Category: teaching

Categories
#blogjune family anecdotes my novel-in-progress teaching

On the relationship between libraries, teaching, and vocal nodules

I’ve been teaching ever since I can remember. Well, not when I was 4, or 5, or thereabouts. Of course. But since my early teens, I’ve been earning money teaching. Back then, it was teaching violin to children who’d just started learning, and whose parents wanted private lessons. It was easy enough – I knew how to play, and passed this knowledge on. At 21, I got formal qualifications in the field, and went on to teach kids as young as four, to students older than me, in subjects that varied from English and Music to Drama, Geography, Christian Studies, History, Dance – and there was also a Sex. Ed. semester long unit in the late 1990’s – to a class of Year Ten boys!

My younger brother commented once, “You’re such a born teacher!” He’d been staying with Hubby and I, and all of us were in our late twenties. I’d just finished teaching a private violin student, and was helping her to count out change from the money she’d paid me. Rather than just giving her the money (4 or 5 coins), I had asked her to count it as I put the coins, one by one, into her hand. My brother watched this, laughed and shook his head, and made the comment – which has stuck with me ever since. I realised that, ‘Yes, I am. Teaching is something that I love doing. Imparting knowledge, helping children develop skills, watch them develop attitudes – hopefully positive ones! That’s what I love.’

Back in 2010, I decided to qualify myself as a Librarian. So that, when my children were old enough to go to school, I could return to full-time work as a Teacher Librarian.

Life didn’t work out quite like that. I’m back at work, on a 7-day fortnight, in a permanent teaching role. And my kids are all at school. Those Library qualifications, earned last December, are just that. Qualifications. At the moment.

But the good thing is that I’m only working a 7-day fortnight. Which means that, every Monday for a while now, I’ve been able to volunteer in a Library for a few hours. And I love it!!! In fact, I would love to be heading there this morning. That’s what I was planning to do. And I was planning to blog this afternoon about it.

But again, life intervened. This morning, it was in the form of that annoying nodule on my vocal cords which sometimes decides to make its presence known. I developed it about six years ago, when I lost my voice for over three months. It was pretty bad. Speech therapy worked wonders though – however, at certain points in time, when I’m sick, it must feel neglected or something, and so it flares up. And that’s what has happened today.

I know that if I don’t rest it, it’ll get angrier and angrier, and I’ll lose my voice for longer than just a few days. So, unfortunately, home is the only place I’ll be at today. Home, and quiet. No Library time for me. And that makes me sad. But it can’t be helped.

On the upside though, I guess, I’ll be able to get stuck into that children’s book that I finished some weeks back. The one that I’ve been procrastinating editing. Because all the advice that I’ve read says: ‘leave it for a month’; ‘wait, let it rest’; ‘return to it with fresh eyes’. Or maybe it’s just because I’m scared. I don’t want to edit it! I’ve never edited a full work of mine before… because I’ve never written a full work before! But today’s lack-of-voice provides a perfect opportunity, so I’d best not waste it.

Hold me to it, dear reader! And have a great day yourself!

— KRidwyn

Categories
teaching Work

Today…

Today I watched children perform. I watched them turn sing, dance, do gymnastics. I watched them support each other, applaud each other, and do this voluntarily. I watched older children organise, compere, stage crew, and sound crew.

This would not have happened without my instigating it. Teaching the older children how to run it. Supervising. Smoothing over the (very few) rough patches.

It was beautiful.

I loved every second.

Sometimes, life is just wonderful.

Here’s wishing your day is just as wonderful, dear reader!

— KRidwyn

 

Categories
family anecdotes teaching Work

Showing respect

Morning, all! I wrote yesterday about forgiving myself, and taking responsibility. It ended up being a good day, looking back. I didn’t end up doing Prac (my Librarian friend was ill, and told me to not come in) so I got stuff done at home, and cleared my head a little bit – which was awesome!!! An incident last night involving the rooster and one chicken left me hot under the collar, and I must admit, I didn’t deal with this as well as I should have. Especially when I could hear the kids screaming at each other back up at the house while I was busy in the chicken pen! Not particularly proud of yelling at the kids when I (finally) returned. Not proud at all. But I cleared it up with them again, when I’d calmed down, and they know that I make mistakes, so all was forgiven – but still, I needed to step back and think before I spoke. I needed to ‘show respect’ as my default position. Which it wasn’t. It was all about how the situation was affecting me, and I wanted everyone else to know about it!

Kind of like what happened in 1 Samuel Chapter 6, that I just read. In the last chapter, the Philistines had been plagued (literally) by troubles ever since capturing the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelite tribes. In this chapter, we see them say “enough is enough” and send it back. I guess they learned their lesson, because instead of just ‘giving it back’, they consulted their religious leaders and asked how they should do it properly – I guess what had been happening to them meant that they had grown a huge amount of respect for the Ark and the God of the Israelites, and they didn’t want further calamities!

