About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

SPRING BREAK'S OVER

Only three more sleeps (as we say here in Canada) until school starts on its last term. I wonder how many kids are looking forward to returning to the routine of getting up early, rushing from class to class and then rushing off to things like sports practise, music lessons, dance recitals, and finally home for a quick bite before the evening ritual of homework. I wonder how many parents are looking forward to the same school-day rituals.

Since leaving the teaching profession, my days have tended to run into each other and I haven't given much thought to "routine." It's been pleasant and I haven't had any regret about taking early (very early) retirement. However, having recently taken on a student whom I tutor three times a week, I need to remember what day it is so that I'm home by 3:00 pm to greet him upon arrival at 3:15. And with a grandson who will be entering kindergarten in another year, I look forward to all the musical/drama productions, sports days, and open houses in which he'll participate.

Just for fun, here are a few cartoons that will give you a bit of a chuckle as we think about all those youngsters who are returning to school on Monday. I hope their spring term will be full of fun and happy memories along with a feeling of satisfaction and joy when they learn something new and exciting.
This one is especially for all you Moms out there who can't wait to see their child return to school.
My favourite memory as a young student is playing softball for the school team. I can conjure up the smell of damp grass along with the pungent odor of my well-oiled (by my Dad) leather glove. What's your favourite memory of the last term of school? (And no fair saying "recess," "lunch," or "the last day of school.")

15 comments:

Ruth W. said...

Leslie, I just know that you are a wonderful teacher and the kids adored you. I can understand wanting to take early retirement but am pleased you do some tutoring. As a kid, I needed tutoring in math and language skills, and I loved the one to one experience. It changed my whole life around and I finally became interested in learning.

Teachers are so important, but they are so mistreated, you would think people would wise up about it.

Jo said...

Leslie, I remember baseball too. I loved baseball. I also remember during the last term, taking our classes outside. We had a wonderful grassy hill just behind our school, and on warm spring days our teachers would take us out there for our classes. One of my favorite memories is in grade nine, on a beautiful day in May, sitting under the trees with our class. For some reason I think about that often. At the time I remember thinking, "This is a moment I am going to remember all my life." It was a perfect day.

Leslie: said...

ruth I know that most of the kids liked me and to this day, many will run up to me to give me a hug if they see me in town. The other day I was in the grocery store and I heard someone call out, "Hi Mrs. C!" And one of my students from 8 years ago was there working in the deli section.

Leslie: said...

josie I remember taking some of my classes outside to learn. One time, we were studying sound so I took them out to the field, had them separate, and just sit still and listen. They were to jot down everything they heard. It really opened their ears!

Daryl said...

There's an award for you over at my place, come and get it!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Great cartoons, Leslie. Oh, I'm so happy I don't have to go and teach in a high school any more!

nancygrayce said...

That is so funny! My sister and I were just talking about how excited we were at the beginning of school! Most parents I know today say their kids dread it, but we loved it! Being one of 6, I'm sure my mother loved it too! Thanks for your comment. The study went well even unprepared!

david mcmahon said...

Here in Oz the kids have just finished their first term of the year!

Yep, I was in a boarding school and absolutely thrived on it.

Casdok said...

I can just imagine you as a teacher.
Great cartoons!

Cath said...

Here in the UK they have another week before the 2 week spring break then the summer term. Great cartoons.

My favourite summer term memory is sitting out on the grass for lessons because the weather was good. Didn't happen that often so was a great novelty!

Over from David's blog.

Janice Thomson said...

Loved these Leslie - especially the computer one LOL. My how the world has changed since I went to school :)

Daryl said...

As always .. wonderful

Katney said...

Well, I'm trying this again, so if it comes through twice, I apologize.

We are just starting spring break here, and school was out about five minutes ago. I was not there today as I have a three day schedule, and have been doing the tourist thing with grandkids in Seattle.

Now the long story that the hacking cartoon reminded me of.

When my oldest son was a high school freshman, I heard him come in after school one day with the neighbor boy. I was in the kitchen with my Camp Fire group, and in the front room from our rudimentary computer system, I heard: type-type-type---print-print-print---chuckle-chuckle-chuckle

repeat several times: type-type-type---print-print-print---chuckle-chuckle-chuckle

I finally went to see what was happening. He had printed out a duplicate of his report card--it was the first time the high school had done them on computer printouts--replacing the A's and A-'s with A's and A+'s and glowing remarks from every teacher.

That is not the end of the story. He took the printout to basketball practice and showed Coach. Coach, a member of the counseling department, turned pale. Coach showed the printout to the head counsellor next day. She turned pale. The following quarter the high school grade printouts had lots of difficult to reproduce graphics.

Computer grading systems have come a long way.

That son, BTW, is now an independent software developer with international contracts and a member of the board of advisers for his university's computer science department.

Country Girl said...

I remember one last term vividly. Although we don't call them last terms here. It was the end of my sophomore year in high school and I had a job on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Alice Cooper's song "School's Out" had just come out. The sun was shining, my friends were all there, and life loomed ahead of me with all the promise that a teenager can muster.

Wow, that was a vivid memory.

Akelamalu said...

I popped over from David's to read your 'post of the day'.

I work in a school (admin) and am NOT looking forward to going back, though I do have another week off! I'm also looking forward to retiring next year to spend more time with my grandchildren (5), aren't they just wonderful?

Loved your post.