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
  

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.