So they did what they were told. Sent the Ark back on a cart, pulled by two cows that had never had calves or been yoked previously, with offerings of gold in the shape of rats and tumours – which they’d been plagued with since capturing the Ark. So the cows pulled the Ark right back into Israelite territory, and the people to whom it came, rejoiced and offered sacrifices to God.

But then the same thing happened. The Israelites were overconfident. Overstepped their mark. Blasé about it all – and disrespectful of the Ark. So unfortunately, they also had to be taught a similar lesson. They suffered loss, too. And again, they asked for the Ark to be sent away form their town.

I guess respect is a pretty big thing. We need to not get ‘too big for our own boots’, and show politeness to others rather than believing, and showing others, that we are better than them by the way that we treat them with disrespect.  Something that I think I kinda need to work on! Today marks the first day of my teaching week. I’ll have Year 1’s and 2’s today. The classes that I find most challenging, due to my impatient nature. So today’s a good day to work on that ‘showing respect’ idea!

See you tomorrow, dear reader, and I’ll let you know how it goes. Have an awesome day yourself!

— Ceridwyn

Categories
teaching University studies Work

…and again…

You know what’s cool about forgiveness? The freedom it gives you to start over. To try again. The glimpse of hope that you get – and then you realise that you’ve actually been existing without it, without hope, for some time now – and you wonder where, and when, it left.

I find it hard to forgive myself. I’m too arrogant, probably. Too conceited. I expect perfection of myself. Dumb, huh! But I just looked back over the last few entries on this blog and noticed their date / time stamp, and sighed. Who am I kidding, really?!! There is absolutely NO WAY ON EARTH that I could have added ‘blogging on Hmmm…’ to my life over the last two and a half months – just thinking that I could have, that I expected myself to be able to, does my head in. I’ve been just THAT incredibly busy that I only made it back to church again yesterday, for the first time in what feels like months, as well. I call it ‘survival’. Physical and emotional survival. Cut the ‘less essential’ parts of your life because if you continue, you’ll go mad. Insane. And I feel that I kinda have been, for a little while now! 🙂

But with a new day comes a new slate. A chance to start over. To forgive yourself and start afresh. So that’s what I’m going to do. Yes, I realise that I’m going to stuff up. (Perhaps I should type that sentence in capitals, to convince myself of it!) But knowing that forgiveness, as a concept, is pretty darn magnificent – means that I can start afresh again afterwards. Which is pretty darn cool if you ask me!!!

So this morning I’ve just read 1 Samuel Chapter 5. It’s where the Ark of the Covenant – the most holy of artefacts that belonged to the Israelite tribes – had been captured by the Philistines, and moved to one of their cities. But because God was trying to teach them a lesson, no matter where they moved it to, from city to city to city, trouble happened. To such an extent that there was an outcry and the people wanted it gone. They exerted such pressure on their leaders, that the Ark of the Covenant was moved away from them – and from the next city – and from the next city. I guess they realised pretty quickly what it was that was causing them such troubles, and realised a possible solution to their problems. Not the correct one though – I think that would have been ‘return the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelite tribes’ but I guess in the next chapter we’ll see that they do eventually learn this lesson. I makes me wonder though, how often it takes me to ‘learn my lesson’. When I keep moving from frying pan to fire, from rock to hard place (you get the idea) because I’m just too darn stubborn to admit that I was wrong in the first place, and need to fix the problem itself instead of trying a bandaid solution! When really, what I need to do – what makes it easier for everyone in the long run – is to take a step back, look at the problem for what it is, admit my error, and correct it. Sigh.

So. Here’s to a day where I’m going to try taking more responsibility for my actions. For the effect I have on people, especially through my words, and especially on those nearest and dearest to me, who I interact with the most. It’s Monday morning. The beginning of a brand new working (and school) week. A chance to make them happy – give my husband and kids the type of wife and mother who is supportive and encouraging, the type of person that they feel that they can springboard from into their weeks, happy and confident that no matter what happens, home (and me) is a place of comfort, of retreat, of peace, from any storm that comes their way.

Today I’m also being a Prac student with a Librarian friend. It’ll be my third time (or is it fourth?! NOTE TO SELF: get a timesheet started this morning for it!!!) and I’ve absolutely loved it so far, so I’m expecting more of the same today. She’s awesome to hang out with, and I’m learning so much about the practical side of Librarianship; and so I’m smiling as I think about the day I’m going to have today.

I hope that you, too, have an awesome day, dear reader!

— Ceridwyn

Categories
Bloxham Marketing GoodOldTalk Life Random thoughts teaching Work

Sigh.

