I've got some pretty awesome news!

My family has some extremely exciting news! Our daughter Maddison just got engaged to her long time partner Chris Cove! While we are not surprised that this has happened ... Chris was traditional and came to ask for our blessing a little while back ... that doesn't diminish the exhilaration of the event!

If you have children, you will likely encounter this same situation, in whichever form it takes. At some point in most people's lives, they find a partner that they commit themselves to emotionally, and that child will very likely react the way our Maddi did ... first incredulous, then ecstatic, then overwhelmed, and finally overflowing with happiness.

Maddi was a very busy teenager. She was a competitive swimmer, very focused on her eduction, and also held down a part-time job. She really didn't make time for exploring romance. When she moved on to university, she continued her various focuses and that meant that searching for romance was on the back burner ... until her senior year. Lo and behold, the inevitable happened and, ironically, a mutual friend set her up with a potential candidate just three townhouses down the row from hers. That was just over 4 years ago and A LOT has happened since then ... first job, first co-habitation, first co-owned house, first fur-baby ... but, call me a traditionalist, things just got real with a wedding looming.

Some of the best words to come out of Maddi's mouth about Chris came in a response to her Nana's concern that Maddi was so smitten in her first serious relationship, "Oh Nana, didn't I choose well!" Hindsight being 20/20, those words are prophetic.

Chris Cove is a wonderful young man and we are ecstatic that he will become a part of our family. More importantly, he adores our Maddi, and that makes him A-1. He is kind, caring, Uber intelligent, and hard working, but he thinks long and deeply about important decisions, and others have labelled that as a negative. On the contrary, we feel this is awesome because, for us, that shows how important it is to him. Interestingly, this quality manifests itself physically as pacing ... Chris is most definitely a pacer!

Maddi + Chris decided to vacation at my mom's condo in Naples, Florida while Joyce + I were there celebrating my retirement, and we had decided to go together to take in the sunset. Like right out of a Hallmark movie, Chris popped the question on a South Florida beach during an incredulous orange and pink sky. He was pretty nervous and, since he had already asked for our blessing, I noted that he was carving a hard path in the sand behind our chairs as we gazed at the falling sun. When he asked Maddi to go for a walk, I wondered to myself if this was going to be a magical night. I have to admit that watching them from afar was like a reality TV show because we were looking for signs of the big moment. I knew that Chris was internally an emotional mess because they had talked about marriage and Maddi had warned him not to make a scene ... She doesn't handle public surprises well. When Joyce and I saw Maddi's reaction ... pretty obvious with flapping arms and big hugs ... we knew he "popped the question" and, most importantly, she said yes. By the time they had walked back to our chairs, you could have lit a bonfire off the glow exuding from Maddi's face. What an incredible moment!

The coupe d'resistance was the dinner that we shared at the beach house restaurant with the fading colours of a gorgeous sunset illuminating the room. We talked at length about the enormity of the situation, the happiness they felt, and the love we sent their way. It was the perfect ending to a memorable night. The next 12 hours were spent trying to reach loved ones to share the amazing news before heading north to Orlando's Universal Studios as a coincidental celebration of the engagement.

All in all, a pretty neat thing to happen to us #blessed #parentlife #shesaidyes

We CANNOT lose the human element!

In light of the impasse that government and the educator unions are experiencing, it is vital that Joe Public understand FULLY what the imposed changes to the Education System will look like for their children or grandchildren. This article is part of the guide A Decade in Review: Reflections on 10 Years in Education Technology. I have copied this from the EdSurge Facebook post ... I hope that they are okay with that.

I have used technology extensively throughout my career, both for student instruction and lesson preparation, and I am aware of it's potential to make the journey from confusion to consolidation significantly shorter ... for some students. My endorsement of the message contained in the following words centers around the emphasis on maintaining the human factor in education as it has been proven THE most significant factor in student learning, and the imposed changes will TRULY change that.

This op-ed is part of a series of reflections on the past decade in education technology. Danielle Arnold-Schwartz is a teacher of elementary gifted students with experience teaching grades K-9 in public school settings.

