A Delicious Day...

I wrote this blog a couple of days ago...sorry for the delay in posting...

I do not normally blog about food.  Probably because I spend most of my day at the school and by the time I get home I am tired and do not want to venture into my kitchen.  But, today it is a must!  It is how I spent my day, and my concoctions were too good not to share.

Since the Presidential Elections were yesterday and today, the school closed for homeschooling days and I get to be a housewife, stay home with the kids, read books, and cook.  My little princess is quite the little chef and she is very helpful and motivating in the kitchen.

After a delicious breakfast including french toast with fruit compote, we decided that we would have a picnic by the playground.  Typically, I would try and keep things simple and quick because that is all the time that I have.  But, with no agenda today, I was in the kitchen.

My first creation was a pasta salad with a basil vinaigrette.  The salad was simple enough, elbow noodles, red pepper, tomato and cucumber...but the dressing is what made the salad outstanding.  And so incredibly simple.  It really is a wonder more people do not make their own dressings.  I was one of those store bought dressings people until we moved here.  The dressings that are available are either unappealing, or, expensive because they are imported.  So, I began a quest of making my own...kind of like my journey with soup (as mentioned in a previous post).  The results have been incredible, not to mention, a healthier option for us.

I was going to stop there, but then decided that we needed some type of dessert for our picnic.  I have come across a dynamite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe in the last couple weeks and decided to alter it and put in chocolate chips.  Then the problems began.  I did not have enough butter, or oats.  The batter seemed stickier than before and I fixed it up to the best of my ability expecting a disastrous product.  When they came out of the oven they were moist and delicious; just a little short on oats.  The funny thing is that the place where I got the recipe from considered it a "healthy" cookie.  Really, a "healthy" cookie with one cup of butter in the mix.  I don't think so.  But, still very delicious.

Then, I thought our meal was complete.  I read a monkey book to the kids.  We drew and colored some robots...and I decided we needed a little more.  A burger, but I had no ground beef, only ground turkey.  And basil inspiration hit me again.  Turkey burgers with basil mayo...sounded delicious.  So, back into the kitchen I went and tossed the burgers in the oven (I wish I had a BBQ).  The basil mayo whipped together very quickly, the burgers roasted up really nice.  I sliced up some tomatoes and wrapped everything up.  This is all before 10:30 in the morning.

It was fabulous.  The kids ran around the playground and slid down the slide.  Hubby and I munched on our lunch.  It could not get any better.  The recipes are listed below.  Sorry there are no pictures...the memory card is having some difficulties...

Basil Vinaigrette

1 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic

Option 1: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.  Let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Then, strain out the basil and garlic.

Option 2: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.  Put in a food processor until smooth.

Pour over favorite salad.

Lemon Basil Mayo

1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves fresh garlic
3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Serve on sandwiches or burgers.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
3 cups oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1) Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Stir in eggs, vanilla and honey. Sift flour, soda and cinnamon.  Stir into creamed mixture.  Stir in oats and raisins.  Form into balls and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Seriously, the best oatmeal cookie ever.

Perceptions on Negligent Parenting

I have had this blog post sitting, completely written for a couple weeks, contemplating whether or not to publish it.  But, as the pool and swimming season is now present in many places around the world, I finally decided to post it.

I am by no means declaring that I am the perfect parent.  There are times that I just want to rest and I cannot because the little ones want to play.  I begrudgingly entertain their request at first, but, always have fun whether it is coloring, a game or a puzzle.  I always leave play time invigorated.

But, I have to comment on negligent parenting because I see far too much of it.

A couple weeks ago, our family went on a trip to a resort along the Red Sea.  We had a fabulous time as documented in previous blog posts.  But, one thing disturbed me greatly.  A little girl, seven years old, on her own in the pool.  Not a parent or guardian in sight.  She quickly attached herself to Princess and as a result, Auntie and I supervised her in the pool.

