Half a Day of Occasional Teaching

         

          Today I was called in for an afternoon of occasional teaching in a grade 7/8 class.  It was the best day yet.  The teacher I replaced was the "teacher in charge" for the afternoon and, instead of spending her time in the office, she opted to continue her regular program and use me as an extra pair of hands.  This was a wonderful opportunity for me to see just what is happening in the classrooms of Ontario over the past five years.

          The focus of my half-day was to be math and Remembrance Day research.  However, half-way through lunch it was discovered that Buster Bus was on hand for a bus safety presentation and these students would be involved during their math class. 

           At the end of the day, this teacher asks her students to write down three things they learned during the day.  These are the lessons I learned or had reinforced:

• Excellent teaching and learning involves respect
• High expectations lead to excellence in achievement
• Each student is an individual with a unique personality and learning style

          It was a grand day and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity.  Tomorrow I am heading to a known school for a full day in two mystery classrooms.  I can hardly wait to learn even more!

Until then,

Bee Rich

So Long to Day Light Savings Time

Sunday Morning on the Lake

          I was going through our pictures this morning.  The one above caught my eye.  It was taken on Sunday morning, the first day back on standard time, looking out the front window of our home.  The sun came up an hour earlier and the lake reflected the beautiful scene. 

          When I showed it to my husband, he suggested that I send it to the weather network and maybe even order a large print for our home.  I wondered to myself, why would we make a print when we have this view every day?  Then I thought, how very fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful country with the changing seasons.  I am so thankful to be home!

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Pumpkin Day

Mr. Pumpkin Before

          Today was an interesting day in the kitchen. Earlier this week I heard a story on CBC about a group in Ottawa who were collecting uncarved pumpkins in order to make Christmas pumpkin pies for the less fortunate. I thought to myself, what a pleasant idea.  As it was almost a full week after Halloween, and the frost was on our pumpkin,  I decided it was time to bring him back inside. 
          First I baked the pumpkin in the oven at 200 degrees for about two hours, just until his skin was soft.  Then I let him cool before peeling and cutting into pieces.  The seeds were harvested, rinsed, and placed in the oven for 30 minutes.  After salt and garlic powder they were ready for a nice seedy treat.
          The next recipe was taken from my grandmother's cookbook.  It was a simple pumpkin soup made with onions, pumpkin puree, water and milk, then seasoned with curry powder and salt and pepper.  You have to know my brother-in-law to really appreciate this, but when I offered him pumpkin soup for lunch, he just laughed.  He was happy to have some home made bread and butter instead.  I enjoyed the soup.
          The remaining pumpkin, about 12 more cups of the orangey substance, was put in the oven to bake for another hour or so.  It will be used for pumpkin bread and pumpkin pies later this month, that is if I can find room in the freezer to store it all. 
          The best part of the day was my husband's reaction to the Pumpkin Soup...he had a second bowlful, and his brother even tried some for dinner!



Inside the pumpkin are seeds and gucky guts!



The shell is then cut into large pieces...



Peeled and then sliced into cubes.



Seeds are baked at 400 for 30 minutes
or so and then seasoned. 

Leftover pumpkin pieces are baked
and then frozen for Christmas pie baking. 

         
       

The Sounds of Silence

In quietness and confidence...

          This afternoon while I was driving home from a swimming officials' meeting in Ottawa, I listened intently to DNTO (Definitely Not the Opera) on CBC Radio. The chatter was all about silent moments and what we learn from them.  It prompted me to reflect on times when silence is a friend.  I went to a favourite website, The Quote Garden, to find some appropriate messages for this post.  Thanks to http://quotegarden.com/silence.html

 

True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. ~William Penn


Silence is the true friend that never betrays. ~Confucius


An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind. ~Walter Bagehot


Silence is a source of great strength. ~Lao Tzu


Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment. ~Henry David Thoreau


I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears with as much ease as we can our eyes. ~Richard Steele


