Friday, 7 September 2012
Thursday, 6 September 2012
The Raven and the racists! Just another day in the classroom....
I sat to take the roll this morning and there wasn't a spare spot on the carpet as they called out after the other, "here", "present", "good morning". Within seconds of completing the roll the floor was nearly empty as 19 of them excited the room leaving 11 in my presence. It was athletics day and they were off to compete.
I looked at this small group, while they looked back at me and smiled. What fun would we get up to today? :)
Firstly they agreed that it was time to be reacquainted with Raven! (just don't tell the other students who weren't there ;) )
We had the pleasure of meeting the author Wendy Orr during our writers festival, she was lovely and answered all the questions our budding writers could have possibly come up with :). We got to know Raven just before Wendy's visit and she's had our hearts pumping ever since! Even on the days when my cold made my voice nearly disappear they insisted that I read! I'm a sucker for a good book so you wouldn't have to think to long on what my reply was.
Soon enough it was time to get into the lesson of the morning. Heavy stuff, but we were up to this part of Australia's history...The White Australia Policy.
After trying to work out just what that meant we then watched and discussed a documentary brought out by ABC1 ( http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxlehKaBE4) .
Out of the 11 children in the room there were only 3 present whose ancestors have been in Australia for three or more generations. Many of my students have a recent history of immigration themselves. One of the things i I love about teaching children is their honest reactions and opinions of things occurring in their world. They are not afraid to say when they believe something is stupid or wrong or racist. They are not tainted by other peoples views and opinions and even if they are they still have the naivety of youth to believe that out of all opinions there's is the only one which is important anyway ;).
There was some wonderful dialogue while learning this morning, about how unfair it was that families were ripped apart and migrants were refused entry to Australia because they could not pass the immigration dictation test. A test that was designed specifically to fail them!
We were so engrossed in the discussion that rather than stopping just before the bell we were rudely interrupted by it.
As I walked out of the classroom behind them I couldn't help but wonder at the kind of peacefilled, equality driven world we would cohabit if we were governed by the rules and viewpoints of children!
The rest of the day was a lovely blur of real life maths, cooking toffees, designing posters and windy yard duty hugs and chats with little Preppies who walk along side me making the time fly by.
Our small, quiet group was bombarded at days end by a gaggle of sweaty, happy students with ribbons of first, second and third hanging from them. We smiled, congratulated them and caught up on their days events before.....
Is that the bell already???
The best thing of all is that we get to do it all over again tomorrow...on a Friday! our crazy canteen day where we serve nearly the whole school our prepared lunch order menu and make a squillion dollars for graduation ;).
What was your day like?
I looked at this small group, while they looked back at me and smiled. What fun would we get up to today? :)
Firstly they agreed that it was time to be reacquainted with Raven! (just don't tell the other students who weren't there ;) )
We had the pleasure of meeting the author Wendy Orr during our writers festival, she was lovely and answered all the questions our budding writers could have possibly come up with :). We got to know Raven just before Wendy's visit and she's had our hearts pumping ever since! Even on the days when my cold made my voice nearly disappear they insisted that I read! I'm a sucker for a good book so you wouldn't have to think to long on what my reply was.
Soon enough it was time to get into the lesson of the morning. Heavy stuff, but we were up to this part of Australia's history...The White Australia Policy.
After trying to work out just what that meant we then watched and discussed a documentary brought out by ABC1 ( http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxlehKaBE4) .
Out of the 11 children in the room there were only 3 present whose ancestors have been in Australia for three or more generations. Many of my students have a recent history of immigration themselves. One of the things i I love about teaching children is their honest reactions and opinions of things occurring in their world. They are not afraid to say when they believe something is stupid or wrong or racist. They are not tainted by other peoples views and opinions and even if they are they still have the naivety of youth to believe that out of all opinions there's is the only one which is important anyway ;).
There was some wonderful dialogue while learning this morning, about how unfair it was that families were ripped apart and migrants were refused entry to Australia because they could not pass the immigration dictation test. A test that was designed specifically to fail them!
We were so engrossed in the discussion that rather than stopping just before the bell we were rudely interrupted by it.
As I walked out of the classroom behind them I couldn't help but wonder at the kind of peacefilled, equality driven world we would cohabit if we were governed by the rules and viewpoints of children!
The rest of the day was a lovely blur of real life maths, cooking toffees, designing posters and windy yard duty hugs and chats with little Preppies who walk along side me making the time fly by.