As we got to know this little girl, my heart started break for her.  Her mom was on the trip with her...and her boyfriend.  She told us many stories about her family and how she does not like the boyfriend.  She remembers her dad being sent away.  Her mom, quite young to have a seven year old, clearly had no intention of spending time with her daughter.  Someone could have walked off with the little girl and the mom would not have noticed.

My biggest concern for this little girl that could not swim, was that she was being unsupervised by the pool.  As the summer season approaches, the idea of swimming becomes enticing for many people.  But, swimming and supervision of little ones must go hand in hand.  This little girl, unsupervised, unable to swim could have been in real danger.  Sure, she had some water wings, but that is not enough to save her if she starts to sink!

Then, the next day, a dad left his daughter at the pool (again by Auntie and myself...I stated to think we should charge for babysitting).  This little girl was no more than 2 years old.  Clearly unable to swim.  Immediately, I felt obligated to stay with her until mom and dad came back.  But, as Princess opted to leave that pool for the waterslide, I had to leave.  I still kept my eye on her.  It took almost 10 minutes for the parents to come and get the little two year old girl.  A lot can happen in 10 minutes, especially around a pool.

Then, at dinner that night (a buffet), the little two year old girl and her parents sat at a table near us.  Dimples cannot sit still at dinner and we constantly have to get him and return him to his seat, but, he does not leave the table area.  This little two year old, got up and walked away from the table multiple times.  The parents did not seem to notice she was missing.  One time the mom got up to get her, but, did so very unhappily.   Then, a very loud scream permeated the restaurant.  Everyone was looking around except for the parents of the little girl.  Sure enough, this little girl had walked behind the buffet, to the grilling area.  She was clearly frightened and in a very unsafe place.

I understand that these parents were on vacation, but, the negligence is unavoidable.  Plus, the assumption that other adults will care for your children without being asked is completely irresponsible.

I was frightened for both of these little girls.  Without the attention of the parents, many things could happen.  The two year old could not talk, but, the things that the seven year old was telling us was incredible. She clearly feels the neglect and found attention from Auntie and myself and she would come to find us if we were around.

Being a teacher, I have seen the results of parental neglect regularly.  Some students have shared their stories and it blows my mind to think that there are parents out there that take their children for granted and think of them as a responsibility, rather than a privilege.  Children are a blessing, not a burden and as such we should give them every ounce of attention that we can give them to ensure that they feel loved, cared for and safe.  It is the very bottom of Maslow's Pyramid and sets the foundation for self-actualization as an adult.  If a child does not feel loved, cared for and safe, they will never have a foundation to build upon and will have great difficulty reaching a level of self-esteem and self-actualization in their future. 

It is evident when students do not have a foundation to build on.  These are students that have been pushed aside for most of their lives, left to fend for themselves.  They see their teachers as mentors and cling to them. They come home to parents that have worked all day and want to rest.  I can relate!  By the end of the day, I would love to rest.  But, having been separated from my two charming and beautiful children all day, I cannot imagine not playing with them, and teaching them, and answering as many of their inquisitive questions as possible.

Let's try and take the stories above to inspire us, as parents, to view our children as a privilege and joy, rather than a burden and responsibility.   

Manitoba's Education Decline - Part 4

I think that this will be my final post on this topic.  I do want to address the issue of drop outs because it is an issue that is not resolving itself in Manitoba.

As the world as a whole is moving towards a reality where, most jobs, even entry level jobs, require a post-secondary education of some sort, it makes me wonder why there are so many drop outs.  If this is actually the case, many teenagers are setting themselves up for failure.

In February of 2011, I had the chance to sit in on a round table discussion on CJOB about this exact same issue. There were a number of highly ranked people in various school divisions as well as the head of the Manitoba Teachers Society and the Minister of Education.  The topic was entirely about high school drops, why they are dropping out and what can be done to prevent students from dropping out.  It was a fascinating experience and I was very intimidated to share my thoughts.  But, in the end, it went very well.

