Take a random date when no one would expect a grad - say January19th. Take 5 students, two of which actually recieved their high school diploma and three which tried so hard but were blocked by the nastiness of the Social Studies diploma. Take families and a community that who view this as a grand event to celebrate. Take some teachers who are very jaded and reluctant and sick and overworked. What you get is about 20 hours of decorating, a half an hour ceremony, a full fledged 12- dish community dinner with no one to really organize it and then clean up.
The Grad was a lot of fun, the graduates looked great and I am glad that it is over. It is time to focus on other things such as final exams, report cards and next semesters courses. I really hope that this week I do not have to stay at school until 10:00 each night to get everything I need to get done completed before taking off this weekend. Maybe a good suggestion would be to get off of facebook, my blog and other asundry internet activities and get to work. First on the agenda, trying to decide what we are going to do tomorrow. I know what I want to do - take a holiday but unfortunately that is not an option.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Happy New Year
OK it is already the 13th and the New Year is slowly turning old. The stresses of last year have already caught up to us all but nontheless, this is my New Year blog and the first entry in 2008.
So at my New Year's "party" - 4 girls playing the slowest game of Skipbo EVER and then looking on the Internet together at profiles for my fictional boyfriend - I stated that my New Year's resolution was to continue to be the wonderful person that I already am. Well, I am slowly being shown that maybe I am not so wonderful and that there are a few things that need to change.
A few days later, I recieved conviction number one. I went out for coffee with one of my mentors and former Bible study leader extrodinaire. As always, she asked how my devotional life is going. I admitted that perhaps it needed a little tweaking. I do my devotions as a duty not as a desire. I would like to change it back to a desire, a time filled with meaning.
So as always, meaningful devotions lead to conviction number two. I decided to reread Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Chapter Two is called "Problem" and the conclusion is that "I am the problem." No it doesn't state in the text, "Jen you are the problem," but it comes to the conclusion that all of us are broken and in that brokenness are the problem. You know, the whole sin nature thing. So I did some major reflection on that today in my journal. I am feeling rather brave because I am going to put some excerpts in this entry. Here goes . . . Ok I started typing it but I guess that I don't want to be that transparent. Just know that God is working on my selfishness and self sufficiency once again. He is reminding me that I am not the centre of the world.
So I thought that maybe my New Year's resolution would be to cook great meals in my new pots on my new stove but I guess that God had more in mind. I should also mention that I resolved not to lie to my students re: the whole boyfriend thing. Lies tend to snowball and cause avalanches of untruths. I could see that that particular lie would cause more and more lies to more and more people. All in all, not a good idea but kind of fun to think about.
So any other New Year's resolutions out there? Have you broken them already?
So at my New Year's "party" - 4 girls playing the slowest game of Skipbo EVER and then looking on the Internet together at profiles for my fictional boyfriend - I stated that my New Year's resolution was to continue to be the wonderful person that I already am. Well, I am slowly being shown that maybe I am not so wonderful and that there are a few things that need to change.
A few days later, I recieved conviction number one. I went out for coffee with one of my mentors and former Bible study leader extrodinaire. As always, she asked how my devotional life is going. I admitted that perhaps it needed a little tweaking. I do my devotions as a duty not as a desire. I would like to change it back to a desire, a time filled with meaning.
So as always, meaningful devotions lead to conviction number two. I decided to reread Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Chapter Two is called "Problem" and the conclusion is that "I am the problem." No it doesn't state in the text, "Jen you are the problem," but it comes to the conclusion that all of us are broken and in that brokenness are the problem. You know, the whole sin nature thing. So I did some major reflection on that today in my journal. I am feeling rather brave because I am going to put some excerpts in this entry. Here goes . . . Ok I started typing it but I guess that I don't want to be that transparent. Just know that God is working on my selfishness and self sufficiency once again. He is reminding me that I am not the centre of the world.
So I thought that maybe my New Year's resolution would be to cook great meals in my new pots on my new stove but I guess that God had more in mind. I should also mention that I resolved not to lie to my students re: the whole boyfriend thing. Lies tend to snowball and cause avalanches of untruths. I could see that that particular lie would cause more and more lies to more and more people. All in all, not a good idea but kind of fun to think about.
