Mrs. Schaffner's App of the Week!

Although my life has become much more full than I had anticipated it becoming, I am absolutely in love with teaching children from my community in grades 4, 5 & 6. These amazing students fill my life with interesting and valuable experiences every day. Following a very rich session at our Teachers' Convention surrounding useful apps in education, I am introducing the kids to a new app each week. This week, I have reacquainted myself with Animoto® and the students are working at making book trailers to invite others to read books that they have loved. Thanks to Heather and Terry @Links2LearningOnline for sharing their "Appy" Hour Padlet and for all of the tips and tricks offered. Stay tuned...

CATCHING FIRE

Get Your Hopes Up!

A piece of advice I have never given a child is, “Don’t get your hopes up.” I actually struggle with the idea of giving that kind of advice to anyone. Why wouldn’t one want to get one’s hopes up?

I remember a time in my early 20’s when I met a woman, a professor, who had been raised with no hope for a better life. I was sitting in her class and she told me and the other students, that the difference between us, and the students she had taught for the bulk of her career, was that we had this hope that life would be better in the future. This took me aback and has stayed with me all of these years. I had never known anyone who verbalized this and then proceeded to behave without hope. I wondered how she carried on in life or earned her degrees? How did she decide to have babies and what did she teach them about their future? For me, these are all hopeful activities.

Hope is a verb, an action word and something that I practise. It is not an idea that floats out in the distance like in a Sandra Bullock movie with the same name, but something that I can latch onto readily. This year, when the kids tell me about a goal, endeavour or challenge, I’m going to say, “Get your hopes up!” And, I will mean it. I think I have always meant it.

I wish everyone a hopeful 2014!

~ Ellyn

On Loving What One Does...

There was a time when a person with a degree from a business school, possibly Stanford or McGill, had job interviews handed to them on a platter. But then along came Google, and they decided that maybe it didn’t matter if your degree was from a prestigious University. Maybe what actually mattered was how passionate you were about your work and whether or not you loved what you did.

I have had the privilege of teaching mostly five and six year olds over the course of twenty-one years and I have loved what I have done. I never wanted to not love it and when I was expecting my first child, I could feel that my priorities had begun to change. It wasn’t that I didn’t love teaching, but all of a sudden my child was more important than my work.  

And so… I took a leave.

When my little fellow went into Kindergarten, I was asked to teach his class and nothing could have been more perfect. I then taught for another 6 years and when my mama died, I again felt a shift inside of me, knowing that even though I loved what I was doing for my life’s work, I needed more time to reflect and so I took yet another break from teaching and sat down to write. I love writing and have been fortunate to be able to write from home, co-write with others around the globe, complete a Masters, and craft my skill.

This past October, I had a call from a local school Vice Principal who asked me if I would come in and cover for a teacher who had just had a heart attack. “Of course.” I said.  The esteemed colleague of mine, who would eventually take almost two months to recover from the heart incident, is well respected and I remembered a time when he rescued our school from a ruinous situation. I wanted to do my best to fill his shoes for as long as he needed me to do so.

Did I mention that he is a Junior High Social Studies and English teacher?

Although I have a fairly good grasp of the English language, am well-read, have a passion for history and world events, and can certainly read a curriculum, I have only ever taught Home Economics with teens. You know, one of the fun subjects where you get to make stuff, and eat.

The day I began teaching the Junior High students, I was shortlisted for a writing job that I had applied to and two days after I had started teaching, I received a call from the Department Head of a college Early Childhood Education team asking me to apply for a certain position and wooing me to work with her. I actually laughed out loud in shock and was on the edge of my seat with excitement over the opportunities that were presenting themselves to me. However, a commitment is a commitment and I had made a promise.

I have high expectations for behaviour as well as studies and I am in awe that those students stepped up to the plate and demonstrated to me that they are capable of great work. And…

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved being with that age group and working within those subject areas. The only trepidation I had, happened on the first day, before I had even left the house to teach, and it was just butterflies in the tummy, and fleeting.

When he recovered and returned, it was with great sadness that I gave the students and the classes back to the “real” teacher, but I am hopeful that an opportunity such as this will present itself to me again sometime.

Thank you amazing teens for spending two extraordinary months with me.

~ Ellyn

On Joy

“We rise again, in the faces of our children” The Rankin Family

There is often something in my day that ignites a spark in me calling me to research further. It happened this past Sunday morning, when through the course of the minister’s sermon, she made mention of a unique Guatemalan refugee group, who when required to move to a new location, puts together a committee of people who are in charge of joy.

We are meant to spend our lives happy. I truly believe this and know that sometimes I have to work at it. You know, when something in life hits hard.