The discussion ultimately settled on the engagement and motivation of students.  To be blunt, some classes, with some teachers are boring.  There is not much stimulation in the environment from an intellectual perspective on many occasions.  If students cannot guide their own learning, they may not care as much.  This is where the idea of rote learning, worksheets, textbooks and readings make classes mundane.  But, rote learning is easy to teach.  It requires little effort in production, is straight forward for the students and requires little guidance.  The class is the same for all the students in the room regardless of what their interests are.

Engaging students mean that we reach them where they are at.  If they are expressing interest in current political events, find a way to weave that into your social studies class.  If they find design interesting, find a way to make projects available to them where they can design a waterpark or a playground using skills that the learn in mathematics.  If they are interested in book series based on Greek Mythology, teach a Greek Mythology unit in your English class.  So, if it is that straightforward, then, why don`t more teachers employ this type of teaching method?   Well, that is easy.  It is not as straightforward as it may seem.  It does take more effort and your course takes deviations every year as a result.  Plus, for this to work, a teacher needs to get to know their students.  You cannot plan lessons around the interests of the students if you do not know your students...and getting to know your students takes time!

I have seen students walk out of class fascinated by what they had learned.  They were engaged, they were interested, but most importantly, they learned!  I have seen it in multiple classes...and it never fails.  When they want to know more about what you have to say suddenly, behaviour issues disappear and talking reduces to a minimum and students actually do their work and get it in on time.  That is when you know you are doing well.  But again, it takes a lot of extra work.

So, what does this all have to do with drop outs?  Well, that is where the discussion began during the round table just over a year ago.  The issues raised above were discussed at length.  But, eventually it moved into a discussion about attention span and artificial realities.

The attention span of students is diminishing rapidly.  Due to the increase of technology at the disposal of students, they cannot focus their attention for long if there is no technology for them to use.  They do not like to sit and take notes, the do not like to sit and read and get distracted by everything around them.  BUT, all of these issues can be quickly combated with some of the strategies listed above...everything ultimately comes down to creating interactive and engaging lessons.

Sometimes, it does not matter how interesting or engaging a lesson can be.  Some students make choices to work instead of go to class.  Some students choose to cut class to get high or get drunk.  Some students have no one encouraging them to get to class, others could really care less.  Some feel that no one will miss them if they do not go to class.  Others feel they need to be working to help mom or dad pay the bills.  There is no doubt that is no shortage of reasons why students choose to be away from school, but, the reality is, that without that high school diploma, life will always be a little more difficult for them.

Some students feel that their teacher is just their for their job, to get their paycheck and take their vacation.  But, there are some teachers out there (more than just a few) that are genuinely interested in the success and well being of their students.  Those are the teachers that go the extra mile in their lesson planning to create the lessons that will make the students want to come.  And, if there is one class that a student REALLY wants to attend, they will make an effort to get to school to be there for that one class.  Then, because they are already at school, they may stick around for the rest of the day.

The students that concern me the most however, are the students that are brilliant, but, drop out because the material being covered is not challenging.  Although students constantly complain about the amount of work or the difficulty of work, students thrive on challenge.  Students grow through challenge.  The easy and mundane work is often what is left alone and left undone.  It is the challenging work that allows self expression that gets completed.  This is another HUGE reason why teachers need to get to know their students.  If the teacher really knows where their students are at academically, they can appropriately challenge each student.

If you are a teacher, I challenge you to be the one who brings the student to school when they REALLY do not want to be there.

Manitoba's Education Decline Part 3

Some of my teaching contemporaries have stumbled upon my blog and have sent very encouraging comments to my personal mail.  I am grateful for your support in this blog series! Today I am going to discuss science briefly.  This post should not be long as I do not teach the subject.  But, I do still have some observations about science.

