Saturday 2 April 2022

April 2, 2022

 I thought perhaps it was time for a new header photo, so I turned and took a picture of Murphy stretched out, upside down on the bed beside me. 

What have I been up to? Yesterday I finished my sixth day of supply teaching in a row. I was filling in for a sweet previous co-worker who was away for six days, so I worked Friday to Friday in her grade 4/5 class. 

I am completely wiped. I was going to do a blog post on the destruction of innocence where I was going to bemoan the need of cell phones for ten-year-olds, sexualization of young girls with their midriff baring tops, and complete and utter lack of respect toward adults. I was going to write about entitlement and the need to always question and negotiate. I was going to write about the lack of wanting to please, or take pride or even be present. 

I realized that that would only be focusing on some of the students, but I would be leaving out the good ones, the sweet ones, the funny ones, the ones who are self-conscious or shy or kind or confident. Those kids still exist, but honestly are becoming the minority. None of the previous issues mentioned is any fault of the regular teacher. This group has always been like this. I know, I've seen them go through the grades over the past six years or so (kindergarten and up).

My messages to the world would be these: Parents, please stop dragging your children into your adult problems.   Parents, please be their parents and not their friends.    And finally, parents, "no" is a perfectly acceptable answer and you do not have to cave after any amount of sulking or whining or temper tantrums.


On a completely different note, if you ever notice the unmistakable and ever growing smell of decomposing mouse in your house and it is in an area where you have a chest freezer, there is a good possibility that a mouse has crawled into the recess at the back of the freezer where the motor is housed and where there is a small vent at the side and you will need to use a long grabber tool to extract said mouse whilst trying hard not to gag on the stench and at the same time cursing putting in a cat flap. Just saying.


Because one must discuss weather, we have had everything from warm sun, to dangerously high winds, to snow flurries, to diagonal rain, to freezing rain in the past week. Half expected to wake up to either hail or a double rainbow this morning.


Finally, this weekend I do not have lofty goals. I will change out the chicken water (still using their heated water bucket just in case), I will read, and I really have a hankering for fish and chips because Joanne wrote about eating it in her blog and that planted the idea in my head. I will add to this if this happens this weekend.

33 comments:

  1. I guess that cat flap will be history now, eh? Poor you, I don't envy you having to deal with that decomposed mouse.

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    1. Well you’d think we would get rid of the cat flap, but no. Both our cats are very much outdoor/ indoor cats. Just our cross to bear! Bare?

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  2. Weather. Too bloody cold!

    Love the new banner of Murphy and I couldn't agree more about the kids these days. They are growing up way too fast. If they really knew what our world was, they wouldn't want to.

    Sorry about the mouse. I can empathize, having had that happen (though not in the fan...that's bad.) Murphy needs to get on the stick. (So does Lizzie!)

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    1. Oh it wasn’t in the fan! It was just dead, lying in a hard to reach spot.
      I guess we all went through those stages… wanting to be older when we were young.

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  3. I bet you were wiped out after a week with young people like that, I've taught them too. But there were some delightful children that made it all worth while. Oh dear a rotting mouse must have been quite awful.

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  4. I was wiped. I couldn’t believe it’s only been a year since I taught full time. I wonder how I had the energy to do it! Or where did my energy go?

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  5. I enjoyed your post. And I can't imagine teaching kids... on a daily basis. Don't think I have what it takes. I did enjoy raising my 3 kids and have to say they turned out pretty well... and I enjoy time spent with my granddaughter who is 9 (going on 13)... but limited time. As much as I love her, she can wear me out. She is into technology with cell phone and games, etc. - but that's kids today, what can you do? It's a part of the world they're growing up in.
    Sorry about the mouse, but hope your weekend goals are accomplished!

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    1. Oh , I know technology is a huge part of their lives but the challenging of the rules of no cell phone in class is what drove me nuts.
      How did you and I survive our childhood without a cell phone!?!

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  6. Love your new photo! I am retired after raising one child in the 80's. I never get a thank you anymore from any one I give a graduation, birthday, wedding, etc gift. I am getting to where I write checks just so I know that it is received. We seem to have lost our feeling of community, the need to get along with others, and care for (not about) each other. ~jackie~

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    1. I would say that there seems to be a disconnect. Face to face interaction isn’t what it used to be for some age groups.

