Bright Hawaiian Christmas Day...

It has been a very long time since Ive posted but I am alive and actually doing well!  My associate teacher has been teaching me so much and constantly offering me advice and suggestions to improve my portfolio in time for job applications this January.  As for the kids..they are angels!  Of course a few behavioural issues here and there but they are such a good bunch of kids its hard to complain about them.  This leaves me with more time to explore the creative aspect of lesson planning.  I have been trying to explore more kinesthetic learning and interpersonal interactions to consolidate their learning when reading and auditory skills are not as strong.  I think they're getting it and my teacher seems more than pleased with my efforts.  

I received my formative assessment this Friday and was given an overall "outstanding" and I could not be happier.  It really pays to make the effort...and recently the principal has also noticed my efforts as well.  I hope that this good luck will continue because at this point I realize that teaching is what I was meant to do.  I thrive under classroom conditions and I get really excited when I can come up with a fun and creative way for my students to learn things they've never understood before.  

I've managed to visit my grade fives a couple of times over the weeks and the changes made in their classroom have really benefited the students.  I miss teaching them and they've missed me too but maybe one day I will be their supply teacher and get to teach them again. 

As for social life, it's actually been pretty good!  If anything I find my time blogging replaced with human interaction which is always nice.  It's sometimes a balancing act, especially with Christmas concert demands, lesson planning and now signing up to help direct the Christmas pageant at my church.  I'm trying to make the most of my time here at home before I leave for school again.  When I head back I will have to deal with a huge work load and the pressure of job applications.  It will be a hard few months but I keep reminding myself that by April I will be a fully certified teacher!  I better get back to work...I have to design a 3-D palm tree with coconuts on an island with waves for our wall display outside the classroom for students to post their postcard writing pieces (I love how creative my associate is!).  

Happy Teaching!

Lifelong Learning

There's a statistic somewhere out there that says if people who volunteer actually reflect and discuss their volunteering experience, they are more likely to have a lifelong commitment to volunteering and learning. I learned to appreciate reflection, introspection and discussing social issues in a volunteer social club at McMaster called Community Volunteer Action Group. It's a great organization doing tremendous work in the poorest regions of Hamilton. From disabled adults to first generation immigrants, the work this group has managed to do with limited funding is simply amazing. I'm going to post their most recent newsletter and hope that someone will be inspired enough to donate to such an amazing group of people. I was a member for a number of years an I've seen first hand the impact student volunteers have on a community.

Even if you can't donate, I hope people are at least inspired to volunteer in their community. And not just merely doing your duty but critically thinking and analyzing the social issues, your role and the impact made by serving and being served. If you have children, take them with you and make sure you talk about what you've seen and why it's important to stay committed. So many agencies are in need of help which they simply cannot afford. By giving a bit of your time I promise you will gain a lifetime's worth of wisdom and a deeper appreciation for the human spirit. 

You might be wondering what this has to do with teaching.  Frankly, to me it means everything!  Without the ability to think, analyze and discuss the events happening in our lives, we can't grow, develop or learn.  Starting that first discussion can deepen a child's awareness and make them an effective citizen of this earth with powerful thoughts and the potential to change the world for the better. 

http://homepage.mac.com/dkaulback/soc/CVA_Winter_2009.pdf