A kindergarten teacher recently told me that at conference night one of her student’s parents verbally attacked her for using Chromebooks during morning meeting time. This teacher uses Chromebooks responsibly and is a wonderful teacher, but deep down I couldn’t help but cheer as I wondered, “Could it be that parents are waking up to the realization that too much screen time is part of what ails our education system?”

We sit in front of screens to do work, listen to music, play games and escape from life’s stress. We put children in front of screens at restaurants to keep them quiet, and we do the same in classrooms that may be too large or when teachers are working with small groups. Screens entertain us, help us relax and help us answer the questions we ponder as fast as we can ask them. However, the secret is out: technology alone stinks as a learning model. Education technology is in its infancy, and the appeal to entrepreneurs seems understandably insatiable. The disconnect between business and education is that entrepreneurs focus on profits, while educators focus on children and learning.

A business-minded person may think a large class with 50 students, one adult and 50 screens makes fiscal sense, and is therefore an “innovative” idea. Rocketship charter school chain relies on this type of model: “Students rotating into Learning Labs [means] employing fewer teachers,” author Richard Whitmire has written of the schools. “A school such as Rocketship Mosaic could successfully serve 630 students with only 6 teachers plus aides.”

A business person may also think that because focus groups of children demonstrate that kids like and enjoy a tech product, that it is educationally sound. Some of them think that teachers want to make their jobs easier by putting little screens in front of little eyes, but I don’t know a single person who became a teacher because they wanted an easy job.

As the year comes to a close, I urge edtech entrepreneurs to change the lens with which they view their product development. Education shouldn’t be viewed as simply a “market,” and children are certainly not “widgets.”

Education is of dire importance for a strong democracy, and we must view product development for education as an ethical obligation. Technology can and should be used with fidelity in schools, but we must balance technology use with developmental psychology, the psychology of addiction and educational psychology. We need educational technology that puts highly trained teachers at the center of product design and implementation. It is human interaction that truly engages children and inspires them. In the same way that we want our doctors and lawyers to take time to help us, children need real teachers to connect with and trust. It is only then that technology can rise to its proper place in the classroom.

Forget the efforts to appeal to fiscal reforms, my edtech friends. The time has come to open the market to “Teachnology,” and to put the teachers at the helm of their classrooms as they guide our children to exciting and unknown horizons.

We lost a good soul ... and I'm sad.

I got a punch straight in the gut earlier this week. Not literally, but figuratively, when a colleague texted me with the news that one of my students from my last semester was killed in a fluke accident. I have written at length about why I chose teaching and the great relationships that grew out of the time my students and I spent together, but every now and again, I meet a young person who leaves an indelible mark due to a deeper connection. Mark Ramolla was one of those youngsters.

In the words of a colleague, Mark's Gr 8 teacher Ross Hreljac, "Mark Ramolla was charismatic. He was genuine. He had a smile, a laugh, and a sense of humor that drew people to him. Mark had a kind heart and always stood up for his friends and anyone else he felt needed his protection. Mark had broad shoulders and would always carry the load for his friends. He would do anything for them. Mark was by no means an ideal student ... in fact, school did not really fit Mark. His skill set and passion lay outside of the classroom. That being said, Mark wanted to succeed. He was passionate about everything. He absolutely beamed when he experienced success. He beat himself up when he didn't. He ALWAYS cared."

Mark and I shared a semester of HPE together. Echoing what Ross said, Mark was a larger-than-life personality, an early maturing strapping lad who had a competitive streak but also loved to laugh, actively seeking the fun in life, fostering his friendships passionately, and always at the ready to protect peers being wronged.

That glowing tribute aside, Mark was challenging to the adults in the room because of a devilish side that was in full view as he pushed the envelope of tolerance, often driving me slightly crazy because I had to deal with behaviour while stifling a giggle or smile ... Mark was funny! The most endearing quality was his willingness to own his comment or act as inappropriate, apologizing sincerely, usually with a twinkle in his eye. Just like Ross, I wear a grin as I mentally recount our time together.

A good friend, and father of two great young men that I also had the privilege to work with while at Barrie North, Adam Duke wrote in a post, "Your infectious smile, laugh and sense of humour. Your love for family. Your love to compete. Your love of anything that involved riding, turning a wrench or building. I’ve been sincerely blessed to have shared some of the experiences along side of you."

