I. Hate. Paper.

Yes, a pretty bold statement, but one I think I need to get out.  Yesterday I experienced perhaps the most stressful hour of my math career.  I gave my grade 1/2 students a "paper test". That's right, just as you read, a paper test.  What an epic fail!

Let me back track for a minute. I am a part of a great opportunity within my school to work with a grade level team (me + 2 others, so not a huge team!) to do a student work study work with a focus on mathematics.  We met last week to discuss the vision and path we wanted to take and thus, created a pre-test for students to complete as a starting off point.

Fast-forward to yesterday. I feverishly worked through my lunch hour to prepare the small packages of manipulatives and paper test for each student and then gathered everyone up at the beginning of our usually exciting math class.  Students were excited asking what we were going to learn today until I calmed them down and started my explanation.  I started out with what we were going to be doing today was not going to be something that was going to be marked for their report card and that it was something that was very different than we are used to having.  I pulled out a package with the manipulatives and the paper and immediately there were hands in the air asking 1,000 questions.  I went over each question one by one and I could see some confidence in their eyes still, so there was hope in my heart too.  I was holding onto that hope because I knew that we had done each of the questions in isolation before, but never in this format.  I sent each student away with their package and almost instantaneously everyone's stress levels rose through the roof.  Because it was a pre-test for the work study, I could not give direct explanations as to what I was looking for in each question.  I read and re-read each question what felt like 100 times to try and ease their anxiety of having this paper in front of them. All of this brought be back to my EQAO days, minus the age of the kids.

With a quick glance at "the paper" and their faces when each child handed in their work, I knew I had just destroyed them.  They looked discouraged, defeated, confused and unmotivated.  This crushed me.  I also knew that they could answer each of those questions had I asked for a verbal response or been able to give them a marker and a piece of chart paper.  I felt deflated as a teacher.  What had I put my students through and how can I make it easier for them?

All of this to say, I hate paper.  My students are used to manipulating, drawing, collaborating and discussing their ideas and learning that when I put a piece of paper, better known as the "test" in front of them, they have no clue how to handle it.  I felt so frustrated with their outcomes and sad towards how they felt they did.  I shared these feelings with my principal and she reminded me that it's not a bad thing that they didn't know what to do and that there are some students that had I put the same paper in front of them would have eaten it right up and known exactly what to do because that's all they know.  All they know are worksheets.  All my students know is manipulating, discussing and collaborating.

Today we're going back to our manipulating and active learning.  There won't be another "paper" until the post-test comes up in a month from now.  Until then, I'll be making it up to my students with snap cube & pattern block free time!

The Spirit of the Season

This year as I think I've mentioned I am at a different school in a very diverse neighbourhood.  I have been apprehensive at times about what is celebrated or recognized and to what extent.  This has been especially at the forefront this past month or so with Christmas.  One thing I knew I wanted to do was to have students write letters to Santa.  I knew I could pull my pedagogical hat on if I was approached as to why I had done this activity, but I knew the excitement with the end result was well worth it.

I found a template off canadapost.ca and got everything ready.  We read "The Jolly Christmas Postman" and modelled our letter writing to preparation.  We sat down as a class and wrote our letters, even adding in a drawing or two.  I had explained to the students that I would drop them in the mail that very afternoon right after school.  I was worried that they wouldn't arrive at the North Pole in time for them to be returned before the holiday break.  We had worked right until the deadline! EEEKKK!

Jump forward to December 15th... the magical envelope had arrived!!!  I was giddy with excitement as I brought the envelope up to our classroom.  I had to find the perfect time to give them the letters...not before a lesson but not too late so that I didn't have to rush them out the door.  There was no perfect time that day.  Amidst practicing for the holiday concert and trying to keep a lid on the excitement, I decided to forgo a new art project and pull out the magical envelope.  At first they didn't know who could be writing us letter, but then it clicked.  SANTA!!!

I made sure to hand out all the letters before letting them open them and had our iPad ready to video their reactions.  I am so glad I captured the moment because it was unbelievable. (I am still trying to figure out how to post the video!)

**Note: Keep in mind 95% of my class does not celebrate Christmas in the commercial or religious sense, so this was a first time experience for them.  This is what made it even more magical!

Needless to say, if they remember nothing from this year except that Santa wrote them back, it won't bother me!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and as my students would say Mele Kalikimaka!

Stephanie :)

One Act That Changed Everything

I haven't been online a whole lot since school started two and a half weeks ago, but I took some time tonight to try and catch up what was happening on Facebook.  I was checking my "notifications" when it said I had "memories" from past posts or updates I had made from years past. I usually read them and think nothing more about what I felt or was expressing, but tonight one stuck out to me...