Overall science rates are dropping in Manitoba; just like reading and math.  This actually makes logical sense.  The three major components of science are Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  Biology is largely involving visual media in print form, utilizing memorization of concepts.  This requires higher reading levels and exceptional study skills to master.  Physics and Chemistry largely involves formulas and mathematical calculations.  This requires a solid foundation in mathematics to be successful.

If you have read my previous two blogs on this topic, science suddenly seems to be somewhere in between literacy and numeracy; a fascinating combination of both!  Perhaps this is why I always enjoyed science, it is the best of both worlds.

But, with science being the "best of both worlds", students really need to have a good grasp of literacy and comprehension and mathematical foundations.  If either are lacking, science can be a very frustrating endeavor for students.  Sure, the students that excel in literacy will find the biology units to be simple, but may struggle with chemistry and physics.  Those that excel in mathematics will love chemistry and physics yet detest biology.  It is not until grade 11 that students get to choose the science that they are interested in, so, until then, students waver in the inbetween of science.

Although I do not teach science, I do hear students talk about it.  Depending which unit they are studying, depends on the comments.  It is quite clear that science is a very relevant subject that students can quickly connect to the things around them.  Pulleys are everywhere, biology surrounds us and everything is made of matter.  There are real world connections sitting in every classroom.  This should make science the most interesting class of all, yet, because the foundations of literacy and mathematics have been dropping, science suffers too.

It is not fair to the science teacher to have to spend time teaching basic algebra to students who do not understand the concepts.  That is something that should be drilled by the math teacher.  Working through the basic algebra in science then rips time away from the fascinating world of science.

So, to me, it is natural to see the difficulty in science if there is difficulty with literacy and with math.  They all go together.  So, if you want to see an increase in your science mark, head back to math and reading.  Pull up your socks there, and suddenly all things come together in science!

Perhaps this is not the most enlightening post, but it is the one thing that makes sense.  Can`t read, can`t use formulas...can`t do science.  It all ties together in the end.

Manitoba's Education Decline...Part 2

As promised, this is the second installment on my perspectives about an article that was featured on the CBC website yesterday, Are Manitoban's More Stupid.  Yesterday I commented endlessly on technology and literacy and today, I am going to address mathematics.

As you all know, my battle with mathematics in highschool had high points and low points.  However, no matter how low that low point got, I still could not use a calculator.  Calculators were only permitted when doing quadratic equations and the like; and this was not until grade 11.

A lot of students struggle with math.  The concepts are black and white.  The answer is either right or wrong.  There is generally one way to get the right answer.  Some concepts are completely foreign to students who do not see the purpose in the conglomeration of letters and numbers on the board.  I love it when students ask me things like, "Why do they call it Pi?"  I tell them the history, but, ultimately, it does not matter as long as they know WHAT Pi is and HOW to use it.

Making mathematics relevant has been my goal since I started.  Even though some of the tasks are mundane, I always try and connect it to something in everyday life.  My hope is that students will see the connection. But, I never expected my other goal to be so basic in nature...

Right now I teach grade 7 and I am regularly shocked by their inability to formulate basic calculations in their head.  When I started teaching math, I quickly realized that many of my students could not immediately answer 7 x 6.  They would respond "42??", with ever increasing intonation. My response was always, "is that a question, or an answer?", or "Yes??", or "are you asking, or are you sure?"  The lack of confidence in responding to basic questions like 7 x 6 left me perplexed and very concerned.

The calculator.  Of course there are many different kinds of calculators, basic, scientific and the graphing calculator.  I am sure there are others, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.  But, it does not matter what kind it is, I have a problem with all of them.  Now, I do use one regularly to speed up my calculations, otherwise I would be recording marks for hours longer than necessary and report cards would take triple the amount of time they already do.  The difference is that I know what 7 x 6 is.  Most of my students, do not.