High praise ... and from many people ... all deserved ... BUT he could make you pull your hair out, at times! I will admit that he was not one of my favourite students in the first two weeks of the semester, but I now see that we were feeling each other out, finding exactly how far each of us would move the line of appropriateness. As we figured each other out, I realized that I had been too harsh and I grew to appreciate all of the positives he brought to class each day, and we shared a number of laughs as the semester proceeded. The awful empty feeling aside, Mark was one of those students that I will remember for the rest of my life because of the connection we built.

God Bless you Mark. And thanks for opening the door and letting me into your life.

Adopting a growth mindset

One of the phrases being bandied around these days in education is Growth Mindset. In a nutshell, in case you haven't heard the term before, “In a Growth Mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” 


In her TED Talk, University of Stanford's Carol Dweck explains the how's and why's ... Click here to watch it: Carol Dweck's TED Talk 

Why a post about Growth Mindset? Putting it quite simply, a significant portion of today's teens need to embrace this. I have commented in previous posts that the "Go To" reaction by a significant number of the students I have interacted with over the past few years is to give up, persistence being the key issue. It is my unofficial, albeit experienced, opinion that these students feel they are relegated to deal with life's twists and turns using only what they were born with, and handling many of the challenges set before them is deemed nearly impossible. In a Growth Mindset, students embrace the idea that successfully handling challenges are but a set of learning outcomes away, with the only obstacle being their willingness to take on the challenge. 

Dweck offers this thought ... "It is about telling the truth about a student’s current achievement and then, together, doing something about it, helping him or her become smarter." The key element here is that the teacher is honest with feedback about progress and doesn't simply offer false praise or encouragement. The operative concept in a true Growth Mindset is a joint effort between student and teacher to address agreed upon obstacles, cooperatively tackling it straight away. That entire process requires numerous 1 on 1 conferences. 

THAT, dear reader, is the issue!

The changes to the educational system that Ford's PCs have imposed significantly compromise teacher's ability to schedule in those critical 1 on 1 conferences by forcing a higher Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR), directly impacting the actual number of minutes that a teacher can spend with individuals. Here's the math ... A high school period is 75 min long but any honest teacher will admit that you really only have 60 min of instruction time due to students arriving in dribs and drabs (that could be a whole other post!), wasting up at least 10 min, because it makes no sense to start the day's instructions, lest 2 or 3 re-starts be the desired outcome. An additional 5 min is always lost at the end of the period because the students insist on preparing to dash out the second the bell sounds. If you have the old PTR of 22:1, the reality is likely an average of 25 students. That means that 60 min / 25 students is nearly 2.5 min if the goal was to interact with each student, each day and conferences would definitely be possible. When the PTR goes to the 25:1 Ford Nation has "relented to", the reality of 35 students results in 1.7 min. All educators know that 25:1 could present reality as 40 students, and it then drops to 1.5 min. That may not seem like a big difference to you, but to an educator that's a BIG difference, and conferencing is virtually impossible. This includes the supposition that no time is spent on a lesson, no time is spent on behaviours, no student requires more than the allotted time because of learning challenges. All of this means that Ford's changes RADICALLY alter the day to day business of education. 

THAT, dear reader, is why educators are fighting.

If your child (or children) are self-starters, self-motivated, and self-aware, you have nothing to worry about because your child will excel regardless of the learning conditions. If that's not the case, you may wish to join the educators in the fight ... Or be forced to accept the need to supplement your child's education ... likely out of your own pocket ... which is what the Ford government is shooting for and this is a major component of that privatization push. 

Just thought you'd like some advance warning.

The view from the other side of the court!

One of the pleasant surprises of spending some time in SW Florida during February is high school sports and, more specifically, the guys and girls state basketball playoffs, as they vie for a spot in the state tournament. I stand out like the proverbial sore thumb in the heavily biased home town stands, thanks partly to my summer attire that differs greatly from the Floridian sweatshirts and slacks, but mostly because (and some reading this will not believe it) I am silent during the play. The Floridians "cheer" loudly for their side ... I say "cheer" but could have as easily wrote "jeer" since a substantial amount of the volume is directed at the referees decisions. Some parents lived up to the "ugly American" stereotype with coaching tips for their progeny like, "Crush him", "Eat his food", "Ram it down his throat" and my personal FAV, "He can't handle you so don't effing pass it". I smile, clap for the effort and great plays made, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle that FLA makes of their high school events.

