It was also very expensive coming from Australia. It was a lot easier going to New Caledonia for eight days, even with large groups, and easier to get another teacher on board.
Wendy
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
How lovely the students had a chance to interact with other students to improve their language skills, even if one of them was rather over zealous! At last you will be relieved of your duty as surrogate Mother Wendy. I don't know how you did it and I expect the students were very grateful for the trip and had some good memories as they came back with a wealth of experience and relatively unscathed, well done Wendy, love Dolly x
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reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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How lovely the students had a chance to interact with other students to improve their language skills, even if one of them was rather over zealous! At last you will be relieved of your duty as surrogate Mother Wendy. I don't know how you did it and I expect the students were very grateful for the trip and had some good memories as they came back with a wealth of experience and relatively unscathed, well done Wendy, love Dolly x
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The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 08-Nov-2022
reply by the author on 09-Nov-2022
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Thanks for such a lovely review, Dolly. Makes me very happy that you enjoyed this series!
Wendy