They beg me endlessly to let them use calculators.  They complain when they have to add
87 + 94 + 100 + 62.  They whimper when I say they have to then do long division to determine the mean of the previous set of numbers.  And, they are mortified if I ask them to multiply or divide DECIMALS without a calculator.  They say, "Ms. this is too hard", or "it takes TOO LONG to do our homework.  We NEED our calculators.  Then, when I introduced the concept of Pi to them, without using a calculator, I think my students decided that I was delusional.

I was getting tired of the complaining about not having access to calculators.  I decided to test their mental math to prove to them the necessity of not using a calculator.  The results had the desired effect and although the beginning of the year was incredibly rough for the students (because they had become incredibly dependent on their calculators), their overall math ability has improved.  Marks are higher now, than the beginning of the year.  Most of the students have accepted that I will not let them touch a calculator...at school that is.  Whether they use one at home is beyond me.

So, here again, I can see that the technology that makes our lives easier and more enjoyable has certainly reduced ones ability to successfully complete tasks without it.  Technology is everywhere and we cannot avoid it.  Are calculators necessary in school?  Yes, most certainly.  But, only in certain grades for certain topics.  There is no need for ANYONE in grade 10 or under to use a calculator.

For example, when I was teaching grade 9 math, I attempted to teach the students Operations with Rational Numbers.  This involves calculations of integers in fraction form, as well as decimals and whole numbers.  I forged ahead with my lessons, without the use of calculators only to find that the class could not solve (-2) - (+7) without their trusty friend, Mr. Calculator.  I had to retreat and teach them Operations with Integers, a unit that I taught to the grade 7's earlier in the year.  This is the point that I discovered that they had been using calculators since grade 6.  "No wonder they have difficulty with the math.  They do not understand BASIC concepts", I thought.

Sure, I teach in Egypt.  But, I can assure you this is not merely and Egyptian phenomenon.  This is not even a phenomenon that involves only my classes.  As technology becomes more prevalent, it starts to infiltrate the classrooms of students at younger and younger ages.  So, where I was not allowed to use a calculator until grade 11, students in some classes are seeing a calculator as young as grade 6!  Then, people wonder why the Mathematics scores are dropping in the province.

Students wonder why they need math.  Before we left Canada, I was at the store as I watched the cashier fumble with my change, unsure that she was correct.  Working in the restaurant, I watched customers stumble with their tip calculations...this is all BASIC math!  I am not asking them to solve anything difficult!

The fascinating thing is that the best way to improve math skills is to practice.  Just like anything else in life, practicing the skill will make the basic calculations a breeze.  Once the basic calculations are memorized, then the confidence of the student increases.  BUT, until the calculators make a grand exit from the classroom, I fear that the math skills will continue to decline.

Anyone can punch numbers into a calculator, but, a great mind understands WHY they are punching those numbers in!    It has become my goal to ensure that the WHY and the HOW are solidified in the minds of my students.  Then, I know, that they will be successful whether they use a calculator or not.

Manitoba's Education Decline

The following blog post features generalizations that are my observations about students from 10 years ago to students today.  I am in no way saying that all students fall into my observations, so, if this does not describe you, EXCELLENT and congratulations; you are on the right track.

Yes, I know.  My Hubby and I are slight news fanatics.  We have the CBC Manitoba website as our home page when we open the internet.  For us it is nice to see what is happening in Winnipeg while we are away here in Egypt.  Everyday, when we open the internet we get news blurbs from home.  It helps us feel connected.

Today the headline was, "Are Manitoban's More Stupid"  Of course I had to investigate this story a little further because I just knew that it had to do with Manitoba Education; and, being an educator, I get a little curious.  To read the article and see the statistics Click Here

The article displays results from studies conducted in 2009 that demonstrate a decline in Reading, Mathematics and Science.  It also takes in to consideration drop out rates and student retention rates.  The stats should be considered alarming to anyone; especially teachers.  The most significant decline is in Reading, putting Manitoba near the bottom when compared to other provinces. 

