367

Three hundred and sixty-seven sets of eyes.
Three hundred and sixty-seven musical abilities.
Three hundred and sixty-seven report cards.
Three hundred and sixty-seven little people calling me "Miss Stewart"
Three hundred and sixty-seven lives to change.

That's right, I have 367 students. I counted.*

*Well - I had to estimate about 20 per class for my grades 1-3 classes since I don't have attendance lists for them. But to be fair, I also didn't count the 10 that are on my volleyball team, none of whom I teach in music
 
I'm with the grades 1-3's only every 8 days (in a tumbling block), and I see the other 237 of them every 2 days. That's a lot of potential I have there. A lot of music, a lot of responsibility; but yes, it's a lot of awesome potential.  How scary -- and yet, how exciting!!

As of tomorrow, I will have been teaching, full time, as a real life music teacher, for ONE MONTH. I think that's a pretty cool milestone, don't you? (On a side note, is it too Canadian of me to wonder if we should start saying kilometrestone?) And to make it an even more exciting landmark, it's happening on the eve of the Thanksgiving long weekend!  And let me tell you, I DO feel thankful to be here. Every now and then I have a moment of "Wow...I'm being actually PAID to make music with youth all day. That's pretty sweet".

Thanksgiving is perhaps my most FAVOURITE of all the holidays - it's not focused around gift-giving like so many of the others; but the family still gets together; the weather is my favourite of all the year; we head over to my second cousin's golf course for free pitch & putt and golf cart rides, I get to see BOTH my sisters at once; and there's just SO MUCH GOOD FOOD, to top it all off: Aunt Ruth's homemade buns, Aunt Linda's cheese & broccoli dish and homemade stuffing, candied yams, dad's gravy and scalloped potatoes, and --best of all.........yup, Aunt Lorraine's blueberry pie. MMMMMmmm! I bet you were expecting me to say turkey, right? I'm not a huge turkey fan, actually. I mean, I still eat it...it IS thanksgiving afterall. Those of you that know me know I'm no party pooper. So I eat the turkey and LIKE it.

Now THIS is a turkey fan.

Upon further reflection while re-reading that previous paragraph, it's really no wonder I always have to wear my stretchy pants on Thanksgiving.  But you know what? It's the one day a year where I am completely guilt-free from eating a staggering amount of food, because it was all prepared in thanks - and I'm always eating it with the people I care about most.  All of this awesome wrapped into one weekend makes the following news even more depressing: My current fiscal situation prevents me from flying home for the weekend. BAH hum bug! (oops. wrong holiday). And not only that, but I don't even have any close friends here to celebrate with.  All of my co-workers are driving out to Calgary or Edmonton, or flying back home. Not sure what Libby is up to, but maybe she'll be around and I can convince her to take a break from her mountain of marking to have a thanksgiving treat. Matt invited us over for supper with his parents who are visiting from Edmonton on Saturday, which I'm sure will be splendid if they're anything like him (or rather, if he's anything like them?).  Regardless, I think it'll be a pretty low-key weekend, and I'm looking forward to some time to myself to just relax.

I meant to update a few weeks ago, when I had my first tough teaching day. That was perhaps a not-so-nice...kilometrestone (I'm gunna make that word happen...).  I can't even remember the exact reason for my sentiments, but I just felt so completely and utterly defeated. For the first time, I had a true sense of "I'm in way over my head".  But luckily, that feeling only lasted for a day, and then I sprang back in full force. I've since decided to make use of the district's project of using Instructional Coaches, who can be booked to come into a class and observe you teaching and then give suggestions to help with classroom management. It's just tough trying to read 16 different CLASSES of students and know who can and can't sit where, who needs special attention, and when a transition is needed.  That's booked for next Tuesday, so hopefully that goes well and I'm not told that I'm a complete twat. I DO feel like everything is improving, though, which is a glimmer of hope.  

my reading assignment from my
Instructional Coach.

On a brighter note, I had a wonderful second-hand compliment from my students a while ago. My supervisor was meeting with a student from one of my schools and asked him or her if I was a nice teacher. The grade 5 apparently responded with a maturely spoken, "she's firm but kind" - WOOHOO! That's exactly what I was going for, kid! I don't know who it was, otherwise I might give them some bonus points ;) The glimmer that statement left on my teaching ego was only slightly shaded a few days later when another student informed me that there were 2 students (in my grade 6 devil class, mind you) who wanted to quit band because I was "too strict".

