Anyway…..!

I am in the process of selecting a template (one of the reasons I was lured from blogger) and transferring over my blogger content. Stay tuned.

cgc

hehehehe

I rely that I would rather play sports than watch it, but it hasn’t worked out that way.

So with my Masters almost out of the way (one last paper to finish today) and my wife working evenings, I have LOTS of time to watch Ron & Don on CBC or anything else I want:
-NHL playoffs
-basketball playoffs start soon
-baseball (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)
-sport shows
- etc

This past week I got into 2 hockey pools. One on Sportsnet with some ball hockey guys. Other with teacher team. I basically need Nasville and Washington to pull off some upsets for me to win.

Here’s to holding my breath!

No, I didn’t miss them. And they didn’t miss me. But we still like each other. ha

Monday I finished my second-last Masters paper. Had to interview a classmate and write a short story or analyze ‘meanings.’ Naturally I wrote the story – my first! It was like pulling teeth. Only one more paper left!

Tuesday I had ball hockey. Tried out me new sneaks. Been playing with running shoes for the past year. Legs burning after each game. Finally, the rubber starting peeling off the bottom. So off to Sport Check! When I told sales girl that I was playing ball hockey with running shoes, she looked at me funny. Then smiled. So now I am wearing cross-trainers.

Funny thing. Legs didn’t burn after game. But it certainly didn’t improve my game!

Wednesday was our last ice hockey game in the teacher league. Another cut lip and stitches, but it wasn’t me this time! During the game my left skate felt ‘off.’ At the end of the game I noticed a nasty crack in the mold which holds the blade. Gee, I replaced the right mold last year for the same reason.

So do I go out and buy a $40 new mold or get new skates? Will either help me put the puck in the net? Alas, no. I was given the skates back in 2003. With the technology today, I don’t have a clue on what is considered a ‘good’ skate.

Thursday I had parent-teacher interviews. The first 2 attempts were cancelled by bad weather. Isn’t it funny that the parents you really want to see don’t show up? We even went as far as sending notes home, requesting to see certain parents, and telling other parents that don’t need to come. But the opposite basically happened. With three months left, some of the kids are already starting to coast. And they are only in grade 5!

Lastly, I went to my FINAL MASTERS class last night! It has been an intense 5 semesters. But it is over. I won’t be going back to get my PHD. But I will miss the intellectual challenge.

On a side note, I have set up a blog on wordpress.com. I am planning to transfer the content of this blog to my new one soon. WordPress has more options.

But was there any need to keep pressing on your horn, raising both middle fingers in a frantic gesture (tsktsk, no hands on wheel) and cursing on me? (I couldn’t exactly read your lips, but I strongly doubt you were wishing me a happy Easter)

But then you tail-gated the next vehicle, a little blue truck. Once again you pressed down on the horn and waved your hands while your rap music boomed. I think you are lucky the guy in the blue truck did not slam his breaks. You would have been f**ked.

So you continued on, swerving in and out among the cars in both lanes at high speed. Did you need to pee really bad? Was your favourite show about to start?

A word of advice – relax. I know the word out there is that Sin John’s is booming with oil $$, but there is no reason to drive around town like we have a 401.

Since I am writing my Masters exit paper on the ‘problems of teaching poetry’ and the theme for Steffler’s speech was ‘The Uses of Poetry’ I thought I should attend. Plus, I am currently teaching a poetry unit in school. One stone, many birds.

The speech was decent, and the free wine and cheese was yummy. Before I left I looked at the texts on sale that were written by Steffler. I selected ‘That Night We Were Ravenous.‘ Poems set within the experience of natural world, often throughout rural Newfoundland.

I am enjoying it so far. Now back to my poetry paper. Due tomorrow.

That is a kettle of fish, for sure. With that theme in mind, go to VOCM’s website (www.vocm.com) and click on question of the week and do the survey about teachers doing duty.

Then read the comments posted by adults. Nasty.

Personally, I don’t mind doing lunch duty. And being involved with kids. But the misconception that ‘teachers don’t work’ and ‘get paid in the summer for nothing’ really bothers me.

And I don’t see a change a comin’ soon in attitudes.

In the past couple of weeks, Education Minister has compared teachers to police and correction officers after a study on school violence was released. Her justification was that we (teachers) deal with the public. Ah, yes. BUT we deal with some children who are treating like sh*t and our hands are tied. Not ‘lifers’ in the pen.

The question is, “What is mommy and daddy going to do about it?”

A local lawyer stated that an alternative school is needed for all the dropouts in the city – students who can’t handle traditional schools. He also complained that his clients can’t read or write and socially promoting them is wrong.

Yes, socially promoting kids is wrong. It gives a false sense of security to both kids and their parents. If little Johnny can’t read in the warm and fuzzy years of elementary school, and the parents don’t take him to get tested (yes, it is their responsibility, not teachers – once again our hands are tied and we can only suggest testing), how do you think the junior high years are going to be?

Johnny is going to be frustrated, angry, and probably act out and quit. And the parents may say, “I don’t know what to do with him.” He is in Grade 8, but reading at a Grade 4 level. Why stop now. Let’s promote him to Grade 9.

I am not saying that teachers are blameless. It is the time of year that teachers think about who may not pass. I have a couple in my class who probably won’t, but the final say comes down to the parents – once again my hands are tied.

I am not related (that I know of) to the Combdens named in the article, but I still feel a kinship to them, remembering my days as a young child visiting pop and nan in Barr’d Islands and other relatives in Joe Batt’s Arm.

I think it is great the old are showing the young ‘ways’ of the past before it is too late. Each time I visit Fogo Island (and that’s not enough) I see less and less punts floating in the little harbours. I hope the program at the local school is a success.

Here is a poem I wrote many years ago; a boy with his grandfather and his punt:

In The Harbour

old man
boy
in the boat
“It’s me punt”
rowing
about in the harbour
oars cutting water
slow
fluid motion

gulls
screaming overhead
diving
to the water
“d’ere eatin’ fish guts”
trying
to count them
but
too many

water
cold and black
“how deep is the water `ere pop?”
“over our heads me son, over our heads”
sees reflection
rippling
over the side

waves
rocking them side to side
“do ya want to row?”
small hands
ready
for instructions
fears
to let go

boy
old man
in the punt
“take yer time, you’ll git it me son”
punt
drifting in the harbour
oars
splashing
with the sound of their laughter

I am getting older.

Thank god I still have my (sorta) youthful face. And hair. ha

Tomorrow I am 35. I am ok with it, because even though my body is getting older and hairier, I still feel young. I think it is due to my very prolonged youth and university “career.”

As for my plans tomorrow, ball hockey is cancelled due to Mt. Pearl’s Frosty Festival. So it will be the traditional dinner and a movie with my wife. Maybe she will even let me pick the flick this time!