Of Mice & Men...and Skin Colour

While writing his controlled assessment, one of my students asked for clarification about why Curley's wife bothered to talk to Lennie. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Well...why did she talk to Lennie? What was Lennie like?

Student: Mentally disabled..he was different than the others.

Me: Exactly. They were both different than everyone else, both outcasts.

Student: But they're both white!

Me: ...What? Outcast, not half-caste!

The best part of the whole story...the class, writing under silent exam conditions, heard the entire conversation.

For those of you not in the know, half-caste is an out of date (possibly not very PC?) term referring to someone of mixed race.

Where to Begin.

I'm sitting here, looking at what I have written so far for my maid of honour speech and I can't help but think "where do I start?" I have about 5 minutes to try and explain how much my sister means to me and express all of the blessings and love that I have for her and Kristian.

It's a lot of pressure!

I don't even know where to begin. Looking back on all my earliest memories, Sarah is there. As she always has been. Throughout all of the good, bad, stable and chaotic moments, Sarah has been constant. She is one of the most wonderful and amazing people that I know. I tell my students that they will truly love their brothers and sisters--someday. I've come to realize this now. I consider Sarah to be one of my best friends and I'm so lucky that she's my sister.

What do I include in my toast to her? The story of Sarah telling me to take my Flinstones vitamins when we were kids? Her telling me what clothes to wear, sending me back to my room to change until I was wearing something that wasn't cringe-worthy? About how, until around the age of 13, she could intimidate me by using the "don't make me count to 3. Ok...1...2...." routine? All the times we laughed until my stomach hurt? All the times she was the one to hug me and comfort me when I was crying--whether it was because of a boy, bad dream or anything else?

I better get started now...don't want to give away all the good stuff before the big day! To end this post (and bout of writers block), I'll just say that if my speech conveys just how much I love my sister and if I get a few laughs along the way--and if I make it through without crying like a baby--then I'll consider that a success.

And it Happens, Yet Again...

Being put in incapacitatingly (it's a real word...as of now) socially awkward situations?

Story of my life.

Stay tuned for further detail and humiliation.

One of the Best

In my Year 9 English class, I have a certain Scottish lad--we'll call him Angus, just to be stereotypical. Angus, dear Angus, was the only student who absolutely hated watching the Lion King because he had an "issue" with the fact that the animals--namely the monkey, Rafiki--spoke, sang and acted human.**

So, knowing Angus' aversion to talking animals, I was hesitant (by hesitant, I mean spitefully gleeful...but in a nice way) to tell him that he was going to be watching Alice in Wonderland as an end-of-year treat while they worked. So, when the little mouse appeared on screen, complete with a miniature rapier, one of the girls leaned over to Angus and said, "Angus, do you have an issue with the mouse having a knife?"

And Angus...dear, sweet, Angus, replied: "No! Of course the mouse has a knife...he needs it to cut his cheese!"

I laughed so loudly that the students couldn't hear the movie.

**I know what you're thinking. Yes, we watched the Lion King during school. It was related to the curriculum. The students had to produce a piece of writing comparing the plot of the Lion King to Hamlet. English win in your face.

**I also realize that I really need need to teach Angus the meaning of "anthropomorphism."

For Lack of a Witty Title...27 Days to Go!

...I already think I used that title, while counting down yet another return to Canada. I swear, by all that's holy and by all the Irish cider in the United Kingdom, if any snowstorms, volcanoes, airline strikes or being (falsely, I assure you) accused of treason against the Queen prevent me from getting on that plane the morning of July 23...heads are gonna roll (Lizzie, I'm lookin' at your bejewelled head first).

Today was a most marvellous day of days. A group of us headed to Ravensthorpe to spend the day sitting in the breeze off a lovely lake (my, I'm full of alliteration tonight). I didn't think to take pictures while I was there and it just finally occurred to me on the drive back through the countryside that reminded me so much of home.

Now that I'm creeping up on the one-year mark of living in England, I'm really starting to realize that England isn't so different after all. While some stereotypes do definitely hold true --man those British are serious about their tea!!--there have been many pleasant surprises. It can go days, even a full week, without raining! While I still find the driving-in-the-opposite-direction thing confusing as hell, England is starting to become more familiar to me. I am sure there are plenty other that I could list on here, much to the delight of my new-found fans in Germany and Poland (really? Who do I know in Germany?...or Poland?), but my day out in the sunshine has left me shattered--there, a little English slang for you. There is plenty different about Canada and the UK, but I am slowly starting to learn my way through the cultural gap.

Nice as that may be, I am more than ready to get back to Canada for a vacation! Watch out Tim Hortons, driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road and lemon gin, I'm comin' home soon!

Sorry, Little Blog.

I have been ignoring you..how rude of me.

Really, it's not that I have been ignoring my dedicated fans (all 7 of you...8 on a real busy day), it's just that nothing of note has been happening in my life as of late. I've been steadily counting down the days until I make my glorious return to Canada (32!!!) and the end of term. While I still have just over 4 weeks to go, I've got that end-of-school-feeling. We're moving all the year groups up at the beginning of July, just to get them off to a smooth start in September, so it feels like a I have a really short term to get through through July.

I'm finding myself struggling to stay motivated and dedicated in this wind-down period. But, it's the little things that make me realize that I've made the right decision in becoming a teacher...

...it's reasons like this. Finding notes like this left on my whiteboard, from a student who, weeks earlier, told me what she thought of me...and it wasn't on the similar wavelength as this note.

It's realizing that, after only a few months, I'm no longer that pain-in-the-ass English teacher. I'm someone constant, someone to depend on.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Either way, I was "well pleased" (to sound a little British) to find this note at the end of a busy day.

Cracking a Smile

My year 10s...God love them (because somebody has to)...came up with this gem of a quote:

Student: "Who the hell is that with the glasses? Is that Jesus?"

Me: "No....That would be Eric Clapton."

And thank my Year 9 boys for...

Me: "Bobby**--pick up the marker and paper you just threw on the floor, please."

Student: "Racist."

Student: "Miss, what's your password?" (To log onto my account on the computer system)

Me, laughing: "Not a chance I'm telling you."

Student: "...It's cause I'm Albanian, isn't it?"

I've also lost count of students who call my country "Canadiana." Whether they are trying to get a rise out of me or genuinely don't know the difference...I can't be sure which it is. But, considering I had someone ask me at 3:30 this afternoon if it was already tomorrow in Canada (because of the time difference), I'm leaning towards not knowing any better.

**Name has been changed