I am really a full time teacher, as I have had one day off since mid-October. Now, I am NOT counting that o*n*e snow day we had. However, the difference between me and a "REGULAR" teacher, is that my teaching day is DIFFERENT, in every way, e-v-e-r-y single day. Different language, different school, different district, different level, different everything.
This week I replaced a VP in an English school on Monday, a Principal in a French school on Tuesday, a Grade Two teacher in a French school on Wednesday. Thursday, although I started in a Grade One class in an English school, I was switched to a Grade 5 French Immersion class, because the supply teacher assigned didn't speak French. Today, I was switched AGAIN. The poor VP was totally frazzled because she was short TWO teachers, and actually apologized for switching me from replacing the Principal in this English school, to teaching Kindergarten instead. I gave her a big hug, and told her "It's ALL good!" What's not good about having thirteen very active five year olds, NINE of them boys, pretty much rule your day? :)
All of which leads me to have SO, SO many DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS, with SO, SO many different people in a given week, that sometimes, my head is spinning and I feel like my brain has been fried by the time Friday rolls around. OR as my oldest childhood friend would have said, "I wouldn't know my ass from my elbow!"
However, it also gives me so many opportunities to laugh, chuckle, and smile, that I just have to share some of those moments with you, ONCE AGAIN. I think I am finding all these moments EXTRA precious, as my teaching career winds down, and I face total retirement by 2018.
Here are a few very special moments in English Kindergarten classes:
Little Annie: Did you teach us last weekend? No, not last weekend! A few weekends ago?
Me: What happened to your arm Jaden?
Jaden: I broked it.
Caleb: Mrs. L hided my scarf!
Alisha: Why isn't Mrs. M. here? Is she working on her homework?
Owen: I made a GYNORMOUS snowball at little recess!
Here is ONE tenacious kindergartener:
Ellie - Where is Mrs. P?
Me - She can't be in class today?
Ellie - Why?
Me- She has a lot of things to do.
Ellie - What things?
By now, I would have just told the child her teacher was sick. However, her teacher had meetings to attend, and was right there in the classroom giving last minute instructions to her student teacher, so I couldn't very well lie and say that!
Me- I don't know. She is a very busy lady, too busy to be here today.
Ellie- (not giving up!) Well, is she doing her GROCERIES, or something?
Eli can't find his indoor shoes. We search all over, all morning, with no luck. At first recess, little Kate offers up the following, as they are getting dressed to go outside. "Eli's shoes are at the office!" I, of course, ask... "Why are they at the office?" Her reply? "It's because he barfed!" Now those four words explain it all to me. Do they explain the situation to you? :) Well, he was sent to the office because he was sick and was sent home. Whoever picked him up, (the grandmother I was told) picked up his indoor shoes as well, so ... note home asking that the indoor shoes be returned. Mystery solved!!!
In conclusion, what would Kindergarten tales be, without a Show and Tell? It was Emma's turn, and she had a lovely little eyeglass case from "Bo Oktical!", in her little hands. Inside were two pair of prescription eyeglasses, for a little girl. The problem here? They AREN't her glasses. Emma doesn't wear glasses. I start asking all kinds of questions, (which is always encouraged with Show and Tell) only to find out that Emma found this case either in front of her house in the yard or on the side of the road. Well, WHAT kind of parent allows her child to bring someone else's PRESCRIPTION EYE GLASSES, to Show and Tell? All I could think was, "Some poor sweet little thing, is walking around ALMOST BLIND, (the lenses were thick!), because another little girl brought her LOST glasses into Show and Tell. Gee willikers!
Every time I am back at that school, I seek out little Emma and ask her if her parents have found the owners of those glasses? She shakes her head no. Honestly, I am going to have to call "BO OKTICAL"
(known as Vogue Optical!) myself, to find out if any parents have inquired about lost glasses being returned. I can't sleep!!!
My first snow woman of the year, created with my neighbour Edith. Isn't she cute? We called her Palotte, Acadian slang for "clumsy!"
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