Tag Archives: teacher as transformer

More Awards

Posted on December 7, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I received awards over the past week or so. I am quite forgetful sometimes and I apologize for the delay. I apologize in advance because I know I missed someone who is worthy of an award.

I extend gratitude to Mary Clever, Otrazhenie, And Life Smiles, 4 Writers and Readers, and Chef Doru for the Very Inspiring Blog Award.

Chef Doru also awarded the blog The Sunshine Blog Award.

The Rules are:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

I coached ice hockey for almost 35 years and some former players made it to the NHL.
My first language, although I don’t use it much anymore, was French.
I am a teacher. My major is Physical Education which surprises few. My minor is French.
I taught kindergarten for two days and believe every kindergarten teacher is a saint.
Kathy and I met in a pub.
I am very lucky to have met Kathy.
My favourite TV show now is the Big Bang Theory. I laugh heartily.

I chose blogs that I have not sent out awards. 15 blogs I follow that I am going to pass this on to are:

A Grateful Man Russ brings some kindness and truth into my life each day.

tuttacronaca I don’t read Italian so am not sure what the text is about, but the pictures are great.

Source of Inspiration There is incredible poetry and images on this site.

Nae’s Nest is from a survivor who shares her story in poetry and images of various forms.

Elena Caravela is an incredible artist with assorted interests and skills.

Ese’s Voice shares thoughts, memories, and adventures.

Jaz shares music and Buddhism

Luggage Lady shares poetry as she reflects on various aspects of life.

On the Plum Tree is an author who is trying a new approach to publishing.

The Essayist is sharing essays about various topics that matter.

Candid Impressions mixes words with pictures and words that bring the two together.

Toe Mail is what it is. You have to visit to fully appreciate the work being done.

Sharmishtha Basu is a great set of sites of various forms of writing and art.

Meiro shares her thoughts of life and music.

The Secret Keeper shares many different writing elements it is impossible categorize the writing, but it is about finding truth.

32 Comments

Posted in Awards, Blogging, Community, Writing and tagged awards, big bang theory, blogging, community, teacher as transformer, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Stranded

Posted on December 6, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I was not sure I had a poem today. It is a bit hectic with parent-teacher interviews, but this morning I had an email waiting and saw a path. I am not sure about the title, but here goes.

The last few days I have watched a friend struggle with being involved in something she is very passionate about. As I watch, I see her struggling. Her contributions are simply expected and thus unappreciated. Often, I think, we feel this way and believe we are alone in our struggles. Me experience points to another truth. We need to look up and across, open our minds and hearts and discover there are others who we can lean on.

Stranded–

Alone on an iceberg

Look around;

Look up;

Open your eyes–

Recognize others with you

Share stories–

Pearls of wisdom

In those oyster shells–

Found in deepest waters.

Experiences fully lived–

Reflect on them

Open heroic hearts;

Extend welcoming arms;

Proffer capable hands;

Share construction–

Bridge open water,

Calm perilous seas–

You are not alone

Others await your company.

26 Comments

Posted in Community, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged community, conversational journey, creativity, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Peace of Wild Things

Posted on December 5, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I have parent-teacher interviews for the next two evenings. It limits the time available for posting my own words. I began thumbing through one of my many poetry anthologies and came across this wonderful Wendell Berry poem that echoed yesterday’s post, Children in ways. Two of his poems at the link are about mad farmers. Wendell Berry is a compassionate, opinionated person. When I grow up, I want to be similar.

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

18 Comments

Posted in Education, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, education, Mindful Practice, nature, poetry, spirituality, teacher as transformer, Wendell Berry. Bookmark the permalink.

Children

Posted on December 5, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I have thought about the role children play in the lives of adults. Our role as stewards reminds me of the Native American proverb: We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. With responsible adult and community stewardship, this is possible. It takes a special effort, but it is its own reward.

Children–
Nature’s gift;
Craft and hone–
Appreciate their future;
Nurture and cherish–
Mature under our watchful gaze,
Cradled in loving community.
Elders shepherd;
Care and tend–
A most precious flock
Share wise words
Open hearts
Act prudently
Generous, ceaseless, joyful work.

29 Comments

Posted in Community, Education, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged children, community, creativity, education, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, stewardship, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Blog of the Year – 2012

Posted on December 4, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I thank Nizy at Nizy’s Life Copendium and Cristi at Simple.Interesing for nominating my blog for “Blog of the Year 2012” award. I am grateful for this generous honour and the people who follow Teacher as Transformer. It has been a reflective, creative, and transformational journey for the blog and this blogger. This is a result of the wonderful blogs I discovered along the way, the support I receive from that community, and from the more immediate community of my day-to-day life.

I know I will miss some bloggers who deserve this award and I know others do not accept awards. To the first group, I apologize and, to the second group, I am deeply grateful for your contributions.

The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:

Select another blog or other blogs who deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award;
Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award;
Include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award at the Thought Palette and provide these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

This next part I am unsure about, so I hope you will be able to follow better than I did.

There are stars to collect! Yes, there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different! When you begin you will receive the 1 star award, and every time you are given the award by another blog, you can add another star!

There are total of 6 stars to collect.

