I have been super busy for the past couple weeks getting my track and field team together. It's been tons of work, and I spend almost every recess timing races and having try outs for the longer races ( I have some die hards that are killer at the 3000). And I love it... I love getting out there on the track and running with the kids, cheering them on, pushing them to go farther and try a bit harder. I have the team at 35 members now... and I think it'll grow a bit after tomorrow's trials.
The thing is, with most of these kids, sports is all they have. So it's great to be able to give them something to look forward to.. especially next Wednesday off school for the regional meet. I have learned more about some these kids in the past 2 weeks than I have all year! And all my problems have stopped in French class because the kids know that i'm giving up a lot of time for them and they appreciate it! It's a great feeling.
But I have run into a bit of a problem. Yesterday on yard duty I was talking to a student and walking, and managed to trip in a hole... yeah laugh it up, it must have been a great sight. But now, I have to do all the track stuff, and all the teaching stuff, on crutches. I'm not supposed to put any weight on it until at least Sunday... or when the bruising and swelling goes down. Fun stuff! I did get today off to rest, which I needed after spending all afternoon yesterday teaching from a chair, with my leg up on another chair being iced. The kids were great about it... getting me new ice packs when I needed them, writting the notes out on the board, and pretty much waiting on me hand and foot. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the week goes. And if any of you strapping young sb.com men are looking to for something to do this weekend.. I could use a man servant! Acutally, i'd go for a woman servant too.. as long as she wears a cute french maid outfit! ha!
hope you are all having a great week!!
I had never really given much thought about what the parents think of me as a teacher. But this week, there have been tons of little moments when I have realised they aren't all so quick to embrace new teachers in their school, all the more if they are young, 1st year teachers. So sorry for hte rant.... but I'm due for a bit of school related talk! Just skip to the end for a summary! ha!
On saturday, I headed to one to my fellow teacher's houses for her graduation party (she just finished her masters). Her house is amazing and has a pub in the basement.. Anyway, I was looking forward to getting behind the bar again like at the last staff party, grabbing a pint by the firepit, and enjoy the band. It was interesting too, because the lead guitar was the french teacher from last year... kindda ackward knowing how much he messed up the kids accademics, but a good guy and a great guitar player. But I digress. When I walked down to the pub, I was greetted by 8 of my grade 7 students. They were overly happy from the combination of pop and cake. One of their mothers turns to me and says, hello, i'm so and so's mum, and this is so and so's mum...etc.... and sorry, i didn't catch your name, was it Missy? to which i replied, um, no, i'm MsA, I teach your children french. Jaws dropped... the kids were laughing.... then the mother appologized and said I was just so young she assumed I was one of the new students in the class. yeah i'm young, but do I really look 13? I don't think she was impressed that I was a teacher and drinking a pint.. but hell it was the weekend, and the other teachers were all drinking much heavier than I was! grrrrrr
Then today, i was running the school track and field meet (150 kids, 6 events in 6 age categories, and only 3 injuries! not too bad for my first time running it!). I was being silly with a group of the 8 year old who had just killed the 9 year olds times in the 100m dash, singing and pretending we were cheerleaders. Anyway, I had to go ask a student something, and the parent beside me heard the child call me MsA. the parent laughed a bit and asked if I was the french teacher. SHe interduced herself as 2 of my students mother. She said the kids talk about me all the time.. I said nothing bad I hope! and she said, no, they just say that you have a lot of energy and always try to make things fun, and I can see that they are right! i took that as a compliment.. but the day got better!
after the meet, another teacher and I went to see a Family from our school at theri store to than them for sponsoring our teams and giving us freezees to sell. Well we walk in, and the mother says, oh, it's MsA, the teacher our kids would rather have as their mother. I teache 3 of her kids (grade 3, 4, and SK) and apparently there was a conversation one night about eating gummie bears for dinner, and when their mother said they couldn't they answered, with a MsA would, cause she's cool like that! ha!!! I had to laugh! she then loaded me up with tons of free chips... she found out i have a weekness for slat and vinegar Lays and I now have a months supply of them! ha!
