French Books

November 24, 2008 at 11:31 pm (Jumbled Jabbering)
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Last week, our school hosted a book fair (salon du livre), which was hugely successful. There is only one place where one can buy French books in Whitehorse, and the selection is very, very, limited. I love books, and I love (Mum-in-law, close your eyes) to buy ‘em .

It’s been a while since I’ve read French novels, so this past summer I picked up Suzanne Martel’s Jeanne, fille du Roy and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s set in the period when New France was being settled by pioneers living in the boonies and making do with what they had and what they knew.

Jeanne, fille du Roy par Suzanne Martel

Jeanne, fille du Roy par Suzanne Martel

The book fair gave me an opportunity to buy a few more books. The funny thing is, in my head, I kept thinking that the above book was written by Gabrielle Roy, so I ended buying one of her books, which apparently is a good read anyway. And along with it, a book by Marie Laberge whose trilogy was recommended by a few (though I decided on this one for now), and another book by an author I’ve never heard of. Christmas, here I come! Oh, (and Mum-in-law, you can open your eyes now) and did I tell you I’m now reading A Christmas Carol for the first time?

Bonheur doccasion de Gabrielle Roy

Bonheur d'occasion par Gabrielle Roy

Sans rien ni personne par Marie Laberge

Sans rien ni personne par Marie Laberge

Louve des mers par Claudine Douville

Louve des mers par Claudine Douville

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Phases in the First Year of Teaching

November 10, 2008 at 10:14 am (Education)
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The first year of teaching really translates into the first year of managing: schedules, lessons, pupils, time, information, and the list goes on. This is why, as of late, I often could be heard saying things like, “There aren’t enough hours in a day or days in a week.” If you’re wondering why I’ve been quiet in the blogosphere, now you know.
Yes, you walk out of school, degree in hand, thinking you can conquer the world (or at least teaching). Within a week of teaching, you question whether you made the right career choice. Within a month, you question whether you can continue the pace and still be alive in June. Then when the first report cards hit, you wonder where your time went and what on earth you did during the first couple of months.
If you want to have a quick, down-and-dirty lesson on self-reflection, just teach kids. For a month. I thought I had learned so much about myself during my four years of studies in that small, tight-knit group of ours. However, nothing prepared me for this.
I came across a graph which explains the phases in the first year of teaching.
Phases of First Year Teaching

Phases of First Year Teaching

For the first couple of months, though, the line should look more like an ECG graph going down a steep hill in a barrel. Judging by this representation, I should be at the bottom right about now. Well, I’d say it’s pretty accurate.

The sad part is, this phase looks like it won’t let up until the spring.

It’s going to be a very long winter.

Lucky for me, our teachers’ association offers a mentorship program to help beginning teachers. Within the program, I hooked up with a veteran teacher who also happened to be a host teacher for one of my practicums (or, practica, in case Dave’s dad is reading). Another thing is that the school administrator is exceptional. He is very understanding and supportive. He has a very positive way of communicating. It’s hard to explain it in a few short words. Considering that anywhere from 20-30% of new teachers leave the profession within two or three years, I’d say that I’m fortunate to have this support around me.

It’s still going to be a long winter, but I’m still determined to “experience” this first year of teaching.

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