Bernard Walter

Tag: Professionalism

  • July 23, 2023

    July 23, 2023

    Creativity is a funny thing. We seem to value it very highly in our private lives but dismiss it too easily in our professional ones.

  • June 13, 2023

    June 13, 2023

    A former student of mine left me quite a nice card and a gift when she visited the school last week. It got me thinking about the impact I have on my students.

  • A Silent Summer

    A few weeks ago, I started making a list of things that I want to do this summer. The list reads like every other incomplete list from every previous summer: go to the museum; read; write; work on Letters’ Lounge; go fishing; go to the gym. Everything I want to do this summer is something…

  • Thoughts About My Teaching Career, So Far

    I’ve been thinking about what it means for me to pursue a teaching career. I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m not one of the luckiest ones, but I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve been very fortunate to have other teachers and school administrators enjoy working with me and having me in their schools.…

  • A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, except, in this case, if that name is “Al”

    A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, except, in this case, if that name is “Al”

    I’ve never really had a nickname that’s stuck. In elementary school, there was a kid named Gurtej who kept calling me “Al”. I hate being called “Al”. Isn’t the name somewhat anachronistic? I have nothing against the name, in fact, I attach a certain affection to it, but it’s not my bloody name. My name…

  • A Survey for Mr. G. Tutors

    A Survey for Mr. G. Tutors

    Hey folks, today, I’m going to ask you for a favour: can you please complete this survey? The survey is to help me get some information from you so that I can put together a functional, relevant, and informative tutoring website. The idea is to create a knowledge and resource base built on the real…

  • My Fear of Ursula

    My Fear of Ursula

    On Thursday, I spent the day watching movies with children. The students at the school I was working at were having an activities day, and one of the activities was a movie.

  • Oh, To Live in Toronto

    Oh, To Live in Toronto

    I moved to Toronto because I want to live in Toronto. For the last little while, it would seem that all I do is work in Toronto. This is problematic because I am, very much, someone who enjoys leisure.

  • Life is So Cra Right Now

    Life is So Cra Right Now

    I’m not entirely sure of how to spell “cra”, as in “cra-zy”, but there it is. Tonight, for the first time in four weeks, I have some time for myself. I decided to cancel all of my evening tutoring sessions for this week, in order to give myself some time to get things done and…

  • 250 2″ x 3.5″ Statements of Purpose

    I’ve been waiting, increasingly impatiently, to get to work. I’m not going to complain about how long it is taking me to get working, but I’m left a little disenchanted.

  • I Hate Deadlines

    I Hate Deadlines

    I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by. — Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt I’ve come to despise deadlines. I’ve never been one to strictly adhere to a schedule, but I’m starting to develop a complete intolerance for deadlines. As I see it, suggested timelines are the way…

  • The Romance is Dead

    The Romance is Dead

    It happened almost abruptly. Our love affair had to come to an end. After years, so many years, I decided that it was time to start moving on. I still want to be friends. Really close friends, if possible. I’ll still call on you when I’m feeling weak and lonely and in need of the…