You can check out your favourite blogs, and even if they have already been given the award by someone else, you can still award them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

For more information check FAQ on The Thought Palette

The blogs I follow are an eclectic group, but they share one thing: they bring joy into my life on a daily basis and I am thankful for that. Here are the bloggers and their sites I would like to nominate:

Poetry Blog of Mine

Francine in Retirement

4 Writers and Readers

Ralphie’s Portal

Lizzie Joy’s Photo Suite

Who is Bert?

My Own Heart.Me

Writing Between the Lines

I Am for Change

Positive Boomer

Waiting for the Karma Truck

Cindy Knoke

Elizabeth’s Ramblings

The Future Is Papier Mâché

Violet Gallery

Lyrics, Sentiments, and Me

The Other Side of Ugly

Deep and Wonderful Thoughts

Simply Simple Complexities

Notes from the Bluegrass

Lead, Learn, Live

What I See, What I Feel, What I’d Like to See…

ABC of Spirit Talk

Leanne Cole Photography

Tracie Louise Photography

One Hot Message

Tea with a Pirate

Practical Practice Managment

Stay human friends. I find great inspiration in all the blogs I visit each day.

86 Comments

Posted in Awards, Blogging, Community, Leadership and tagged awards, blogging, community, conversational journey, leadership, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Winter Nights

Posted on December 1, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It is December 1 and Christmas is just around the corner. The last few days I recalled what it was like in rural northern Alberta at this time of the year. We used to sit upstairs and look out the window on cold, cold nights shimmering with white. What caught my eye and ear was the magic provided by the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. They don’t appear in Edmonton as I recall them from my childhood memories. What message was in those celestial colours and sounds?

Small children–

Breathlessly wait,

Peer through frosted window

Soak it in.

Heavens ripple–

Lights undulated;

A celebratory fury

An indisputable guide.

This old house speaks;

Nature answers–

Crackles from the heavens

Sweet symphonic sounds.

Earth’s floor–

Blanketed in white

Celestial colours shimmer

Captures young eyes.

A vivid winter scene,

A sensual, sensory palette,

Reminds me–

Christ’s Mass draws near.

The photo came from Seven Wonders of Canada.

17 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Poetry, Sabbath, Uncategorized and tagged Chistmas, creativity, eloquent questions, Mindful Practice, nature, poetry, teacher as transformer, winter, winter scene. Bookmark the permalink.

Life’s Purpose

Posted on December 1, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Professional development days at school leave me wanting so much more. It is a pretense of doing something, but is busyness personified. I am left tired, unsatisfied, and with a bit of headache. I just want a choice. What fuels my spirit?

Day’s end arrives,

Quiet seeks me out–

Busyness dissipates;

A frenetic pace abates–

No hurry,

No frantic pursuit of something;

Whatever that thing might be

Remains uncertain…

Unclear,

Lost in a mist

Focus a little off–

I remain unsatisfied

Until, I wonder aloud:

What is life’s purpose?

Or is life its own purpose.

12 Comments

Posted in Education, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged education, Educational Leadership, eloquent questions, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer, teaching. Bookmark the permalink.

Medicine Wheel

Posted on November 30, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Medicine wheels are part of many First Nations’ cultures. They serve to connect people to the environment and reflect our interdependence with nature and each other. They signal the need for balance required in our lives and ground us with and in our world. I took the picture on Bowen Island and began to write the poem.

I feel welcomed–

At home,

I found my way–

Linked to the universe,

With each being

Inseparably bound–

I could not lose my way

A voice gently beckons,

“Cross the hearth.”

Bask in its warmth–

Refresh with its water–

Breathe its sweet air–

Let the earth ground–

Replenish here;

No magic–

Only magical.

23 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, environment, Mindful Practice, nature, photography, poetry, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Panther

Posted on November 29, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I had a great day today. The beauty of mindfulness is I am learning that good and not so good pass and flow into another moment. I waited more than 1/2 of my life, I hope, to learn this lesson. The day was long, but sharing tea and conversation at the end completed it so fully.

Today, as I reflected on yesterday’s ‘trials’ I recalled Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem, The Panther. I felt like that yesterday. When I let go, I felt so much better; I no longer pacing behind bars.

From seeing the bars, his seeing is so exhausted

that it no longer holds anything anymore.

To him the world is bars, a hundred thousand

bars, and behind the bars, nothing.

The lithe swinging of that rhythmical easy stride

which circles down to the tiniest hub

is like a dance of energy around a point

in which a great will stands stunned and numb.

Only at times the curtains of the pupil rise

without a second … then a shape enters,

slips through the tightened silence of the shoulders,

reaches the heart, and dies.

21 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, Mindful Practice, poetry, Rainer Maria Rilke, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

My Status Quo

Posted on November 28, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Is it a full moon tonight? The classroom and beyond was full of energy and it was not always healthy. I was a little frustrated and visibly annoyed part way through the afternoon. I taught one more year and wanted to teach these students so it hurts when they are disrespectful. On the way home I realized I need to set the pace. My ability to influence is my ability to shake up my status quo and walk into the fire so to speak. I chose to have a dog in this fight so what am I going to do. Even weeds of a tough day have purpose. They fertilize and increase the yield of a crop: children’s learning. This is not lost on me.

transformation–

my status quo defenseless;

an ongoing quest

seek a vision

unearth the true self

one digs deep

rest in sureness of the heart.

transform–

polish the gems of self

right speech! right action!

be confident

challenge my status quo,