Long story short....woohoo for parents who like me and who don't care that I'm young!! and woohoo to kids who tell their parents nice things about me! Boooooooo to parents who can't realise that even though i'm young I have 2 university degrees and tons of experience under my belt and am fully qualified for the job! okay, enough.. amaizing race should be starting soon! ha!
So yesterday after my last class, i jumped on the school computer to check my school email, then i had to check my regular one... and there it was.. the email I had been waiting all week for.
I got a job in Whistler!!! I will be the Food and Transportation Supervisor for the ESL summer camp. Now what kind of qualifications do I have for this.. well, none actually. But the job I had interviewed for was a shorter term (by 2 weeks) and less than half the pay. When I asked them why they gave me this job, they said it was because i told them the other one didn't pay as much and I was a little leary of taking it cause I have to pay for my flight, etc. So they gave me this one because they really think i'll be an asset to their staff! It's also a live in position, so no need to get all stressed about finding a place to stay!
I'll be flying into Vancouver on July 3rd, and heading staight up to Whistler to get used to the accomodations and camp there, then back down to Vancover and the UBC camp where I will job shadow for a bit to get to know what the hell I'm doing, then a week of training, then up to Whistler July 16th until the 21st of August to help run camps there.
My main goal while i'm working there for the summer is to find myself a job for the winter. Hopefully I can get in at the school there, but I know that's a far stretch! So maybe i can at least be a supply teacher and work at a hotel or something on the side. I'm already looking into other jobs and places to stay. Thank you to everyone on here who had been so helpful with helping me sort out things for the winter!! I heart you all!!
I think there are two different kinds of people in the world. Those who, when stresses out, can't even think of eating, and those that eat anything and everything. I unfortunetly am of the second variety.
Luckily, the tables have turned. The old principal has been kicked out of the school, and a new one was brought in. Not only does he actually believe in discipline, but he also believe in treating all teachers equal.... i'm no longer 'just the french teacher'. We had a bit of a chat yesterday (after he suspended a student for throwing a water bottle at me when I asked him to please sit down and get back to work.) and he told me that he's surprised that i stuck around after all the things he's heard. He said he read all the repports I sent ot the office about students behaviour and he couldn't believe what the old principal let them get away with it. It's nice to hear that i'm not crazy for thinking these kids are insane, but when you have a principal that doesn't believe french is a real subject, it's hard to get any support.
Now, I come home and i'm in a great mood. I started jogging... and have cut 10 minutes off my time in 2 days! I'm starting to actually feel good about going into work, and the kids have this new found respect for me now that the new principal encourages and supports all I do! I'm usually still smiling at the end of the day, which NEVER happened before, and i mean, i'm a pretty happy person! so hurray for things looking better!
on an opposite note though.. my Knights are getting their butts kicked... i'm giving up on hockey! And... i haven't heard anything back from the interview i did for the job in whistler.. starting to get a bit nervous.. i really wanted that!! if only to be there to do interviews with the schools in the area! ha! so yeah, thanks to all of you who have your fingers crossed for me.. hope you don't mind keeping them crossed a little longer! thanks!
Today I was a bit depressed about the Calgary-Anaheim game... and the kids all know that the Flames are my team. So when the grade 7s came to class today, they came in quietly and when I asked them what was up, as they are usually a chatty bunch, one got up and handed me an Aero Bar and a card. It said "I'm sorry your team sucks... but at least they lasted longer then the Leafs! have some chocolate, it'll make you feel better!" and it was signed by all the kids! ha! it was great! I had to laugh!
So yesterday I only got stuck with 25 brats instead of 50! woohoo! and today I had a fabulous day!! It was great.. I also figured out how to incorporate basketball into a french game... so I have a net set up in my class.. when i was bored at lunch I went in and shot a couple hoops.. i was told, however, that I can only keep it until tomorrow after school, but good fun anyway! Oh, and yesterday's hip hop class was amaizing!! i had a ton of fun, and am a bit sore today.. great hour and a half workout!!
hum.. yeah so with the forums beign down, i seem to spend a lot of time on my blog and actually doing work!! what a concept! I have to say, the reason the Canadian dollar has jumped so much is propably because all the sb.com slackers have actually been working these past days. Come on guys, find something else to slack with, your killing our tourism appeal!!
anyway, hope you all had as great a day as I did!!