I’ve just had a look at my bank balance – and also at my credit card balance. Man, but stuff adds up, doesn’t it?! My trip to the Caloundra Queensland Transport office on Monday cost quite a few hundred dollars, which was a bit of a pity. It felt as though I was getting ahead a little, money wise! But I guess renewing drivers’ licenses *is* probably a good system to have. And yes, I deserved that speeding ticket. So more fool me, huh.

But it was good to see that I’ve got money coming in, as well as going out. Good to see that my hard work is paying off – and I *really* can’t wait to get another deposit from google for the GoodOldTalk site – there’s been QUITE a but of expenditure there recently, so it;d be brilliant to see that being financially active again! (as opposed to very very very dead, which is what it’s been for a very long time now…!)

So, all things being equal.I guess I’m going okay. A whole lot better than hundreds of thousands of others in this world, too, come to think of it! Really, it;s just your perspective, isn’t it? Your attitude. Your own decision on how you’re going to view a thing.

I think I’m going to choose to be happy today.

Have a great day today, dear readers! 🙂

Categories
Life Random thoughts teaching Work

Yay – and Boo :(

Good morning, dear readers! So I think that today marks a week of ‘weekdays-in-a-row’ blog posts, so I’ve very proud of myself! (I’ve decided that celebrating small victories should be more important to me – in the hopes that it will encourage me to achieve them some more!) And I’m really happy that my kids were quiet last night after about 10pm. But I’m very much regretting that full cup of coffee yesterday morning, because it kept my brain awake for simply AGES!!! oh well. Live and learn. Maybe. (I’m sure I’ve tried learning that particular lesson before! Whoops!)

Anyway, my day’s going to be a great one, I think. There’s kids to feed and clothe, other kids to teach, a choir rehearsal to run, shopping to do and a linen cupboard to empty. So… here goes! Have a great one yourselves, dear readers! 🙂

Categories
Life Random thoughts teaching Work

Diary woes

Unfortunately, I’ve lost my diary. The big red A4-sized one that I bought at the end of last year, to keep me organised with all my teaching stuff this year. I’ve been without it for almost a week and a half now, and I’m floundering at school without it. It’s tragic!!!

Hubby said, “I thought you used your phone” to which I agreed, however this year with all the hard copies of school papers I get given, I’ve found that it’s just been easier to ‘keep it all in one place’. More fool me. I can’t remember the last time I lost a whole 4 drawer filing cabinet – perhaps I should have just filed the ‘stuff’ as soon as I got it?

Anyway. I guess life goes on. And I need to go file some stuff away. In my phone, and in my un-lose-able 4 drawer filing cabinet.

Ce la vie, huh?

Categories
Bloxham Marketing GoodOldTalk Life Random thoughts teaching Work

Today…

So today I want to be ‘in the moment’ rather than just ‘rushing through it, trying to stay on top of things’, if that makes sense at all? I’m going to trying at the moment to ‘keep an awareness’ of God’s presence in the busy-ness of my day, especially when the kids are up & during the 9 to 5 bit, when it just seems to be go-go-go and rush-rush-rush. Here goes…! 🙂

Have a great day, dear readers!

Categories
random scribblings Scribblings teaching

Wednesday’s words

So I thought I might try something new – just do some random scribbling every Wednesday. Playing with words. Playing with the feelings that words create. And not worrying if they form sentences, or rhyme, or make a whole lot of sense. Just cos!!! So here goes…

 

Whoops.

I knew it the instant I’d done it, that I’d overdone it this time. Strained my voice just that *little* too much. I could physically *feel* my throat start its aching. And it’s the type of ache in the throat where you just know. Know exactly what’s coming next. Know because you’ve been there before.

Ache. Soreness. Discomfort. The beginnings of pain.

Loss. The temptation to whisper, knowing that whispering will just make matters worse.

Knowing that it will prolong the recovery time.

Knowing, and feeling helpless.

Powerless.

Useless.

I like to think that I have a large, intense personality, barely contained within my small physical frame. The surprising amount of volume that I can muster, from said physical frame, forms a huge part of this personality. the kind of volume that has been developed with decades of singing, decades of teaching.

My volume, and my ability to use it when needed, gives me confidence. Strength.

The ability to communicate, to have input into the lives of those around me just by opening my mouth, gives me… well… power.

Without it, I feel less.

Inadequate. Stripped.

Defenseless.

 

Moral of story: STOP!!!!!

Next time, preferably, *before* you get to that ‘whoops’ moment, Ceridwyn!!!

 

 

Categories
family anecdotes Life More about me teaching Work

Happiness is…

I am so truly, incredibly, utterly blessed. I’ve scored a job working in the same school where my daughters go. I get to teach them both Music. I get to look through the windows of their classrooms as I walk around the school. I get to see them at break times, while they’re eating; while they’re playing with their friends. I get to liaise with their teachers about the day-to-day things. And they get to see me as a teacher, which in some respects is a more confortable skin for me than the ‘mother’ skin is.

It’s pretty darn cool, let me tell you!!!