So any other New Year's resolutions out there? Have you broken them already?
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Is lying always bad?
My students are very concerned about my love life - or lack of one. Sometimes I think that they are amazed at my single status and the fact that I do not have a guy in my life (or kids for that matter). I have had one student hand me a phone nimber for some guy that she knows even further north. At least she actually tried to find out what I was interested in. You know the basics such as loves God and likes working with kids. The rest of the students just tease me about any guy who enters the school building. It is rather embarassing.
For example, the students are convinced that I am in love with the computer technician. Every time he comes into my class, they yell out, "Miss Liiight it's Billlly" (not his real name) Inevitably I go red and blush not because I have a crush on him (he is engaged to someone else) but because I feel for the poor guy. I know my students. I can take their teasing and dish it right back to them. But he does not know my students. I am sure that he dreads coming to our school.
Then there is the former student who may or may not have had a crush on me at one time. So on Friday, one of the female teachers and I were judging a cowboy costume contest up at the hall. This young man was one of the contestants - the only contestant in his category. So the organizers had us sitting by ourselves at a table in the front and then had this guy, dressed as a cowboy, parade in front of us. I didn't know where to look. I couldn't looka t my co judge (another single girl), I couldn't look at him because he looked SOOO uncomfortable and I couldn't look at the walls because all of my students were sitting there watching the pink creep up my face. I glanced over and then heard " Miss Liiiight." Even the organizer noticed the very pink cheeks. I was mortified for this poor, shy student. Even now, just thinking about it, I feel the uncomfortableness of the situation.
So I am going to have to find a solution to this problem. If there was a guy, who met criteria, and was interested in me, my students would scare him off. Plus I need to save myself and these guys from extreme mortification.
So my plan? Well over Christmas I am going to have to find myself a boyfriend. If that doesn't work, I am going to have to fabricate one. It won't be the first time that I have fabricated a boyfriend. Either way, as far as my students know I will be dating someone in 2008. So then when they pull out the "Miss Light, you like Billy.", I can counter with "You know I am dating someone." Then I can talk about the guy that I am dating and all of his great qualities such as loves God, employed, reads etc and my students will realize that maybe the poor locale boy is not really my type.
I fear that this could backfire on me but it is the best that I can come up with. Any other suggestions of how I can stop this madness? Any suggestions of what my fictional boyfriend should be like?
For example, the students are convinced that I am in love with the computer technician. Every time he comes into my class, they yell out, "Miss Liiight it's Billlly" (not his real name) Inevitably I go red and blush not because I have a crush on him (he is engaged to someone else) but because I feel for the poor guy. I know my students. I can take their teasing and dish it right back to them. But he does not know my students. I am sure that he dreads coming to our school.
Then there is the former student who may or may not have had a crush on me at one time. So on Friday, one of the female teachers and I were judging a cowboy costume contest up at the hall. This young man was one of the contestants - the only contestant in his category. So the organizers had us sitting by ourselves at a table in the front and then had this guy, dressed as a cowboy, parade in front of us. I didn't know where to look. I couldn't looka t my co judge (another single girl), I couldn't look at him because he looked SOOO uncomfortable and I couldn't look at the walls because all of my students were sitting there watching the pink creep up my face. I glanced over and then heard " Miss Liiiight." Even the organizer noticed the very pink cheeks. I was mortified for this poor, shy student. Even now, just thinking about it, I feel the uncomfortableness of the situation.
So I am going to have to find a solution to this problem. If there was a guy, who met criteria, and was interested in me, my students would scare him off. Plus I need to save myself and these guys from extreme mortification.
So my plan? Well over Christmas I am going to have to find myself a boyfriend. If that doesn't work, I am going to have to fabricate one. It won't be the first time that I have fabricated a boyfriend. Either way, as far as my students know I will be dating someone in 2008. So then when they pull out the "Miss Light, you like Billy.", I can counter with "You know I am dating someone." Then I can talk about the guy that I am dating and all of his great qualities such as loves God, employed, reads etc and my students will realize that maybe the poor locale boy is not really my type.
I fear that this could backfire on me but it is the best that I can come up with. Any other suggestions of how I can stop this madness? Any suggestions of what my fictional boyfriend should be like?
