Tuesday, September 4th
No, not for me! Never again. I loved preparing, getting ready, arranging desks, writing up my daybook. It always took me 2 weeks to learn everyone's name.
My first month teaching (1989), my junior kindergarten (JK) student told me "Daddy punched Mommy in the stomach last night." We know so much more about violence in families. I wished I'd known what I know now: that kids are affected by this.
I taught JK to gr. 8, plus a stint teaching student teachers at U of Ottawa. I taught kids of all backgrounds, some had fled wars and gunfire, running into the hills. I taught beautiful students with special needs, I learned the most from them. 25 years. Gone. When my mother and dad died, I had to retire. It is bittersweet.
Tuesday morning
I'd weeded it the day before. This strange area under our porch. I was determined to lift up our bricks and stones, as they are sinking in the sand. The bees and ants dig it up, and this has raised the level of the dirt around the stones. Also, in our big storms, the eavestrough overflows and it has splashback. (Good for the gardens!)
Tuesday afternoon
I'd had a difficult time with my client. It takes a lot of energy.On the way home, a mother was having difficulty getting her child off of the bus. Then she stood and talked there for several minutes. I tried to be patient. It was the first day of school for our local kids.
JB said, "Let's go out to dinner. There won't be many days left!"
Off we went to Rideau Ferry. A red squirrel was happy.
It was yummy. I had their salmon on pita bread.
Dinner done, off to home. This truck (photo below) is one of the reasons we need the 'new' Health & Phys. Ed. curriculum, which teaches 'consent', that helps teachers explain the language to which children are exposed. "Slut shaming" has been common. Teachers need these tools. Women and girls need the language, men and boys need education. Teachers need the tools and the curriculum to help children recognize and understand the reality of same-sex parents, gender identity issues, and to respect differences.
Families have been changing. When I was first divorced (1993), society was shaming single-parent families. When I was newly divorced, a white, upper middle class teacher marched into the staff room and said, "I wish parents would think twice about breaking up their families."I responded by telling her that living in homes where anger, hate, violence, or domineering spouses exist, is not a healthy place to be.
I ended up writing an article about this, which was published in our teacher newsletter. I hope it made a difference.
Thank goodness for people like Julie Lalonde. She is a speaker on violence prevention.
This morning @JulieSLalonde spoke to new students about consent and bystander intervention.— TrentUDurham (@TrentUDurham) September 5, 2018
Thank you Julie for another great Orientation Week presentation! pic.twitter.com/8JO0bcVJEO
That was my Tuesday.
6 comments:
My niece is studying at Trent/Durham!
One time my nephew went to school and told the teacher that Daddy had beat the tar out of him and his brother the night before. S.S. was at his door and the children were held at school. The true story: Almost every day when he walked in the door from work, the boys would ambush my bro and they would wrestle around like fools. My bro got the upper hand on this particular day and carried a boy under each arm into the kitchen like a couple of sacks of taters. He told his wife, "I won! I won". My brother was NOT at all distressed by the visit....in fact he was relieved that the teachers are so observant.
These days any of his sons could pick him up and raise him over their head, haha.
I was so happy to wake up to a cool morning. Aren't you!
I could have never taught at the high school and below levels. I just wouldn't have the patience.
Those maths problems, takes me back a long time ago. Love your paving stones with plants, and the water lily painting? behind? I haven't seen that before.
busy day, dinner looks good!
You had a very busy Tuesday. Yes, we know many things now that would have helped us. I do look back with pleasure on my teaching career. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat..
Students names became harder and harder over the years. For me, it was not so much knowing the name but recalling it when I wanted it. I used my seating plan a lot in the final years.
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