Suffering with Division

We are all suffering with this math review. The worst is division. I am suffering along with them. I know how to do it but don't seem to be able to inspire the class. I am a senior high English teacher. We have had so much fun with poetry this term but I don't know the little tricks of making math fun. I only know the basics and it is difficult to teach in an area where I have no great skill. Teachers should teach with a passion whatever the subject area. When a teacher can bring passion for the subject area ,and some humor, everyone is comfortable and the learning comes easy.

The students come to math late in their elementary education in the north. Often they have not done much math until the beginning of Gr. 3. Now that the Gr. 3 class is half Inuktitut and then half English( or French) the students are not getting the good math basis in Gr. 3 that they used to receive. The present Gr 3 class has had over 6 Inuit teachers this year. It is very difficult to find Inuit teachers for the Inuit teaching positions. The Gr. 3 Inuit teacher was to do the Math, Science and Social studies in their half of the day. So stedents will come

There are books here to help us all but I can't seem to get the fun of math out of these books. I know these kids are smart and with the proper teacher could grasp it in no time. As it is we suffer thru it.. student and teacher. We do the drills but with no confidence. Having the right teacher for the right subject is so important.

Gladys can do math with her students so easily. She is a math specialist. She also did her Education degree in early childhood educationl. She has different games dripping off her fingertips. I suffer and by extension so do the students. I do want them to hav ea command of the basics. Hopefully another teacher will come along and take them to that other level.

Home work is a major problem. There is not much support for school activities in the homes. So many of my students don't do their homework. They know all I can go is keep them in after school to do it or take away something that they do like doing. I get so tired of the lack of interest in what I am trying to do. I will spend time preparing homework that can be done easily at home, only to have the students return to school with little or nothing even attempted. If some of the drills were done at home then we'd have an easier time the next day at school.

Yesterday I was anticipating that homework would not be done so I said anyone with problems come to my house. I had a few students show up in thearly evening. . That pleased me. Poor Luc walked up and down the big hill, twice, in the pouring rain, to ask for help. I gave him a huge chocolate bar after the 2nd trip. That will get round the class quickly and perhaps I will have more attempt the math homework another night.

We are all enjoying the songs of new to north birds. There are several types of sparrows that have not been seen here before. Now that it is warmer, the classroom windows are all open so we hear them. I have missed the smallish birds. I am so used to being out of doors when I am down south doing the lawns and gardens. The small birds were often my only companions. The chickadees always flitted around while I was outside. I have missed them.

Missing our former principal

We are into our 2nd week with Annie gone. We are missing her loving presence in the school. For several days there was no one to welcome us as we came to school. Annie was always here shortly after 8 am. I could have a little conference with her about school or a little personal chat. We also did not have our Prayer Circle for a few days. As I have written so many times that was a very inspirational time for teachers and students. Small problems were nipped in the bud .

On Friday I had more students in the Admin office than I have had there all year. In one day I surpassed the yearly record. All these discipline problems happened when my students were in the other school but they are still my class. There was a major loss of pride for the entire class.

Our days are very long right now. It is daylight until after midnight. By three a.m. the sun is back full strenght. The students are not sleeping enough. Tempers are short. There is also the pressure of exams that start tomorrow. And we don't have Annie adding her respected voice to the chorus of "Go to bed early." I hear childish voices all night long outside of my house. I see children up at 6 am. That means they have not gone to bed yet. In the high school it is worse.

We are supposed to teach to the 16th of June. From the first of May to the 16th of June there are few teachable minutes. We teachers continually ask our school board for a longer school day during the time the students do come and are awake enough to teach. . The answer to that was to lenghten the school year and shorten the day. The board tells us that the students need more tim e in the classroom so the school year is extended. What they fail to understand is that there are more days on the school calendar but they are learning less and less.

I have requested a leave for the coming year and it was granted. I don't feel good about leaving my class ( I would have had the same students next year) but I need time away from the north. The stress does not come from the teaching but from living so far north. There are so many stresses I don't know where to start in listing them, so I won't. But it is not the teaching.