I found it interesting that this research is comparing students now to students ten years ago.  Ten years ago, I was still a student in the Manitoba public school system.  I graduated, with honors, from my highschool.  I have never had a problem with my studies, my marks were good, I managed in math and I could read anything put in front of me and make sense of it.  Science I found fascinating.

When I compare myself (and my classmates) to students today, there is one alarming difference. 

Every student has a smart phone.  If they do not have a smart phone, they want one desperately.  Even here in Egypt, a developing country with high levels of poverty, most people have smart phones. The irony of this is, that as phones get smarter, our student population seems to be...(clearing my throat here), heading in the opposite direction.

I am not by any means knocking any of the smart technology because I myself have an iPad and use it regularly, and, I would probably enjoy having an iPhone as well.  However, with the advances in technology comes more dependence on our fun little tools.  

Imagine this dialogue with a student from ten years ago.

When is the last time you were on google?  Maybe this morning.
When is the last time you were on Facebook? Face what?
How about Twitter?  Are you talking about a bird?
How often do you use the internet for your homework? Maybe a couple times a week.
When you do not understand something in class, what do you do? I ask the teacher for help.
When you need to do research for a project, do you go to the library, or to your computer. Library first, then, when I get home, I check the internet.  

Now, imagine this dialogue with a student today.

When is the last time you were on google?  2 minutes ago.
When is the last time you were on Facebook? I am on Facebook now.
How about Twitter?  I will be there in 2 minutes.
How often do you use the internet for your homework? Everyday.
When you do not understand something in class, what do you do? I go to YouTube and find a video.
When you need to research for a project, do you go to the library, or to your computer.  I use my phone and find my answers, who needs a computer?

The major difference is the technology that students have access to.  When I was in highschool, very few people had cell phones.  The students that had cell phones were carrying around fairly large phones still.  (Man, this makes me sound old!)  But, the reality is, that a lot has changed in the past ten years and the education system has not always done the best job keeping up with it.  This is largely because teachers are creatures of habit and changing the way we do things can be time consuming.  The most troubling thing however is that the education system has not done enough to embrace the significant changes in technology to the advantage of the student.

I believe that the access to technology has numbed the minds of young people.  They absentmindedly sit and stare at computer screens and televisions.  They do not stimulate their minds with the fascinating books that I indulged in when I was in school (Old Man And The Sea in grade 11 is NOT included as one of the fascinating books I read).  Schools have adapted the teaching of Shakespeare to include a "No Fear Shakespeare" text which translates the original version into modern day language (we use it at our EAL school and I think is brilliant).  However, in a school, where students are fluent in English, their minds need to be challenged with the eloquence of Shakespeare.  They find modern day literature and language everywhere else they look!  I think there is nothing wrong with including the No Fear variety in class to aid understanding, but, really, where is the challenge?  I remember reading original versions of Shakespeare in grade 9 and loving the challenge of discerning what old Willy was trying to communicate.  Challenging students is the key to making them grow!  Without challenge minds grow tired and weary of maintaining and simply start to slip away to the mundane jargon they are familiar with.

The other issue with technology and social networking sites, is that students have become very good at expressing themselves in 150 characters or less.  This does not allow one to elaborate on any key thought.  They use text language to express themselves and can simplify every thought down to the smallest common idea.  There are benefits to this in some circles, but, not in education.  Try getting a student, that keeps their ideas and thoughts so small, to express themselves in an essay is difficult.  Or, how about spelling?  Texting language is permeating essays I read all the time.  If I could get one dollar for every time I read words like, gonna and wanna in formal writing, I would be very wealthy.  But, until this year, some students of mine told me that, "well, no one told me that was not a real word".  I just about dropped my lunch when I heard that.