On this day 8 years ago I made the decision that would change my life and my family life forever.  I had left the only "professional" job I had ever known, my safe spot, and what I thought at the time was my dream job with the Ottawa 67's.  I remember September 22nd, 2007 like it was yesterday.  I had gone into the office, and was going to bite the bullet.  I walked into the president's office and resigned...one week before the biggest night of the season, but I just had to leave.  I said that I was going to go back to school and see where that lead me.  Inside I was scared, afraid yet relieved.  My dream job was becoming work for me.  I had just recently gotten married and the life style of working for a sports franchise just wasn't what I could do for the rest of my life.  I had met some of the most amazing individuals and friends one could ever ask for. I was involved in so many incredible events that I felt there was nothing more to challenge me.  Going back to school was going to be the challenge I needed.

I registered at the University of Ottawa for the winter semester and started out on a career path that I never thought could be so rewarding.  Over the last 8 years I have met even more incredible people, experienced so many unbelievable opportunities and been challenged professionally and personally beyond my wildest imagination each and every day.

So thank you Facebook, for giving me the opportunity to reflect and be grateful for what the last 8 years has brought me.

Stephanie :)

Reflection of The Last 12 hours

***REPOST from June 6th, 2015

I have had a little less than 12 hours to digest the most shocking, devastating news a teacher could ever receive.  Last night a student that would cheerfully attend my classes week after week without missing a beat died.  I am not here to recount last night's events, but to reflect on the last 12 hours and the emotions that have filtered through my brain and house.

As a staff at HLES I am going out on a strong and sturdy limb and saying that we as a staff and community are very close knit.  Our school welcomes just shy of 400 students and over 35 staff members each morning and while we do not all have the same teaching philosophy or styles one things for sure, we care for each and every one of the other members of our school.  Today was a devastating day in learning that one of our grade 8 students passed away.  It was a call that I never imagined receiving on a beautiful Saturday afternoon from one of my administrators.

A colleague had alerted us to an emergency that was unfolding in the school yard last night & wondered if any of us in the community had heard as to what happened, but when I saw the missed called on my cellphone today just after lunch from the school's phone number I knew.  I just knew it couldn't be good.  I looked at the phone for a few seconds and recited the school number in my head to make sure that was really the number I was looking at and then took the courage to listen to the message that was sent.  My heart was racing as I listened and paced up & down the hallway between the front door & my kitchen as I tried to return the call.  Voicemail…and the mailbox was full.  Next, send a text message.  My heart was sinking farther & farther trying to prepare myself for the news on the other end.

I could picture my colleague sitting in his office, trying to be strong & stoic for all of us that he was calling all the while trying to comprehend & understand what went wrong.  I tried to break the ice a little by remarking on the beautiful weather & that I really hoped I didn't need to hear from him today but it was inevitable.  I was crushed…I was in shock…I had so many questions that couldn't be answered…I wanted to help in someway but didn't know how.  We chatted for a few minutes, sharing only sparse & scripted lines that at this point are the only words that can be said.  The conversation ended with "go hug your children extra tight today & everyday".  I cried.  How can this be? How can such an artistic, dedicated, polite, quick whited member of our school community be gone? Why him? How? How come? What can I do to help?

I can only imagine if I have all these questions running through my head, what are his classmates, friends, family and other colleagues might be feeling or asking.

I have sat and questioned, I have researched, I have talked with my closest colleagues over the last 12 hours and we are all at a loss.  Monday is going to come and I will admit it is going to be THE TOUGHEST day I will have ever had as a teacher, but I will be going to school to be with my school community.  It is there that I think I belong.  It is there that I think I need to go and just sit or just listen.  It is there that I will remember this young man who had so many great talents and still wonder.

I have one week left on my maternity leave and I will spend every minute needed loving my 400 day-time children because I know he would be there loving us too if he could.

My God wrap him & his family & friends in love at this time of great need.

I am in shock.

Stephanie

Classroom Clean Out/Up

It's that time of the year again when we realize how much paper we have been hoarding for the last 10 months and what student all of a sudden has months worth of gym clothes stuffed into their locker.

As with the past years, our chief custodian is right on top of things and strips and waxes classroom floors the the days leading up to the end of the year, and again my classroom was done at the beginning of this week.  I find this extremely helpful in making me clean out my room before the final days and forcing the students to take their belongings home.  I am also able to set my classroom back up for the following year saving me time at the end of the summer. However, instead of resetting my classroom I am packing it up in boxes to move to a new school for next year.  I have been declared surplus at my current school due to declining enrolment.  It has been quite the process of applying and interviewing for positions and then landing a new challenge.

As I cleaned out cupboards and filing cabinets, I couldn't help but relate to this article by Elizabeth Moore I read recently about how teachers hoard supplies and resources "just in case".  It has made me really think before loading my boxes if I'm going to use such item or notebook and if not, pass it along.  It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff we actually collect and then typically go buy again because we can't find it in our cupboard or closet.

I am going to be starting fresh at a new school, therefore I will be attempting to only keep what I actually see myself using.  Although I am changing grades (dramatically) I will be selective as to what I "pack" into my cupboards.

