GVC

AY AY AY! So much has happened in the past week, and to think - I thought I would bring along my laptop, do some blogging, do some work while in Montreal in the lonesome evenings.  Well let me tell you this: that did not happen.  Once. 

Day One in Montreal (Monday):
Arrive in the outskirts of Montreal - drop some serious cash at Dollarama.  3 trips inside x3 people in that place and we were already worrying about the lack of space in the truck.  Drive into downtown Montreal (just so happened there was a bike race which closed off the exact streets we needed to access to get to the hotel, convenient! I can still hear the freaky underwater voice of the GPS lady "Recalculating" *shudder*.)  We found an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant where we promptly gorged on delicious sushi as well as extras that arrived on a CONVEYOR BELT beside our table.  Obscene. Then we walked home and crashed. (However, not before a "chicken sushi" influenced photoshoot with Marsha ensued along Sherbrooke Ouest)

Day Two in Montreal (Tuesday):
Wake up early, eat at a little cheapie breakfast place and attend our first day of GVC training.  We got our massive curriculum binders which were filled with directions on how and when things should be taught.  Also a nice little package of lesson plan templates for us to use for each subject each day.  Hello teacher's college, I missed you!!!! After that, an interesting night took place and I will only say that a nice meal was had with great company.

Day Three in Montreal (Wednesday):
Repeat Day Two for GVC training.  Started to feel overwhelmed with the amount of content expected to teach the students (according to the GVC schedule we are already 5 weeks behind... funny since we only got the GVC that week.. WHATEVER) as well as the degree of complexity of the content.  See, the Cree School Board discovered that most of their students were approximately 2-5 grade levels behind what they should be, so the Guaranteed Viable Curriculum was designed to give a clear and detailed plan to teachers who previously had little direction and curricular support.  This "living, breathing document" better be able to cook me dinner and massage my feet after a day's work because it is INTENSE the amount of stuff expected to cover.  The stakes are high, the expectations higher and the stress immeasurable.  But, I am very happy to have such a well-laid out curriculum map.  The Mathematics document is very well done, the weekly expectations linked to resources and assessments will soon follow.  Neither documents are complete but hopefully the rest of the plans will be given to us soon! Anyways, after our fun-filled conference day we went to TROIS AMIGOS! Delicious food and fantastic margaritas, terrible service, but they had guacamole so I was happy. 

Day Four in Montreal (Thursday):
Last day of GVC conferences, spent mostly planning with my BEAUTIFUL AND GORGEOUS AND WONDERFUL PARTNER STACY!!!! I love her.  And Marsha.  And I guess Carmen too.. LOL.  Anyways, yep pretty good day, topped off with a delicious "Goodbye Montreal!" dinner at - you guessed it! - ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI! To leave a civilization without going for sushi at least one more time would be blasphemous, so we hit up the ole' conveyor belt once more!

Day Five in Montreal (Friday):
We woke early so we could check out of the hotel and hit up the shops before arriving at our destination Matagami about 12 hours later!! A LONG day finished by a weirdo photoshoot in our "suite" and texting to each other while in the same room... We left Matagami the next morning and made it home in record speed!! I was (and still am) pooped but very glad to be home in my little bed.  I also managed to score quite a great deal of toilet paper and toiletries which just tickles me, although Marsha does think I am a klepto.  HEY until my half-million dollar debt is paid off, I will take every roll of toilet paper and every complimentary shampoo to feed my stock!!

In all, it was a fantastic trip where I really got to learn about what is expected of me as a teacher this year and became really close with my fellow teachers. We ate great food, had great conversations and enjoyed a beautiful city together. 

Timmies!!!

McDonalds!!

Dollarama! Carmen's first trip. 

Our haul after the FIRST trip inside!

Little story behind this one. I was walking up behind the truck after using the facilities at McD's and I saw that at the drive-through beside the car there was a plethora of dropped change!! So I bent down to retrieve said change! Marsha, already disturbed by my cheapness called me "CHEAP ASS!" took a picture and proceeded to "accidentally" hit me in the head with her car door.  "Accidentally"...



