I have been tagged three times now in the Eleven Things meme which is making its rounds at the moment. Normally I would have passed on this, but I do intend to become more involved in connecting with educators outside of my school district.
So, thank you to Naryn Searcy (@nsearcy17), who got me first, Starleigh Grass (@starleigh_grass), and DJ Thompson (@ThompsonDanielJ), for thinking of me and tagging me in their posts. It is nice to read what you wrote and learn a few things about you all!
Here's How it Works:
11 Random Facts about Me:
So, thank you to Naryn Searcy (@nsearcy17), who got me first, Starleigh Grass (@starleigh_grass), and DJ Thompson (@ThompsonDanielJ), for thinking of me and tagging me in their posts. It is nice to read what you wrote and learn a few things about you all!
Here's How it Works:
- Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
- Share 11 random facts about yourself.
- Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
- List 11 bloggers.
- Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.
11 Random Facts about Me:
- I was in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve from when I was 17 until I was 22, serving first with the 723 Communications Squadron in Halifax, and then in the infantry with the Princess Louise Fusiliers.
- Although I only lived there for the first six months of my life, I have the good fortune of having been born in Newfoundland, Stephenville, specifically.
- My favourite food above all else is raw oysters on the half shell—the small briny ones, not the big beach ones.
- I have never travelled outside of North America, only because I am so darn fascinated with Canada and its endless outdoor adventure opportunities. Someday I will get around to leaving.
- We have a family cabin in Nova Scotia where I spend much of my summers, nestled on a hillside above a lake on the same land that my Great Grandfather was born and raised on.
- My lovely wife Amanda is studying to become a midwife at the University of British Columbia.
- It took me ten years to complete my Bachelor of Arts degree—I wasn’t a particularly motivated student coming out of high-school, but found my stride later in my twenties after nearly a decade of food-service work (a path I have no regrets about, being a rich learning experience in itself).
- When given any leisure time, my preferred activity is to hit the single-track with my dog and my mountain-bike. Fortunately, living on Vancouver Island, there are hundreds of kilometres of riding available within easy reach.
- Though I have never had any formal education around it, and am completely self-taught via books and You Tube, I love fixing cars and motorcycles. I’ve learned that with patience, curiosity, and a bit of bravery, I can do just about any job I need to.
- I have seen the band Wilco fifteen times, the first time on tour for their first album A.M. in 1995. They’ve remained my favourite band for nearly twenty years.
- In my K-12 experience I went to eight different schools. My father was a banker, and we moved frequently. I think it has taught me to be highly adaptable, open to change, and able to integrate with new people quite fluidly.
11 Questions from Naryn Searcy @nsearcy17
- How do you balance time spent on face to face relationships in your own district vs online relationships?
- As an itinerant teacher, I spend most of my time in schools with teachers and principals building relationships. The face to face work is my favourite part of my job. I am a dabbler in online relationships, and I am considering this assigned homework as a good first step in reaching out furthering relationships far and wide.
- Where do you want to go in the world that you haven't been yet?
- I just love Canada’s National Parks, but have not been to nearly enough of them. If I could go anywhere in the world, I would like to experience the High Artic in summer by trekking through Quttinirpaaq National Park--along with visiting all of the other National Parks I have yet to visit. That or a beach in Hawaii.
- Are you a morning or night person?
- I am definitely a morning person. My 6 year old son and I wake up at 6 each morning. When my wife is out of the house and can’t make fun of me for doing so, I have been known to go to bed before 9 many evenings.
- What was the last book you read/movie you watched or song you listened to?
- The Inconvenient Indian, by Thomas King, which I think should be required reading for anyone working in public service.
- In what school/position do you think you "grew up" as an educator (really figured out how you were going to fill the role of a teacher/administrator etc.) ?
- In Richmond, at Blundell Elementary, teaching grades 6 & 7. I had the good fortune of working with two like-minded educators (another 6/7 teacher, and our Learning Support/ESL teacher) as a highly cohesive team. We planned, assessed, and implemented everything as a team, and put a heavy emphasis on relationship and community building within our classes. Our results were always impressive, and I look back on those years as being critical in forming my opinions and values as an educator.
- What is one thing you would miss if you had to leave the community you currently live in?
- I would miss the easy access to nature that living in Nanaimo provides.
- What is the source you rely on most for news about what's going on in the world?
- I’m a CBC addict. Radio first, then Web, but when I am up late enough, no one beats Peter Mansbridge.
- What is your favourite movie and why?
- I have a soft spot for the quirky and eccentric, and am a big fan of Wes Anderson’s films. The Royal Tennenbaums holds up as the best of the lot, though The Darjeeling Limited is pretty close.
- Who will win the SuperBowl and Stanley Cup this year?
- Patriots (am a fan), Kings (not a fan).
- If your son/daughter wanted to enter the field of education right now, would you encourage them?
- That is a good question, and a hard one to answer. I think it would be a qualified ‘yes’. Qualified by his or her motivation for wanting to do so; lifestyle is a poor reason to want to become a teacher, especially as a child of a teacher. I think that social justice is an ideal motivator for pursuing education as a career.
- What is a good moment from 2013?
- A good moment is seeing my wife through the penultimate phase of her education as a midwife. It has been a challenging four years for our family, and we can see the end of it now, when she graduates in May.
Passing this onto:
Bloggers and non-bloggers, alike. If you don't, do. If you do, do. Only if it strikes you, though...- Cathal Walsh (@RethinkEDUC)
- Judith King (@judithaking)
- Silke Yardley (@SilkeYardley)
- Tricia Anton (@AntonTricia)
- Jon Hamlin (@jonhamlin)
- Joanne Allair (@2girlsandpoodle)
- Sean Walsh (@Walshy4444)
- Brandon Curr (@Brandon_Curr)
- Scott Saywell (@ssaywell)
- Darlene Crane (@DarleneCrane)
11 Questions for You:
- What lesson have you learned from a student that has changed your practice?
- What is the best criticism anyone has ever given you?
- What is your favourite comic strip?
- What natural phenomena do you find most impressive?
- If you could only have one book about pedagogy, what would it be?
- Cat person or dog person?
- What type of tree do you most identify with?
- What would you be doing if you weren’t a teacher?
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What is the oldest thing you own?
- Have you written poetry as an adult?
Here's how it works:
- Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
- Share 11 random facts about yourself.
- Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
- List 11 bloggers.
- Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.
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