March Break(down)!

Whew! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and little wonder: school has run me ragged. I finished up my special education placement at Clinton Street Public School just before Valentine’s Day—appropriate considering how much I loved my time there! Despite my limited knowledge about teaching special ed, the wonderful classroom teacher and TA offered gentle guidance and all the students seemed to enjoy the activities and lessons I planned for them. All, that is, except one boy who seemed to have permanent ants in his pants.

He was frequently disruptive during circle time, and on occasion had to spend time with the teacher elsewhere in the room so I could proceed. Each time I scolded him, my mind thought of the various articles I’ve read that caution against the systematic exclusion of such students. In an attempt to harness his energy rather than punish him for it, I planned one of my final lessons around dance and body movement. He shone. At the end of the lesson the boy who up until that point had mostly scowls for me and occasionally called me a nincompoop (or what we call, speaking truth to power), that same boy ran across the circle and gave me a hug. I’ve since been back to visit Clinton to give a talk to a grade 6 class about my work as an editor. When I popped in on my special ed students, the same boy gave me a huge smile and another hug. Definitely a high point of this year’s teaching experiences.



Despite coming from that high point, or perhaps because of it, I’ve so far felt less successful about my latest placement. I am now at a school near Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. in Toronto’s north end in a grade 5/6 split class. At last, the age group I’ve been so eager to teach! Although I’ve been super keen to work with the “juniors” (as opposed to “kindergarten” or “primary”), my first three weeks have not found me as organized as I’d like to be. The added responsibilities of this fourth placement combined with the long haul and heavy workload since the Christmas break have had me feeling a little burned out. Because our program is tied to the public school calendar, we get March Break rather than the typical Reading Week break in February. Those extra few weeks, I found, take a toll. As desperate as I was for this break, I’ve tried to balance down time with school prep. Nevertheless, as the break nears its end, I’m already feeling stressed about not being prepped enough to go back. Hopefully I’ll find my stride in time to savour my final weeks with the grade 5/6s.

Beyond my practicum, the push is also on for the end of my school year. Classes finish up the week after next, and so all the major papers and projects are due in April. Meanwhile, I’m working on setting up an optional fifth practicum placement at the end of April in Guelph, where Jeanette and I are hoping eventually to settle. Friends and family have provided some suggestions for schools. We drove around for a look-see while were in Guelph earlier this week visit Jeanette’s uncle Gerald, who has very kindly offered a room if I need it. Thank you to all who have been helping me in my search to make contacts in the Upper Grand District School Board!

I’ll try to keep you posted, but the next few weeks look like more sustained craziness. Onward!