Feb 16, 2015 Teaching and Learning
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/north-america/videos/fox-dives-headfirst-into-snow/
Fox and Mouse: Desperation at the Magnetic North
Three Haiku by Vijaya Sundaram
©Feb. 16th 2015
Predator pursues its prey
The eternal dance
Of desperation
There must be some loving here
Tuning and turning
Magnetic footsteps
The world turns on its axis
Slanting ever more
Weighted down by lust and fear.
There’s beauty and horror here.
Get me out of this,
I say, Let me turn to stone!
Tags: Fox and Rabbit, Magnetic North Pole, Predator and prey, survival
Feb 16, 2015 Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries
What I wrote yesterday:
Snowed In. Contented
By Vijaya Sundaram
The wind howls down the street, blowing drifts of snow back on the steps, no doubt, and the dog barks in response. She suspects the wind as being an entity that’s up to no good. She’s a mysterious dog, and has deep thoughts of her own, none of which she’ll share with us, although her almond eyes gaze unwinkingly at me when I stare into them. Then, she looks away, somewhat embarrassed at such intimacy, no doubt. Her love, however, is absolute.
My daughter is making a “family tree” of various important cats in the Warriors series. She is into family trees, it appears. I love what it implies about her need to know the history of things, and also her need to create sequences. She’s always been a list-maker, and a lover of lists since she was very little.
The smell of Biryani masala wafts up the stairs – rice and mixed veggies and tofu are on the stove.
I love my husband.
He’s lovely.
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Tags: #Contentment, #Dog, #Family, snowed in
Feb 16, 2015 Parenting/ Home-schooling / Family Music and other Notes, Teaching and Learning
What I wrote on Wednesday Feb. 11th, but didn’t post here until now:
On Leaving Public School Teaching
For the past five-six months, I wanted to make my announcement.
While I’d already made my decision this past summer, I didn’t get around to letting my Dept. Director and Principal know until the week of the first storm (the week before last). I let them know early enough in the year that they can hire two teachers+ when I leave. I informed my team last week, and sent off my official resignation to the Supt.
I just heard back from him, and he was wonderfully kind in his remarks, as were my Principal and Dept. Director earlier. My team (science, math, history, special ed and guidance) was great, as well. Now that I’ve heard back from the Supt. of Schools where I teach, I feel I can let the news trickle out that I am leaving my career as an English teacher in the realms of Public School.
I’ve been in my job for seventeen years, and now, it’s time for change.
Yes, I still love teaching (passionately), but instead of teaching 110 students or more every year and stressing out over grading papers, and worrying about hurting anyone’s feelings or crushing anyone’s spirits, I will teach my daughter, tutor anyone who wants an English tutor, and run little writing workshops, or poetry workshops for home-schoolers.
Most of all, I want to spend more time with my beloved husband and my beautiful daughter, and my lovely Holly. Life is short, and I never, ever want to say the awful words, “If only I had …”
I want to write, read, sleep, sing, play guitar, compose, do gardening, help people, be an activist (to a certain degree), and find harmony and balance. Sure, I won’t be financially as secure, but I will be making a life.
I learned a tremendous amount from my students, and my admin has always been very supportive, kind and respectful towards me. I have been given leeway to teach how I saw fit, and felt respected by parents in the community.
I want to live a life free of too many demands on my time which are not of my making. I do not want to test anyone and grade anyone ever again. Because I disagree about mandatory testing, I feel hypocritical while I do it. Well, from this September onwards, I won’t need to do so.
And I’m happy to be at this place in my life.
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Dreamer of Dreams
Posted on WordPress on February 16th, 2015
Tags: family comes first, following one's dream, life changes, On leaving public school, time for change