The north loses experienced northern teachers. Once teachers have figured out how to deal with the teaching, they are often burnt out from the stresses of living here. We very rarely move out of the teaching circle. We are not welcomed in to many homes here in Salluit. People are kind but they do not include us in their family time, their home time. I have been invited to two homes of my 18 students. The teaching circle is small and with few invitations to Inuit homes we live a sheltered life. We are neither fish nor fowl. We are not even invited to the homes of Inuit who teach with us.

The lack of a social life is not the only reason we leave. I could not have had a busier social life this past weekend and made it to work on Monday. It is more the isolation of being from the south and living in the north. We are not included in the life of the community. The nursing center sees the teachers on an emergency basis only. Also last week we teachers were not told of the funeral of a former Inuit teacher. It was not that we were not welcome to go, but we were not told about the funeral.

It will be sad for me to leave here. I have enjoyed my time here. Very mixed emotions at this time. I will write more about that another time.

Robins are in the north for the second year. I saw some type of sparrow and also heard it's call . What a lovely treat. I have not seen any geese so far. There are three pairs of hawks nesting near the village and it is said the geese won't come near with hawks about. I don't know if that is true but I do miss the sound of the geese overhead. Soon it will time for me to be flying south.

A Bad Time In Salluit

We are still suffering here in Salluit. This second death, hard on the heels of the first, has shrouded the village in saddness. Not that one was harder than the other, just that two is too much... one it too much .. nothing seems to make sense... everyone is so tired and so down. It is difficult to plan the school day. The children are not rested and are emotional. As a teacher, it is difficult to find the words to comfort them. I feel it is disrespectful to play a game that would cheer them up, but we need something to get us going.

Funeral arrangements are not made yet so we are all waiting for that announcment. Salluit is enveloped in a dense veil of fog and it is also snowing. Planes are having trouble landing so some family members are not yet here.

Everyone is exhausuted from staying up most of the night and the emotional state that has gripped this community for over a week. This is a small village of 1200 people. The family relationships are very strong and interconnected. Most families will have had some connection to one or even both tragedies. Last year was a very difficult time for this community with over a dozen deaths from unnatural causes. So many people would be still suffering from the events of last year.

This is the first week that we don't have Annie our principal. We really need her right now. The vice-principal from the other school is trying to do both schools He is doing a good job but we miss the comfort that Annie would shower on us at a time like this. The teacher on the upper floor, mainly southern based teachers, don't know where we fit in when the village is in crisis.

The students are having a difficult time preparing for exams that start next week. I have been testing all term. I think it a fairer way to evaluate my students. I tried giving them some math this morning. What a trial for student and teacher. They always think that they can't do something when they can. It is a confidence issue. I encourage them by telling them they have it in their head and they have to play detective to get it out. It is not that I don't want to help them, I want them to help themselves and have the confidence to try. Their going to bed after 11pm at night does not help the situation and I am sure the homes are upset at this time.

My student Tunu was back in school today after a week in Montreal. He is a great student. He was a bit of a fighter when he came to me but has learned to walk away. He has the kindest smile. I call him "My Main Man" as he loves to be thought of as the MAN of the class. It is good to have him back. Tunu is the type of student a teacher misses when they are absent.

More saddness

For the second time in less than a week death has struck our community. Last week a young man committed suicide and then on the weekend a skidoo went thru the ice and Noah Issac drowned. Salluit is a very small village and these events hits everyone deeply. Several families will be hurt by both deaths and the deep saddness invades the entire town.

This is very hard on the school children. Their homes are very unsettled at this point in time. Elders are busy and the children are left on their own too much. The school is closed to-day out of respect for the families . I have given my students a great deal of homework to keep them busy.

The weather is not helping. We are enveloped by heavy fog today. Perhaps this is in preparation for my return to Nova Scotia. The towel in the bathroom was actually clammy, a first for me in the North. ususally the house is so dry that I have two humidifers going at all times. Not these days.

The weekend was glorious, bright sun and no wind. I saw a robin on Sunday morning. I have also heard some bird songs that sound very much like down south. I had all the doors and windows open most of the weekend so I was able to hear all the different bird songs. This makes me anxious sto return to Nova Scotia.