Here's to clearer, more organized cupboards!

Sunshine & happiness today & forever!

Stephanie :)

Career vs Home Woman

When I was 8 years old if someone asked me if I was going to be a career woman or a stay at home mom I would have replied stay at home mom without a doubt.  I was always toting around my Baby Shivers doll that looked like (and smelt like) a real baby, dressing her and taking care of her as if she was real.  As I grew older, around the age of 15-17 if you had asked me the same question again I would have switched to career woman.  I had a vision in sight and I wasn't going to let anyone or anything get between it and me. It cost and/or didn't allow me to pursue personal relationships for so long because I was going to be a career woman and didn't have time for those distractions.

Fast-forward to 2013 and #TeamAmelie was born.  At the time I had just landed my first permanent teaching gig when I first found out I was pregnant.  I can remember sitting in the parking lot of the school before going into the interview and calling DH crying because I didn't think I could go in because I was afraid I'd throw up everywhere.  Morning, afternoon, night…ok ALL DAY & NIGHT sickness had me rethinking what I had just done a few weeks earlier.  I digress…Here I am pregnant with our first child, land my first permanent teaching position and I have to decide which I want more!? I was determined to work as long as I physically could because I'm not very good at sitting & waiting for something that doesn't have a definite arrival time.  I was also determined that I was going to get back in the classroom just six months after she was born.

See, I have heard of the horror stories of starting back into a classroom part way through the year because you can't make it your own.  The students refer back to their previous teacher (your replacement, but as far as their concerned their teacher), they are set in their routines, rolling with the replacement's expectations.  How could I break this in February? Also, how was I going to stay home and live the pace of a newborn/toddler after living the pace of a 10,000 person per game hockey career & the life of a university student for the last 10 years?  Thus it donned on me…I'm going to go back to the classroom after 6 months off and DH can stay home with #TeamAmelie.  I'm not leaving her with a stranger at daycare, I know DH will text me throughout the day, and worse case scenario they both end up at my inlaws and my mother in law saves the day.

So many people told me I was crazy, that I'd change my mind once I had the baby, why would I want to get back to work- there's only misery there.  You name it, I heard it.  I didn't let that sway me though.  I loved my job, my sense of accomplishment at the end of the day and I needed to feel like I did something each day.  Don't get me wrong, I did A LOT with #TeamAmelie and I wouldn't have traded that time for the world, but I also knew where I belonged and that was in the classroom.  I ran into who at the time I would call an acquaintance at the mall one day and we got chatting about being off on leave and the adjustment blah blah blah and then she asked me "so you'll go back to work in a year and then what?" I stopped her right there in her tracks and announced that I would be going back to work in the fall and DH was going to try his hand at parenting.  For the first time ever, she was the first person who agreed and applauded me for my decision.  I could have hugged her right there in the mall!  She too confessed to me that she didn't think she could stay home for the full year because so too is a busy body and is passionate for her career.  I instantly felt a connection: someone who understood my desire for a career and for being a parent.  I don't think I could have a full appreciation for either one without the other, but I had to be honest with myself and the world if I was going to make it work.

Fast-forward again- #TeamOlivier is born two years and four days after #TeamAmelie and I still had the same feeling as I did the first time.  I worked right up to the bitter end, but this time I decided that I was going to get back into the classroom before the end of the school year.  Yes, just 4 months after #TeamOlivier was born, I will be heading back to my place of passion & comfort.  Like a script written two years ago, people questioned my decision, my sanity and at times if I was a real person. Although our intentions are a little bit different this time (ie. we will get the whole summer off together in what otherwise would have only been 2 non-consecutive weeks), I still feel as determined and passionate about my job.

Having two kids is a whole new ball game, especially at the ages they are, so balancing the home/work scale is going to take some adjustment for everyone.  When I go back in just under two weeks I will be returning just half days, to try & meet a healthy balance of career vs home woman.

I understand there are financial constraints to sharing the parental leave, and that not every father is given the opportunity to stay at home with his children; however, I think we need to be honest with ourselves and our partners to find the right balance between all of our desires whether they be at home or at work.

What would you or did you do with having children and your career? Were you as definitive as I was in knowing where your passion lied and what you wanted?  I'd love to hear from you.

Sunshine & happiness today and forever.

Stephanie :)

Change & Routines

In all my brilliance yesterday I decided to open up my calendar and see where we were at. BIG mistake! I am now crushed and full of anxiety because I only have 2 weeks left on maternity leave before I go back to the classroom part time. I don't like change and have a hard time getting back into routine after being out of them for so long.  I feel like I just started my leave and had all these weeks and months ahead of me to relax and not think about going back.

I am not good with change or transitions.  I am secretly thankful that both #TeamAmelie & #TeamOlivier came early and that I didn't have time to say "goodbye" to my students.  I wouldn't have been able to handle that.  Instead, I said "have a good weekend" to them at the end of the week and rode off into the sunset to deliver both babies.  With "TeamAmelie I didn't go back to the classroom before the end of the year, but this time (in order to take advantage of having the summer off together) I am going back for the last 10 days.  Both times are similar too in that I have to change schools for next year.

