Baby You Can Drive My Car

Today was a wonderful day. A program for first year teachers allows me to take 5 days of my choice away from my classroom to professionally develop my teaching. Today was my first day. I went to my mentor's school to observe her teaching and to consult with her on curriculum planning for a fashion course. I will be introducing my own classes to sewing in a couple of weeks and I will teach a fashion class next year.

My mentor has a great sense of humour and is able to both teach her students and talk to them about important life issues in an interesting and hilarious way. I watched a class of grade 10s first introduction to sewing machines. They got to sew on paper without thread; first following straight lines and then curvy lines. They were all genuinely excited, even the boys. You would have thought it was their first time driving a car!

We discussed various resources. Finally I'll be able to use all the fashion stuff (old labels, magazines, pattern slopers, PR photos) that I have been storing for years. I feel reassured now that twenty years of my life won't just become a fond memory. Instead it will be a source of lessons for another generation of creativity.

The photo is one of my favourite photos of a rose (Souvenir de la Malmaison) from my garden. A summer memory used to celebrate life on a winter day.

I'm a Teacher for Real!!

I finally landed. On Friday August 31, I went in for an interview for a one semester History position and came out with a permanent full time Family Studies position. Four days later I was in the classroom teaching courses I had never taught before and loving it. I have two Grade 9 Individual and Family Living classes and one Grade 11 Living Spaces. They were all thrilled to hear that we would be cooking and sewing (gingerbread architecture, for Living Spaces). No one has taught sewing at this school since before the new millenium. I plan to teach sewing even if I have to do it with only one sewing machine. The eight machines here still need to be serviced. Baby steps for now but I hope to eventually bring back the Fashion classes.

For my happy dance play:
"I'm bringing sewing back!!" [sung to the melody of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back"]