Last night my Mum called. We have a very good and special relationship. We talked for over 90 minutes last night. Nothing earth shattering but we caught up on what is going on and what is important to each of us. My Dad was not home so we could really talk up a storm. She visited me in Salluit a few years ago and she tries to keep up with what is going on here. George and I put together photos of the two of us in places she would remember here in Salluit for her Mother's Day gift. While George was here we went thru the photos of her here that I had so it was a fun grouping of of her and two of her children in Salluit.

The school is closing out of respect of the death on the weekend so I must go.

Local Fm station

We have a local FM station here in Salluit. It plays some of the old time music, but in Inuktitut not the English I am use to. I will find myself singing along to an old Johnny Cash tune, half in English and half in Inuktitut. The same with the hymns.

We learn our local news from the FM. If I need to find someone I call the FM. Twice someone has left school with my keys so I call the FM and tell them I need my keys. Everyone in the village is then on the lookout for Marc or Lissie to tell them Pearl needs her keys.

Today the FM announced that it is illegial to ride a bike while drunk. One lady called in to ask if it was illegial to drive a tricycle while drunk. In the staff room we were all wondering who these people are driving bikes and trikes while drunk. Then the penny dropped. Perhaps my bike riding was so bad the other day that someone thought I was drunk.. now that would be a good one. I have done several silly things in my life time, but ride a bike after drinking is not one of them. And not in a small village like this where every one knows who I am. I can be a bit silly but I am not totally stupid... well at times, but not this time.

The students are tired these days. It is difficult to get much school work done. I am tired as well but looking forward to a long week-end. Warmer weather has finally arrived. Our snow is disappearing quickly . We have strong winds to-day but they are warm winds. I have changed out of even my lightest down jacket and into my wool lined barn jacket. I am still wearning lined leather gloves but no longer my seal skin mitts. AND best of all I am not wearing the winter boots. My God they get heavy after 8 months. Most likely we will have a few more snow storms as it is only May but they won't be the worst that Mother nature has for the North.

This is the last day that Annie will be principal. There is a major division between the southern based staff and the Inuit teachers. The stress of all this has been hard on Annie. The Inuit staff have not joined our Prayer Circle each morning. The southern based staff find this a wonderful way to start the day but not so the Inuit staff. In the Prayer Circle we celebrate the accomplishments of our students and encourage the students to try again. As a teacher I leave our circle most mornings willing to try again that day . Most days I lose courage and wonder what it is all about by the 3:30 bell. . But the next day's circle gets me going again. It is a wonderful time to showcase the victories that we do have in the classroom.

The loss of our school Mother will be a major blow. I have always felt appreicated by Annie. I felt that she knew how I was feeling and how to help me when I was down. She has a great sense of humor and is a great listener. What ever I wanted to try she was all for it. This year she had made a major effort to learn French so she can communicate with the French teachers. Education is so important to her. To see her with the children is a very special time. She knows and loves all the students. This morning as we left the Circle she hugged and kissed each student and teacher. She was so pleased to see my student Eliyah who rarely comes. No harsh words were spoken, she was pleased to see Eliyah and praised her for coming this morning. That is the way to a child's heart.

The school will not be the same. We need more Inuit teachers and principals, not less. Our schools would have more success and would be a more comfortable place if we had more Inuit leaders in our schools. Education and Culture would thrive. More and more we are turned towards the goals set by Quebec City and not the goals of the Inuit people. Our educational objectives are set by people , tho' well-meaning, know little of the real North. Although our school board employs many Inuit the power is held by white educators, again well meaning, but with little real teaching time in the North. They travel to the North but do not live north of Kuujjacq. Our educational commissioners too often defer to the board. I suppose I should discontinue this line of writing as I might find myself fired by KSB again. But the loss of Annie will be felt for a long time.

Today we went off to the Norther together , me clinging to the back of the 4 wheeler, praying we made it.

