Starting the 2014-2015 School Year!

Let's skip all of the drama of the strike. The school year started mid-September. I am a TTOC for Coquitlam (I'm back from my leave of absence). I was offered another position in Zeballos, but I declined, mainly because I couldn't bring myself to move so far away from family and friends again. Also, I would lose my TTOC status in Coquitlam. I didn't want to lose any chance of working on the mainland. It is tough to get a job over here! However, Coquitlam is not the best district to be a TTOC in right now, because there were so many lay offs last year and the people on that recall list get called first. There are at least 50 people ahead of me on the list! Needless to say, it has been a bit of a struggle to get work. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I have been missing my students in Zeballos, and my teacher roomie! I emailed the new teacher just to let him know a little bit about the class and to welcome him to Zeballos. I wish the school was just a little bit closer so that I could pop in for a visit. Our end to the school year was so rushed. I feel like I didn't get "closure". Oh well, I hope they have a great year without me... On to my next adventure!

Over the Summer

Over the summer I avoided posting on my blog because I was very upset about the labour dispute and I wanted to avoid turning this blog into an anti-Liberal rant. I attended a few Education Rallies, but mostly just tried to enjoy my very first summer off! Woohoo! Time to reap the rewards of being a teacher! When I signed the contract last year they gave me the option of being paid over 10 months or having it stretched out over 12 so that I would still get paid in the summer. I thought, "Yaaaa I want to be paid in the summer so that I can finally enjoy this 'teacher benefit'...I don't trust myself to save that money". It was pretty awesome, but if I'm totally honest, I got bored over the summer. You think it is going to be great, but everyone else you know is working so you don't really have much to do. You go from working long hours every day to suddenly working none. It was kind of weird for me because I wasn't able to pick up any new hobbies in Zeballos. I didn't know what to do with myself! Next year I will work in the summer...

...well actually....I got engaged over the summer!! So next year I will be getting married. I probably won't be as bored...probably...

Time to Catch Up!

The school year in BC was unexpectedly (or maybe somewhat "expectedly") cut short due to the labour dispute with the BC liberals. Teachers voted to go out on strike and the school year ended way too quickly. It was my first year with my very own class and I did not get to end it the way I wanted to end it! We had to say goodbye, but we weren't even really sure if it was goodbye! It was a very awkward ending and I'm sure that it was rough on my students. I walked the picket line for a couple days in Zeballos, but then decided to go home to Coquitlam. I am still on the TOC list there, and I have more of a life there so it made more sense to me. It was a mad dash to get our teacherage packed up and cleaned and I really didn't get to say a proper goodbye to most of my colleagues. I am very unhappy with the way it turned out. Haruummmppphhh!!