We've always been a big fan of the self-portrait and have a bunch of photos taken where we simply hold the camera out in front of us and hope for good aim (and correct focus).
Here's a more recent one. We're in my parents' backyard in Brisbane, Australia. It was our wedding anniversary and Emma was one month old. We'd decided to try to get a good family photo, so as soon as she was in a good mood, we ran outside and started snapping pictures as quickly as possible. Michael's arm was getting tired (we were using our Nikon 5100, so holding it up was a small test of endurance!). In the end, we had six usable photos and almost thirty where she was crying, we were distracted, and/or the focus was off. This one was one of my favorites. Enjoy!
My husband and I will be teaching this fall at AIS and have found your blog SO enjoyable and helpful as we prepare for our move!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and your family!
I'm glad you enjoy the blog. Do you know what you'll teach next year in Almaty? If you have any questions, please let us know.
DeleteI will be teaching one of the 9 year old classes and my husband, Sean, will be teaching one of the 11 year old classes. We just found out January 12th! Are you still living and teaching in Almaty? Is blogger blocked there?
ReplyDeleteHi Shelby! I'm glad you're finding our blog helpful -- one of the main aims of us keeping this blog is to help other teachers start their international adventures with a better idea of what's ahead.
ReplyDeleteAIS is a great school and there are so many things we like about working here. I taught 9s last year -- it's a fun age and curriculum! We are still in Almaty but most likely moving on to another school this summer.
Blogs are sometimes blocked, but not always. You can download a VPN program (like ProXPN) for when such problems arise, but we're finding that blockages/website blackouts are becoming increasingly less common. VPN comes more in handy for when you want to access USA websites from international locations.
That is good to know! Thank you for the advice! :)
ReplyDeleteOne last question! ;-) can you provide any details about housing? Are new teachers located in the city or near the school? Also, do parents provide students with school supplies? I.e. notebooks for different subjects.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
You'll get an email from the housing coordinator with a survey about housing (this gives you a chance to let her know what you think is most important in choosing a home). Then she'll choose a house for you that best matches your needs. All the apartments I've seen are nice. Most people live either near the city or near Mega Shopping Mall. There are very few houses near the school at the moment - they are usually reserved for returning teachers who have children. We used to live near Mega and really liked that location. The other location is near a German deli and a large shopping mall as well... it's hard to go wrong with either location.
ReplyDeleteAs for supplies, that's all handled here (by parents and the school). You aren't responsible for that. Just bring stuff to reflect your personality (posters/bulletin board stuff, etc) as there isn't much of that here...and any other items you think you absolutely can't do without. AIS has a great library with a huge teacher section - there are already plenty of books here.
Wow, that's awesome! Thank you so much for your insight.
ReplyDelete