Heavy Hearted and Saying Good-bye to a Friend and Former Teacher
It has been a heavy hearted month, this June.
We began June with Ava abruptly ending her time at the first daycare that she ever attended. A daycare that we carefully picked, out of the four that we visited. We were initially heartbroken about how suddenly her care was terminated, and then quickly became sad about how our baby had been treated and guilty that we missed ALL the signs that she was just not happy there. We came to a time when we were just angry, but I suppose you just can't hold on to anger forever without doing some damage to yourself, and this was just not worth that damage.
This was followed up by job action by the B.C. Teacher's Federation, the union that is meant to protect us, fight for us, and stand up for us. Fight for us, and stand up for us is certainly what they have done, and what they seem to have to do over and over again, year after year. Protecting us is just something that they can not seem to do - and protecting us from our own elected government is not something that they should have to do.
I have NEVER been a political person, but I have ALWAYS been an opinionated person, and I have always been a passionate person who acts and reacts with her heart, and then with her head. I would not have ever thought that I would become political because I would have to learn how to stand up for and defend myself and my colleagues in the profession that I am so proud to have chosen, but the profession that seems to be of so little importance to our Premier. And I certainly would not have ever thought that there would be a time when I would feel defeated both in my profession and in my province.
I am terrified about the direction that public education is headed, because our Premier (and former Education Minister) would rather focus on sending wealthy, intelligent, and privileged children to the schools that their parents can afford to send them to and turn public education into a bottom-rung institution that employs lowly public school teachers who will educate only those children who are less wealthy, less privileged, less entitled, and who are not blessed with the emotional, physical, and mental prowess that her own son is blessed with.
I am terrified that my daughter has just left a daycare centre where both her physical needs and emotional needs were not only not met, but were neglected, and that my husband and I will spend the next 4 years preparing to send her to a public school that will be only be a shell of what it is now and possibly not even a fraction of the amazing experience that I remember public school being.
As things started to build up this month, a close family friend, a mentor, and my favourite high school teacher passed away suddenly at far too young an age. This was not something that surprised us, given the direction her life had taken her in the last several years, but it is something that shocked and shook my entire family.
Ingrid was my Social Studies and Geography teacher. She was a teacher who's class you looked forward to coming to every day because you knew that she would inspire you with a well-planned out and personal slideshow of one of the many places that she had travelled to. You knew that she would challenge you in her weekly News Game (much like Jeopardy) that wrapped up everything that we had learned that week, but also encouraged us to read the newspaper and stay informed on local and world news to give your team an edge. You knew that even if you were emotional about how hard you had worked for such a mediocre grade, she was not going to let you settle and she was NOT going to LET you work anything but your hardest on every assignment and for every test.
My siblings and I knew that even though Ingrid was our biggest fan (aside from our parents) in both the classroom and on the field hockey field and basketball and volleyball courts, if we were not giving our everything in that classroom, our parents were going to know about it and you better believe that our extracurriculars were going to come second to our academics. But did we ever resent her for any of it? Not a chance. Like with our parents, it was important to us that she was proud of us.
How many people get to say that they had a teacher like that? A teacher who cared about you as a student, so much, that she pushed you harder than you thought you could manage but was your number 1 cheerleader when you succeeded? And how many people get to say that their favourite high school teacher attended each one of you and your siblings special events; be it baby showers, wedding showers, weddings, or graduations? And how many people get to say that their favourite high school teacher, 15 years later, checked in on them every couple of months via email or letter, just to make sure that their families and their careers were going as well as she hoped they were?
After Ingrid passed away, we all had a hard time, and as I shared above, Ava was also having a hard time, so I was having a hard time leaving my sweet girl every day to go to the job that I loved. An old friend of mine sent me this message below that inspired me and spurred me forward more than she could have known.
So, although I am terrified about the kind of education and the kind of public school that my Ava is going to get, and I am broken-hearted beyond words about the loss of my former teacher and my friend, and I am angry, frustrated and often disheartened by the "leadership" shown by our Premier, I am a TEACHER, and I am going to continue to do just that, but I am also going to keep doing more. I am going to be that person that my students will remember down the road, because I am teacher that not just teaches them, but that loves them. And even though it may irk me to do all of those extra things that teachers do not ever get credit for, I am going to do them, because you, Christy Clark, are not going to break me. And you wanna know what my hunch is, Ms. Clark? My hunch is that you're not going to break my colleagues either.
