For my Halloween unit. Scary Places, Scary Creatures.
Incredible images.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
More than you could Ask or Imagine!
From the "truth is stranger than fiction" department: my wife was hired to the position that I just vacated. This is a God thing. There's no other logical explanation, other than we are being looked after. So many other applications and processes were inexplicably blocked... but now I understand the bigger picture. She will give the teaching position such a fresh approach, the students for sure will quickly buy into her program, and we will see lots of new expressions of music at the school. I'm so thrilled to see this happen. It's more than anyone could ask or imagine.
To my many friends on staff at my former- and her new- school, thank you for your sincere friendship and support. I'll be seeing you soon!
To my many friends on staff at my former- and her new- school, thank you for your sincere friendship and support. I'll be seeing you soon!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Taking Stock of 8 Years
Just trying to capture the main things-
- band performances- at graduation, during student assemblies, to primary classes
- band performances- at Churchill SS, at SJAM SS for Band Festival
- band competition- Musicfest 2005, St. Catherines, silver award
- purchase of new instruments- 2 clarinets, 6 trumpets, 1 trombone, bass clarinet, 2 flutes
- classroom books- Accent on Achievement, Essential Elements- Jazz
- computer lab- refurbished all machines on old W98 platform
- computer lab- worked with IBM rollout team, 2003-4 for school computer plan
- computers- new network connections in rooms 19, 16, 18, 20, 23, 14, 27, 24
- computers- additional workstations in rooms 19, 18, 14, 23, 24 (library) purchased through home and school
- sound equipment- purchased amp/mixer for auditorium and special events, MES supplier, Hamilton
- sound equipment- purchased USB/microphone interface for sound recording
- library- weeded entire collection 2006, adjusted and moved furniture and shelves
- library- with assistance form LLRC staff, catalogued and shelved several hundred new titles
- library- with assistance form LLRC staff, developed a list of priorities and tasks for completing the library set up
- library- added computer workstations, bringing total to 12, including one for circulation
- library- reading storage room shared for ESL teaching, 2006-7
- library- Scholastic Book Fair, Feb 2007, earned $1700 in spendable credit with Scholastic. Next book fair scheduled for Sept. 2007
- projects- grad and award certificates, graduation certificates, memory books, graduation slide shows, Remembrance Day slide shows and assemblies
- projects- school musical- selections from Joseph
- projects- stop-time animation, paper cutout method, grade 8/English
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
A Change and a Rest
Yes, it's the time of year where teachers look forward to some time away from the kids. The first couple of weeks of July are always my favourite part of the holidays- there's a great feeling of space, of relief and also a sense that another chapter has been finished. One thing I've come to value about teaching is the cycles. Each year another group or groups of kids are given to me to get to know and to get to teach.
But this summer is also the beginning of a change for me, as I move into teaching primary grade two next September. Fewer kids, different kinds of needs, a new set of teaching skills, and further development of the old ones. And my workplace is a two minute walk from my front door!
It's hard to tie up all the loose ends at the present workplace. There's so much stuff to pack up and sort out. But honestly, I'm not sad about letting someone else have a go at it. I was spread pretty thin with all I was trying to do, especially with one particular project that was very awkward to complete within my timetable. Maybe too much freedom in designing curriculum is not always a good thing! And yet, I have learned so much from this present staff. I am in their debt. Several of them will continue to be my mentors and role models. This has been such a broad and enriching 8 years for me, it is hard to make a list of some of the things I've tried, but I might give it a go.
But this summer is also the beginning of a change for me, as I move into teaching primary grade two next September. Fewer kids, different kinds of needs, a new set of teaching skills, and further development of the old ones. And my workplace is a two minute walk from my front door!
It's hard to tie up all the loose ends at the present workplace. There's so much stuff to pack up and sort out. But honestly, I'm not sad about letting someone else have a go at it. I was spread pretty thin with all I was trying to do, especially with one particular project that was very awkward to complete within my timetable. Maybe too much freedom in designing curriculum is not always a good thing! And yet, I have learned so much from this present staff. I am in their debt. Several of them will continue to be my mentors and role models. This has been such a broad and enriching 8 years for me, it is hard to make a list of some of the things I've tried, but I might give it a go.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
A Clerk who Became a Mentor
Our floating clerk/secretary, LM, was in last Friday.
Wow, we have about 200 new books to put on the shelves, and another 200 still to go! The clerical tasks are big and they just can't get done by little ol' me by myself. Today we had the clerk in and wow she works fast!
It was cool to see her interest in the students as they came in to use the facility. At one point she was up and talking to some grade 1s about a picture book they were reading and thoroughly enjoying chatting it up with the kids. She was not bothered in the least by the fact that the library was a) not quiet and b) she was being interrupted by me or student volunteers to do various book-circulation tasks. I think that the whole administrative/ volunteer/ clerical piece is driven by a great motivation to serve students what they need.
BECAUSE we care about kids we keep the library tidy.
BECAUSE we care about kids we keep the collection fresh.
BECAUSE we care about kids we talk to them about what they are reading and what they are interested in reading.
BECAUSE we care about kids we do what it takes to keep our library at or near the centre of their daily learning experience.
BECAUSE we care about kids we give them accesss to information and materials that will serve them all their lives.
Thanks, LM, for reminding me about that!
Wow, we have about 200 new books to put on the shelves, and another 200 still to go! The clerical tasks are big and they just can't get done by little ol' me by myself. Today we had the clerk in and wow she works fast!
It was cool to see her interest in the students as they came in to use the facility. At one point she was up and talking to some grade 1s about a picture book they were reading and thoroughly enjoying chatting it up with the kids. She was not bothered in the least by the fact that the library was a) not quiet and b) she was being interrupted by me or student volunteers to do various book-circulation tasks. I think that the whole administrative/ volunteer/ clerical piece is driven by a great motivation to serve students what they need.
BECAUSE we care about kids we keep the library tidy.
BECAUSE we care about kids we keep the collection fresh.
BECAUSE we care about kids we talk to them about what they are reading and what they are interested in reading.
BECAUSE we care about kids we do what it takes to keep our library at or near the centre of their daily learning experience.
BECAUSE we care about kids we give them accesss to information and materials that will serve them all their lives.
Thanks, LM, for reminding me about that!
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