Oh boy.  Street art and Aidan don't mix. 

I was hoping this was an art installation, otherwise Montreal goes over kill with the traffic reflectors.

Hearts in Montreal!

Siip! Me blogging...

Igloo in Montreal? Right at home!!

My "Scared" face which I apparently did a lot this trip

My hotel room! (What you can't see is the dead moth on the ceiling, the wad of chewing gum on the ceiling and the old skool gym flushing toilets!)

In Mexico!!!

Really Fun Training!!



I am ready to jump out of the car and kill myself after having to listen to Nickleback one to many times this trip.

I MISS YOU ALREADY!!

SKYPE

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aidanmccaffrey

Here are some screenshots from my most recent family Skype date :)

Road Trip to Montreal Day 1

Today was Day 1 of our road trip to GVC (Guaranteed Viable Curriculum) training in Montreal! Marsha, Carmen and I started out this morning at 8:30 from Wemindji and drove 800km to arrive this evening in Amos, a town about 9.5 hours north of Oakville.  The drive was pretty awesome, the James Bay Highway is a beautiful drive and it was kind of nice even not to have any cell phone reception or bars which means you have time to just talk or watch the scenery without distractions.  Marsha and Carmen and I did some major bonding, I witnessed their homemade car outhouse, and ate some delicious home made bun sandwiches made by the talented Marsha!

I didn't get very much sleep last night since I was at a girl's night last night at Shelby's (Holla!!!) which was really fun!  I got to know some other teachers a lot better and I am so glad I did.  I am surrounded by awesome amazing people in Wemindji, the more I get to know people the more at home I feel.  Everyone has a great story and a great sense of humour.  So back to my original point, I am exhausted!!

I also have some news.  Today I drove my dream truck and if I wasn't sold on it before I certainly am now.  I was born to drive this truck (I want the Ford F-150XL Supercab).  My butt feels at home in Marsha and Jeremy's driver's seat. It didn't even feel like I was driving a bus (which it essentially is) and the interior is TO DIE FOR. Swoon!! I could literally park my car in the bed of that truck no lie.

Aside from driving a truck and EATING AT A RESTAURANT (sorry Maquatua Inn, you don't make the cut for that definition), today has been pretty regular.  Lots of laughs!

On a professional note, I am happy to announce that I got my Primary Education Part 1 (Equivalency)!!! For those who are interested or don't know, the OCT will evaluate certain courses taken during your undergrad based on length and content for equivalency for AQ courses.  If these courses match enough criteria for a particular AQ course, they will award you a course credit based on that equivalency.  It cost $50 per evaluation and took about 2 months from when I was officially registered as a teacher with the OCT. They won't evaluate until you have been registered.  Since I took my undergrad at Ryerson University in Early Childhood Education I figured there were bound to be some courses in there that were equivalent to some professional AQs so I asked OCT to evaluate 2 courses for 2 AQs, Kindergarten and Primary Education Part 1.  They awarded me Primary Education Part 1 and when I have completed one year of teaching, I submit proof and they will award me Primary Education Part 2! Pretty awesome and all for about $100! That sure beats the going cost of 1 AQ ($685 plus materials).  I plan on filing a few more equivalency evaluation requests in the near future to see what else I am eligible for.  I figure I put in the work for 4+ years at Ryerson in a program that was essentially teacher training, why not reap the benefits!!

I also participated in school-wide IEP (Individual Education Plans - educational planning documents for children with special needs) training which was really useful.  Maquatua Eeyou School is seriously committed to student success and is doing everything possible to bring their students up to grade level and its inspiring to see how hard these teachers work.  The Special Education team for the Cree School Board and at Maquatua Eeyou trained the staff to be able to get IEPs started for students who needed identification and accommodation or modification of curriculum in the classroom.  I have a few students who I felt would benefit from this type of plan so I got the ball rolling with the help of Stacy and feel really good about starting to contact parents and create programs that can strengthen the bond between school and home and create consistency for the students.  There are so few hours in the day that a lot of the work has to be done at home, and if the parents are willing, these students will start to make great strides in their education. 

