My Year 10 English class studied John McCrae’s WWI poem “In Flanders Fields” yesterday. In our discussion, we contrasted it with some of the more brutal poetry about the war that we’ve been studying, such as Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est”.
When I asked them what we could learn from the contrasts in the poetry.
one student answered, “Canadians are awesome and generally more polite about things than the English!”
Sorry, English people. He’s getting an A+.
In class just now:
Student: “Can we please put some music on?”
Me: “No.”
Student: “Even if you choose it?”
Me: “No.”
Student: “But I want to know what music you like.”
Me: “I like lots of different types of music.”
Student: “What’s your favourite song right now?”
Me: “The sweet sound of people working on their history assignments.”
Student: “Oooh, I’m going to look that up!”
Me: Sigh.
He did laugh out loud in class when he received this.
Mission accomplished.
Y9 Student: “You are quite possibly the most sarcastic person I’ve ever met!”
Me: “Thank you!”
As I was walking through the corridor to the library, one of my Y10 students smiled and said, “See you later’ alligator!”
I stopped her and asked if she knew the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.
Three Y3 girls nearby listened with interest.
“Not really,” she said, “What is it?”
I answered with a grin, “One will see you later, and one will see you in a while.”
She rolled her eyes and groaned, and then one of the younger girls said, very loudly, “I don’t get it.”
“Yeah!” said one of her friends. “That’s a dumb joke.”
The third little girl, with a look of grave admonition on her face, said, “Teachers shouldn’t tell jokes when it sounds like they’re going to teach you something good.”
That’s me. Failing since 1.05pm today.
Yesterday, a very lovely friend of mine announced a new relationship status. She’s met a fantastic guy, and he thinks she’s fantastic, and they’re both deliriously happy.
The announcement that she is in a relationship appeared on FaceSpace, accompanied by some photographs that just resonated with joy, and with her saying that “He is my perfection”. Some of her friends were quite sceptical about this expression, and got a bit “older brotherly” about it, but I understood what she meant.
She doesn’t believe he’s perfect. She doesn’t think they will never have problems or disagreements. Based on what I’ve seen, they’re both actually quite sensible and thoughtful about how they’ve approached their new relationship.
What she does believe is that he’s a perfect guy for her.
In terms of faith, world view, priorities, interests and personalities, they’re an excellent match. And it really does seem that they’ve both just been waiting and praying for someone exactly like the other to arrive in their lives.
We should never forget that it’s entirely possible to be perfect for someone without actually being perfect.
It’s lovely to see a friend you care about really enjoying their relationship and feeling like they’ve been blessed beyond belief. It’s fantastic to see his friends and family expressing the same happiness that we’re all expressing for her.
I feel really privileged to be included in her happiness, as a friend and confidante. I look forward to getting to know him and seeing them grow together.
And if she wants to call him her perfect guy, I say she should be able to. She should know.
This was proven yet again yesterday when an old lady did something wonderful just by doing the right thing.
Her actions turned tears so smiles and disappointment to happiness, and restored a young woman’s faith in humanity in a most profound way.
In this world, it seems our focus is so easily drawn to the horrible things that people do to one another and the tragic events that occur. A simple act of good faith can be enough to change that focus to something positive, and to encourage one person to pay it forward.
What if we all were determined to change our focus from the negative to the positive?
What if we all responded to hatefulness with grace and forgiveness?
What if we all worked so that evil was overcome with good?
It’s worth a try. And the best thing is, we can start with one person, or one family, or one community at a time. Who knows what might grow from that?
I’m in. Are you?
Three Prep girls are playing “school” in the library.
“Stop laughing and draw some socks!”
Too cute.
Student essay “Quote of the Day”: “The wealthy people in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ have big houses, expensive horses and carriages, and big balls.”
I’m still laughing.
WordyNerdBird 