The mornings are usually quite successful, we have a great community circle/calendar time routine nailed down and to build their phonics skills we are doing the Jolly Phonics program as a review. This is the first year my kids are experiencing schooling in a dominant English language setting (it was ESL up until this year, now it's 80% English language instruction, 20% Cree language and culture). These kids are smart and wise but it's easy to forget that they are perfectly capable students, just learning all these concepts again in English. I have my work cut out for me bringing them up to level for grade 3 next year but these students are enthusiastic and are ready to learn. I just have to work very hard on alternative classroom management techniques since they just LOVE TO TALK. It could be worse! One of the objectives for the school this year is to encourage the students to speak more in academic settings and I will have no problems achieving that goal! Now if only I could get them to stop talking about their trampolines and start talking about the story we just read!!! The afternoons have been rough, with the kids being tired and sometimes hungry it can be quite a effort to maintain control of the classroom. I am working hard at establishing routines and expectations that the kids respect and adhere to but it's going to be hard going for the first few weeks until I can put the fear of god into them. I already had to revoke one recess and I'm not afraid to do it again!!!!
I have been going in to work everyday for 7:30 which is about an hour early so I can prep and plan. I stay late too but with the sudden change in grades I am pretty unprepared so it's a must. I have a great workspace though and when the Internet works at school, I have access to great resources too! Stacy, of course, has been an amazing help and is always there to answer my questions, I lucked out in teaching partners!! (HI STACY!!)
Aside from school life has been pretty good! I got some things fixed around the house and had all the new teachers over for a potluck last night which was a success! It was great to get to know everyone a little better and also vent in a way only new teachers can around each other. I look forward to many more nights like that in the future!
Today was a warm day in Wemindji and rather than stay all day in the classroom preparing like I had planned (I only stayed 3 hours), Karen and I had brunch, walked Teddy (the dog I am looking after for one of our resource teachers at the school) met a very friendly puppy, and went for another long walk with Brandi and her dog Jersey to the infamous "Penis Tree". It is literally exactly like its name! A tree that looks an awful lot like a phallic symbol of sorts and it was hilarious! After our walk we hung out with a couple of new teachers in the high school and then were invited to another couple's house for a bonfire and roasting marshmallows!! AMAZING! It was such an awesome night and the company was great. The thunder started and lightening soon after and Teddy got scared so we trekked home not long ago.
Blueberry season is pretty much upon us up here and lots of people are going out into the bush to collect teeny tiny blueberries (none of these genetically modified monsters here!). As a rule I don't generally like blueberries but I'll go picking anyways! I want to take full advantage of this gorgeous weather and wilderness while I can before the cold weather arrives!
Anyways the lightening here is quite spectacular and it lights up the whole sky! But Teddy is quite freaked out so I should go comfort him :( oh and I still don't have Internet, apparently the men who in install the internet have a broken truck which according to them means no Internet for an unspecified amount of time. Sooo that's just peachy!! Please forgive any typos because I am typing this from my iPhone!
OH yeah. The post office is receiving mail now so please send your packages if I told you to wait! I think I can send outgoing mail too. Still no bank but an ATM was installed in the temporary grocery store! There was a mix up with the fresh produce order this week so nothing fresh until Tuesday so I've been rationing my apples wah!
Ps if anyone is feeling generous I need a bathtub plug 1 1/4 - 2" plug PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Hahahaha! Oh boy.
Okay well until next time! Pss when the school Internet works again I will post pictures of my finished classroom and my home :)
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