Do you wonder what teachers and students do in any given week? Well, this is a glimpse of my week, as a supply teacher. THIS past week, I taught full time in one school, replacing four different teachers, and teaching in both our official languages.
Did YOU know it was National "Take Me Outside" Day, on October 24th? "It is a day to highlight the importance of unplugging, and spending time outside being active and connected to nature. It's also a time to play and have fun in the fresh air." My school participated, and I was assigned the sessions where a "lean-to" was to be built. We were out in the fresh air, alright! One lean-to was constructed in a pouring, driving rain, with one group of eight to ten year olds, and the second, where the rain had changed into a snowstorm, was put up by another group of students. I scampered around with them an entire morning, marveling at their enthusiasm and "get 'er done!" attitude. René, our fabulous volunteer for this activity, runs a programme of his own, called "Four Directions" where he guides and teaches children outdoor survival, camping, and wilderness skills. One little girls sidled up to me and asked, "Madame D., is René your husband?" I reply, "No, I don't have a husband." She then throws out this piece of advice. "Well, HE would make a good one!"
This week I learned TO STOMP, STOMP AND TWITCH, like a zombie, when our students attended a superb Hallowe'en concert given by Shelly Bean, in the cafeteria. That move will no doubt come in handy around Hallowe'en.
No week would be complete without duty. I was on hallway duty, when two girls asked to show me what they had found written on the wall in a bathroom stall. They assured me it was FRESH! It was a four letter obscenity, unfortunately, directed at the same little one who asked me if René was my husband. They informed me that it was her in particular, because of the spelling of her name. I had an eraser, so the offending words were quickly removed. We do want children to write, but not THIS and NOT on walls. :(
Cafeteria duty is my least favourite duty. I would rather be outside ANY DAY, in all kinds of weather! In one thirty minute duty, I wiped yogurt up off the floor so no child would slip in it. I stopped another one from throwing HIS unopened yogurt in the garbage, because it had a nick in the container. He kept insisting he would NOT eat it, because it had exploded. I begged to differ, but he would NOT take it home. FINE! I gave it to another little one, who had just shown me all he had for lunch, which was a jam sandwich on white bread. :( So what does the former do? He tries to trip the other one going by, who went to get a spoon to eat that yogurt. So, when a third little fella came up to me, his arms out straight, showing me that his sharp, plaid, button-down shirt was SPLATTERED with yogurt, not to mention his sweet little face dotted with more YOGURT, I just HAD to laugh. The more I cleaned him up, the more I laughed. I did explain that I was laughing at the SITUATION, and NOT laughing at HIS misfortune. He said he understood, bless him.
It was indeed a full, energic week of living. I could write for another half hour at least. However, I will end here and leave you with this little exchange in my Grade Five English class. I was reading a story where a young woman had a "trousseau". Her mother was crocheting an edging to a pillowcase cover, to add to the trousseau. I asked the students if they knew what a trousseau was. One quickly replied, "He is our Prime Minister!" So much for learning the definition of a word from the context. (Of course I got a huge chuckle out of that!)
