Guac-off

I'm hanging out in the crowded staff room while my colleagues are engaging in our annual "Guac-Off": a Guacamole making competition complete with salsa and chips, Corona, freshly mixed drinks (looks like pineapple margaritas) and camaraderie. The competition has been an annual event for the past four years. Six contestants get 25 minutes to … Continue reading Guac-off →

Cloudy with a chance of writing

I teach Foundational English Language Development (ELD) to grade 3/4/5/6 students and I absolutely love it. I develop a really strong bond with my students and I love helping them feel successful as they gain more and more confidence in their new language. We are in the middle of a narrative writing unit based on … Continue reading Cloudy with a chance of writing →

Égoïste

Recently I had the shock of getting to know a couple of people whose character/ demeanour/ personality filled me with curiosity. They appear to lack any discernible measure of egotism. They demonstrate excellence - not just small-pond admiration - and yet are also kind and humble, thoughtful and nuanced, assume the best of others and … Continue reading Égoïste →

Too much and not enough

I really over did it yesterday. First the accident, then writing for probably 3+ hours, then reading and commenting on other posts. I was up past midnight and couldn't wind down to get to sleep until past 1am. I did not feel I was forced to do any of it. I am enjoying this challenge, … Continue reading Too much and not enough →

Free Fallin’

So today I fell off a Lime. Do you know what a Lime is? It's a super fun and extremely convenient death trap. Calendar-wise I'm 40. In looks, my 8 year-old students swear I couldn't possibly be more than 32 (because 8 year olds are notoriously good at guessing age, right?). But at heart, I … Continue reading Free Fallin’ →

Hedwig’s Lament

I am not a morning person. I have always aspired to be a morning person, the idea that being a morning person is to be a better person having been ingrained in me from a very young age. After years of trying (kind of) and failing to be bright eyed and productive any time before 9am, I … Continue reading Hedwig’s Lament →

Self Portrait: Unfinished

I'm on school holiday currently, the last weekday of a mid-winter break, sometimes casually referred to as the "ski week." About 75% of my students have gone skiing. The roads will be a nightmare - people prepare to spend 9+ hours in Alpine traffic. A group of my colleagues went to Innsbruck for the week. … Continue reading Self Portrait: Unfinished →