Since I am in Naples, it seemed appropriate to support the local school. It really doesn't resemble my personal understanding of a school with its 2000 seat football stadium, tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, turf practice field and 1500 seat hard court, but the $5.00 entry fee for each event likely goes a long way to assisting since the stands at the games I have attended were full. TBH, the quality of the play is mediocre with a barely average game awareness and skill execution, but the athleticism is other-worldly! Case in point, the opening 3 minutes of the district semi featured a put-back dunk, a double pump And-One, a huge cross for a posterized Tomahawk, and a pin on the glass well above the box. If you know basketball, you'll be conjuring appropriate images and shaking your head. If you don't, I apologize that I didn't think to take video.

It is my understanding that Florida is known as one of the top states for grooming football players. I can't really attest to that since there's no football to view right now, but if the bodies of the young men I am watching play basketball are any indication of the the level of training that Florida teens are capable of, I can only shake my head. The local school won their district tournament and will be heading into regional play - something I hope to be able to take in - but, as a former coach, I was envious of my Floridian counterparts. The highlight reel warm ups (FLA lets kids dunk??) signaled to me that over 80% of the young men were capable of playing the game above the rim ... I've coached teams where the 80% couldn't grasp the rim, let alone play above it. Having said that, I would pose alternate stats in favour of my teams ... over 80% of my players can pass, shoot layups, and dribble with both hands. 80% of my players understood HOW to play and regularly made plays that indicated a solid understanding of the strategy and game plan. The teams I was watching would barely break 30% but HOOOO BOY did they make it exciting!

It is also my understanding that coaches in the US are paid positions, but I really have no direct knowledge of that. If this fact be true, it was interesting watching my counterparts ply their trade. I have watched 3 games, and the coaching styles for all 6 couldn't have been more different, with everything from shouters to stompers, finger-pointers to spineless pleasers, disinterested to empowering. I would say that I have the greatest respect for the head coach of the the Naples HS team that won the district tournament. Some would say, "Well, no duh, Porter ... they won, no?" My respect was not earned through victories, but through the way he conducted himself in the coaching box, the way he interacted with his players, the way he managed runs of ineptitude, and the way he coaxed his star to embrace what was obviously team goals for deportment and character. At one point, this particular player took over the game, but when he started to "preen his feathers", the coach immediately called for a substitution and proceed to chastise him behind the bench. The ensuing animated discussion lasted a very short time and resulted in a dropped chin and then the universal "My bad" sign by the star.

Having spent some time watching NCAA games on the trip down here, I feel that I can confidently say that I prefer to spend my dollars on high school basketball games. I would guess that is why I spent all of those years coaching in the schools where I taught. I have been blessed with opportunities to experience coaching college, university, provincial and national level athletes and, while that was an incredible experience, I really feel that the thrill of developing an athlete through the 4-5 years they attended your school leaves me incredibly satisfied and proud. Those of us who have chosen the less trodden path of education accept the nay-sayers tempered with the understanding of the profound effect we are having on our kids, and although we'd rather accept a congratulatory pat on the back, we know deep in our souls that we are making a difference. I tip my hat to my American compatriots and wish all of my fellow education workers good health.

You are making a difference.

And you're great entertainment.

Some food for thought

I read this on FB this week and I really thought it warranted re-posting. It was written by Nickey Rautenberg and posted by the page We ARE the Front Lines in Education. I do not personally know Ms Rautenberg but that doesn't diminish her message. I hope that it speaks to you the way it did to me ... YES, I am an (ex) educator and YES, I am biased but this venomous negativity toward educators has got to stop. Your children are the ones that will suffer if educators lose this fight.
(Ms Rautenberg ... If you read this, I hope it was okay to showcase your words)

This week seemed to be an exceptionally frustrating one regarding the teachers strike. It seems exactly what the government wants is happening; time is wearing people down. After seeing a lot of posts this week, I wanted to put this out there.
#1 - Job Comparisons
Comparing your job (or any profession) to teaching (or any other profession) is nonsensical. This isn’t a JOB PIE. Teachers asking for what they want is not taking pieces away allocated to you. Every profession has pros and cons. Every profession has things that are difficult to manage. Nobody is saying that your profession is less worthy of benefits, too.Yes, working in health care is hard.Yes, working in a laborious role is hard. Yes, working outside of a union is hard.No teacher [that I’ve encountered] is saying, “My job is difficult and yours is not.”