Our small, quiet group was bombarded at days end by a gaggle of sweaty, happy students with ribbons of first, second and third hanging from them. We smiled, congratulated them and caught up on their days events before.....
Is that the bell already???
The best thing of all is that we get to do it all over again tomorrow...on a Friday! our crazy canteen day where we serve nearly the whole school our prepared lunch order menu and make a squillion dollars for graduation ;).
What was your day like?
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Marching on parliament...
Have you ever felt so tired you lie down and even if you have to get up again it involves serious negotiations with each limb and muscle involved in the move to coax them to be cooperative? That's me right now!
Today the two big kids and I went into the city, to Rod Laver Arena for the AEU Support Staff, Teacher and Principal strike.
Over 15000 teachers filled The stadium and marched through the city.
Approximately 400 schools closed completely for the day.
It was amazing being a part of such a large collective group of people all standing up for what they believe in!
My children felt proud to be a part of it, so proud that A1 told her whole dance class about her day only 2 minutes into the session!
I felt proud to be a part of it.
To find out more about the strike click in the following link:
http://keepthepromise.com.au/
What do you know about the teacher strike? What do you think of it?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today the two big kids and I went into the city, to Rod Laver Arena for the AEU Support Staff, Teacher and Principal strike.
Over 15000 teachers filled The stadium and marched through the city.
Approximately 400 schools closed completely for the day.
It was amazing being a part of such a large collective group of people all standing up for what they believe in!
My children felt proud to be a part of it, so proud that A1 told her whole dance class about her day only 2 minutes into the session!
I felt proud to be a part of it.
To find out more about the strike click in the following link:
http://keepthepromise.com.au/
What do you know about the teacher strike? What do you think of it?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
The first acquired piece.....
We have a few special stores that we love to frequent, the kids and I. They are not your average stores and you cannot find them in in your average shopping centre. A couple of them are a part of a franchise but one is a little lone store with the most precious treasures of all due to the fact.
These stores sell a whole range of products. Books, furniture, clothing, toys, linens, electronics, jewellary...it almost sounds as though they are a mall onto themselves doesn't it? But there is one thing that sets them apart for your everyday super store....
Despite being a part of franchises they do not stock the same things. You are not guaranteed to find exactly what you are looking for when you go in nor are you guaranteed of the quality of items.
What you are guaranteed of is that you will walk out with your arms full and your wallet not Empty. You are guaranteed to get a feeling of exhilaration when searching through racks of clothes or bookshelves filled with books and you happen upon that item that you have longed for or perhaps never knew you always wanted!
The types of stores that I am talking about, if you have not already guessed, are opportunity stores..or more fondly referred to most often as Op shops. Stores which are specifically set up to sell second hand, pre-loved items at a discounted prices. With the profits from the items going to people in need.
One of our favourite Op Shops is a part of the Saint Vincent dePaul organizations shops. Being a larger store it stocks many items of furniture as well as clothing and books, toes, shoes etc. Little A2 lovingly calls it, "our op shop!". Anything near it or anyone going there is told how privileged they are to be near or to shop at our op shop. The kids love going in there and searching for treasures, playing with the toys and talking to the ladies volunteering on the day.
The last few times we have gone the children have gone straight to the couches and tried each one out. Like a page from Goldilocks and the Three Bears the commentary often involves talk of too lumpy, hard, soft, bright coloured as they search long and hard for that one perfect couch.
Two weeks ago they proclaimed that they had found it! Although it was a little squishy, upon test driving it, we discovered all of our tooshes fit on it at the same time. They oohed and ahhed at its softness and comfort. Little A was very excited over the secret storage area in it and that he fit perfectly along the storage bit, laying on his belly with his feet in the air.
As we moved on to other things, as we left the store and went about normal life, for days afterwards, they continued to talk about this couch.
When we entered the store this weekend past, they begged to buy it as it was still available. But I was still apprehensive. It was cheap but I hadn't done any research on sofas and so wasn't sure if it was worth what was being asked. Also it was clearly a piece of a bigger lounge suite and looked a little lost with its black connecting piece right at the front in plain view. I was also worried that although we all fit on it now, I didnt think in the future I would be able to say the same thing.
But the house we are moving to is very small and I couldn't deny that it would fit nicely in the lounge alcove.