Old Dog, Old Tricks

Sallluit is a very small Inuit village, sitting on a bit of beach, surrounded on three sides by steep hills and a huge bay on the fourth side. Most of the village is very flat and is very easy to walk around when the wind is not blowing 100 km per hour. Walking thru the village is a fun experience for me. People call my name and I feel very popular. They arn't saying: " That bloody teacher, I'll give her what for." The children are very happy to see me and follow me as I walk.

Yesterday was a glorious day. A perfect day for a walk to the Northern store. That means I have to walk all the way across the village. It is the longest walk I can do within the boundaries of the village. I love that walk on nice day.... in Jan. I wonder why I have to live so far from the store. It does not take me 1o minutes to do that walk.

I think most of Salluit was out walking or riding bikes, roller blades, scotters.. anything with wheels. I soon had a gang about me, weaving in front of me, weaving behind me, riding along side of me. We were all glad to be out of school and in the sunshine having fun. My students Jajie ( of goose hunting fame)and Abigail were with Jasmine and Patricia. Jasmine, the smallest, was on the biggest bike. Her short little legs could hardly reach the pedals. But Jasmine loves a challenge.

After a bit Jajie asked if I wanted to ride his bike. He is always a helpful, giving soul. My first inclination was to say NO.. a big NO, but then I changed my mine and said YES!!! I did manage to ride it but could not steer at all. I kept turning and going down streets I did not want to go down. And I was doing this with just a touch of speed. Jasmine was riding along one side to give me courage ( and lots of directions) and Abby was trying to do the same on the other side. I was a bit concerned about crashing into them... and hurting myself. I finally go the stearring part under control but was concerned about the speed. I think I might have been a bit vocal about that concern.

Jasmine then decides to give me a lesson on the brakes. This was such a modern bike that the brakes were on the handle bars. My things have changed since the 6o's! Jasmine tells me to squeeze the brake thing gently. All of a sudden Jajie yells at me ( he is running along side of me, sort of an out runner) not to use the left brake as that siezes but to use the right brake only. He tells me if I squeeze the left brake I will go flying. Now I have a speed problem and in the midst of that I have to figure out what is left and what is right. Not a good time for thinking. The water front and beach area is coming up fast. If I go down that slight incline I will be in deep trouble... I 'll be up to my butt in snow and sand.

I did manage to slow the bike down and make the turn to the Northern store. There was lots of laughter. I challenged Jasmine to see who could go fastest. She is the smalles t so I thought there might be a chance I could beat her and still stay on the bike. Why is it people go from too slow to too fast? She beat me but then went head long into a snow bank. Thank-God it was her and not me.

All my younger playmates followed me in to the Northern. I bought a bag of Double Stuff Oreos ( $8.15 a bag) which we ate down by river. ( OH MY GOD THEY WERE STALE!) We laughed at my trying to ride a bike., how silly I am but how much fun to see my butt up on a bike. Teaching here in such a small village is fun that way. I can be silly and I can laugh about it with my students. I hope it mitagates my having to be the heavy in the classroom at times.

The good weather has finally arrived in the North and with it a lighter spirit.

Digby people in Salluit

Yesterday I met the grandson of a chap my Dad went to school with in Digby! Dear ole Digby, the gift that keeps on giving.

David Chalmers is one of the Kativik maintenance men who travels the north keeping all the different machines of all the schools running. We talked and talked and talked about Digby, where he was raised too. Then this morning we met again and had even more to talk about as we both had checked with family members to see who each other was. He told me of a Ms. Halliday that is working in a village nearby and a Mr. Clements that is teaching in another village. I once met the former teacher of my niece Georgia ( Wolfville area) up here. We Nova Scotians can sniff out each other.

My students have been very busy all week making surprises for their Mums and Grandmothers for Mother's Day every free minute. It was a great carrot to have them get the academic work out of the way so they could get at the glitter glue. Our big project was a wonderful pin cushion. It really worked, and they really worked hard at it. I also put out a supply of ribbons and pretty papers for card making.

