Category: reflection

My Birthday Wish List For Sunday

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I’m taking a break from my report writing to indulge my wishes for Sunday’s big 42nd Birthday!! For my birthday this year, apart from world peace, I want these things in the year ahead.
Good health and love of my family and friends and to make the time to enjoy their company, especially my wonderful son, who will be completing the last year of school.
A home with less clutter and more laughter. I have lots of home projects planned and hope I can see them through. I want it easy to clean and rearrange as this is a favourite past time of mine.
To be more conscious, considerate and present with others. My family, my friends, co-workers, the wonderful students I get to teach would all benefit from this one as well as my own peace of mind.
To exercise daily, eat fresh, delicious, healthy food and drink plenty of water. To continue regular chiropractic and massage appointments because they bring ease to my life. To give massages with my newly learnt skill to my family and friends.
Good books to read, good films to watch, music to listen to and trips to new places. To take great photo’s of the people and places I get to see. I want to learn how to use Flash this year. I want to write and make clips that give satisfaction and pleasure.
To give my best in all areas of my life.
To be grateful EVERY day and not just those occasions I remember.

That’s plenty of wishes. This last year I’ve experienced lots of changes in my life. Some were very unwanted, yet out of my hands. I have achieved a few things I’m pleased with. I’ve learnt some great lessons and improved areas of my life as a result.
I’m not entirely looking forward to my birthday, as there will be a couple of precious people missing. I want to accept that graciously and enjoy the ones who have stayed.

Busy Busy Times

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Last night we had the Christmas concert in the park in the middle of town. It was great. I walked down, enjoyed the kids music making and walked home.

It’s been frantic at work. My Digital Storytelling class are undertaking to make a short film for each homeroom to be shown to the whole school next week and as these things always happen, at the last minute, there are still some that aren’t complete yet. I am rushing around to get that organised in lunchtimes and feeling very flustered about it.

I still haven’t started my report writing yet, but am making a lot of progress with my marking, in snatches here and there. We have a public holiday on Friday for the local show, so I expect, I will spend it writing reports.

Today we went to an ‘adventure’ park with our year nines as part of a transition program. They are going to the senior campus next year. It was exhausting.

My team talked me into participating in a couple of things. So I did the ‘Leap of Faith’ which involved walking a plank with a harness on, up very very high.

I also did one of the team activities. We had to all as a team get over this really high wall. There was one student left who hadn’t done it and as I was attempting to convince her it would be fine, some bright spark suggested I show her, for extra points for the team. I would have gladly disappeared, yet instead allowed my students to boost me up and drag me up over this wall.

Bruises galore! Why do I always fall for these things? The kids are younger and braver than me! I am so tired, but it was great to see the kids push their boundaries. Some of them are amazingly strong, brave and fit. One more day of teaching and then a marathon report writing weekend, including my birthday somehow. Oh, I have to make my wish list!

Restorative Justice

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Tonight we had a speaker talk to us about ‘Restorative Justice’. Terry O’Connell came to our school to run a session and it was a bit of a shame that only about a quarter of the teachers attended, because it was brilliant. I totally agree with most of what he said and I can’t wait to explain it to my students and practise it with next year. I am going to be one of the year 9 co-coordinators next year.

The result of the no compromise situation, I ended up getting the position I wanted!

The power of restorative justice, I feel is that it is relationship building. It also gives all involved to have a learning experience. This is the kind of environment I want to work in and belong to. Read the article in the link about Terry because it outlines more about what this system is about. It works equally in all relationships I imagine and I had a play with it tonight with my son over a small situation and found the questions very satisfying and the outcome pleasing.

I have learnt more in the last three days than I have in a long time. My brain feels very satisfied! It’s wonderful when you have highly productive learning experiences. A great high for me and rare too! Often it can be tedious and hard to get through, yet both courses I have attended were really interesting and useful.

I didn’t get home from work until late and have mounds of corrections so I am beginning to feel a little under the hammer.

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