Today is the last Friday of #summer2015. I spent a good amount of time relaxing. I spent another good chunk of time time working on / thinking about /exploring all things education / food / nutrition / home ec /....... And as I did all those things, I recorded ideas for my upcoming semesters in an evernote note I entitled "15/16 Planning Ideas" [creative. I know]. There are quite a few gems in there that I'm excited to include this year. This morning, however, I spent an hour adding ideas to that note from a source I was surprised to be so inspired by. Before I tell you what that was (spoiler alert: the title of this post may or may not give it away...) let me tell you what has been inspiring me to fill up that note this summer.
I was inspired:
Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to completely transform my pedagogy and work through the textbook page by page with my students but I did find gem after gem of information. This textbook, written by esteemed colleagues from across the country, talks about relevant, accurate information and asks critical thinking questions. It has page write ups of "Historical Perspectives" which I filed away for our #ThrowbackThursdays. It has intriguing "Food for Thought" concepts in the margins that would be perfect to post up periodically in my classroom. It has interesting recipes that challenge students to look at the way they prepare food in unique, thoughtful ways. It has critical thinking sections that challenge students to consider relevant, important aspects of food including the use of pesticides, local foods being exported, aqua culture, local wild foods, food security.... I've spent countless hours (I don't even want to know how many hours) researching this kind of information online.... searching and searching for accurate information... wondering if it was authentic and how I could present this information to my students. The whole time there was a book, sitting in a cupboard over my desk beckoning me to open it so it could help me out. I'm not saying this book is the be all and end all of all things Food and Nutrition. There were parts of it I read that I didn't necessarily agree with but there was so much more information that I was inspired by. It is an incredible resource with so much valuable information to be used carefully. I'm not sure where my aversion to textbooks came from, maybe from how I felt like they were traditionally used, but I will say I am quite excited about my re-discovery of this gem of a resource. Now to just see how I'm going to fit in these new ideas into my semester....
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On the last day of my classes I give a little speech to my students about our term together and end with the quote: "Even if we never talk again after tonight, please know that I am forever changed because of who you are and what you've meant to me" [note: this quote is from the film Chasing Amy, which I have - admittedly - not watched nor do I condone my students watching it... ]. This quote is kind of heavy for me every time I say it. Its truth is so sharp that sometimes I tear up when I recite it to my students. My teaching career has led me on an interesting journey where, at the end of May each year, I receive a layoff notice and then, sometime in the summer months (hopefully), I am given a new assignment. Budget/contract issues will likely make this trend continue until I have been teaching for something like 8 years. So far, I have never been placed back in September at the school I left in June. That means, at the end of each semester, I know I may really never see the faces or hear from my students again. The faces of the students who I - for the last school year - invested in, learned from, laughed with, dreamed about, cleaned up broken casserole dishes with, cried for, shopped for, planned for, read for, came in to school at 5:45 am for, worried about, cooked with, put out fires with (literally and figuratively)... you get the picture. Those burgeoning friendships, those awkward interactions, those laughs I worked so hard for, and those tears I helped get rid of... they are in the past. And so every year- after they assist me in scrubbing my foods room from top to bottom - I send these sweet souls off on the day they had been anticipating for months (school is out!). I awkwardly almost (usually) start crying in front of all of them and then I force them to shake my hand before they leave [disclaimer - I do not actually force them to shake my hand. They are welcome to 'leave me hanging'.] just so I can get that last look in their eyes and send them off with my attempt to communicate how lucky I feel to have met them and how thankful I am for what they've given me. The day I finished my practicum I slumped in my car and cried for 45 minutes. I cried for all the little faces I fell in love with (I did my practicum in a grade 3/4/5 class) but would never get to see grow up and for the futures I would never know about. I swore that this would be the last time I would cry when I left my "kids". I was very aware that the students I teach are not mine, that they owe me nothing, and that 99% of them will move on and never talk to me again. But, even though I swore I'd suck it up so it wouldn't be so hard, it really doesn't get any easier the more I do this. Every year I still look at their glorious faces, so full of all things people are full of, and they inspire me to be better. And so, for me, I'm always so sad that - finally - I'm really starting to get to know all my "kids"... and it's over. And I leave. And I never get to see them again and I cry (every year... I swear... someday I'll get a hold of myself). BUT... here is the thing. Like the quote says. I am forever changed by them. I wonder if my students understand how honest I am being when I say that. I am forever changed by each and every one of them. I am inspired and challenged and intrigued and my brain changes. My heart changes. My teaching practice changes. My outlook changes. They make little imprints on my soul. I have had the privilege of teaching something crazy like 2000 students in my short 5ish year career and - although I might not remember all of their names right off the top of my head - they are woven into my identity. Their imprint on and exit from my life is worth acknowledging and shedding a few tears for. After we have an awkward handshake, I watch them walk off into the hallways of whatever school I happen to be teaching at... hoping I made a positive impact on the way they look at their world and themselves, knowing that they are going to go off to do great things - some big, some small, all equally great. Their potential is bursting at the seams and, although I will likely never know what they do in their lives, I am just so excited for them and their lives ahead. Our kids/teens/young adults have a crazy, unpredictable future in front of them and they are slagged with all sorts of labels and criticisms. But these kids have potential. They have so much enthusiasm, joy, depth, curiosity, and fun that they bring to the world. I know. I get to experience it every day. They are our future and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had the honour of getting to know/teaching/being taught by/being changed by each one of them. And if you are a former/current/future student: I miss you/am happy you are with me now/look forward to meeting you. Thank you for you. This world is so lucky to have you. I came across a list of personal qualities not measured by tests on the blog Brown Chicken Brown Cow. I read over the list and thought to myself... "I get to see these qualities in my class all the time!". My students show their empathy, their creativity, and their humour during our interactive, student lead classes. Through experiences, I, as a teacher, get to witness the endurance, self-awareness, and reliability each of my students possess. How lucky am I to have the opportunity, as an educator, to see these less concrete qualities that, really, constitute what people are and show how they shine as human beings? Home economics is the study of everyday life and these qualities are a lot of what makes everyday life fun and curious and exciting. I love my job. The above list is a screen shot taken on February 6, 2015 from http://katykelley.tumblr.com/post/108739352914/personal-qualities-not-measure-by-tests.
Second semester starts on Friday and I'm diving into the world of planning. The prospect of what is to come is exciting... and slightly nerve racking. I'm combing through new and old ideas... fresh and stale... exciting and less exciting... I'm looking at articles I've pinned, ideas I've jotted down, and suggestions from last semester's students. And I'm thinking about this new beginning.
The thing I love about beginnings is that they are open to endless possibilities. I could plan and plan and plan the term and it will never go exactly as I plan. Every semester is different. Every student is different. Everyone comes into our classroom with their own opinions, knowledge, and interests. Everyone interprets our classes through their own perspective and they will leave our class at the end of the semester with their own personal experience unique to them. But one but one common thread between all of us is that we all have this new beginning. We have 77 classes of a new semester ahead of us. We have 77 classes to become our own community that works with, plays with, thinks about, makes art with, and - of course - devours food. I love dwelling in that possibility. I can't wait to see what happens! “And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” ― Meister Eckhart Ms. E |
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September 2015
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