I have also signed up to start tutoring in the elementary grades which I am pretty excited about.  I am going to offer my services to the parents of my students (and others as well) so that I can really get these kids up to level if they want the extra help.  The really nice thing is that the tutoring services are paid for the student by the Band so there is no cost to parents! The Band pays its tutors $30/hr tax free and you can take on as many students as you like.  So not only am I able to help students in need in a 1-1 setting, I can make some great money doing it too! I want to try and keep busy and motivated when the nights start getting longer and colder and this is a great way to do it.

Today Marsha and I were remarking on how different school is up North compared to down South, particularly with views on physical contact with students and the sharing of personal details and emotions.  For example, hugging is allowed and touching students affectionately like on the arm or putting an arm around a child to comfort is completely okay.  I can tell my class I love them openly and they respond with the same love.  Down South, touching of ANY kind is strictly prohibited and to share emotions like love is not as accepted as common practice I don't think.  I know where some of these children are coming from as far as home life and some of them really need a hug or to be told that they are loved and are special. One of my students came into my classroom yesterday during my prep and simply asked me for a hug.  I gladly gave her one and knew that it meant a lot.  In Southern Ontario I cannot freely give hugs. I understand the reasons behind no-touch policies, and it is a shame that there are some irresponsible and cruel educators who abuse the student-teacher relationship but there are children just like the ones in my classroom in Southern schools who need love and hugs just the same but do not receive them. I think sometimes we forget that there is an organic side to teaching that cannot be ignored, that students need to feel safe and warm and like they belong and are important.  I am very happy to be in a school and community that allows students to express love for their teachers and for teachers to build up confidence and self-worth in students by giving a hug when one is needed. 

Enough for now, enjoy some pictures from today!!

Love (haha) Aidan :)

Dog party at the school this morning!

Sorry, had to throw this one of my babies in there

You will be getting regular food pictures this week since we are savoring every meal that isn't cooked by ourselves!!

NOW THAT'S A TRUCK!

My hotel room at the Amosphere (sneaky little play on words there)

For those of you who know me, you know I LOVE free stuff, so to find that the hotel had installed pumps rather than give me travel-sized toiletries literally ruined my evening.  Carmen made a good point, bring little empty bottles from the dollarstore and rob these places blind!!

Obligatory bathroom shot sans poop in the toilet

Me seductively driving this truck.  Seduction.

Stacy took the plane to Montreal and was subjected to extreme food torture.  That grey ball is apparently rice...

Even though I am now a paid teacher, I will always steal free stuff!!! (I know technically toilet paper isn't something that is expected to be removed from hotel rooms but old habits die hard!!)

Skype and the Northern Lights

Last night I saw the NORTHERN LIGHTS again!!! They were SOOO COOL. Not even exaggerating.  Brandi texted me: "Major northern lights!" and I ran out sans bra by accident and had to quickly run back in and get myself decent.  Karen and I stood outside literally hootin' and a hollerin' and making total fools out of ourselves but it was so cool.  They were the brightest I've seen here so far and it's only September so I can only imagine how awesome they'll look when it gets colder!  I tried taking some pictures but they didn't turn out very well, here are a couple anyways.

On another note, I GOT INTERNET FINALLY OMGGGGGGG. Sorry.  The internet men showed up to install FINALLY (1 month after paying for installation) and I ran to meet them so fast I forgot I had a broken foot and I couldn't even speak English to them. I danced, I sang, it was glorious.  The only setback is that I thought I had a router - I don't, so my triplex mates can't access the internet that currently resides in a modem on my bedroom dresser attached to a cable attached to my netbook that is sitting on my lap creating what I think is 3rd degree burns on my lap - essentially frying my eggs. I Skyped my mom which was pretty fun. She accused me of staring at myself too much so I made her uncomfortable by staring at the camera unblinking. We have fun us two!  Then, the clock struck 9 and she promptly dumped me for whatever was on TV at 9 o'clock.  Its not like I'm 1600km away or anything! Here is a picture of her admiring her tongue, payback's a biotch Mama!! **Sidenote: No one looks good with their netbook perched on 3 pillows so don't look at me in that screenshot.