If you have an argument for why your job is hard and believe you’re worthy of more, do as the teachers are doing and go fight for it. Against the people that can actually create a change for you. Fighting for it against teachers is legitimately pointless: devoid of effectiveness.

#2 - Understanding teachers are parents too

Understanding that having to find childcare or stay home from work is disruptive, please realize that teachers themselves are not exempt from this. Many teachers are ALSO parents. Are ALSO having to figure out what to do with their children on strike days. Are ALSO not getting paid or outputting more than is comfortable. When you are making complaints about this, you are literally saying: “Hey teachers, I need you to care about my career and my livelihood and my children more than you care about your own.”

I’m sorry but… what?

Having this expectation just shows how disconnected you are from what teachers are actually fighting for and the lengths they are willing to go to get it. As a sidebar, many of the people making these complaints are the same people who love to post on social media about how ‘time needs to stand still’ and ‘these moments are fleeting’, etc. Welp, here’s your chance to squeeze in some of that extra time a few months ago you were longing for. You get to hang out with your humans, while teachers who have their own kiddos are standing outside, in Ontario, in the winter, not getting paid, still paying for childcare.

#3 - Understand BEFORE you criticize

Many people are looking at teachers as simply the people who just go into the classroom, work off a curriculum, and look after your kids. What you’re not grasping is that teachers are actually the people responsible for executing and operating the EDUCATION SYSTEM. This strike is about being ill-equipped to do so. These are the people on the front lines who literally witness and deal with exactly what happens to children when resources in the Education Sector are not properly allocated.

Maybe it’s not your kid right now who will suffer, or maybe it’s not your kid ever who will suffer. But the chances are, if it is your kid, by the time you figure that out it will be too late and you’ll be wondering why the education system didn’t do enough. Why didn’t they step up to intervene? Why didn’t they see the warning signs? Why didn’t they do enough to prevent it? Why is my kid on a waiting list? Where is all the help?

Given that teachers are the people who do this job day in and day out, can’t we simply trust that these PROFESSIONALS probably know best what is needed to properly execute the system? Just because you’ve flown many times in your life, doesn’t mean you step onto an airplane and declare you know enough to be the pilot, or even a flight attendant. Just because you’ve stayed in a hospital before, doesn’t mean you step into an ER and decide you know what the patients need.

How do you believe that you – a non-teacher – knows what is necessary to support an entire group of students in a classroom (and beyond)? You DON’T. And that’s not your fault. But it’s also not your place to pretend like you do. So stop. If someone came into your office – or where ever - had never done your job before, and started telling you what they think you need and what you are worth, you’d probably be pretty pissed off.

Take two seconds to reflect on that before you jump all over teachers.

Good luck out there, and MARCH ON EDUCATORS.

As the saying goes: “Nobody said it will be easy, but it will be worth it.” 

You’ve got this!

Retiring is Hard Work ... NOT!

In the mad dash to the actual day I was retiring ... Jan 31 ... my brain was swirling with things that I needed to get done not the least of which were configuring my email, downloading my almost 400 gb Google Drive, arranging the actual party at Finn MacCool's and tying up all of the loose ends educationally before pointing the truck south to escape the snow for a bit.