I have been declared surplus (that's for another post) and will be transferring to Elizabeth Park PS for next year to teach grade 1/2.  My students (or their families) don't know yet and I am dreading the moment I have to tell them.  Again, wishing I could just ride off into the sunset with my boxes and avoid the emotions of it all.

Today has really hit me with what I want to get done before I head back to the classroom and have been able to stroke a few things off my forever growing to do list.  #TeamOlivier finally has his name up on the wall and next up is dismantling the growing pile of tupperwear containers thrown in the drawer and making some sort of organized sense of it all.

While I am not all that excited to think of it as my maternity leave being over, I am extremely excited to think of the notion that DH will be home with the kids and therefore with the family each night instead of off coaching other people's children (that too for another post).

So until we are all reunited for 8 weeks of uninterrupted family time on June 28th, I will take full advantage of my last two weeks of my second maternity leave because I know I won't ever get this time back.

Sunshine & happiness today & forever.

Stephanie

The "must die" factor to progression

#AprilBlogADay Toping: What practice, tradition, instructional strategy or anything else "must die". What needs to stop in order for Education to move forward. 

As a considerably new teacher to the profession I am often faced with the saying "we've never done it that way" or "we've don't do that here" and I think that attitude is the one thing "must die" for education to move forward.  Great, you've never done it or it hasn't been done here before so think of how exciting it will be to try something new or different?!  Often this attitude is meet by those who are afraid of change in the wake of failure.  Failure isn't permanent and it certainly isn't fatal.

A practice that I would like to see die in education is the administering of formal written tests (i.e.: when everyone s completely silent for 1 hour so that you can scribble down what you know or maybe don't know about a subject).  I don't think it is a fair evaluation of what students know or can demonstrate.  Where else in life are you given a test that you have to scribble all of your knowledge down on a piece of paper to prove yourself?!  This idea also follows the provincial or state standards testing that students are punished to take.  It is not an equitable display of a students ability or knowledge, but rather robot like.

I like to consider my teaching on the edge of trendy and serving the needs of my students, so I am not too caught up in practices, traditions or instructional strategies that "must die" in order for education to move forward.  I am sure if I was to reflect on it for a longer period of time I could come up with quite a list of things I'd like to see die!

Sunshine & happiness today & forever.

Stephanie :)

A Moment of Humanity in the Classroom

In reading the description for today's #AprilBlogADay topic, I immediately thought of a powerful and poignant moment in my classroom this year.

Setting the stage: Every year in January, Bell Canada hosts or sponsors #BellLetsTalk day where they bring awareness to mental health.  This year marked the 5th year of #BellLetsTalk day and it has widely spread across social media and deep into todays youth.  Over the past few years I have taken the opportunity to incorporate the day and issues into my language and math lessons, but this year it provided a whole new lesson not just for me but for every single student in my class.  The morning of #BellLetsTalk day (January 28th, 2015) was just like any other.  I turned my classroom computer on and decided that whatever I had written in my daybook was no longer important to cover today. Bell rang, and I welcomed my students into class.  Of course I responded to the 27 requests for what we were going to do today and whether they needed any pencils or notebooks out.  I need to remember sometimes that my 5th graders are still young and innocent and see the world at face value.  How was I going to introduce such an important topic?  Twitter to the rescue! We have a class Twitter account (@mmeranger) and it had been a number of days since a student pulled it up on the screen for everyone to see.  I immediately pulled open our account and found the trending topics.  It was also helpful that an abundance of celebrities were talking about #BellLetsTalk and that immediately caught the attention of the kids.

We then went through the #BellLetsTalk website and watched the short youtube videos of the campaigns spokes people.  We talked about their feelings, their experiences and what all this could mean.  We came up with the common issue of mental heath. At this point the classroom was as serious as it could get.  I could tell the issue was very confusing for some, almost a taboo subject for others and for one student in particular it was her life.  Over the course of the year, I made sure my students felt that our classroom community was a safe place to share and ask questions and it shone so bright today.  I was privileged enough to have a child & youth worker student in my classroom so I had great support for the students.  As we worked though the website, students were forming their thoughts and ideas, asking questions where they felt necessary and for clarification. There was lots of discussion around what a mental illness is, how do we know if we have one, where we get help and how it affects not just the person suffering, but also their family and friends.  Open the most poignant part of this lesson.

Student A raises her hand and explains that she has a friend that has mental health issues and that it is sometimes hard for her to know what to say or do because she doesn't know how this friend is going to react.  I pose general questions about how this makes her feel & if there is anything she tries to help her friend with.  The conversation garners a few comments from other students & from our C&Y worker before Student A emotionally reveals that her friend is her big sister.  You could have heard a pin drop in the room.  I let the room sit silent for what felt like forever, but was more like 2 minutes.  I wanted students to be able to sit, reflect and compose themselves to pose questions or comments, but I also needed time to regain my composure too!

