Category: Teaching Stories

  • January 8, 2025

    I may have taken the joke too far by letting my class leave school today thinking that this is my last week with them. The hallway monitor – a diminutive designation – visited my classroom after lunch to check in with the students. They were taking a while to settle down so he took the opportunity to use the story of my leaving to encourage them to show some respect. That simple untruth led us into an interesting afternoon.

    Many of my students forget as quickly as goldfish. Others carry their emotions like male seahorses do their offspring. The response to my leaving varied in kind.

    It reminded me of stories of people who host their own funerals, just to see how other people will respond. This was different because I didn’t die and didn’t plan to. Still, some of my students opened up in ways I wasn’t expecting.

    Of those who said anything, they kept asking why I was leaving, what the reason was. I told them that circumstances change so we have to adapt. They’d ask if it was them, their behaviour, or the distance of the school from my house. I told them that it was just the way things are playing themselves out. When they asked what school I was going to next, I told them it was one in the west end, which satisfied their curiosity.

    One student told me that I’m the first teacher of hers that her mom likes. Another said that I’m a great teacher so I should stay. Another’s face dropped, disheartened by the news. Most, however, seemed to just accept the news and moved on.

    I’ll probably set things straight tomorrow but we’ll see. It might be fun to play this out a little longer, feeding my ego for a few more hours. A few students were away and I’m curious to find out if they will have gotten the news over night.

  • May 1, 2024

    I donated a pen to our school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Falcon Fest. Earlier this year, I ran the book fair. Just last week, a popcorn sale took place to support one of the clubs. Since the fall, two fundraising lunches have taken place during the week – Subway sandwiches and PizzaPizza pizza. Then, too, there were candy grams, bake sales, and dance-a-thons. There is always someone asking for money.

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  • April 19, 2024

    I completed my final commitment to the Digital Lead Learner program today. All I had to do was stand at a booth for about an hour and talk about Minecraft. It took some doing to get there but it’s done now.

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  • April 10, 2024

    To help me reengage at work, I’ve decided to look for some small projects that I find interesting. I’m starting a new math unit this week so I thought it would be fun to make a proof for the Pythagorean theorem. It was fun.

    I started working on one with cardboard at work. It worked okay. Then, I thought I’d make one with my laser cutter. It works a little better. Next, I’m going to make some improvements to see what I can’t do to make it even better. I’m thinking an axle and stand would be a nice touch.

    That’s what I did tonight.

  • April 4, 2024

    I realised something this morning that put me on my back foot a little. At once, there was relief in the acknowledgement and an unsettling in the realisation.

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  • March 26, 2024

    Going to professional development sessions is always a good reminder of what it’s like to be a student sitting in class. All day, I just stared at the instructor with a look that said, “What the actual fuck are you on about?” I could tell she understood by the way she spoke directly to me, look me dead in my eyes, while giving instructions.

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  • March 21, 2024

    Today is Navroz, the new year, timed to fall on, or right next to, the spring equinox. To celebrate, the world has given us negative double-digit weather and grey, moody skies. Our winter was mild. Spring has yet to be sprung.

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  • February 23, 2024

    “Look, he’s even smiling,” said one of my students today after I had told the whole class how well they have been doing, how they’ve really turned things around since the beginning of the school year. This is the third year that I’ve worked with most of these students, so we have some familiarity with each other. They’ve seen me smile before.

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  • October 3, 2023

    I gave my students “toilet tokens” today. Last night, I printed off some miniature toilets on my 3D printer and each of my students in one of my classes one. I’ve had enough of them leaving class every single day.

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  • September 22, 2023

    One of my students asked me how I’m doing this afternoon. I told him, and the rest of the class, that I’ve been in a terrible mood for the last couple of weeks and can’t figure out why. We joked about how it was probably because of school and them, the class. Truthfully, I don’t know why I’ve been so sour lately.

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  • September 13, 2023

    I think today was the sixth day of school. Already, I’m muttering under my breath, swearing out loud when I think no one is around, and annoyed with students’ behaviour. I will say that I do really enjoy wearing the tongueless shoes I got in the summer. They’re rather comfortable.

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  • September 12, 2023

    Just outside the school, there are two bus stops. It’s really annoying to have to stop at the south end of the school yard and then again at the north end when following a city bus that’s dropping off students. The staff parking lot is a right turn after the bus stop to the north. How come students can’t walk those 150 metres? I’m probably getting late for work…to teach them.

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