I Hope Steph Likes Her Purse!

There's a lot of weird purses in the world. I realized that when I was tricked into purse-shopping not once, but twice, in the past week, by Stephanie. I used to think that women who spend endless hours going from store to store looking for a purse was a little vain. But who would have known that it was actually done out of necessity more than anything else?

I can honestly say, that I don't want to do it again...

Spring is on its way!

Ahhh, the long awaited March Break is here! Nevermind that I have more work to do than I can shake a stick at, it's just nice to be off and relaxed! And I'm loving how it's been warmer outside this week, I cannot wait for spring! A couple weeks ago I suddenly decided that I'm sick of all this snow and coldness! So as the thermometer rises and the snow is melting and the birds are singing, I'm starting to get really excited!

Life here is just as crazy as always, we're still on the job hunt. I'm taking consolation in the fact that most school are on March Break and that's why we haven't gotten any phone calls! It's really hard playing the waiting the game! I've had one interview in Woodstock and we are really praying that I get this one! It's a very stable school and I know a lot of people there, it would just be great! But they're not making a decision until the beginning of April, which is really hard to take when I had my interview on March 3rd. But they have a 2-week March Break (another fabulous reason to get a job there!) so I just have to be patient.

Dave just started placement #2 yesterday. It's a 5/6 split with a teacher who has thrown him right into teaching. He came home yesterday and said that she told him he had to teach three classes on his second day and threw a bunch of textbooks at him! I suspect it has something to do with her report cards being due soon, so she's thinking she can get some quality work time in! But we spent a good couple hours last night trying to plan his lessons. He's supposed to teach division, but none of the textbooks she gave him have a unit on division. So we made something up for today (it turns out I'm now more useful than just for making supper, since I have some resources!) and he's going to have to talk to her about it to get an idea of where he's supposed to go with it.

Anyways, that's all that's going on here....I guess I should get some work done! I mean it's already lunch time and I haven't done anything! Oh how I love March Break!

Look, I have my hand raised... I have a question.

So I was contemplating whether or not to recommend a book called "The Thief" in our highly presitigious Recommended Children's Literature section (see panel on the right), and this book has brought up an interesting question...
That is,
Should we raise our children to be completely oblivious to the secular worldview? Or, should we raise our children with a 'We believe - They believe' sort of knowledge and then really emphasize the Truth of the Bible?
If you subscribe to the first view - that our children should learn only Bible stories. Then "The Thief" isn't for you to read.
If you subscribe to the view that your child is grown up enough to recognize the differences in worldview being presented, then "The Thief" might be alright. It would also give you, as a parent, an opportunity to have a 'heart to heart' discussion about the questions a child might get from such a book. Like, "why are there so many gods in this book?"(it's based on greek mythology). Or, "why does the main character use his gods name in vain?"(the main character doesn't actually believe in his own gods).
Anyways, its a parents decision to include or exclude literature from their children's lives (but not their adult lives!)(We can only protect them for so long... but how long?). So my opinion is that it might be a good book to read with the child so that you can instruct them on recognizing bias/lies/etc... This also means that, as an adult, you'll need to read the book too (before you let your child read it).

It also won an honourable mention for the Newberry Award... but what difference does that make? Our list is more prestigious...

Summing up the last few weeks of school with one question...

The last question was worth 3 points.
That's it.
3 points.
A whole 3 points.
It was the last exam of my post-secondary career.
And it was worth 3 points.
The whole exam was worth 85 points.
The last question was worth 3 points.
I already knew that there was no way I could fail this course.
Failing was an impossibility.
I already knew that I had provided an answer for 82 out of 85 of the possible marks.
So there was no reason for me to even bother with the last question.
I almost wrote, "WHO CARES!"
I certainly didn't care.
But wait, that's three points...
If I write "Who cares?" he's going to think I really don't care.
Can he go back and change marks on the rest of the exam because I really don't care?
Will this "Who cares?" reflect poorly on my character?
I think I'd better write something.
I don't Want to write anything.

But I'll write something anyways.

Just so I get the marks.

It'll look good if I do.

Hence, the last thing I'll have learned in Teacher's College is not to make the last question worth only 3 marks.

It's insulting.

Early in the morning when the sun begins to shine!

Snow day #4? 5? 6? (who knows anymore) is underway for Steph today! So she gets to recuperate from teaching and hopefully get her voice back again.

She said her interview went really well (she practiced her answers a LOT!). They seemed to be impressed, but unfortunately, they are interviewing other people this month.... So we won't know if she gets the job until the end of the month!

Which means we have to spend the money on postage and whatnot to send more resumes out to wherever we can...

I'm supposed to have my last exam (ever) today... But it's a snow day at Redeemer too. Which is just torture...

I knew I had reason to fear Grade 5...

So I met my new associate teacher in preparation for teaching a Grade 5/6 split. "Oh good! You're a male! So you can teach dance and maybe the boys in my class will start getting in to it!"
Okay, STOP.
Yes, I'm a male - I thought that might be obvious by my name being Mr. David Geertsema.
Secondly - Boys don't like to dance, what makes anyone think that MEN like to dance?

Alright, I admit, I have ventured onto the dance floor before. Most of the time it was in pursuit of a girl. Men like me don't like to get on a dance floor unless there is a girl involved. That's the honest truth. Boys in Grade 5... don't like girls...! Am I right Devin? Brent? Okay, they might like girls a little bit. Plus, pairing up girls and boys is a bad idea. I guess sometimes teachers just ask for trouble.

Then there's the issue of the fact that I don't know HOW to dance... ! Yes, I skipped "the fundamentals of dance" class in College on account of the fact that dancing is not a Masculine thing - no matter what Antonio Banderas says in his dance-a-thon movie. There's a reason Grade 5 boys, and all other men for that matter don't like dance... because it makes them feel like girls. "Man, I feel like a woman" just doesn't make men go yippee.

So I'm forced to learn to dance, for the sake of the children. I figure its about moving to the beat of the music (thank-you dance dance revolution)(which is really just line-dancing, not real dancing). So I'll bob my head to the music.

Actually, everything I know about dance I've really learned from tv and the movies. (why shouldn't that be enough?).

So I'll throw the dice - that's a dance move. (shake your hand, shake your hand, throw the dice...). That should get me through one day.

Then there's the grocery cart (I actually learned this one from a girl... take something off the shelf, put it in the cart... and repeat). That's day two.

Then there's headbanging (but that causes damage to your head and neck. Although long hair seems to be popular among children). So that's like 5 minutes before someone complains that their neck hurts.

I think there was a dance move called the Type-writer? Does anyone know this move?

Or the snorkel (plug your nose and raise your arm in the air)?

Alright. Can someone please tell me some more dance moves?

I need to get back to studying for exams (only 2 left!)....

Steps and Thresholds

It seems, lately, that Steph and I are standing on a threshold. Steph has an interview tomorrow that we are very hopeful for and praying about. The potential that this job offers us is, simply, huge in its implications for where we are going in life. The interview is Monday night, so it would be really great if those of you reading this would offer prayers of support for Steph ('cause she hates going to interviews!).

I on the other hand, am writing my last few exams this week! This is really exciting because, in essence, I'm pretty much done school. Yes, I have a six week teaching practicum to do still, but the actual school part is pretty much done. Then comes the next step - finding a job just like Steph!

So.. yeah... Pray for us!