I couldn't decide what to focus on this week with my reflections. Usually, I like to tie them all together thematically - some of these connections can be "complex" as Doug Peterson noticed (such as his commentary on my blog a few weeks ago on Tracking, Timing and Tiring that combined my thoughts on the gym, my AQs and my ETFO SA). I couldn't detect a unifying element, so instead, I'm going to write some random reflections based on this week's events.
A (1st letter) - AQ course
I finished running my first Queen's University AQ course. I've referenced it frequently over the past few weeks. "Frequently" is actually an understatement; I checked my blog history and I have mentioned it in passing every single week since July 19! Summer AQs (taking or teaching them) keep me from getting bored or restless. Summer 2021 was a different experience than my previous AQ teaching opportunities (in Summer 2018 and Summer 2019) with another university. Although I was quite uncertain when I began, I felt very supported by the Queen's CTE staff. They provided lots of links, handouts, and even a Zoom meet on August 7 to help their AQ facilitators understand the process. They are very clear (some may call it strict) with deadlines and overdue assignments, but there is comfort in that kind of structure. As for the participants, I only saw the faces or spoke live to very few of the candidates, so the only way I "knew" them is through their assignments or discussion posts. I get the feeling that this late summer TL Pt 1 AQ that began August 8 is going to be quite a contrast from the one before. The last group consisted of 18 individuals. This class has just 4. With fewer participants, I can respond more frequently and even partake in some of the assignments myself. Last time, I was still getting used to the onQ D2L system but now, I have a better working knowledge of the virtual environment. I also get the sense that the candidates are interested in each other as people and not just as classmates whose posts they will need to respond to for marks. I actually got teary-eyed at the compassion and assistance they've already demonstrated. I can't wait to spend more time with these humans!
D (4th letter) - Dining
I know it's not the healthiest activity, but I love eating in restaurants. On Tuesday, I went to Korean BBQ at Chako. It was so nice to mimic a buffet experience with my husband and daughter. The restaurant employees were cautious and attentive. They recorded data on all who entered, wore masks, kept guests apart, and themselves kept their distance as much as possible. I wonder if there's anything we can apply to school re-opening that the restaurants have done? (PS - This week's food outings also included Great Canadian Bagel, Tim Hortons, McDonald's and Mary Brown's.)
L (12th letter) - Lines for Service Ontario
On Friday, I took my son to a local Service Ontario to get his identification card. He had an appointment but it was still a dauntingly long line that greeted us when we arrived. His appointment was at 1:00 pm and he was finished at 2:30 pm. The backlog is despair-inducing. My friend's son travelled all the way out to Kingston to complete his final driver's test. I'm sure the workers themselves must be feeling a lot of pressure and I hope they aren't getting verbally lambasted by members of the public. They are trying their best. I see some parallels with education workers. The demands may be intense and I wish that they will be treated with kindness and understanding as much as possible.
T (20th letter) - Thrifting
On August 3, I mentioned that I went to Value Village with my daughter to buy a few things. Some items did not fit, and I have promised myself now not to buy "aspirational pants" (a term coined by my husband to refer to pants that don't yet fit but you hope to fit into in the future). I took the pants in for an exchange yesterday and walked out with even more clothes. This was necessary because I did a significant weeding of my entire clothing collection and there are a lot of items that were in bad shape and/or could no longer fit. I love shopping at what my sister calls "VV Boutique" because I can buy a lot of things for very little, and I feel like I am making a small contribution to the environment by giving old things a new home. I have been focusing on picking clothes "for school". If I get a chance, I will have to post some pictures of the things I bought, to see if they fit other people's perceptions of what counts as "teacher clothes" (or even "work clothes").
Z (26th letter) - Zita, Tina
From August 10 - 12, I was the tech support for Tina Zita's ETFO Summer Academy session on More Than Words. As I said to the participants, I am a member of the Tina Zita Fan Club. Tina is talented, smart, humble, thoughtful and such a joy to learn from and with. She gave the participants lots of time to explore and play with the tools and ideas she shared and I know they appreciated it. She was the one who made my experience rewriting the OCT TL AQ guidelines so rewarding and gave tips so that I could replicate some of the strategies she used with my own TDSB TL Expected Practice writing document. Tina's motto should be "Create-Coke-Continue", because she is constantly making wonderful things digitally and is constantly offering her abilities and expertise to others. She was in PEI on an iPad during our course and made it look easy! Julie, thank you for allowing me to support Tina (truly, I didn't do much) and hanging out with such a wonderful human being for three days.
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