Update for Montreal training!  We found out that we are no longer being forced to take a charter Air Creebec plane to Montreal (I say forced with malice because I was informed by Brandi that a charter might not have the bun thing I love so much so I immediately became sour towards the whole arrangement).  Marsha, Stacy, Carmen and I are driving down to Montreal on Saturday so we can take advantage of some shopping and not have to be so rushed with a charter schedule.  Awesome!! I plan on baking up a storm to stock the car with goodies. 


On  another note, last night I was woken up at approximately 5:30am by what I at first thought was an intruder but soon realised was probably a northern Hippo or something judging by the sounds it was making in my ceiling.  I heard it again tonight and am going to buy bear spray and a hunting knife to protect myself from the next intrusion.  I am going to make me a teepee out of whatever's hide is traipsing around in my ceiling. 

I can't think of anything else right now so goodnight!

Cheesy goodness!

Today was awesome! A large group of us planned a road trip to Radisson, a small town about 200km north of Wemindji off the James Bay Highway.

Karen and I took my car and we left quite early in the morning and luckily the 96km gravel access road leading to the highway was damp so there wasn't much dust and the roads were quiet! The drive was beautiful and really peaceful! I almost hit a squirrel which was actually kind of hilarious and involved at least 45 seconds of screaming on both our parts.

We got to Radisson and immediately hit up the SAQ (LCBO for you non-French folks) and it was glorious. Then we ate brunch which I ordered in near parfait Français (shout out to the patient and good natured waitress, I swear I wasn't mocking you).

Eggs Benedict (oeuffs bénédictine ahem) topped off a lovely morning followed by a trip to the local craft store with tons of incredible and beautiful authentic native items. I found some really gorgeous jewelry and put I an order for some nice moccasins.

Oh I must also mention that at the SAQ there was a grocery store too and they had BRIE. And CAMEMBERT. And CREAM CHEESE. And FETA. And JARLSBERG. Sooo I bought it all obviously since we are still experiencing a food apocalypse here. That and I am pretty sure I will never see those cheeses up here in Wemindji.

Soo after spending tons of my first paycheque (that's right, it's official I am a PAID teacher now!) Karen and I started back, stopping to build a super cool Inukshuk! (little stone guy you always see on the side of tall rocks on the sides of roads in the wilderness). It was actually one of the most dangerous things we have ever done a) because Karen wore flip flops on a sandy rocky hillside; and b) because Karen picked up a rock uncovering an entire colony of killer ants that quickly developed a taste for Karen's blood. Overall it was worth it and the effect was achieved. Although I think our Inukshuk has too many heads but whatever. I also scored a huge chunk of quartz (size of a side plate!) which I am adding to my rock collection (yes I collect rocks now...rocks outnumber people here 47642257632367 billion to one.)

Other than having lovely adventures
school has been going pretty well! I am still working INCREDIBLY hard at finding the right appropriate classroom behavior incentives and methods to maintain peace in the classroom but overall I am having a blast. My kids are honestly so sweet and tell me they love me every day. I enjoy hearing their stories and we love "filling our buckets" daily with kind words about one another. It's great to have such a sincere bunch of kids, I feel really good about this year. They are still rambunctious and chatty but we made some good headway in following classroom rules this week.

Sadly, I fear that some of that headway may get lost when I attend GVC training in Montreal from the 10th to the 14th and since we have school only on Wednesday and Friday next week due to PED days and the Quebec election so I am hoping that classroom routines won't be completely disregarded while I'm away. I'm leaving deeeeeetailed plans behind and I am also counting on my students to make the right choice when it comes to how they behave and treat the classroom.

I should also mention that I RODE ON AN ATV AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE. Sorry but caps are the only way I can truly express my immeasurable joy gained from this experience. I need to buy one stat. I know I'm in debt but I can justify this purchase. Somehow. Anyways I had to refrain from WOO HOOing the entire time so I didn't damage the eardrums of the lovey Lori who graciously took me for my first ride. Soooo cool!

Anyways below are some awesome pictures from our trip today as well as some some other photos I have taken over the past few days. Enjoy!