A Fellow Traveller

It's so interesting to watch students as they handle their moment in the limelight at a graduation ceremony. Whether it's the achievement of finishing elementary, high school or college/university, they all walk across the stage alone to receive their diploma. Some walk with confidence, others with trepidation, yet all are proud of their achievements up to that moment. There is such optimism in the air for the unknown future. Little attention is given to all the effort and support that has gone into getting them to this particular moment of time. Yet for some, each minute of each day takes supreme effort and support from others. Last week a Grade eight girl received her diploma from a wheelchair. Born with multiple disabilities, I have never seen her without the constant support and assistance from EA's at our school. On Graduation night, she was lifted onto the stage and sat in her wheelchair ready for the processional. When her name was called and her chair was pushed to...

When is anger a good thing? I've seen a mom angry when an injustice is done to her child and she rushes in to protect and make things right. She's not ready to ask what really happened, only to solve things for her child. Anger pushes her to action. I've felt anger rushing over me as I hear words being used that hurt and damage someone else. It pushes me to take action and it fuels me to not back away until I see results. Recently, I saw a girl so angry she said she wanted to kill someone and she wasn't backing away for anything. Anger seems to be an emotion that can take over to the point that we are out of control. This little girl would not listen to reason, as I tried to discern what had happened. She had accidentally taken the full force of a kicked soccer ball to the stomach, which really hurt. Yet by piling on blame and saying the boy did it "on purpose", she couldn't let go of her anger. She was not being open to seeing another point of view and t...

Three years is a long time when you're in grade three. When you're having trouble getting along with someone, one day is a very long time. Put it all together, and you have a very big problem. These girls said they had been bullied by each other since grade one and now had enough. They were getting tired of it all. As their teacher, I was tired of being in the middle and was hoping for lasting change. Maybe they'd be willing to do the hard work of forgiving. Although I didn't always hear the words, I could see the body language; the rolling of the eyes, the turning of the head or the glaring of the eyes. Parents and teachers alike had tried to get these girls to stop but nothing would last. Specific conflicts had been resolved and apologized for, but within days, they were back at it again. When would it end? I had a mental picture of two grandmothers walking in the mall, turning away when they saw the other, trying not to make eye contact so they wouldn't h...

I'm at a birthday party for two siblings. Miley is one and Zak is three. There's lots of activity and conversation. One of their cousins is in Grade Three. We talk about the EQAO test and make connections between us. I'm a teacher and she's a student who didn't realize that all Ontario students write the exact same test. It's nice to find a point of connection; something to talk about at a deeper level than the others around us. Then the birthday cake is displayed; half for Miley with a 1 and half for Zak with a 3. Immediately I connect to a math problem I gave my students for homework. They (and their parents) struggled to find the answer. I had struggled to even know which strategies to try. Here was a "real life" situation that connected for me........and instantly I am forming a word problem in my mind, before the candles are even blown out. If Zak is three and Miley is one, in how many years will Zak be twice as old as his sister? In the origin...

I woke up this morning thinking of how there is cooperation at the core of everything. I had a great night's sleep, until I lay awake thinking......The pillows, sheets and quilt were cooperating with the bed frame, headboard and mattress. All were working together to provide what I needed for a time of restoration and renewal through sleep. I get dressed and everything is in cooperation, since all can't be a sleeve, buttons or pants. Each part is important and yet none could function on it's own. My breakfast is a cooperation of elements as well; cereal, milk, bowl and spoon. As each part cooperates and works together with my hand, arm and mouth, I can get nourishment and energy for a new day. I jump in my car to get to work. This cooperation goes far beyond my understanding as the key starts the ignition, which sets an entire cooperation picture in the engine into action. Even the wheels, tires, seats and steering wheel cooperate in the way they combine to make a whole, f...

I did it again. I let someone down. I totally and completely forgot to fulfill my promises. I could be walking around right now with a big L on my forehead, but I choose to not let my failure define who I am. It was Sunday morning and I was quickly filling the crock pot with food before leaving for an early band practice. I was eating a quick bowl of cereal before leaving and mentally going through my checklist. Friends were coming for lunch and I wanted to be prepared. As I collected my things, I knew I had everything I needed, yet felt a sense of travelling light. Was there something I was forgetting? No, I had everything I needed. At the practice, we were warming up, meeting and greeting each other. As we were about to get started, our leader noticed the guitar player missing. I was asked, "Did you pick him up this morning?" because I'm his ride. That's when the truth sunk in. "Oh no, I completely forgot him! That poor guy's been waiting all this time....