We began June with Ava abruptly ending her time at the first daycare that she ever attended. A daycare that we carefully picked, out of the four that we visited. We were initially heartbroken about how suddenly her care was terminated, and then quickly became sad about how our baby had been treated and guilty that we missed ALL the signs that she was just not happy there. We came to a time when we were just angry, but I suppose you just can't hold on to anger forever without doing some damage to yourself, and this was just not worth that damage.
This was followed up by job action by the B.C. Teacher's Federation, the union that is meant to protect us, fight for us, and stand up for us. Fight for us, and stand up for us is certainly what they have done, and what they seem to have to do over and over again, year after year. Protecting us is just something that they can not seem to do - and protecting us from our own elected government is not something that they should have to do.
I have NEVER been a political person, but I have ALWAYS been an opinionated person, and I have always been a passionate person who acts and reacts with her heart, and then with her head. I would not have ever thought that I would become political because I would have to learn how to stand up for and defend myself and my colleagues in the profession that I am so proud to have chosen, but the profession that seems to be of so little importance to our Premier. And I certainly would not have ever thought that there would be a time when I would feel defeated both in my profession and in my province.
I am terrified about the direction that public education is headed, because our Premier (and former Education Minister) would rather focus on sending wealthy, intelligent, and privileged children to the schools that their parents can afford to send them to and turn public education into a bottom-rung institution that employs lowly public school teachers who will educate only those children who are less wealthy, less privileged, less entitled, and who are not blessed with the emotional, physical, and mental prowess that her own son is blessed with.
I am terrified that my daughter has just left a daycare centre where both her physical needs and emotional needs were not only not met, but were neglected, and that my husband and I will spend the next 4 years preparing to send her to a public school that will be only be a shell of what it is now and possibly not even a fraction of the amazing experience that I remember public school being.
As things started to build up this month, a close family friend, a mentor, and my favourite high school teacher passed away suddenly at far too young an age. This was not something that surprised us, given the direction her life had taken her in the last several years, but it is something that shocked and shook my entire family.
Ingrid was my Social Studies and Geography teacher. She was a teacher who's class you looked forward to coming to every day because you knew that she would inspire you with a well-planned out and personal slideshow of one of the many places that she had travelled to. You knew that she would challenge you in her weekly News Game (much like Jeopardy) that wrapped up everything that we had learned that week, but also encouraged us to read the newspaper and stay informed on local and world news to give your team an edge. You knew that even if you were emotional about how hard you had worked for such a mediocre grade, she was not going to let you settle and she was NOT going to LET you work anything but your hardest on every assignment and for every test.
How many people get to say that they had a teacher like that? A teacher who cared about you as a student, so much, that she pushed you harder than you thought you could manage but was your number 1 cheerleader when you succeeded? And how many people get to say that their favourite high school teacher attended each one of you and your siblings special events; be it baby showers, wedding showers, weddings, or graduations? And how many people get to say that their favourite high school teacher, 15 years later, checked in on them every couple of months via email or letter, just to make sure that their families and their careers were going as well as she hoped they were?
After Ingrid passed away, we all had a hard time, and as I shared above, Ava was also having a hard time, so I was having a hard time leaving my sweet girl every day to go to the job that I loved. An old friend of mine sent me this message below that inspired me and spurred me forward more than she could have known.
"It's kind of strange, but Ms. Cunningham's passing made me think of you today.
This morning you were talking about how hard it is to leave Ava and go to work.
I can totally understand that. I hope though, that the genuine outpouring of love,
respect, and admiration for Ms. Cunningham shows you how much of an impact you
can make as a teacher as well. I'm sure the moms who leave their little ones with you every
day are so relieved they have such a caring and kind person to leave their kids with every day.
One day, there will be many many people looking back at what a wonderful teacher they had in you.
Such a hard day to hear about the loss of such an inspiring woman, and such a great opportunity to
be inspired to make a difference, like she did. I hope you get lots of hugs today."
So, although I am terrified about the kind of education and the kind of public school that my Ava is going to get, and I am broken-hearted beyond words about the loss of my former teacher and my friend, and I am angry, frustrated and often disheartened by the "leadership" shown by our Premier, I am a TEACHER, and I am going to continue to do just that, but I am also going to keep doing more. I am going to be that person that my students will remember down the road, because I am teacher that not just teaches them, but that loves them. And even though it may irk me to do all of those extra things that teachers do not ever get credit for, I am going to do them, because you, Christy Clark, are not going to break me. And you wanna know what my hunch is, Ms. Clark? My hunch is that you're not going to break my colleagues either.
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