This moment in our classroom was THE moment that we all seemed to need.  It was the moment that sealed us as one classroom community; one that is safe, caring, non-judgemental and empathetic.  The revelation by Student A put a face to the numbers, made it real and tangible to the students who often think it doesn't happen to them or anyone around them.  I couldn't have asked for a better situation to come up to help solidify this important issue.

We went on to talk about #BellLetsTalk & mental health issues for a number of days after. We tracked how much money was raised via social media, we read articles and stories of overcoming mental health struggles.  Enter Moment of Humanity #2! At the end of the week I received an email from a parent thanking me for taking the time all week to introduce and discuss the many facets of mental health issues.  Her son had gone home after day 2 or 3 of our discussions and brought it up at the dinner table as to what we were talking about (read between the lines that this student NEVER does this).  He himself has mental health issues and is learning to manage them amongst his peers but didn't know how to explain his struggles to them.  I relieved this student from this pressure and was now able to open up and be himself just a little bit more.

These are "pay cheques" that you just can't put money on & this is why I teach.

For more information on #BellLetsTalk click here.

Go forward and be the sunshine & happiness today & forever.

Stephanie :)

Do we have a professional responsibility outside the classroom?

In all professions, members are held up to professional standards while practicing in their domain, but the question always is, what professional responsibility do we have away from our domains that we should be expected to maintain?  As a teacher, for years our profession has not been seen as an equal "profession" or as professional as say a doctor or lawyer, but that does not mean we should not have a professional responsibility outside of our classroom.

I believe that we have a professional responsibility outside the classroom in a few capacities.  First, I think it is our responsibility to maintain current teaching practices and trends in student learning.  This means using our own time to research, read, participate and follow in professional development in the multitude of forms that are presented to us.  Too often I see fellow professionals out of current practices or reject an opportunity to further their learning because it is not presented to them during their paid work day.  How can we expect students to review work, complete homework or projects etc. outside of school hours if we ourselves are not willing to put in hours outside our designated "professional time"?

Secondly, I think we have a professional responsibility outside the classroom when it comes to socialization & relaxation.  Now I am not saying our employers or professional college designation should dictate what we can and cannot partake in outside of school hours, but I am saying that we have one of the most influential responsibilities in our communities.  I have seen a few fellow colleagues forget or disregard that members of our school community (parents and students), and have been less than professional.  I believe that this is a factor as to why we are not regarded sometimes as professionals in our domain.  Anytime the public can knock us for something (and we all know they love to do that), they will.  It takes just one colleague to paint us all with the same brush, but that colour is not representative of the teaching/teachers as a whole.  Thus, I think that we should have to uphold the standards of practice that are regulated upon us in the classroom outside of the classroom.  This might help our public image and the influence we have within our community.

Personally, I take my professional responsibility outside of the classroom as a privilege. I have been privileged enough to be granted an opportunity to engage as a professional within the classroom and I believe that without this same responsibility outside the classroom, it would seem redundant.  I thrive on taking professional development sessions at any opportunity even if it means #TeamAmelie gets a few more minutes if iPad time so that I can participate in a webinar or take an online course.  Staying current with trends and learning styles of our students (essentially our clients) is our responsibility no matter when or how it occurs.  We are letting our profession, our "clients" and essentially our futures down if we garnish our professional responsibility outside of the classroom.

What do you believe our professional responsibility outside the classroom is or should be?

Time to reflect with sunshine & happiness today & forever.

Stephanie :)

Homecoming of Sorts

Yesterday was a typical Saturday with DH gone running the roads to the multitude of hockey tournaments and #TeamOlivier up at the crack of dawn.  The weather has FINALLY turned nice out so going to the park is more than just something to do in a few months.  This morning we were going to the park! As crazy as it might sound, I found the perfect moment to jump in the shower to get ready for the big outing, got everything & everyone lined up to walk out the door and it star to rain.  It's a good thing I didn't pre-warn #TeamAmelie that we were going to the park when I got her dressed because there would have been water falling from more than the sky. Let's pretend the plan is going as it should & pack everyone up in the truck for a road trip.  I knew that my mom was at a trade show of sorts so why not go check it out. #TeamOlivier slept the whole way there while #TeamAmelie sang me endless renditions of The Wheels on the Bus...this is going not too bad so far!