For those of you who read yesterday's blog.. here's an update on circus guy... today, he was throwing what looked like machettes into a clown shapped dummy. Now, I think he may not be in a circus, but may have been fired from it and is awaiting his time for revenge... i'll keep you posted!
I had a fabulous day with the kidlets today, and it was great to see their reactions to the new vs old principal. Although, because of a meeting, the new principal had to leave, and the old one was left in charge. I bet he regrets that decision! the poor lady, the kids actually were telling her they would not listen to her as she is no longer the principal... at one point there were 6 kids in the hall, running up and down, one screeming at the top of her lungs, one with scissors about to cut up the school quilt hanging in the lobby, and one running back and forth kicking in my door.. I just happen to be close to the principal's office. This student also left school property and nothing was done about it.. and therefore a child negligence lawsuit is in the process of being filed! how crazy! But the new principal came in and made 3 kids cry in an hour! ha it's great! i heart having someone the kids actually fear!
As for me, I got to teach my actual classes today, but tomorrow, there are 3 teachers away, and none have supply teachers.. pray for a miracle or i'll be stuck with 50 kids in a class tomorrow.. no fun at all! At least I have my hip hop workshop tomorrow night to help me let off some steam!
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Published by cazza21: 3:55 PM
Updated On: 5/2/2006 at 3:55 PM
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I was checking my emails at school on Friday when I saw one from my sister suggesting that she stop by for a visit that night. I don't get to see her much as she's 5 hours away, so i said that I'd have the beer in the fridge. Well here one hour visit turn into a weekend long fun fest! ha!
Saturday morning, we woke up a bit hungover, and decided to go shopping then back fome for a few beer and the out for dinner. We decided to go to this chineese place close by.... it was interesting to say the least. The first plate at the buffet was very tasty, but hte second was disgusting.. it ws as if they had changed form their experienced cook to the intern withing the 2 rounds. Even the chicken balls were undercooked. Who messes up chicken balls?? horrendous I tell you! So we gave up on dinner, and headed back to my house. When we arrived, there was a guy in my back yard... on a unicycle.... juggling bowling pins. Not the kind of thing I usually come home to!
At this point my sister thinks she's going to be sick form the food, and doesn't want to go to Belleville alone to pic up her stuff.. so being the conciderate big sister that I am, I decide to road trip with here. 3 hours later, we're sitting at her place compleltly trashed. Fun stuff! After hitting hte beer bong, and visiting everyone on the street, we headed out to hte bar for some crazy dancing, and more drinking. By this time, shots were a bad idea, but we decided to do them anyway. i found myself chatting with a cutie celebrating his birthday, until i realised how young he was. I'm all for being a cougar, but even I have my limits.. well when it comes to my sister's friends anyway.
After the bar closed, we headed back to my sis' palce. For any of you who know Bellville, my sister lives on Tripp street. It is known as a party street.. no one locks doors, and everyone just shows up at all hours of hte night. So when we headed back form the bar, there ended up being over 30 people at her place... it was good times, but being the oldy that I am, at 4am i was so exhausted... and the party was just moving next door so I slipped out and headed to bed. At 6am the party moved back to the house, and at 7am, they decided to call it a night. I woke up about 2 hours later.
So needless to say, yesterday i was exhausted, hungover, and didn,T get anythign done. To top it off, my sister headed back with me and was hoping to head to Hamilton, but realized she left her purse in Belleville and had to drive back today, so we had another night together, and i took out the bartending book to see how many different drinks I could make with the liquor in my house! good times... and I figured it would be okay as i only had a half day of work..well i was supposed to. But once again, with all the problems at our school.. not only do i end up teaching hte entire day, but not even in my class.. again! grrrrrrrr why the hell do they have me as a french teacher is more often than not i'm working in another class.. In 2 weeks, they have cancelled my french classes 5 days so that I could take over another teacher's class when they are away on conferences, or sick. I'm take 4 days off in the next 4 weeks, and i don't care if there is no supply for me, their problem! grrrrrrrrr okay, well if you are still reading by now, thanks for listening to my rant...
hope you all had a great weekend!
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