As a teacher I have to be extremely sensitive when talking about Mother's Day. They may not live with their mother at this point. I enourage them to do things for an aunt, their God mother, cousin.. any female that is part of their life. I make available lots of materials so they can make many cards so that all the bases are covered and no one feels left out. There is a wonderful Inuit name for the woman who is a good friend of the mother who cuts the cord when the child is born.. but I can't spelll it. That is a special relationship for the child their entire life.

As well we wanted to celebrate the Principal's birthday today. Annie was in the south on Kativik business on her birthday,so today we celebrated it a month late. The kids made beautiful posters and cards for her. Marie Andree organized the Prayer Circle as a celebration for Annie. She was very surprised and very emotional. During recess we had cake in the staffroom..( guess who made it).

Annie is not told often enough how much her staff respects her. She hears far to often about what is wrong but not what she does to make things better. The village is divided into family groups and some groups do not get along. All small towns, all over the world are like that but with our village being so isolated it is difficult to get away from . There is a huge amount of pressure on her at all times. Her staff can see how ugly it can get for her at times. She works so hard to encourage the teachers and the students. The students love and respect her. When she disciplines them they still reach out to her and want her arms wrapped around them. I have never seen her not hug a child after a problem.

So there is a lovely warm feeling in the school. We have celebrated the woman who mothers us all here in Sallulit and made things for the students' mothers. The school is a happy place today.

Alone again

George has left the North. What a great visit we had. He loved the village, loved being in the school, loved the free breakfast and lunch service run by Marc ( we had a chat about the old DRHS lunch menu... dog food sandwiches..now that was a treat)... loved my friends. It was a wonderful time for both of us. The time flew by. We were up each night till at least midnight... you have to imagine TWO WOOLAVERS in the same room.

I left home when George was 10 or so. We have always been close but this visit allowed us to spend a great deal of time together as adults. I knew he was a kind, compassionate man, also a very talented musician but I did not really know how deep his compassion runs. And funny... he is very witty and very funny. He is a great cook too. He bought an ulu at the C0-op and then sliced char for supper.

We did not have all that many meals at home. The first few days we were invited out to welcome G. to Salluit. Then the last few days were Good-bye dinners. We did make up a batch of salt cold fish cakes and a huge pot of homemade beans to show case Nova Scotia style grub.

The Inuit were most kind to my baby brother. Everywhere we went he was stopped and made to feel welcome. We went in to the mayor's office to buy a Salluit pin but he was given one and thanked for coming. As we walked thru the village people would call out his name and wave.

But now the house is empty... very quiet. As he said when he kissed me good=bye... "You'll be OK now." I will be OK but I do miss him. I treasure the time we had here . A very special gift to both of us. The photos show two family members having the best of times together. I laugh when I look at them... we sure had some crazy experiences... it was like he was 10 and I was 20 again.

Baby Brother arrives

Spring has sprung in my little part of the north with the arrival of my brother George. Each spring I invite a family member to visit Sallluit. I don't use my 3rd trip out in March so that it can be transfered to family. Planes had not been arriving regularly for the week previous to his arrival so I was a bit concerned.

What a glorious day it was . My class knew I had ben anxious about the weather and at noon Trudy was pleased to tell me that the Kuujjacq plane was leaving 15 minutes early. With luck it would arrive early. It was a full 30 minutes early. It was a grand reunion.

George loves Salluit. The first full day here it was the best of weather so we took to the hills and walked for miles. On Sunday we awoke to a raging blizzard and for him that was interesting too. The weather has continued to alternate between the best and worst of weather. He is seeing it all.

He has been to school with me several times and enjoys every moment of it. An invitaion to Marc's school lunch was a highlight of the first few days... other than being with me. The food there is over the moon good. The children are so well behaved... it is an amazing sight. I wonder how many parents visit "The Big White" to see how well their children are being treated AND how much they are learning about sharing?

Having George here with me allows me to see things again "for the first time". The sprit of adventure is back in this experience. I love his take on things. He is a kind and gentle person who tries to see the best of all situations and he is so funny. Funny doesn't begin to describe it. I don't know the last time George and I had so much time together. Did we ever spend 2 weeks.. just the two of us? I know we were always close but there were always other people around . His being here has renewed what was a close bond and reintroduced me to my northern home.