The trade show being in my hometown of which is fairly small I was prepared to know a few people, but I wasn't prepared for it to be like old homecoming week.  I felt like I knew every second person (good and bad)! It was great to see people that I haven't seen in YEARS and some decades ago.  I ran into an old elementary school classmate that I haven't seen in almost 20 years and we picked up like it had been mere months.  He has got two beautiful children himself (two girls) and a very energetic wife.  We chatted as long as our little people would let us and vowed to take care.  As I continued around the show I chatted with people from when I was younger, friends of my parents and anyone who gave compliments to #TeamAmelie and #TeamOlivier.  These encounters made me feel a little nostalgic and miss my hometown and wonder what people from my childhood were up too.  On my drive home (both kids sleeping because it was our normal nap time), I could help but think how cool it would be to have a class reunion soon since it would be 20 years next June that we all went to school together.  I don't know how we could pull it off...I'm not friends on Facebook with any of my classmates from elementary school and maybe I'm the only one curious about what everyone else is up to.

Until I can decide if it's something I want to try and coordinate, I am so happy I took the drive yesterday and ran into an old classmate.  Wish our children could have grown up together just like we did all those years ago!

Sunshine & happiness today & forever.

Stephanie :)

New Year, New Commitment

WOW...I never knew I was so neglectful of my writing and reflection.  Life has certainly been taking a hold of my time and creating wonderful moments and memories, and now that I look back at them I wish I had taken the time to sit and write about them.  None the less, it's a new year so a new opportunity to make a commitment to take some time and write about life.

Over the past few years of my online absence I have established a wonderful teaching career and started a beautiful family.  Neither are in a stage of completeness, as I strive to improve my teaching each and every day, and I am in the final weeks of adding baby number 2 to the mix at home.

As 2015 is now here, I am making the world known of my "resolution" to make an effort to document our crazy, zoo like life a few times a week and to reflect on my teaching.

Now to gather my thoughts to know where to start writing & reflecting.

Stephanie :)

Spring Fever

With just one week until spring is officially upon us, I have jumped ahead and started our spring-cleaning around the house. Now, I haven’t started the traditional cleaning chores like washing windows, scrubbing floors & cleaning out the disaster zone also referred to as the garage, but I have attacked closets and cupboards in every corner of this house. I’m sure the garbage-man thought that there was a street competition of who can put the most garbage out this week because it looks like the fever has hit quite a few on the street. I ended up with 7 bags of garbage and 2 huge boxes of cardboard recycle. I didn’t let one closet or cupboard go unnoticed from the bedrooms, to the office, bathrooms & even the kitchen. I took the attitude of I can always get a new one or a fresh bottle when looking at items deep in the bowels of the closed door spaces. I tossed all the expired products and sorted through what we just didn’t want anymore. I have a bag of toiletries that I need to donate somewhere and took two bags of food to the food bank donation box of food that isn’t on our pallet anymore. It feels really good to open a cupboard and be able to see exactly what we have and what we don’t need to buy more of. For the record, we don’t need to buy pasta, crackers, cookie mix or peanut butter for A LONG TIME!!! It has also allowed me to think of easy meals that I can prepare after school using just what we have in the cupboard and a fresh piece of meat. Our goal is to just buy fresh foods (fruits, vegetables & meats) until we have cleared out everything else in the cupboard.

It’s been a busy time around here besides spring-cleaning. Marc is knee deep in his hockey school tournaments that start next month & I’ve been teaching all-day, everyday for the past month or so. I have secured my LTO until the end of the school year so that brings me a little relief. I love my job so much that I didn’t want to loose it mid way through the year. I’ve also been supply teaching every morning for teachers in my school on workshops or that are under the weather. I love this part of my job too because I get to see what everyone else is doing and to teach all the other students in the school.

With just another 3 days of break, I’m going to continue my spring-cleaning trend by sorting through clothes & shoes and then take some time for myself and maybe scrapbook or curl up on the couch for a movie & good book.

I now know why there’s a March Break built into the school year, because without it I’d still be living in an over-stuffed house wondering what I’m going to make for supper!

New Year’s Resolution- Broken as soon as I posted it!

Ok…I’d like to think that I have everything under control and organized most of the time, but I just can’t get myself to keep up with this blogging bit! It must be that I’ve been busy living life and finishing school for the millionth time!!! School is officially done and summer has settled in well…I’ve been enjoying my time at home getting things back in order, clean out and re-organized before the fall comes around the corner and mayhem starts all over again. I’ve been busy these past couple of days jamming up some strawberry & strawberry-banana jam to put in the freezer for the winter. I don’t like to buy jam in the store because I find it tastes stale and processed and I love being in the kitchen so making my own jam isn’t so bad.

Since my last post (ekkk, in January!) I’ve successfully completed 2 student teaching placements in two very different teaching environments. I started with a great split grade class that was in a portable that felt like miles from the school and we existed in our own little world at times. The kids were absolutely fantastic to work with and I really felt like I connected to them in the 8 short weeks I was there. My second placement was right here in my own neighbourhood in two different classrooms, teaching math & English exclusively. These classes were students in the French immersion stream so their academic abilities were higher than my first placement, but they required different needs filled. I certainly had to be on my toes with both these classes and no “winging it” was possible. I had three fabulous mentor teachers that all help form me as a new teacher and I took away so many different ideas, approaches and skills that I will certainly be using in my future.

