Saturday, June 13, 2009

Musings


Tragedy has hit. My computer's hard drive failed due to a fall it received a month ago! I am currently using our learning services laptop which just isn't as friendly as my trusty four year old Mac. This has definitely cut down on my at home computer use which probably is a good thing. As many of you know (well the two or three people who do read this) my time at the school board is coming to a close and I will be back teaching full time in a grade six/seven classroom in September. Yesterday late afternoon and early evening was spent going through my desk files and I have another whole filing cabinet to purge and sort. Did I have an impact, did I do a good job? Hard to say but I sure accumulated many files. That leads me back to my computer and the jury is still out whether any material will be retrieved. It's amazing how much baggage we now pack into a small machine-try over 3000 pictures...
The pictures-I am only about a year and a half behind pulling my favorite pictures into an old fashioned album but you know my favorites are firmly planted in my head and there are many more pictures to take.
Of course, you should back up files and documents but sometimes that leads back to the question of what is important and what do we really need. And I can tell you that there are going to be many files purged in my school board computer as well. Clutter just accumuates in many places and forms!
So my packing (well sorting then hopefully packing) will continue on trying to establish what is important to take with me and what I will actually use.
I found three letters written to me at the end of grade seven by former students. I am keeping them. They gave me a boost as I sorted through information about diplomas that never happened, old district plans, and many things that took so much energy. Teaching is what matters, what's really important. And what I really need next year has been honed by all the wonderful reading, professional development, conversations, and the opportunities to play in other people's classrooms which has given so much richness to my life as a consultant (or rather learner).

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