Saturday, December 08, 2007
The Spice of Life
Christmas season always gives me a much needed energy boost in the middle of the winter. Maybe it is the joy spreading through the air. Maybe it s the prospect of seeing my family again. I don't know what the reasons are but their are moments of newness and spiciness. So what have I been up to?
1. I have started a choir with some of my students for the Christmas concert. We aren't very good - they are insecure singers and I am not that great of a director. We practice at lunch time. It is pretty fun.
2. My fellow teachers and I have started a trio for the Christmas concert as well. Again we are not that talented but it is fun to get together and sing and laugh at ourselves. I am the pianist which is really funny because I can't really play piano.
3. The male teacher has started a volleyball team with the girls so every once in a while I will go "help" out and learn with them. Again this is really funny because I am not a very good volleyball player and my students think that it is funny that I still serve underhand. But if I remember correctly it took me a real looong time to learn how to serve underhand and I am grateful that I finally picked it up. Last Saturday I went to Cadotte with the team for a game. The girls played really well and made me laugh. They are a lot of fun.
4. I am enjoying a new CD - Brandi Carlile. My friend Laura introduced me to her and I listen to her almost everyday and am not tired of it yet. In fact if CKUA was not on right now that is what I would be listening to. However, Mulligan's Stew is on and Bubba is just aroung the corner so Brandi can wait until tomorrow when the classical music plays.
I can't wait for Christmas. I can't wait to see my family. I am trying hard to keep myself occupied until then. Less than two weeks. HEEEEEE (That is very giddy, high pitched laughing)
1. I have started a choir with some of my students for the Christmas concert. We aren't very good - they are insecure singers and I am not that great of a director. We practice at lunch time. It is pretty fun.
2. My fellow teachers and I have started a trio for the Christmas concert as well. Again we are not that talented but it is fun to get together and sing and laugh at ourselves. I am the pianist which is really funny because I can't really play piano.
3. The male teacher has started a volleyball team with the girls so every once in a while I will go "help" out and learn with them. Again this is really funny because I am not a very good volleyball player and my students think that it is funny that I still serve underhand. But if I remember correctly it took me a real looong time to learn how to serve underhand and I am grateful that I finally picked it up. Last Saturday I went to Cadotte with the team for a game. The girls played really well and made me laugh. They are a lot of fun.
4. I am enjoying a new CD - Brandi Carlile. My friend Laura introduced me to her and I listen to her almost everyday and am not tired of it yet. In fact if CKUA was not on right now that is what I would be listening to. However, Mulligan's Stew is on and Bubba is just aroung the corner so Brandi can wait until tomorrow when the classical music plays.
I can't wait for Christmas. I can't wait to see my family. I am trying hard to keep myself occupied until then. Less than two weeks. HEEEEEE (That is very giddy, high pitched laughing)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
It is my students that save me
For the first time in Trout Lake, I love my students. All of my students. Even more amazingly, I think that they all like me. We have had our struggles but I refused to give up, even when they were yelling in my face, calling me bad names littered with derivatives of four letter words and telling me that they wished that I moved away. This year, I experience non of this. OK they still call me names, but it is done with a smile and in a teasing attitude. It is done in a way that says, "Miss, we like you!"
Case in point . . . Last summer, I went walking with one of my students that I highly respect. We talked about boyfirends and nicknames. I made the "mistake" of telling her about my dreaded nickname - "Legs"
For those of you that don't know, once, when I was very small and immature, my cousin and I were having a discussion very late at night. Unbeknownst to us, our nosy older cousin was eavesdropping (yes this is a revised and very slanted history of the event). This was the course of the conversation.
Case in point . . . Last summer, I went walking with one of my students that I highly respect. We talked about boyfirends and nicknames. I made the "mistake" of telling her about my dreaded nickname - "Legs"
For those of you that don't know, once, when I was very small and immature, my cousin and I were having a discussion very late at night. Unbeknownst to us, our nosy older cousin was eavesdropping (yes this is a revised and very slanted history of the event). This was the course of the conversation.
S- What is one body part that you would like to change?