As I sit back and look at the last year and all that has gone on, a lot has changed and a lot of optimism has returned. I would have never thought that I would quit my job, return to school to earn my BA, and then head south of the border to earn my teaching degree. It has been a whorl wind time and I’ve met some of my closest friends in the past few years. Here’s to many many more years of overcoming challenges, long nights working on assignments and long lasting friendships!

It's Been TOO Long...Fall Term Snap Shot

As I sit and reflect on what has happened since I last updated my blog, I have made a pre-New Year’s resolution to stay on top of this blog. I feel like it’s the end of the semester and I haven’t been keeping up on my homework and now it’s piling up on me. Wait- that is what it is! In my last post I sympathetically wrote about how the dog days of summer were over and I was heading back into the grind of university life. Boy, has it ever been a grind; it has had some bright spots and had some downright earth crashing spots too. I was excited to start the semester and the final year of my BA, but I can tell you now that I am that much more excited for it to be over. To give a summary of my semester, I’ll go course by course: Religions of the World I- The professor is great! She is young, dynamic and extremely knowledgeable. As with any religion course I am always so worried what some people are going to come out with and say evoking a near riot in class, but this professor seems to let people talk, but still keeping a diplomatic feeling. The classroom itself comes with the most uncomfortable seats, but it’s beyond all of our controls. I meet one of the best new friends I have ever had in this class. Finally I have met a mature student who just gets it and gets me. We have so much in common and our friendship is starting to look like that girl friend that you should have in your university days that sticks by you for life. Melissa is a fantastic person. Throughout this semester we have gone through MANY experience together- some exciting, some deadly. Not very often now that a day goes by that we don’t talk, text or email...even our men get filled in at the end of each day! Gender & Religion- Not knowing really what to expect in this class beyond the general course description when I registered, I was a little disappointed. We had so much material to cover I feel that we only did brief summaries of each without digging deeper into each faith or tradition. The professor is great entertainment for a Tuesday night course and it certainly doesn’t feel like we’ve been there for 3 hours after she’s done teaching. Of course, having Melissa in class with me helps, but the teacher tops this one. Sports Marketing- There’s not much positive that I have to say with this course other than that it’s over. The teacher was horrible and I had one of the most negative experiences with group work again. This class had no midterm exams or final exam but rather one individual assignment and two group assignments. We all know how I hate group work and this just reinforced my feelings about it. NEVER AGAIN! Methods & Theories in Religious Studies- Oh, yet another 3 hour night class in the pit of the university. Our classroom has no windows, no ventilation and is in the basement of the engineering building. Not very often has our class gone the full 3 hours simply from the depressing atmosphere that we were surrounded by. This course involved a lot of heavy reading that I had a lot of trouble with at the beginning. The reading included well over 200 pages a week and if you missed a reading, you had no clue what the class discussion was about. The professor is certainly intimidating, but shows her soft side from time to time; I HATE the TA...he’s so condescending and talks like...I can’t even describe it. This is a full year course, so I’m in for the long haul. The teacher has promised she’d look into a room change for next term. Inuit & Aboriginal Religions- Boy, can you think of a better way to spend your Friday night than wondering if the professor is actually going to show up? This is what I have gone through for the last 13 weeks. This professor has to be the worst one I have ever seen. We went a week where she didn’t show up at all and 11 other weeks where she was 15-45 minutes late for class to only talk in circles about stuff that was so hard to understand what she was saying. BUT, it’s over!!! I can’t say that I have learnt anything in this class, but Google has been extremely helpful in completing my take home midterm and take home final exam! Now that you have a snap shot of what my classes were like, I’m sure you can see why I am looking forward to the holiday break. The break this year is a very short one (just 1 week), but it makes the next semester start and finish that much sooner too. The motivation right now is the 7 teachers college applications that I have submitted and waiting to receive acceptance letters. They send acceptance or refusal letters starting April 1st, so the wait begins for that too. I will leave you with this for now, but I promise I’ll post the latest and greatest in the coming days and weeks to get back into the routine. Until then...have FUN! Stephanie

