Buildings Ripple by romanedirisingheSpring brings new beginnings just as a school year comes to an end. As a teacher it is difficult not to be reflective in June.

Special moments remembered, peppered lightly with what could have been, and never transpired. The nostalgia seems to loom more so this year as I contemplate a move after my nine-year career in a single school.

Two things I have come to realize: I have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing people in an amazing school, and it is time to move on.

My stint has not been without changes:

• the school changed from a 7-9 Junior High, to a 6-8 Middle School

• 2 principals and 6 different vice principals

• only 3 teachers have been there longer than I have

• I have taught in 6 different classrooms

• I’ve taught 2 different grades

• I’ve been both a Humanities and a Math/Science teacher

• I’ve only repeated my same course load twice in 9 years

Ripples by By romanedirisinghe My stint has not been without challenges: With a wonderful student dying in her sleep days after she finished Grade 9, and job action (twice), being two of the more emotionally draining experiences.

Yet my stint at this school has been wonderful in so many ways. Imagine being hired right out of the education program and put into a school with 13 other brand new teachers – about half the teaching staff! We had an unbelievable year of learning from each other. Every time you walked into another teacher’s room you were ‘wow-ed’ by what you saw… and in the spirit of learning, there wasn’t a sense of one-ups-man-ship that can happen in such a situation, but rather a desire to offer an equally engaging experience in your own classroom. The people I shared those early teaching experiences with are now my closest friends.

And now it is time to move on. I said that four, three, two years ago, and last year too, and still find myself at the same school because it has offered me so much, and yet this time I am sure that I will find another ‘home’.

Ripples by romanedirisinghe

I have posted on a few very different High School jobs, including English/Socials in a Gifted Program, a Math 9/10 position, a Planning 10 and Graduation Transition Coordination position, and a Leadership/PE/Student Services position… each one desirable for many differing, but equally intriguing reasons. I already know that I won’t be offered the first one, thankfully as it will also be taught with Grade 12 English, (which I have no desire to teach). I was encouraged to apply for that job by a parent of a gifted student in my class going into the program, that in itself was a wonderful compliment. I have just spent some time preparing for interviews, happening tomorrow, for the next two jobs I posted for. I have a passion for Math, and know that I would enjoy focusing all of my attention into one subject area… (hopefully with some access to technology:-) I would also love the opportunity to contribute to the developing Graduation Transitions Program in a school, and perhaps use wikis to coordinate some of the large scale school-wide events organized in order to meet the graduation requirements of every student. Also, I would be interested in implementing an e-portfolio into the Planning 10 course. The final posting would include teaching Leadership at a High School, a position I have wanted to do for years, and something that would make my Grade 5 Leadership/Transition Retreats easier to expand into a district initiative next year.

It is a bit boggling that my interests could take me in so many different directions, and yet I feel ready for which ever path I have the opportunity to follow.


I have also been reflecting on this blog over the past while. It has been wonderful documenting my trials, tribulations, and triumphs over the past few months, and the cathartic nature of blogging is one that I can no longer do without. I teach, therefore I blog. However, I have slowly realized that I am a slow-blogger who creates posts in a crock pot, not a pressure cooker. Recently, I have found it hard to write, and for that matter hard to engage in reading blogs. I have had a few tabs open for days now, with great posts half-read. For this reason, I will be taking a small hiatus, probably fully unplugging for a while in early July. As I near that break, I can’t help but wonder how my blog will change, depending on which job I have the opportunity to hold next year?

Trippy Building Ripple by romanedirisinghe Images by Roman Edirisinghe on Flickr.

Originally posted: June 18th, 2007

Comments from the original post:

1. David,

What a year… You well deserve a break.

I wonder how we manage to read the same posts, roughly around the same time. I remember your comment in my blog about finding there a link you had lost. I had also bookmarked Barbara Ganley’s post on slow-blogging for a future post. I think I belong there too. The good thing about your slow-blogging is that once you do post, I do not scan you in my RSS, I really want to slow down and read you.
Just echoing this to myself: “I teach, therefore I blog”. I want to make sure I remember it.

Claudia Ceraso on Tuesday, 19 June 2007, 03:55 CEST

2. David, it has been great getting to know you through your blog. I feel that, at times, you were just around the corner and our conversations would pick up where they left off. I know that whatever direction you go, your dedication to students and learning will shine. Enjoy your well deserved time away and don’t fret about the blog – the writing will take care of itself. It always does. Take care!

Kelly Christopherson on Wednesday, 20 June 2007, 07:41 CEST

Reflection upon re-reading and re-posting:

These comments come from two of several bloggers whom have become my teachers and friends. I have learned from them that I don’t need a Face-to-Face encounter in order to build a meaningful relationship. What has struck me with both of them is how our digital lives have had uncanny parallels, and through commenting on my and their blogs, we have become ‘linked’ in many ways.

– – –

This was my last post for over 2 months, I ended up taking the entire summer off. As you will see in future posts, I took the Graduation Transitions Program Coordinator position along with teaching Planning 10. Little did I know that it would be a one-semester gig before being promoted to Vice Principal.

– – –

I think my blogging ‘voice’ changed after the break. This was a ‘last’ post in many ways for me. That said, it was a very healthy change. I think, as I look back, I see a lot of frustration, and as I look forward from this point I see a lot of hope and opportunity.

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours”

Richard Bach: Illusions

I can still get whiny that ‘things aren’t moving fast enough’ or ‘we need more resources’, but in the end what I seek are opportunities for our students to soar and I can’t do that when I’m assuming limitations that prevent this from happening.

One comment on “Reflections: Stirring in the crock pot

  1. Dave, it has been a great experience learning new things, sharing and growing a network. As someone who began this voyage at a similar time, it is interesting to watch your journey as it parallels my own, sometimes very similar and sometimes vastly different but always moving forward. Like you, I took the summer off and returned to blogging with a different focus. I’m focusing on trying to solve problems and, like you, not whining so much. Keep at it, Keep Strong

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