Nowadays most men lead lives of noisy desperation. ~James Thurber


Now all my teachers are dead except silence. ~W.S. Merwin


Everybody should have his personal sounds to listen for - sounds that will make him exhilarated and alive or quite and calm.... One of the greatest sounds of them all - and to me it is a sound - is utter, complete silence. ~Andre Kostelanetz


All noise is waste. So cultivate quietness in your speech, in your thoughts, in your emotions. Speak habitually low. Wait for attention and then you low words will be charged with dynamite. ~Elbert Hubbard


unplug iPod
music stops abruptly
cricket song instead
~Dr SunWolf


In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Silence is a fence around wisdom. ~German Proverb

Silence is medication for sorrow. ~Arab Proverb


To silence another, first be silent yourself. ~Latin Proverb


Silence was never written down. ~Italian Proverb


Silence is a text easy to misread. ~A.A. Attanasio


Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


Silence is more musical than any song. ~Christina Rossetti


We must have reasons for speech but we need none for silence. ~Proverb


We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence.... We need silence to be able to touch souls. ~Mother Teresa

Need I say more?

 

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Tears in my Eyes this Morning

          Today I received an email from the parent of one of my favourite students, ever.  It went like this:

This morning I asked my son...
...if he would like to quit school, stay home, help me with the baby, read, and play guitar. :-)

He said, No.

I asked, Why not?

He said, Library.

I promised that I'd take him to the library. No problem!

He shook his head again. He held up one finger: My friends.

Another finger: My teachers.

A third finger: And I'd feel even further away from Ms. Barb.

:-)

 

Reasons why I want to go back to teaching full time:

 

1.  Being part of a professional learning community

2.  Meeting fantastic parents and other teachers

3.  Touching the lives of children

 

One of my favourite students and his dad walking for the Cure in Cairo.

I am now teaching one or two days per week on an occasional basis.  For now, it is enough.  I am patiently waiting for another opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child.   

 

Until then I remain,

 

Bee Rich 

 

PS  Thank you to this thoughtful mom for passing on the message.

Gotta Share this Picture!

My daughter-in-law and her son, Mac Duck.

          Just for fun I have to post this picture!  It was October 31 and Baby Mac's first Halloween.  No need to write any more.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  Thanks to Mama for the picture and to her Mama for the outfit.  Precious moments from Mac's first year. 

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Happy November First!

Halloween Leftovers

        Yesterday was happy and sad. 
        Happy, because I spent the day doing the regular housework jobs and got a, "The house looks nice...thanks," from my husband.  Happy, because it was Halloween Day, one of my favourite days of the year.  Happy, because I painted our pumpkin's pimply face and he/she was ready in time to greet the Halloween trick-or-treaters.  Happy, because our neighbours came over with their year-old daughter dressed like a turtle.  Happy, because I received a text message from my daughter-in-law picturing grandson in a duck costume.  Happy, because it was a cool yet sunny day, nice enough to go for a walk.  Happy because I kept busy enough not to worry when a call came from the dispatcher saying that I had missed a job for the day, and figured out what the problem was so it won't happen again! 
         The sad part of the day was the phone call explaining that I did not get a job that I had hoped I would get.  It was a long term occasional position for six months and it would have been perfect for me.  However, I discovered that I was not perfect for it.  My resume and cover letter and letters of reference, though strong, were not strong enough to make up for a not so stellar interview, and that is what counts.  The good part about this is that the principal spoke to me for many minutes and passed on helpful feedback, which I will use the next time such an opportunity arises. 
          I am amazed at my resilience.  I woke up in the middle of the night and started preparing for the next interview, by taking the feedback, analyzing it, and then writing down the changes I need to make in my approach and language.  It is a work in progress, but I have taken the next step toward fulfilling my dream.
          While at my sister's home this past weekend I came across a little book entitled, Attitude is Everything, compiled by Peggy M. Anderson, and spent some time writing out the quotes that spoke to me.  My plan is to use them in upcoming blog posts, if appropriate.  Here is an example:

We don't get what we want,

We get what we are.

You are successful the moment your start moving

towards a worthwhile goal.

Chuck Carlson                                   



         May your happies out weigh your sads. 

Until tomorrow,

Bee Rich