Me - I would change my legs. I want such long and shapely legs that everyone
would call me Legs.
The next morning, everyone in my immediate and extended family knew of our conversation and started calling me Legs. My older and nosy cousin introduced me to all of her older friends as her cousin Legs. This is very mortifying to a preteen girl especially when it is an teen male that is hearing the introduction. I think I lived about the next five years with a perma blush on my skin as members of my family would pull out the nickname at the most inoportune times.
Anyways, I told this story to my student on our walk. The next day, in class, one of my other students started mumbling indirect information about legs such as, " I need to go stretch my LEGS!!" and "Miss Legs" and "Are your LEGS sore?" The student I told leaned over and said, "I told G and C." I feigned anger and then pretended that I had no idea what was going on. "Miss Legge. I am not Miss Legge. I am Miss Light. Miss Legge teaches Grade 1. Don't you know that?"
This was last year. The joke has continued this year. More students have found out about the joke, including one of my very troubled boys from last year who we almost had to kick out of school. Now he could have twisted the joke and made it really mean and cruel but no he just sits there and laughs silently. And I laugh with them. It is fun to be able to laugh with them.
However, there is one disconcerting piece of information in this story. Why can my students remember some random story about me - this isn't the only instance. They remember the name of the guy whose lap I fell into during White water rafting, the names of my nieces and nephews etc. However, they can not remember the formula for the Circumference of a circle or area of a circle or . . . and I have tried to drill this into their heads (with a circular base nontheless - what is more applicable than finding the area of the hole inour head (just jokes)) Maybe if I told them that my boyfriend was "area equals base times height divided by two", they would remember how to find the area of a triangle. Ahh well, at least I am teaching them that I too am human.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The routine
I did not blog last week and really have nothing to say this week. My life right now is pretty routine and SAD is starting to set in. So here it is, the sad routine of me.
1. Hear the alarm and press snooze three or four times.
2. Wake up later than I want and rush to get ready to school.
3. Go to school and teach until about 4:00.
4. Go home and eat because the starvation has already set in.
5. Go back to school at about 5:00 or 6:00.
6. Stay at school unitl 9:00.
7. Go home and watch TV for an hour.
8. Go to bed.
9. Sleep.
10. Repeat the next day.
My fridge was getting bare so I did have to go grocery shopping on Saturday. This was quite the dilemma for me. Did I want to drive three hours to the "big" grocery store and get exactly what I wanted (maybe) or did I want to drive one hour (these are both one way trip times) and get what was available. Driving one hour won out. The prospect of driving three hours to go shopping solitarily and have no one to know me and greet me at the end of the journey convinced me that Red Earth groceries would be sufficient.
Did I mention that SAD is setting in? Darkness at 8:00 am and again at 6:00 is affecting the emotions and drive. The new elliptical does help a bit to get those endorphins up.
1. Hear the alarm and press snooze three or four times.
2. Wake up later than I want and rush to get ready to school.
3. Go to school and teach until about 4:00.
4. Go home and eat because the starvation has already set in.
5. Go back to school at about 5:00 or 6:00.
6. Stay at school unitl 9:00.
7. Go home and watch TV for an hour.
8. Go to bed.
9. Sleep.
10. Repeat the next day.
My fridge was getting bare so I did have to go grocery shopping on Saturday. This was quite the dilemma for me. Did I want to drive three hours to the "big" grocery store and get exactly what I wanted (maybe) or did I want to drive one hour (these are both one way trip times) and get what was available. Driving one hour won out. The prospect of driving three hours to go shopping solitarily and have no one to know me and greet me at the end of the journey convinced me that Red Earth groceries would be sufficient.
Did I mention that SAD is setting in? Darkness at 8:00 am and again at 6:00 is affecting the emotions and drive. The new elliptical does help a bit to get those endorphins up.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Trip
We thought that we might not be able to go all week but finally on Thursday, we got our field trip number and a bus and driver and it was confirmed. Friday, we could go to Edmonton with 15 of our students (who were a little bit reluctant to go to the Dreamcatcher conference).
Friday morning, we gathered at the school. Eight of the 15 students showed up - the best 8 I think. The bus arrived and we were off. One student, who is 18, was off to Edmonton for the very first time. It was his inaugral trip to a place with buildings over five stories high, with public transit, traffic etc. This made the trip so much more interesting and fun.
