Pearl plays a good joke

Yesterday was a really cold, windy day in Salluit. It was my turn to do outside duty. I can't tell you ( tho I probably have)how much I dislike that part of my teaching contract. It is such a pain in the butt to put the heavy boots, pants, coat, hat and gloves on so many times in one day. It is a never ending chore. It seems that once I get out there it is time to come back in... then another bell goes and I am dressing again. There can be so many discipline problems as well.

As much as I complain I seem to have a good time once I am out there. Yesterday was no exception. Once out and down the stairs I could hear someone softly calling my name. I looked around and could not see anyone who wanted me. Once I turned back, I heard the voice again. That happened a few times. Finally I figured out someone was playing a joke but who and what joke? It was three of my boys: Aloupa, Charlie O and Lucassie. One would pop up from behind a truck or skidoo to call my name. Then another chap would do it from another part of the yard. They were using the mirrors and windows to keep an eye on me. They were laughing and having a great time. If I moved in their direction they would mingle in behind the girls skipping. After bit I could see who my little devils were and the area they were working. One after another I got them. We would chase each other around the trucks and skidoos laughing.

I thought about crawling under the school truck and coming up near them but then thought: not a good idea Pearl. My luck I would get stuck under there and not a good lesson to teach them. It was a fun time. I was able to rush around and that kept me warm. The boys had a good giggle at my expense. The afternoon recess was more of the same.

When we came in from the afternoon recess the vice principal was in my classroom. I was not sure why but I used his prescense to tease my kids. Even he did not know what I was doing. I pointed my finger at Aloupa, CharlieO and Lucassie and told them that since they had been chasing me and tormenting me on the school grounds I had asked the vp to speak to them. Their faces dropped like stones. From the look on my face they were sure they were in trouble. Then I said "Just kidding" in Inuktitut. The expression sounds like "EEE lo KAA". They were shocked to here me speaking Inuktitut and it took them a second to see that it was all a joke. When they got the joke of it they were rolling around on the floor like pups. Their classmates were laughing at them as they had looked so serious when they thought the vp was in to dress them down. Once we settled down to work they would still mutter and laugh under their breath. They use the phrase all the time on me. "Pearl, I am moving to Ivulivik... EEEloKaa"... "Pearl I lost my homework.. eeelokaa".. so it was great for me to be able to get them back.

In fact you hear it all the time in the staff room, out on the street, every where you go. The Inuit are great jokers. They are not used to the white people saying it.

Tomorrow we will have a ceremony to mark the d eath of Noah the young man lost out on the land last Feb. 2nd. The bodies of the hunters lost that day have never been found. It was thought that once the snow melted and people were out on the land for summer camping that the skidoo and bodies would be found. So the thinking now is that they must have gone thru ice somewhere.
Noah was an IPL student. We used to call that Industrial Arts in Digby in the 60's. h
He was in Marc's group learning to repair ski-doos, fridges,dryers etc. The IPL boys make and serve breakfast every am to 40 to 50 students. The boys are a little rough and ready but Marc has had a great influence on them. It is a fantastic opportunity to bring these boys back into mainstream society. They are so often social outcasts.
Noah had a great sense of humor. He went from a very violent and disturbed young person to someone who could be trusted to help everyone. He was a good person and showed the teachers what could be done with, and for, a teenager with patience. He is missed.
Tomorrow an award will be given to the student who has become most like Noah. Tomorrow will be a difficult day for Noah's family and Marc.

It is difficult not to dwell on the last year. Salluit had so many violent deaths in the past 12 months. Soon it will be the anniversary of the teacher who was shot in her classroon and the death of the poor boy who shot her. Only this week a teenage girl was stopped with a loaded rifle in the community. There is so much to do here to help the young people solve their problems in a non-violent way.

We are now in the non fun part of fractions. The cookies were a great success. Now to knuckle down to do the learning.

What have you life long learners learned today?
P