I returned on Sunday without the children and sat on it, looked at it and thought about it...then left. I went to some major furniture sellers and was flabbergasted at the price of a brand new couch...even a small one!
On Monday during my lunchbreak I made a call to 'our op shop' and put on hold the couch the kids had begged for.
Today as we were working hard at school and work my Dad and brother picked it up and delivered it home. They couldn't get it inside and so the new couch is being stored at the moment...not in use. You should have seen the excitement on the children's faces when they first discoved it tonight! the pure joy in little A's voice as he realized that the secret storage area couch was ours, all ours! The sigh of comfort as Princess A sunk into it for the first time as her own couch and the pride beaming from K as he jumped around it.
Our very own couch..
It's not new, nor is it perfect. It clearly has signs of where it belonged to another piece..another family and lifetime but now there it is, out there alone, starting again with us.
The most perfect sofa/couch for our little family. We are about to start again, missing a piece but gaining so much, starting again, not perfect but perfect enough.
The perfect family member...the perfect celebration piece to start the next chapter in life.
Couch....welcome to our family!
xo
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
These stores sell a whole range of products. Books, furniture, clothing, toys, linens, electronics, jewellary...it almost sounds as though they are a mall onto themselves doesn't it? But there is one thing that sets them apart for your everyday super store....
Despite being a part of franchises they do not stock the same things. You are not guaranteed to find exactly what you are looking for when you go in nor are you guaranteed of the quality of items.
What you are guaranteed of is that you will walk out with your arms full and your wallet not Empty. You are guaranteed to get a feeling of exhilaration when searching through racks of clothes or bookshelves filled with books and you happen upon that item that you have longed for or perhaps never knew you always wanted!
The types of stores that I am talking about, if you have not already guessed, are opportunity stores..or more fondly referred to most often as Op shops. Stores which are specifically set up to sell second hand, pre-loved items at a discounted prices. With the profits from the items going to people in need.
One of our favourite Op Shops is a part of the Saint Vincent dePaul organizations shops. Being a larger store it stocks many items of furniture as well as clothing and books, toes, shoes etc. Little A2 lovingly calls it, "our op shop!". Anything near it or anyone going there is told how privileged they are to be near or to shop at our op shop. The kids love going in there and searching for treasures, playing with the toys and talking to the ladies volunteering on the day.
The last few times we have gone the children have gone straight to the couches and tried each one out. Like a page from Goldilocks and the Three Bears the commentary often involves talk of too lumpy, hard, soft, bright coloured as they search long and hard for that one perfect couch.
Two weeks ago they proclaimed that they had found it! Although it was a little squishy, upon test driving it, we discovered all of our tooshes fit on it at the same time. They oohed and ahhed at its softness and comfort. Little A was very excited over the secret storage area in it and that he fit perfectly along the storage bit, laying on his belly with his feet in the air.
As we moved on to other things, as we left the store and went about normal life, for days afterwards, they continued to talk about this couch.
When we entered the store this weekend past, they begged to buy it as it was still available. But I was still apprehensive. It was cheap but I hadn't done any research on sofas and so wasn't sure if it was worth what was being asked. Also it was clearly a piece of a bigger lounge suite and looked a little lost with its black connecting piece right at the front in plain view. I was also worried that although we all fit on it now, I didnt think in the future I would be able to say the same thing.
But the house we are moving to is very small and I couldn't deny that it would fit nicely in the lounge alcove.
I returned on Sunday without the children and sat on it, looked at it and thought about it...then left. I went to some major furniture sellers and was flabbergasted at the price of a brand new couch...even a small one!
On Monday during my lunchbreak I made a call to 'our op shop' and put on hold the couch the kids had begged for.
Today as we were working hard at school and work my Dad and brother picked it up and delivered it home. They couldn't get it inside and so the new couch is being stored at the moment...not in use. You should have seen the excitement on the children's faces when they first discoved it tonight! the pure joy in little A's voice as he realized that the secret storage area couch was ours, all ours! The sigh of comfort as Princess A sunk into it for the first time as her own couch and the pride beaming from K as he jumped around it.
Our very own couch..
It's not new, nor is it perfect. It clearly has signs of where it belonged to another piece..another family and lifetime but now there it is, out there alone, starting again with us.
The most perfect sofa/couch for our little family. We are about to start again, missing a piece but gaining so much, starting again, not perfect but perfect enough.