The high school students were off to the Dreamcatcher conference in Edmonton. This is a conference designed for aboriginal youth with cultural and other sessions. They had a chance to hang with aboriginal youth and listen to aboriginal speakers. They had a chance to feel pride in their ancestory and hope in their future. All we did in Edmonton was this conference and a movie at the theater. No mall, no shopping, no swimming pool (and yes I am sure we will hear complaints about this.)
It was interesting to see the reaction of my students to the city. Another teacher and I often talk about the lack of natural print in the environment of my students - there is no billboards, no magazines, no signs etc. As a kid, I remember driving down the road, reading the signs that I saw out loud. That is what the teens in the bus started to do. "Totem Building Supplies." "Walmart" "Go Logo Wear" etc. Then one of them started talking about how this was the most traffic that they had ever seen (It wasn't even rush hour.) We had to explain how to use crosswalks and cross walk lights. (So can we cross if the hand is blinking? What do the numbers mean on the side?) Riding the elevator in our hotel was a treat (I am surprised that they didn't fight over who would push the buttons) I had to explain how to go down on the escalator. One of my students exclaimed, "I feel like I am in a movie." The only city experience that he had had was seeing one on movies.
I am so proud of my students and their behaviour in the city. They were the best students at the conference. It was fun hanging out with them instead of telling them to get their math work done. On the way home, I was able to have a wonderful conversation with one of my students about faith and christianity and God. Mostly we talked about Christian history. "No the Bible wasn't originally written in King James English. It was written in Greek and Hebrew." It pains me that most people here think that they need to read the KJV version of the Bible. Most of them are on the verge of illiteracy and at times the Bible is tough enough to understand. Christ came to speak to us in our own languages. He came to take some of the mystery away (bu adding on layers of mystery). And yet for many here, the mystery still remains and the knowledge of Biblical matters rests with the preacher and leadership. It raises my ire.
Friday morning, we gathered at the school. Eight of the 15 students showed up - the best 8 I think. The bus arrived and we were off. One student, who is 18, was off to Edmonton for the very first time. It was his inaugral trip to a place with buildings over five stories high, with public transit, traffic etc. This made the trip so much more interesting and fun.
The high school students were off to the Dreamcatcher conference in Edmonton. This is a conference designed for aboriginal youth with cultural and other sessions. They had a chance to hang with aboriginal youth and listen to aboriginal speakers. They had a chance to feel pride in their ancestory and hope in their future. All we did in Edmonton was this conference and a movie at the theater. No mall, no shopping, no swimming pool (and yes I am sure we will hear complaints about this.)
It was interesting to see the reaction of my students to the city. Another teacher and I often talk about the lack of natural print in the environment of my students - there is no billboards, no magazines, no signs etc. As a kid, I remember driving down the road, reading the signs that I saw out loud. That is what the teens in the bus started to do. "Totem Building Supplies." "Walmart" "Go Logo Wear" etc. Then one of them started talking about how this was the most traffic that they had ever seen (It wasn't even rush hour.) We had to explain how to use crosswalks and cross walk lights. (So can we cross if the hand is blinking? What do the numbers mean on the side?) Riding the elevator in our hotel was a treat (I am surprised that they didn't fight over who would push the buttons) I had to explain how to go down on the escalator. One of my students exclaimed, "I feel like I am in a movie." The only city experience that he had had was seeing one on movies.
I am so proud of my students and their behaviour in the city. They were the best students at the conference. It was fun hanging out with them instead of telling them to get their math work done. On the way home, I was able to have a wonderful conversation with one of my students about faith and christianity and God. Mostly we talked about Christian history. "No the Bible wasn't originally written in King James English. It was written in Greek and Hebrew." It pains me that most people here think that they need to read the KJV version of the Bible. Most of them are on the verge of illiteracy and at times the Bible is tough enough to understand. Christ came to speak to us in our own languages. He came to take some of the mystery away (bu adding on layers of mystery). And yet for many here, the mystery still remains and the knowledge of Biblical matters rests with the preacher and leadership. It raises my ire.
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