I realized something today.
You know that idealistic representation of small towns that you will see on tv or read about in books? That representation where the new person moves to a town and everyone stops to greet them and wants to know all about them?
Yeah.
I live in that town.
Pretty sure I have just walked into a tv show or entered one of those novels I read in my youth.
I have already described my church experience here and how friendly the congregation is.
Well today I had another mind-blowing-strangers-starting-conversations-with-me experience.
One of the teachers at my school invited me for coffee after work today (insert happy dance over the fact that I'm making friends here). I got to the coffee shop a little bit before she did, ordered my drink (how can you say no to something called a "Peppermint Kiss"), and sat in a lovely, high-backed, wing-back chair to wait.
And all of a sudden the woman I ordered my drink from sat down across from me and proceeded to strike up a conversation. We chatted for a few minutes, she asked what I did and what brought me to the Lake, and then left.
Seriously, I have never lived somewhere where people are so dang friendly! I'm used to the town I spent the last few years where people would much rather avert their gaze in the grocery store and introduce themselves and start asking you about yourself.
I don't know if I'm ever going to get over this.
:)
In other news, I had a pretty incredibly week of teaching. I left my English class on Wednesday with a headache. And not because my kids were loud or their writing hurt me.
It was because they blew me away with their depth.
Seriously, if you could have read the poems they wrote or the analyses they wrote on poems your mind would have been blown.
To say I'm proud of them would be an understatement.
They are handing in a poetry anthology on Monday with a selection of other poems they have analyzed as well as some poems they wrote and analyzed themselves. I have offered to provide feedback if they want it, and it has been incredible to watch their skill develop. Did you know I have the deepest grade 10 class in the world?
They amaze me.
We are actually having a coffeehouse on Tuesday. They have agreed to read some of their poetry and I am bringing brownies and hot drinks. I'm also wearing my beret and a scarf (and some of them have agreed to dress up too).
Or the fact that one of my History students came to talk to me about an assignment that same day and proceeded to tell me how much she appreciates my classes and the way I try to engage them? That she really likes my teaching?
Now I know my weeks will not always be filled with experiences like this. I do.
But that doesn't change the fact that it feels incredible.
I love my job. When I teach I feel like I'm doing what I was made to do. I don't mind getting up every morning (in fact, most mornings I'm up before my alarm goes off at 4:30). I really don't mind being at the school my 5:45 in the morning (even if my school does look a little creepy in the dark). And by 6:30 our volunteer maintenance/security guy (a really sweet, older, British gentleman), comes in to say hi and comment on my early morning. Of course, I can only maintain these early mornings because I go to bed at the same time as Mr. Charming (which is just after 8:00 my time).
The point is, this has been a good week. I rocked my cardigans (even received compliments on them), made some more friends, had my mind blown by my students, and am pretty excited for my coffeehouse next week.
This zany teacher is rocking her zaniness.
You know that idealistic representation of small towns that you will see on tv or read about in books? That representation where the new person moves to a town and everyone stops to greet them and wants to know all about them?
Yeah.
I live in that town.
Pretty sure I have just walked into a tv show or entered one of those novels I read in my youth.
I have already described my church experience here and how friendly the congregation is.
Well today I had another mind-blowing-strangers-starting-conversations-with-me experience.
One of the teachers at my school invited me for coffee after work today (insert happy dance over the fact that I'm making friends here). I got to the coffee shop a little bit before she did, ordered my drink (how can you say no to something called a "Peppermint Kiss"), and sat in a lovely, high-backed, wing-back chair to wait.
And all of a sudden the woman I ordered my drink from sat down across from me and proceeded to strike up a conversation. We chatted for a few minutes, she asked what I did and what brought me to the Lake, and then left.
Seriously, I have never lived somewhere where people are so dang friendly! I'm used to the town I spent the last few years where people would much rather avert their gaze in the grocery store and introduce themselves and start asking you about yourself.
I don't know if I'm ever going to get over this.
:)
In other news, I had a pretty incredibly week of teaching. I left my English class on Wednesday with a headache. And not because my kids were loud or their writing hurt me.
It was because they blew me away with their depth.
Seriously, if you could have read the poems they wrote or the analyses they wrote on poems your mind would have been blown.
To say I'm proud of them would be an understatement.
They are handing in a poetry anthology on Monday with a selection of other poems they have analyzed as well as some poems they wrote and analyzed themselves. I have offered to provide feedback if they want it, and it has been incredible to watch their skill develop. Did you know I have the deepest grade 10 class in the world?
They amaze me.
We are actually having a coffeehouse on Tuesday. They have agreed to read some of their poetry and I am bringing brownies and hot drinks. I'm also wearing my beret and a scarf (and some of them have agreed to dress up too).
Or the fact that one of my History students came to talk to me about an assignment that same day and proceeded to tell me how much she appreciates my classes and the way I try to engage them? That she really likes my teaching?
Now I know my weeks will not always be filled with experiences like this. I do.
But that doesn't change the fact that it feels incredible.
I love my job. When I teach I feel like I'm doing what I was made to do. I don't mind getting up every morning (in fact, most mornings I'm up before my alarm goes off at 4:30). I really don't mind being at the school my 5:45 in the morning (even if my school does look a little creepy in the dark). And by 6:30 our volunteer maintenance/security guy (a really sweet, older, British gentleman), comes in to say hi and comment on my early morning. Of course, I can only maintain these early mornings because I go to bed at the same time as Mr. Charming (which is just after 8:00 my time).
The point is, this has been a good week. I rocked my cardigans (even received compliments on them), made some more friends, had my mind blown by my students, and am pretty excited for my coffeehouse next week.
This zany teacher is rocking her zaniness.
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