The perfect family member...the perfect celebration piece to start the next chapter in life.
Couch....welcome to our family!
xo
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 3 September 2012
Stockpiling memories...
I've got no idea who Emily Rose is but if you click on the image you can have your own memory box. Although its a useless idea for my Nana and I...neither of us would remember where we put it!"
Right now as I type this lying in bed, longing for sleep, I should instead be coloring my hair. That chasm between the last hair color and the Greys growing in passed the point of 'not really noticeable' about a week ago!
It's pretty bad...and the thing is the hair colour box has been here for ages but I just haven't done it. I find it funny when people notice or I talk about my grey hair and they ask how old I am? For me age never really came into it. I first noticed grey hairs just after I had my first child...I was 26.
Truth is I think that early grey hairs run in my Mums family..like so many of our other connections. Get us in a room together and there is not much doubt as to our connected blood lines! Put the baby or toddler photos together of my mother, mine, my daughter, cousins..etc and you are hard pressed to identify who is who. We have much in common us lot!
Our habit of getting up to mischief whenever we are together, the crafty gene that is among us all, our penchant of being incredibly loud whenever we are in each others company. The best thing I believe is our sense of humour, be it black, sarcastic or normal? We know how to take the piss out of each other and make light of situations...even when they are not particularly humourous.
It's all these things that we have in common that has made me decide to not only blog again but to blog regularly about the everyday and our life. To record the journey we are taking as we make it on our own. I want a record for them and I to look back on of our days. I want to record just what it is like and feels like to be a teacher and the privilege I feel to do this job.
Not too long ago I imagined that I would always be able to tell my story, that I would always remember and rejoice in these times as either happy and fond times or times which make me wince but from which I grew and moved forward. But something has happened over this year which has made me think that perhaps it is fools gold to assume (when you assume you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me') that I will always have such luxuries.
My beautiful, wonderful Nana was my before and after care program everyday of my primary school years. I would spend every holidays there too as my parents worked full time. She is the strongest and most beautiful person I know. She would tell me stories of bringing up her nine children that would fill me with awe. When I'd grown up and returned to visit weekly, she would dote on my babies, remembering every detail of our visits, laughing at our precious memories and retelling them to me through my baby years when I was too tired to even remember what day it was.
My lovely, wonderful Nan doesn't recite stories anymore, infact she often forgets things just after she has said them. She becomes confused very easily, by people and situations or things that do not seem right. She will repeat things....often. Her sister is the same, although her forgetfulness started before my Nan's at a time when she was aware enough to notice it her sisters memory loss. Now they have conversations on the phone nary remembering a detail once those conversations are complete.
There is yet a name for this and although we are all worried about it, when together we are coping in the best way we know how. To laugh and make jest of the situation for to do otherwise could see us crumble and that is just not something that the genes which she has passed through us all would ever allow!
So tonight, when I should be colouring my hair, or doing a load of washing or..sleeping (like 30 minutes ago when I started this!) I am instead writing this blog post. And tomorrow I will write another, and the next day another and another and another until I cannot write anymore. For these moments, thoughts, feelings, days...life...is so very precious.
Like a squirrel stockpiling nuts for the winter time, I'm on a mission to stockpile memories for days ahead when perhaps my own memory bank says "that'll do JAAK, that'll do!"
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Fathers Day...
This morning I had two little people climb in the bed, one on either side and chatting over me. My big boy K looked at me and said, "Happy Fathers Day Mum!". My daughter looked across to him and said, "she's not a father, she's a mother!" . He just smiled at me and didnt reply to her, instead steering the conversation to something else.
A few moments later they'd exited the room leaving me thinking about Ks comment. I never thought for a second that there was anything about today's celebration day that had anything to do with me, but I guess in many ways I am also the Dad majority of the time. I'm the one doing it all with the kids, each and every thing, making the decisions, running the day to day.
Playing footy, cricket and jumping in puddles. Climbing play centre structures with them, washing the car, mowing the lawns and looking for bugs. Going on bike rides, building of forts and reading gross books. Teaching them to ride a scooter and bike without training wheels, to climb rock walls and climbing webs. Teaching them to pee standing up as best I can (verbally, not through example! :0 )
And although their Dad is still around and sees them every two weeks, including today, which was great for the kids it's nice to know that my big boy appreciates me not just as his Mum but as his sometimes Dad too :)
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads or parents doing both jobs :).