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  7. Your message to parents are spot on. I can't imagine being in a classroom of pre-teens. I'd be exhausted in just a few hours.

    Great photo of Murphy!

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  8. Kudos to you !!! Yes, I have been saying for years, that parents need to get back to real parenting...stop trying to be best buddies with your kids. And Some times saying NO is the absolute best thing to tell your child. Thankfully there still are some great kids. Blessings to you and yours, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Yes, there are still good kids out there and good parents, but the not so great ones take all your energy.

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  9. Now I want Fish 'n Chips too! Sorry about the dead mouse, a job to leave for someone with long arms and no sense of smell.

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    1. Just got home from going out for supper! It was some of the best fish I’ve had!

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  10. I pulled a partially mummified mouse out from under the chesterfield many years ago and spent hours trying to figure out how Shania managed to carry it by me into the house. No cat flap here..

    God bless.

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    1. Oh, our cats carry in both dead and live “ treats” for us. Often they trot by very quickly and then we know something is up!

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  11. When my youngest daughter and her husband back then announced after two kids that they were most proud of being the best friend of their children and vice versa. It's a statement that makes a mother's stomach turn over. I did wind up with custody of three of those four children. I wasn't their best friend, and they knew No meant No. I generally told them why. All four are good kids today. And I'm friends with them, too.

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    1. I remember those days in your blog when you had, I believe, two living with you. And yes, you were no nonsense and provided rules and structure.

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  12. Discipline is not what it used to be. Some parents today don't want to parent and kids have no structure. I feel for teachers who see this daily in the classroom and have to rein kids in. It has to be exhausting. Handsome Murphy has grown quite a bit. With two cats, I'm surprised that you found a dead mouse inside. Murphy will have to do a better job.

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    1. Murph has grown!! He’s a bit “ tubby” and I tell him that we all need to watch our food consumption around here!
      I believe that kids thrive wth structure and predictability in their lives.

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  13. You nailed it about parents. I was teaching during the "helicopter parents" 1990s. And, parents seemed believe that they can share their divorce proceedings with their child. "Oh, he is fine with it" I heard that too many times.

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    1. Yes, I wish there was more of a balance between the helicopter parents and those who don't care at all.

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  14. I was only thinking about this the other day as I passed kids walking home from school, who looked like 10 year olds, staring at their phones. Many in isolation walking alone. I thought how different to our lives. The girls seemed to be worse than boys as the boys were still fooling around. The girls were the ones with their heads in their phones. I love your cat picture, Murphy looks so comfortable and content there.

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    1. As well, this crop of kids has also spent the better part of two years (here in Ontario which had the most online school during the pandemic) learning from computer screens rather than in class.
      I just looked at my header picture and saw how enormous it was! I shall go back and try to change that. He is quite the character. I'm glad we adopted a Covid kitten.

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  15. Adorable photo. Mouse uggh! Teaching, just glad it's not me. I wouldn't have the patience.

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  16. Oh dear, dead mouse is such an appalling smell, if you havevto deal with it again just dot a little Vicks rub on your top lip and hope the task doesn't take too long.
    I was a private Nanny for 12 years and never had any problems with the children, if you are fair and consistent no means no and kids soon pick up on when you genuinely like them.

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  17. We have had to tear out sheet rock because of dead mouse could not stand it uggg.
    You are right about kids. My grand is so sheltered and happy to sew and be with her friends makes my heart happy.
    Cathy

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  18. Oh gosh, I know that decomposing mouse smell very well, unfortunately. In our previous house, one got stuck behind the wall and couldn't find its way out. And we couldn't remove it because we didn't know exactly where it was. So we had to live with it for a while until the process was over. It was horrifying!

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  19. Murphy is adorable!
    I'm not familiar with the term Supply Teaching. Is that like a substitute teacher?
    I agree with you on parenting; I've always said setting boundaries early on and holding to them will be the best thing you can do for your kids. And let them be kids!
    The mouse situation....not fun!

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    1. Yes, supply teaching is the same thing as substitute teaching, also known as occasional teaching or O.T. I'm retired, but I still do substitute teaching.

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    2. I had a feeling. Thanks for the the clarification. Have a great day.

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