That very Sunday after reading more about the Guatemalan refugees, I had the fortunate opportunity to be with my son Max at John Cleese’s lecture The Last Time to See Me Before I Die tour, and it was extraordinary. Not only was it hilarious but also enlightening. Enlightening because my son openly shared so much with me about what he deemed important about the lecture. Max and I communicate well with each other but I caught a glimpse of what is becoming even more important in his life and better yet, that he continues to value joy. I know that it is challenging when he has deadlines and is not sure how to prioritize, when a friend asks something of him and he wants to oblige but isn’t sure if he should, or when he simply has to cook dinner, wishing that a wholesome meal would just appear. In all of this, I have noticed that he still creates time for fun. Not just the going out to the bar kind of fun, which he certainly does his college share of, but the kind of fun that fills him with joy, like getting lost in a game of volleyball, going for a run until the adrenalin released offers him great satisfaction, or belly laughing until it hurts.

As we drove home, I remarked on how lucky we had been that the weather had held and we could travel with ease to and from Calgary and asked him if he had checked the weather forecast. 

“No”, he replied, “I don’t do that anymore. I just enjoy each day.”

~ Ellyn

Happy Birthday Jillian!

My first born child was a son and although I was in love with him before he left my body, I felt drastically different with the emergence of my daughter Jillian…

Jillian's 1st Birthday

The moment that the doctor placed that baby on my body my arms enveloping her, I felt a frightening surge of utmost responsibility. It was now my job to see to it that she lived in a world where she could do anything that she wanted to do without external society-created barriers. For her, I wanted a world where each individual was honoured for her gifts. Living in rural Alberta, this has been one of my challenges, where Jillian comes into daily contact with some boys, men and sadly women, who continue to create barriers for her and other young women.

I have been thankful that Jillian has more than just me as a mentor and I offer out a tribute to women who have played a direct role in Jillian’s life towards becoming a strong young woman.

A teacher Michelle who introduced the Famous 5 to Jillian causing her the desire to see where they are buried and where they are honoured.

Her minister Barbara who continues to marvel at Jillian and other young women and their pursuits.

Her best friend’s mama Laura who Jillian believes is capable of getting out of any scrape – and she probably is.

My best girlfriend Kaye with whom Jillian sees as larger than life and more than capable of surviving anywhere she might be dropped.

Her piano teacher Karen who listens to her dreams.

A school secretary, Maki, with whom Jillian assumed had a Ph.D. because she seemed to be the most capable person in the school.

Strong Femme Fatales of the past in black and white that adorn my girly’s bedroom walls.

And… her grandma who paved the way for many women in business and who left this earth but did not leave Jillian.  

At 17 years of age, my sweet girly is determined to make her dreams come true, stand her ground with dedication and devotion to her passions.

 

Happy 17^th Birthday my JillyBean, you are well on your way!

Jillian and her car. 

~ Ellyn

Spartan Racing

My son recently took part in a Super Spartan Race. The training was a great focus for him to have as he moved away from home and started college and I am grateful to his good friend for asking Max to join him on this extraordinary endeavour.

Luke & Max before the race.

It was challenging and there were 3-4 obstacles of the 21 that Max could not complete and so he did the required 30 burpees at those obstructions. The physical upper body strength challenges were a cinch for my 6’4” fella but the ones that called for him to pull his 200 lb. body up a rope or incline were the tough ones. At the end of the 15 km race, it appeared as if he could not muster anymore drive to keep going, but apparently a Spartan helps a Spartan and so his good friend, who had climbed the rope easily, did the 30 burpees with him. This is the part of the competition that I am in awe of most. Yes, it is physically and emotionally challenging but the cooperation to help others just finish, is a noticeable component.

My daughter, Jillian and I observed people helping by holding others' feet on an obstacle in order for them to get their hands in a better position, a son helping a mother steady her grip on another obstacle, a friend waiting for another while they massaged a leg cramp before moving on, and Max and his friend helped someone who was drowning in the water hazard as well as assisted another fellow get over the top of an obstacle.  

This is certainly the kind of activity that I am grateful my children value and I hope that Max will do another race sometime.

Bravo Max and Luke! Be proud!

~ Ellyn

Max & Luke following the race.

Harvest

I reach a point in September when I am all finished with the yard and am grateful that I live in a place with four distinct seasons.

I love hoeing, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn and trimming all of the hedges and creating tidy edges in the yard, but I cannot stand harvest! In July when I am tired of picking yet another raspberry, I stop, and leave the rest for the birds or invite neighbours to pick them. Through the years, I’ve made countless preserves and put beans and corn “down”, but not anymore. We eat as much as we can, fresh and I hope that something won’t overgrow and exceed our need for it. We usually have carrots, potatoes, onions and beets for most of the year, squash for about 6 months, corn for September, pumpkins for carving and sunflowers for beauty. (Truth be told, I will grow any kind of squash or pumpkin just for the wonderful ground cover it offers.)  

After twenty-four years of gardening, I have come to the conclusion, that because I love the process of life more than a finished product, I may never like harvest. I’m thankful that my husband likes to finish a job, and so today on his day off, he spends it in the garden, picking and hauling, storing and a little munching.

Me? I’m writing…

~ Ellyn