Saturday, 1 September 2012
The time machine has dumped me here, 9 years later!
I turned over in my sleep and experienced the sharpest back pain. I didn't think too much about the fact that it had diminished by the time I climbed back into bed and fell back asleep. But sleep didn't last long....my intended sleep-in lasted about 1 hour before yet again I was awoken with back pain. Sharp, stabbing pains in the back that couldn't be ignored.
I got up and showered and was curious to find that the pains came and went as I showered, but it couldn't be labour?....just some weird phenomenon! I was only 37.5 weeks pregnant and this was my first, besides all the books had said that the pain is in the front and is like period pains.
Within an hour my denial was diminishing quickly as I rocked on the fitball and had summoned my husband home from work!
Within two hours we were on our way to hospital.
The first nurse i saw while getting the antibiotic drip put in, was a lovely little chinese woman. As I began to moan through the pain she very sternly said to me, "Do not yell or scream! Take that pain and hold it in and allow it to make you stronger!". She became my Yoda. For the rest of the labour I did not scream and I felt the most I empowered and in control that I had ever felt In my life!
At 3.30pm I looked at the clock and exclaimed out loud that school would just be finishing and my Preps going home. I felt relieved I was missing the Monday night meeting. I Guess the 2.5 weeks maternity leave hadn't erased the work girl from me yet.
Half an hour later I told them that I had changed my mind. That I couldn't do this and would like to go home. They sweetly told me that just wasn't going to happen ;).
At just after 6 with just three pushes my beautiful first child entered this world. With a set of lungs he exercised strongly telling us for the first time (but certainly not the last!!) that he was here and he was perfect!
At 26 years of age I became a Mum.
Since that point he has not only guided me in my new parent role but has taken the world that I knew before and turned it on its head in a deliciously good way. He has made me a better and more compassionate teacher. He has given me an understanding and openness to discover and understand others that i never knew I possessed. He has opened my eyes to a wonderful new view of the world and his interactions with it.
He is my son and he is my world.
Happy Birthday my beautiful K-Man.
I hope today is all that you dreamed and that your beloved footy team win the game tonight for you.
As I squeezed you tight this morning and your sister said I was squashing you to death I loved your response that I better stop as you have another 90 birthdays to live after this one and don't want to die earlier than you should. I hope that I am there for as many of those as possible.
Love you to the moon and back 100 times Master K
xoxoxoxox Mum
I got up and showered and was curious to find that the pains came and went as I showered, but it couldn't be labour?....just some weird phenomenon! I was only 37.5 weeks pregnant and this was my first, besides all the books had said that the pain is in the front and is like period pains.
Within an hour my denial was diminishing quickly as I rocked on the fitball and had summoned my husband home from work!
Within two hours we were on our way to hospital.
The first nurse i saw while getting the antibiotic drip put in, was a lovely little chinese woman. As I began to moan through the pain she very sternly said to me, "Do not yell or scream! Take that pain and hold it in and allow it to make you stronger!". She became my Yoda. For the rest of the labour I did not scream and I felt the most I empowered and in control that I had ever felt In my life!
At 3.30pm I looked at the clock and exclaimed out loud that school would just be finishing and my Preps going home. I felt relieved I was missing the Monday night meeting. I Guess the 2.5 weeks maternity leave hadn't erased the work girl from me yet.
Half an hour later I told them that I had changed my mind. That I couldn't do this and would like to go home. They sweetly told me that just wasn't going to happen ;).
At just after 6 with just three pushes my beautiful first child entered this world. With a set of lungs he exercised strongly telling us for the first time (but certainly not the last!!) that he was here and he was perfect!
At 26 years of age I became a Mum.
Since that point he has not only guided me in my new parent role but has taken the world that I knew before and turned it on its head in a deliciously good way. He has made me a better and more compassionate teacher. He has given me an understanding and openness to discover and understand others that i never knew I possessed. He has opened my eyes to a wonderful new view of the world and his interactions with it.
He is my son and he is my world.
Happy Birthday my beautiful K-Man.
I hope today is all that you dreamed and that your beloved footy team win the game tonight for you.
As I squeezed you tight this morning and your sister said I was squashing you to death I loved your response that I better stop as you have another 90 birthdays to live after this one and don't want to die earlier than you should. I hope that I am there for as many of those as possible.
Love you to the moon and back 100 times Master K
xoxoxoxox Mum
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