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| Back to School Barbie |
I love back to school time. The air is changing to cool and clear. No more hot, sticky, icky, muggy summer weather. The geese are gathering in the river in my back yard and they honk loudly at dusk and dawn. The trees show the first signs of colour change and a good breeze litters the lawn with fallen leaves. The apples at the store are so crisp, they snap when you bite into them and they are tangy and juicy. There is no apple better than a Cortland straight off the tree in the fall.
The day after Labour Day, most students head to the classroom. Tiny kindergarten children are filled with excitement and fear on their first day of school ever. "Just 16 years until graduation, sweetie." First-year university students are at least as excited and fearful as many of them move into residence in new cities. Continuing education classes begin. Would you like to learn how to knit, build a coffee table, speak German, line dance? Anything is possible in September.
I confess, I am a very lazy student. I didn't finish high school, I squeaked through university. Even now I suspect they only gave me a degree to get rid of me. I tortured my piano teachers by coming to my lesson carrying music books that hadn't left their bag even once all week.
Further confession, I am a teacher. I have a class of 20 adult learners. They are new Canadians and I teach them how to speak English and how to survive in Canada. I also supervise student teachers from Carleton University, Algonquin College and (twice) distance-learning students from the University of Regina. I am a preceptor for the University of Ottawa 4th-year nursing students who are working on a credit in Public Health. The irony does not escape me.
Barbie is going back to school too. She agonized about what to wear. First impressions are so important. Clothes convey so much about us.
I am looking forward to the start of school. I learn as much from my students as they do from me. I love coffee break and lunch with my colleagues. I am very grateful to the wonderful volunteers who join my class on Tuesday morning for conversation. Most of all, I look forward to pay day.
It's certainly interesting that you ended up in the profession you did given your history. Do you still get those feelings of excitement and fear going back to school as a teacher? Or is that reserved for students?
ReplyDeleteBarbie looks great! I bet she'll make a great first impression. ;)
Mmmmm Cortlands :-)
ReplyDeleteKH
I can relate to your feelings in this post. September seems like a far better time to turn over a new leaf than January. I can still remember what I wore on a couple of 'first day backs'. None looked like this darling outfit but schoolgirl me would have loved it at the time.
ReplyDelete