The Dog Days are Over

After a long yet seemingly short summer, back to school is just around the corner. When reflecting on the past 3 months, I can’t seem to tell you what occupied my time. I took 3 courses over the summer months, 2 in May-June and one in July-August. I am now successfully finished the third year of the BA and about to start the fourth and final year on Wednesday night. While not in school over about a total of eight and a half weeks, I accomplished a few tasked that I had on the back burner for a while. I got caught up and on top of the house chores, cleaned out closets and cupboards and started to stock the freezer for the winter months. I even have the in-law family Christmas presents done- all 9 of them! It is amazing the stuff you accumulate in a house when you don’t try too. We’ve only been in our house for 4 years, yet I seem to always be able to add a few extra bags of garbage at the curb after a week of house cleaning and pare down my closet by 30-40 hangers every couple of months of items that I no longer wear or heaven forbid no longer fit me. There are a few girls out there that I’m sure check their calendars and anticipate the cloths dump of my closet. Surprisingly after each clean out, there are not gaping holes that need to be filled in the closet; however, I am conscious with a rule that for every one piece of clothing that enters my closet, one needs to exit. It’s the only way to keep the other half from noticing the new purchases! I have two more full days off before I head back to campus and I have a long to-do list drawn up. Gardening, lawn care, laundry, baking and the no longer avoidable storage room re-organization top the list. I’m hoping to have most of it done by the time Mac gets home from work, so that I don’t need to answer the “what did you today?” My fourth year schedule isn’t the best one I have built in my schooling career, but it’s going to take some adjusting too. In the fall semester I have class every night except Monday night and only 2 1.5 hour classes during the day. I am going to despise the teacher that accepted to teach a class on a Friday night from 5:30-8:30...come on, don’t you have anything better to do on a Friday night but teach a bunch of university students that would rather not be there?! It is going to be good for getting things done around the house and to study without any distractions. It will be a revolving door at 4 o’clock every day as I head to school and Marc comes home from work...married life will be excellent...we won’t ever see each other to disagree!

The End is in Sight

Well, here we are on the last day of the tournaments...I can hardly wait to get my sweat pants on tonight and crawl into bed where it is warm and have a nice quiet evening at home. This last tournament has had it all...a team not show up...a team quit after their first game...and the zamboni run over a puck causing delay. We can honestly say that we will not be planning a midget/junior tournament for the next couple of years...it’s just short of disaster. I started back to school this week after a brief time off. My courses are going to be interesting, they kind of overlap and once causes the other. The tough part will be keeping them both straight and not mixing the theorists. I had to do a little bit of sideline work with my anthropology teacher as his midterm exam was scheduled while we’re on the Ranger family vacation in Europe. In the end I’m having my midterm exam mark dispersed between the written assignment and the final exam. A little more pressure for both, but I get to go on vacation still. My sociology teacher is super funny...he likes to take side tracks while lecturing so you never know if you’re on topic or not. Besides, his first language is French and he’s a lot like me when I try and speak French, he has to translate things in his head first and then lecture...it’s like a live TV broadcast with a 3 second delay to make sure that there are no obscenities! I’m still trying to shake this bug that I got last weekend...I’ve gone from not being able to eat to being able to eat with nothing staying down...again last night was rough. Once I decided to move into the spare bedroom for the remainder of the night, Marc didn’t reserve any time to take over my side of the bed...he had it covered within milliseconds! We’re starting the serious countdown to our vacation...we less than 14 days away. We’ve booked a mini pre-vacation for the long weekend coming up to Toronto. I scored big time on the hotel nights...we’re staying downtown Toronto at the Renaissance Hotel at Rogers Centre for $100 per night. It’s an amazing deal considering it’s a long weekend and its right in the middle of the action. Marc is super excited to be able to catch (hopefully) 4 Jays in a row...we didn’t get to see any last year with the house renovations and my school classes. On the Sunday it’s Photo Day with the Jays so we might be able to get our pictures taken with a few of our favourite players before the game. This is truly the highlight to my weekend! I’ll keep my countdown to our real vacation alive and get back to my sociology and anthropology textbooks!

Weekend Wrap-Up & A Look At A Monday!

Yesterday’s tournament action was more exciting in the stands than it was on the ice at times. The mom’s really take things seriously in summer hockey! That brings me to something we’ve seen week after week lately. Parents and coaching screaming at the referee and opposing team for some of the most minute of things. It was once said best that you have to remember that the parents are of the same knowledge and experience as the players are. The younger the players, the less experienced and knowledgeable they will be. It tough to sit and watch how some parents act when in a few years after they’ve seen many more hockey games they will understand the particular ruling and circumstance surrounding it. Until then we’ll continue to see unexplainable yelling & screaming from inexperienced parents. It was Marc’s birthday on Saturday, but with the hockey tournament we didn’t celebrate. Instead I went out with my bestest friend in the whole world Debbie to go see Il Divo. They were FANTASTIC! Debbie & I both commented on the different demographic they attract (we were definitely on the younger side of the demographic chart!), but the four guys are all varying in age. The Spanish guy was a little greasy looking...definitely lives up to his latest news that he has separated from his wife because their schedules keep them apart...clearly after the Saturday night performance he hasn’t gotten any in a LOOOONNNGGG while! I’m heading back to school today for another 2 months of classes to catch up on the semester that I missed. This term I am taking Anthropology and Sociology, which I’m hoping will help me with the same courses in religion starting in the fall. I’m looking forward to studying again, but if the weather keeps being sunny, I’m going to hate it soon! Tonight’s the surprise dinner for Marc’s birthday that he isn’t suspecting at all. So far, so good!! I’ll let you know how it goes! 18 Days until our family VACATION!!!