While there are many downsides to technology, I do believe that it can enhance young minds.  But, the young minds need to be taught how to use technology in a different way.  If I asked one of my students what a computer was for today, they would tell me it is for the internet.  If I asked one of my classmates ten years ago, they would have said to write assignments.  Before the days or social networking, computers were for completing work, assignments and email and researching.  But now, the computer offers this whole fake reality for teenagers.  Hours are lost following friends on Facebook and Twitter, looking a pictures of other people, fabricating relationships that may not really even exist.  This false reality captivates teens because they feel like they are a part of something, they may actually have no part in at all.  It is a dangerous place for teens to be, and therefore, technology needs to be taught; despite the fact that we think our students today are technologically savvy.

Is there a link between technology and the drop in Reading ability?  Of course there is.  Sure, students are reading what is on the internet, but, they are reading basic language.  Seldom do students visit sites that would challenge their vocabulary, and, if they found a word they did not understand, they may just pass over it without further investigation. 

Wow, this blog post has gone an entirely different direction than I anticipated.  It is going to have to be in a couple of installments.  Today, technology and reading.  Tomorrow, mathematics.  Wednesday, Science and Thursday, drop out rates.   Prepare yourself for an education analysis from my perspective.

And, my Hubby was thrilled to point out, that, while I am nagging on the use of technology and social networking, I have been sitting here writing this blog post for the past 30 minutes.  Productive use of time...I think so.

Canadian Mother's Day in Egypt

Mother's Day.  A day to celebrate your mom. My mom is pretty great.  We loved every moment of our recent visit with mama (aka Grandma).  It is hard to be away on a day like today.

Everything that I am today is because of who my mom and dad taught me to be.  My mom was a patient (even though I tested every ounce of that patience), loving and caring (sleeping on the couch until I came home, just to know that I was okay) mom who was always there to hear about my day.  For those of you that know me well, I can talk endlessly about what went well in my day, and what went poorly.  Then of course I problem solve what could have been done better.  My mom was always there to listen to me solve my problems.

(Now, dad, don't be jealous...you will get a tribute of your own in June!)

Now that I am a mom myself, I try to employ many of the methods that my mother use with us.  Especially the concept of listening to everything, all the time, even when it does not appear to be important.

My mom...

My Mom and her girls...hanging out at the Great Pyramid of Giza

Princess is me.  She has many physical features that resemble me, but more than that, she has my personality.  She is stubborn, affectionate, and a chatterbox.  She can tell a story about everything. She asks questions about everything.  I learned from my mom that it is important to listen to EVERYTHING that she has to say.  Everything to her now is a big thing that deserves to be shared.  If she knows that I will sit and listen to her `big stuff`` now, then, I hope, she will share the `big stuff`` with me when she is 16.  Sometimes we butt heads because we are so similar.  Today, I was particularly frustrated to find the curtain in their room beautifully colored purple.  We washed the curtain, but, it is ruined.  I am sure she had good intentions, just not well thought out.

Dimples is daddy.  He is introspective, reflective and thoughtful.  He does not often share his opinion and he is HILARIOUS.  Perhaps daddy will do a tribute to his son on Father`s Day.  But, it fascinates me to watch the two kids grow up together.  Their personalities are incredibly different and they are both truly amazing children.  I often look forward to what they will be like when they are older, but, then, I know I will miss the way they are now.  Every ounce of their cuteness makes me smile.

Today however, I have been reflecting on the past year.  A lot has happened in a year.  In a year, the kids have changed A LOT!  That is the biggest change that I can see. (Other then us moving half a world away).  Below you will see pictures of the kids from when we left Canada in June, to this week.  They have both grown incredibly (Princess especially - she has grown almost a foot) and their skills, vocabulary and personalities have grown too.  Today, as I watched Dimples cruise down the 3 flights of stairs at the school, without holding the rail, I realized that he was still crawling down the stairs backwards when we first got here.  How things change!

Dimples in Canada before we left...age 16 months

Dimples in May of this year - age 25 months

Princess before we left Canada - age 3

Princess in May of this year - 3 years, 9 months

Enjoy the pictures and Happy Mother`s Day to all you Mom`s out there!

