Archive of ‘mrs. crossley’ category

Visiting x 3

Again, I got to visit the lovely Mrs. Crossley’s classroom and help out her kids. I had so much fun. Much ado about nothing is one of my favorite Shakepeare plays, and it was interesting reading a grade 8 students perspective on the play, and its motives. The guiding question (an International Baccalaureate Program (IB) staple, which is a question without an answer, essentially, just there to ‘guide’ your thinking) was “What is the difference between ‘being’ and ‘seeming’?.” As most of the complex characters of Much Ado put on both figurative and literal mask throughout the play, it is a good question to get kids thinking about motives, insecurities, and consequences of the characters (and by extension, their own) actions. I almost miss guiding questions. They challenged me to think beyond what was already written on the paper, and to form my own opinions about a work. I guess I can accept this as helpful now, but when you are in IB at school, you can definitely not appreciate the benefits of the program. I never considered myself a good proofreader, but I suppose after writing and editing my own essays for so long, it is much easier to approach another students’ essay.

It was a very ‘Shakespearean’ day all-round today. Two of my good friends, both named Laura (S. & G., respectively), and I hung out today. We baked cupcakes at Laura S’s house, which was so much fun. Vanilla vegan cupcakes with hand-beaten icing (didn’t work out so well), but the cupcakes were a nice golden-brown-caramel deliciousness. It was nice to just chillax and laugh with the girls, but I was pretty tired  after such a long, yet enjoyable, morning.

In the evening (ok, looking at my day on paper, it is easier to see why I am so tired), my good friend Stray came over, and we knit together and gabbed. She is a very awesome person, and enjoys a wide variety of arts and crafts, particularly fibre/fabric related ones, like me. I’ve known her since grade 5, perhaps even earlier, because I came to GNS for a few ‘trial days’ in grade 4. She is a very easy going person, full of the most amusing stories and strong opinions. My sides kind of hurt from laughing all day, actually. Hopefully tomorrow will be more restful…looking for a break!

I Voted! Did you?

Yeeaaah. Just Voted.

Congratulation Elizabeth May for getting a seat in Ottawa; a historic victory for the Green Party (a first for North America!). I live in Saanich, but was just outside of her riding, although I was definitely rooting for her loudly. It  is so exciting. Better luck next time for Shaunna Salsman, our Esquimault-Juan de Fuca GP candidate. What really drives me crazy is that only 61% of people, nationwide voted (that’s 14,720,580 of 23,971,740 registered voters). Wow. No wonder there is, yet again, another Conservative Majority Government in Ottawa. Alas. The way a vote counts in Canada is very confusing, and does not mean that a vote nation wide counts towards a seat in government. Hopefully this system will change in the near future, so the Green Parties percentage of votes will reflect the true number of seats voted in: 13. Hopefully next time, even more people of my age group, and rock the vote. It’s about time things were shaken up cross-country, and I feel we’re the ones to give it a go.

Today I had so much fun in my grade 6 teachers classroom, Mrs. Crossley. I dropped in on her grade 8 English class, and helped edit some of their essays on Much ado About Nothing. I remember doing this same project all those years ago, and I probably still have my green and pink mask about the character Beatrice somewhere. I had a great time helping the kids. Mrs. Crossley really taught me how to write a good essay, and I still follow the diagrams that she teaches from today. The format of an essay is so ingrained in my mind now that I do it automatically when I write anything. I signpost in my sleep, and my brain churns out a thesis statement on auto-pilot, as soon as I read the question or see the topic. I get to go back tomorrow, and I can’t wait :D.

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