It has been a busy few weeks. I got back from the gallbladder surgery only to run like crazy, prepping the work for my sub for the 10 days when I went to Iqaluit for training! It was a series of full weekends and 11 hour days copying, writing notes, getting supplies ready and organizing all of the material.
The trip to Iqaluit did not start off well. We were supposed to leave on Monday with a rest day in Montreal. Unfortunately, we were fogged in and could not leave until Tuesday, which we did by hopping onto a cargo plane to Kuujjuarapik and then joining a connecting flight to Montreal. A brief sleep and back north to Iqaluit.
The Professional Development/Union training was very informative and we worked right through the weekend when everyone else enjoyed a rest. We also took suicide prevention training which was a very emotional and difficult course, but worth it. Our days began at 6:00 am and didn't end until about 7:00 pm by the time we had dinner. So we did little else except watch a bit of TV before heading straight to bed. I did buy two little carvings, one in a pale jade green soapstone and the other in a blue-grey colour. Lovely!
When we got home, it was right into report card writing. The weather here has been wild with a lot of snow and wind, so the drifts are huge. I tried taking the Honda to keep the battery charged, and got stuck four times. Luckily, the community always has someone out and about and they were all willing to help push out the crazy qallunat teacher, LOL!
Today I am baking up a storm. It is right before month end and "rent day" for my grade 10 and 11 classes, and I always try to suck their money out like a good business person would before they pay their bills. If they buy too much, they can't pay their rent and get "evicted" from their desks. A good lesson in budgeting! I may even offer a "credit card" to them, and charge them crazy interest...what a great way for them to learn how to handle credit!
I am now a confirmed presenter at the Nunavut-wide Professional Development Conference in February. This will be my first "official" training session and I am very nervous! I just hope someone can pick up some useful tips. Tim, my principal, is naturally delighted that I am doing this as it makes our little community look very good. I just figure that I would appreciate the tips from others, so why not share a few of my ideas that seem to work well?
Anyhow, off to the oven to rescue my banana cupcakes. Oh, my poor students and their about-to-be-emptied bank accounts, LOL! I'm so devious!
TTFN!
Terri of the North
