School Begins

The first day of school for teachers began on Monday, August 12.  Staff were given the morning to put their classrooms in order and to prepare lessons.  It was nice to see all the familiar faces again.  After lunch there was a staff meeting where the principal welcomed everyone back from summer, introduced two new teachers, and laid out the schedule for the first week and month of school.  Teachers also received their timetables and class lists.  Before heading back home, I made sure the correct number of course outlines and handouts had been printed for all four of my classes.  This semester I would be teaching Grades 10, 11, & 12 Social Studies, and Music 10.    

            

The morning of August 13 started really early for Inuujaq School staff because the gym and food needed to be prepared for the 'Welcome Back Breakfast' for students, parents, elders, and invited guests.  Fruit, bread, hardboiled eggs, crackers, cheese, juice, tea, and coffee were on the menu.  As I helped out with the preparations, feelings of the 'First Day Jitters' surfaced.  Yes, even teachers get those feelings.  Despite having everything set up, questions still swirled in my mind.  What kind of students will I have?  How will they react to my teaching style?  Will they like what I have prepared for them?  Did I forget something?  I think I forgot something.  I did my best to ignore those thoughts and carry on as if nothing was bothering me.

            

The first school bell of the 2013-14 year rang at 8:40am.  Students streamed inside, taking off their outdoor shoes, and hanging up their coats.  My first class in the morning was Grade 10 Social Studies and it would be the largest.  Standing in front of a crowd of fifteen to twenty students, I introduced myself and welcomed them to my classroom.  I went over the course outline in detail and let them choose the colour of their folders.  By that time, everyone was called down to the gym for breakfast.  It was 9:30am.  I would have to wait until the next day to start the first unit: Identity. 

            

The gym was packed with people.  School staff were wearing blue Inuujaq School t-shirts.  The festivities started with an opening prayer in Inuktitut.  Following the introductory speech by the principal, the food was served by teachers, beginning with the kindergarten class and elders.  Parents and visiting guests followed after the high school students.  While everyone munched on their meals, teachers were individually called up to the front to introduce themselves.  I didn't have trouble making up a speech 'on the spot' - (I made it up while walking up to the microphone) - but I still found it odd to hear my amplified voice coming from the speakers.    

            

After the school wide breakfast, teachers & students returned to class for the remainder of second period. Second period would be my Grade 11 Social Studies class.  I had taught several of the students last semester.  Going through the course outline took less time than I thought, so I took the risk and jumped straight into the first unit: Nationalism.  I wasn't surprised by their tired looks; when I was a student, I too never liked doing work on the first day.  Regardless, they got through the material until the bell rang for lunch. 

            

Yamaha Quads

Yamaha Bass Drum.

After lunch came Music 10.  For this semester, the music course would centre around marching percussion.  Before the summer, the principal & I talked about how to expand the music program.  When I mentioned that I had experience playing percussion in concert bands, orchestras, and in cadets, we decided to start a drumming class.  With the budget I was given, I was able to purchase five Yamaha marching drums, practice pads, sticks, and hardware stands to hold the drums.  I also received complementary music folders and tuning keys from St. John's Music.  Even though all the equipment was still at the post office, I still had my personal sticks and drum pad to show to my five students.  I also showed them several drum videos for inspiration.  For the first week, I would teach them holding the sticks, maintaining proper posture, basic rudiments, and taking care of the equipment.  

            

The last class of the day was Grade 12 Social Studies.  Of course, I introduced myself, went over the course outline, but most importantly, explained the social studies project.  Instead of a final written exam, students are required to complete a project as a final assessment.  The project is completed during the semester and is worth 30% of a student's final mark.  Since there was still plenty of time left in the period, I started the first unit: Choices.  Eventually, the bell rang and my senior students vacated my classroom.  I had made it through the first day.

            

I sat down behind my desk and breathed a sigh of relief.  The first day is always the slowest day of the year.  And then I realized there was many more school days left.  I stayed late, planning detailed lessons/activities and making lots of photocopies.  Since I still didn't have a clear picture of the pace, and likes & dislikes of my students, I over-prepared so that I had many options to choose from.       

            

The next day (August 14), Arctic Bay was visited by HMCS Summerside, a minesweeper of the Royal Canadian Navy.  As a treat, the cadets of 3045 Army were excused from afternoon classes and given a tour of the vessel.  They were driven to and from the vessel in a dinghy.  Unfortunately, I had to stay behind and teach.  However, I did manage to snap some photos of the ship from my classroom window.  From what I heard, the cadets had a really good time.  HMCS Summerside left Arctic Bay the same day.

            

After school, I walked over to the post office to see if I could just take the box containing the drum pads and sticks.  The drums and hardware were too heavy for me to carry and I needed a truck.  Frank, the town's mayor, happened to be in the store and offered to ferry all the boxes in his truck if I could find any helpers to load everything.  It took less than a minute to find an army of volunteers; everyone helps everyone up here.  I hopped in the back of the truck and held on until we arrived at the school.  The students hanging around the school's new swing set were eager to help me carry everything inside.  New 'things' attract a lot of attention.  I removed the practice pads, sticks, and music folders from the boxes and placed them in my classroom.  I waited until the weekend before inspecting all the hardware and tuning all the drums.  This semester was going to be loud & rhythmic.

            

A different vessel came to visit Arctic Bay on August 15: the CCGS Des Groseilliers.  CCGS stands for Canadian Coast Guard Ship.  Des Groseilliers is a T1200 Class Medium Arctic Icebreaker and was built in 1982.  The Coast Guard visits Arctic Bay every summer just before the arrival of the sealift.  Des Groseilliers would be anchored in the bay for a week.      

            

Like the first day, the first week of school is the slowest week of the year.  This is because the familiar routine has yet to be established.  There were times when I thought the first week would never end.  When the weekend finally arrived, I made sure to have some time to myself before preparing lessons for the second week.  I now had a better idea of what to expect in each of my classes and could plan accordingly.  With the first week completed and the routine established, it was safe to assume that the pace would pick up and the following days would go by faster.