this and that..

Just wanted to post a few pictures that I just took on my new camera. I am so pumped about this purchase since I have been looking forward to this for awhile...not only a new camera, but being able to buy one with my own income!! I researched it well and am happy with it. My favourite features...2.5" viewing screen (which totally makes the camera i think), unlimited video mode and 6 megapixels. Avery 'chill-axing' in her lounge chairTimmy's Christmas holiday 'ho ho' cups!!Gotta love the crocs!Out for an evening walk!

Not too much else to report for now. Its hard to believe that December is upon is though. The month is booking up fast with Christmas parties and get-togethers. I absolutely LOVE this time of year though..the anticipation of the holidays, friends and family coming home, running into people you haven't seen awhile...its the best!
I've been working a lot lately so thats been great. I was blessed with 4 full days at Vineland school last week. I don't know how often that will happen so I love it when it does. Teaching is FUN when I'm there. Today, on the other hand, was another challenging day at an inner city school in St. Catharines. As stressful as it is sometimes going into unknown territory, I know its for my own benefit as I continue to develop my teaching and classroom management skills.
Oh, just one quick teaching story from today while I'm at it...this one kid in the grade 6 class I was in this afternoon was driving me nuts...totally disrespecting me, being lazy and just asking way too many questions. So I'm winging a science lesson on space and saying enough so it looks like I know what I'm talking about, but not leading into too much so that the kids don't start asking questions about things I acutally have no idea about. We're talking about things orbiting in space and this kid puts his hand up to ask me about the moon's orbital patterns. Like I have any idea...and so as a good supply teacher would, I tell him he should talk to his real science teacher about it when she returns tomorrow. Welll, this kid looks at me like I am nuts and says, well why don't you know the answer, you're the teacher right now, your suppose to know all the answers. He was right...he continued on....so how did you get to become a teacher anyways if you don't know how to answer my science question. Good point....how the heck do I answer...ummm...i say to him after some hesitation...well, teachers do know a lot, but they don't know everything. he didn't look satisfied. would else could I do? kids!!!!!

Loving my girls!

Today we went out for lunch to celebrate Julies' birthday. It was actually last week, but our busy schedule's don't seem to allow us to get together as often as we would like. I was not working today so it worked out well to get together for lunch instead of our usual birthday dinners. Let me just say that I love these girls so much. I am so thankful to have their constant friendship in my life; to listen to my many many thoughts - the ups and the downs - and provide wisdom and insight into my life. We have this amazing connection as friends and I cherish it. We obviously missed our Jenna and our conversations are not quite the same without her there. We think of you often, Jenna and are so proud of you as you become such an amazing midwife.

Missing the bro's...

The other day I started to miss my brothers. They are both pretty far away from home right now and life just isn't quite as FUN without them. Jeff is living out on Thetis Island for his second year as a Bible school student, while Jay is on the other side of the world in India. Actually, right now he is travelling around a bit on 'buisness' and is going to visit our dear Jenna in the Phillipines (which, by the way, I am completely jealous of!!!). I am pretty proud of these guys and amazed at where the Lord has taken them over the past few years. When I went to Capernwray 7 years ago (whoa...is it that long already?), I never imagined that BOTH my brothers would do the same thing and now Jeff is into his seond year there. Jay just amazes me sometimes when I think about how God has changed him and used him in so many ways. His heart for the students in India is so evident and he is in his element when he is working over there. I'm not sure of his job title, but his responsibilities over there range from student internship coordinator, outreach, bible teaching, worship, sports and the list goes on. One day I want to see for myself what goes on over at Green Valley Bible Centre. Check out the link on my sidebar to see their website. I'm looking forward to Christmas when both these guys come home for the holidays. Even though their senses of humour are quite different, they both make me laugh so much. Good times are had by all when they're around.

I'm becoming a mean teacher...

I've was looking over my blog and noticed that most of the time I write and show pictures of the fun and happy things going on in my life and rarely seem to mention the not-so-fun things that happen. I would hate to give a false impression that everything is always hunky dory with me because the reality is that it's not. And today was a prime example of a bad day in the life of Christine. So if your interested, let me tell you about it. The title of this post may give some indication as to the nature of my day. I am afraid that I have seen a side of me as a teacher that I hoped would never appear....or at the most appear in a slightly less obvious form. You know those teachers that you always disliked growing up, the ones that are mean one second and then your best friend the next. Or the ones that just yelled all the time and seemed to never be happy. As I started training to become a teacher, I decided that I didn't want to be that kind of teacher. I was going to be cool and fun and all the kids would like me and I would always have cool lessons. I had visions of these perfect discussions with the children; all of them staring right at me, eager for instruction. Hellllllloooooo........what imaginary teaching planet was I on??? The reality is, as I have began to experience, that those visions are few and far between. Today was probably my worst teaching experience yet. I don't mean to make it sounds like I have had mostly bad experiences and this tops it all off. On the contrary, actually...most of teaching experiences thus far have been amazing. Maybe thats why my experience yesterday was so shocking to me and definetely classifed under the 'live and learn' section of my portfolio.
I was at a rougher school this afternoon and unbeknownst to me, I had a very difficult class. This I soon realized. Within about 1/2 hour, I noticed one particular child becoming quite figgity and irritated. He told me he had ADD and so I excused his impatience and continued teaching the rest of the class. Then, out of no where, this student told me he had had enough of me and chose many VERY inappropriate words and directed them at me. I was in complete shock and a deafening silence came over the room. Did I just hear what I think I heard? Did an 8 year old just use those words and fire them AT me? It's amazing how they can hurt, even though they come from a child who is not in their right mind. The principal was immediately called in and the child was taken out of my hands for the rest of the day. I couldn't concentrate after that. The rest of the class was still quite chatty and I could never seem to get their attention. I had to raise my voice more than once and even send a kid into the hall. I hated it. Its not me. I didn't sign-up for this job as police officer. Its like I have these out of body experiences where all of the sudden I find myself doing and saying these things in order to control the kids and I don't know how I got there. I really want to be a nice teacher, but unfortunatly, I think I've ended up in the bad books of a few children. I guess if thats all I've lost so far, in the bigger scheme of things, its not really a big deal.
Its been really interesting as a supply teacher for me to build and develop 'my style' as a teacher. Obviously being a supply teacher as opposed to a permanent teacher automatically establishes you as lower on the authority scale than the regular classroom teacher and perhaps I should not except such good behaviour while I am in charge. Who am I, really, in the minds of the children that I only am in charge of for sometimes no more than an hour or two? I guess I am learning more and more of who I want to be as a teacher; of the standards I want to set in my own classroom someday. I am striving for consistency. I hate that I feel all over the place sometimes, as I constantly face new situations. I want to be a teacher of my word; a teacher who is fair, yet firm; fun, yet respected. I know it takes time to develop, and in the mean time, the up and down days will continue. Tomorrow, I am hoping for an 'up-day'. I need to be reminded of the joys of teaching.

1 Year

October 30th marked a year of dating for Brad and I. Its hard to believe that we've only been dating a year because it honestly feels so much longer. Its been an amazing year full of adventure and growth. I can't wait to experience more years together. This picture was taken exactly a year ago on one of our many fall colours tours in The Morgan. Here's to more adventures together...