I love being the Mama of these cuties!

Math...Who Knew??

For those of you that have been following this blog since the beginning, you may remember me mentioning that my stomach was in my throat when my job offer in Egypt arrived because it came with a small surprise.  Grade seven - GREAT! Social Studies - GREAT!  Mathematics - YIKES! (This is the point when my stomach did some somersaults, eventually landing in my throat).  My heart raced and I got very nervous, very quickly.

Me??  Teach math??  They really have no idea who I am.

I am a person that despised math in school.  I found it mundane, boring, and with no purpose.  I did not see why I would need to know what an angle bisector was or how to draw it would benefit me in the future.  Nor did I find any excitement in solving for an unknown variable.  I did not see the puzzles that math had and had zero interest in taking the time to sit an figure anything out.

Math never came easy for me when I was in school.  My teachers were extremely qualified math teachers.  Brilliant and passionate mathematicians.  However, they could not get my classmates, or me, interested in what they loved.  A teachers job is not only to teach, but to get students interested in a subject.  If I am passionate about something, it needs to show! 

I am not passionate about math.  I did not like math. " How on EARTH am I going to get other students to like math".  The task seemed daunting. 

I kept telling myself that it was only grade 7 math.  How hard could it be?  I reviewed the curriculum hundreds of times and convinced myself that yes, this is indeed something I could 'attempt' to do.  If I failed miserably, the administration may consider giving me subjects I actually enjoy...like PE!

Then the teaching began...and they moved me to teach grade 7,8 and 9 math.  I will not go into the details of that.  I have blogged endlessly about that transition. All I will say is that I took the task willingly, but not without a sense of fear of failure.  Grade 9 math is very different from grade 7 math.

But, what I have come to realize is, that even though I am not a mathematician and even though I did not take any math courses in university, I do know how to teach.  I know that I know how to teach; and I do teach well.

My realization has come from the fact that because I am NOT trained to teach mathematics, I APPROACH the subject from a different angle.  An angle that makes math more REAL.  An angle that makes math more approachable itself.  An angle that has helped me develop, believe it or not, a real INTEREST in math.  This is not to say that mathematicians are not good teachers.  I am sure that there are many out there.  But, in my experience, the mathematicians are the unapproachable teachers because they are intimidating.  They make math SCARY...but, not because they are bad teachers, but because they are BRILLIANT and it intimidates students. 

That was my experience in school.  Many of my high school math teachers were intimidating because they were brilliant.  They were so brilliant that they forgot that the students were not quite matching their brilliance yet and that students do in fact, have questions.  My experience was that if the brilliant mathematician forgot how to make things simple, the students get lost, quickly, and have a hard time catching up.  That was me.  I tripped early in grade 11 math and was unable to recover from the early lack of understanding.  When I reflected on that experience, I made a distinct decision to be the opposite.  I needed to make math APPROACHABLE for all students.  Break it down, step by step; with LOTS of examples. 

Now, I LOOK FORWARD to the days that I am going to teach math.  I ENJOY planning my math lessons, and I LOVE it when my students have a light bulb moment in the middle of class.  Am I becoming passionate about something I once detested?  It is possible?

The other day, one of my inquisitive grade 7's asked me, "Ms., do you actually like math??" 

I quickly responded with an emphatic, "of course I do!"   My students do not know about my history with math and my perceptions of math when I was in school.  That would not help them at all.  But, what surprised me, is that I know that was a truthful response. I do actually like math...I do think that it is important...and I do think that it is everywhere in our lives.

But, most of all, I know that this is what I will be teaching for the next year and that excites me.  Sure, I have made some mistakes along the way.  But now, as the year comes to a close, I know that I am doing well and I am excited about next year.  I have a million ideas running through my head, and oddly enough...I think I am meant to teach math and that seems...Weird.