Not too much is new up here, but it is worthwhile keeping the folks at home updated on the happenings in the life of their inveterate arctic explorer.
I have registered for an Additional Qualifications course, so I will be as busy as blazes for the next three months. Since I am teaching Math, I thought it might behoove me to become qualified as a Math teacher! The qualifications requirements are not as stringent here as they might be in larger population centres. The thought is that if you have learned HOW to teach, the WHAT you teach becomes immaterial. Good point. I always felt that, given a text and a curriculum, I could manage my way through any subject. It is reassuring to see that belief reflected in my employer!
I have talked to the boss with regard to moving into a more permanent contract as soon as one comes available. He is delighted! The words were something to the effect of "hitting the jackpot" when I was hired. Yay! Way to make the employee feel appreciated! Colour me a happy Northern camper! :-D
I am also up to my elbows in plans for my seminar presentation at the Piliriqatigiinniq Conference for all Nunavut teachers this February. I plan on running them through many of my hands-on classroom activities, such as my homemade clinometers to show the special tan ratio for a 45 degree angle, my "key" understanding activity for Math "Sign" language, using pizza fractions to have conversion races from improper to mixed fractions, as well as a variety of games like MULTO, Math Snap, Krypto, and the Area game. It will be a very active 90 minutes!
Not like I haven't already planned for enough work to fill the next few months, in addition my roommate and I are busy planning a two-day Winter Carnival for March, complete with Inuit games, an igloo-building competition, ice fishing, scavenger hunts and other fun activities for the two schools. No set date, as it is very weather-dependent and we have certainly had our share of blizzards this year with another one predicted for tomorrow...number 10? 11? I have lost count...I must take a picture of some of the huge snow piles and drifts!
I have re-embarked upon my exercise plan. I am recording my activity and nutrition information on a very helpful site at http://www.fitday.com/. I highly recommend it, as it calculates calories for you, tracks how well you are meeting basic nutrition requirements, and even has a mood and body journalling section. I am using teh gym at lunch to walk/run/stair-climb for 20 minutes each day. Yesterday I did 2 walking/3 running laps for 30 minutes. It felt GREAT!!! (Oh yes, the arthritis medication has arrived, see previous post, LOL!)
And once again, I am already hard at work planning the Science Fair. When we had the grand opening of Paatsaali School, CBC North and APTN News were in attendance. They were fascinated by my magnetic levitating globes and I asked if they would be interested in covering the Science Fair. They said that they would be VERY interested, so I must set a date and get Sanikiluaq into the news in the best possible way, with students having a great time learning how much fun science can be.
I think that this summer, I am going to curl up in a ball and hibernate for two months, LOL! For those who think teachers get too much time off, let me say this: we have put in the extra time busting our behinds for 10 months working crazy hours, so we have definitely earned it! And I definitely enjoy it!
TTFN!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Owwww.....
You know, there is something to be said for the notion of taking it easy in your advancing middle years, which are advancing a lot faster than I planned! I have restarted my exercise program in preparation for the ordering and delivery of my new treadmill. My roommate and I are both planning to watch our eating and put in some serious exercise as we both try to shed pesky, persistent and problematic poundage. I hope to train for a 5K this year, 10K next year, and 20K the year after. So this necessitates my actually getting off my fanny and moving.
Here's where the "Owwwww" comes in. I have, again, forgotten to call and reorder my prescriptions in a timely manner. The arthritis medication can now only be ordered 30 days at a time. I cannot quite seem to coordinate my brain around this fact. So my medication bottle rests empty at my bedside. I have, naturally, decided to push ahead anyway and start working out daily for 20 minutes at lunch time. Stephen and I go into the gym and are doing walk/jog splits as a way to ease back into running. My head is crying, "Yes, yes!" My body is crying, "WHAT IN THE #!**!#! ARE YOU THINKING??!!??" I can barely move today, LOL! I'm determined, though, and have hopes of the 5K/10K Toronto run in August if the school schedule permits.
Who knows? In a few years, I may get to run that marathon after all!
Painfully yours,
Nanook of the North
Here's where the "Owwwww" comes in. I have, again, forgotten to call and reorder my prescriptions in a timely manner. The arthritis medication can now only be ordered 30 days at a time. I cannot quite seem to coordinate my brain around this fact. So my medication bottle rests empty at my bedside. I have, naturally, decided to push ahead anyway and start working out daily for 20 minutes at lunch time. Stephen and I go into the gym and are doing walk/jog splits as a way to ease back into running. My head is crying, "Yes, yes!" My body is crying, "WHAT IN THE #!**!#! ARE YOU THINKING??!!??" I can barely move today, LOL! I'm determined, though, and have hopes of the 5K/10K Toronto run in August if the school schedule permits.
Who knows? In a few years, I may get to run that marathon after all!
Painfully yours,
Nanook of the North
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