Can you believe it?  ME?!? Too strict?! That being said, these 2 were the students I had to make a few phone calls home for. One even came to class the next day, arms crossed, and exclaimed to me "Now I'm GROUNDED!". Needless to say, I'm quickly learning about the power of The Phone Call Home. They're scary sometimes, but parents are generally very supportive, and it's especially great when you actually have something positive to say, because parents are surprised!

If you've made it this far without skimming, I'll reward you with some stories. I think there must be some psychology study that shows it'll make you more likely to keep coming back, right? Anyway, these are both things that happened today - partially because they're both notable happenings, and partially because my memory is so taken up with student names and notes on assessment that I can't even remember what happened yesterday.  

1) I had a half-day of teaching today, since the afternoon was booked off for a PD session on assessment (riveting, right?). Anyway, I headed to the location, grabbed my bag, waterbottle, notes, and handouts from my car; put the guitar in the trunk; and then made my way inside. It wasn't until about 3 hours later, when we went to leave, that I couldn't find my keys.

Oh, Shhhhhostakovich.

I searched my pockets and my bag inside out, retraced my steps, but to no avail. I was one heartbeat away from blaming it on the school's ghosts (no joke, check it out under "crystal park school" here. Co-workers have told me about suspicious activities they've encountered while there alone. Needless to say, I avoid it at night.) but then I decided to see if maybe I had accidentally locked them in my car.
I headed out there to see what had happened, and -- what did I see? 
My keys, stuck in the driver's side keyhole, hanging on the outside of the car, lanyard just flapping in the wind like it was no big deal. 

THANK THE GOOD LORD! No one stole my car. It was like a gift to any thief out there. Holy Rachmaninov I'm daft sometimes.  I suppose it WAS parked at an elementary school, which is generally full of respectable people?  The only safer parking lot I can think of to do such a stupid thing would probably be that of a church. But STILL. I can't believe my brain did not save me from myself!!  It all happened because I have to use the lock on the driver side door to activate the powerlocks in the car since I don't have a key fob.  I guess that with all my hands full, I had just left the key in the lock and forgotten to grab it on my way into the school.
THIS IS WHY I NEED A KEY FOB. DAMN YOU, DEVEN, DAMN YOU. (re: He's the guy that sold me the car, who promised to give me a fob but never did).

2) I was at the mall today with Amber, just sitting in the food court enjoying a Bravissimo when an older man came up in the middle of our conversation, interrupted, bent down at the table looking at me and said something along the lines of:
"I just needed to say, that, well, I'm 62 years old, and I needed to tell you that you are a very, beautiful, girl"
"Thank you, sir"
(looking at Amber) "Look at me, I must be old if she's calling me 'sir'! Let me just ask you one thing. When you travel, do you stop and look at beautiful things?"
"Uh...yes?"
"My case and point"
And then he just left.

Amber had a laughing fit, while I sat there stunned. Still not sure whether to take it as a compliment or be a little bit creeped out. For now, I'm going to go with the former.

In other news, my paycheck is pretty much gone, between taxes, rent, car payment and one too many trips to Menchies. Whoops.  It was so exciting to receive the biggest paycheck I'd ever received before, but then so depressing to see that hardly ANY of it was available for spending.  Now I really, really understand the whole "taxes suck" complaint I heard so often growing up.

ANYWAY. Not too much else to update you on for now so I'll leave you with a few things I am thankful for, in no particular order, in honour of the BEST HOLIDAY EVER coming up in just 2 days:

-the people of Grande Prairie, for NOT stealing my car or anything in it today
-my new friends and awesome co-workers in this new, once-scary city
-all those who have sent me surprise mail! 
-the car defrost function (mornings are getting CHILLLLLLY!)
-Menchies
-my busy but amazing job and all my energetic, talented, and fun-loving students!
-a housemate I get along with well and who makes me mixed cds for my car! :) Thanks, Libby!
-last, but CERTAINLY not least, my wonderful family, who have supported my trip out West, helped me get settled, and are so good with staying in touch

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! GO GIVE THANKS!
I'd love for you leave a comment here or on facebook about what you're thankful for!

Until next time,
B.