Most of that final week went as smooth as could be expected and we arrived at Finn's ready to meet 'n greet. The manager at Finn's had pressed hard to get an idea of how many people I was expecting and I patiently explained that I really had no way of knowing an accurate number ... explained numerous times TBH ... as patiently as possible. I had committed to 40 as the number and quietly wondered if it would actually have been too high. I envisioned myself well liked so I had thoughts that there would be a few people that would arrive to shake my hand and swap a story or three, but I was woefully unprepared for what actually transpired. Too say that I was overwhelmed by the variety of people, from various times in my career, that took time out of their lives to stop by, would be an understatement! My heart was bursting! Many were from my Central days, some from classes I had taught, some had taught me, others were from my new adopted Viking family, and a number were relatives or friends of our family. The pièce de résistance was the incredibly moving words that my dear friend Ron Andrews had to say. I'm not much of a seasoned consumer of adult beverages but I fancied some Crown Royal as the night's choice. Like a scene out of Hogwarts, my glass magically refilled itself all night long. I noted a twinkle in a couple of friend's eyes so my suspicions lie squarely with them. In the end, I was as giggly as a school girl and wasted no time visiting the Sandman that night.

My sincere thanks to all who participated in making it a memorable night!

Saturday was a foggy morning, at least from my perspective, but as the morning wore on, the haze lifted and I readied myself for round two ... Ron had arranged a "Boy's Tour" to Toronto to take in a Marlies' hockey game and Ryerson vs Brock in Mens' Basketball. Cow-towing to social pressure, I armed myself with the "hair of the dog that bit you" for the bus ride, resulting in another bout of giggling fun. Arriving at the Ricoh Centre for the Marlies' game, it was my brother Rob who bore the twinkle in his eye, and my Hogwarts mug was doing its magic again. Thanks to Ron's conniving, I finally saw my name in lights as the Jumbotron brilliantly congratulated me on retiring, much to the amusement of the regulars as my tour-mates had much to say. Ron had arranged a pit stop at William's Landing prior to the bus picking us up for the basketball game, and as I entered the room, I was greeted with the smiling faces of Joe and Vince Santoro, good friends I had not seen in quite some time. Joe was a standout basketball player that I had shared an elementary Simcoe County Championship (1994), a club basketball Gold Medal (1998), a Senior Basketball OFSAA Bronze medal (1999) and a Rugby OFSAA Gold Medal (1999), although he'll admit that the rugby was a graduation band wagon decision ... hoops was his thing and rugby was not. Vince, Joe's father, had been an incredible supporter of both his son's escapades (I also coached his second son, Steve) and mine, Joining the team in many a road trip, and inviting the team to his beautiful cottage in Muskoka. After satisfying our primal urges, we loaded the bus for the Mattamy Center for the Ryerson-Brock game and, upon arrival, Ron lead us to the balcony viewing area for the game. This angle was immensely satisfying to my coach-self, but the thrill proved too much for my right hand and I successfully drew the attention of the entire gym when a canned beverage slipped from my grasp, narrowly missing a family below. As my buddies scattered like cockroaches, I owned the mistake with a raised hand and a loud proclamation of sobriety. I fully expected some beefy security guard to escort me out, but they must have took pity on me and we finished the game ... BTW, Brock got the DUB. The bus ride was a giggle-filled affair, my dear wife sacrificed her regular bedtime to retrieve me, and I once again wasted no time in filling the bedroom with the sounds of snoring.

WOW! What a wonderful way to celebrate a long career. HUGE thanks to Ron and my friends who decided to join me in the fun! Special shout out to my brother ... It was awesome to have him join us.

Thankfully, The dawning of the Sunday sun brought a new fuzzy feeling day, and I enjoyed a restful day and a wonderful Super Bowl. The dawning of Monday signalled the true start to my retirement and my liver was most appreciative. 

After a lot of scheming, arranging, packing and preparing, we made the mad dash out of Barrie, not bright, but definitely early. By the time we made it to Lexington, Kentucky for our first stop of the trek, we were both ready to get out of the car, having driven through some of the craziest rain storms we had ever seen. I have previously stated that I married very well and that fact was proven yet again when I was able to convince Joyce that we really needed some fresh Mexican grub followed by Kentucky vs Mississippi State at fabled Rupp Arena. If you're not familiar with the "Big Blue Nation" then you might have been surprised by the energy and enthusiasm their faithful fans exude when cheering the Wildcats to yet another victory. The crowd was mostly Kentucky blue, middle to advanced aged, loyal to the core and had little good to say about M State, although I'd venture that would hold true for any opponent. It turned out that we lucked into ESPN's Game of the Week, meaning normal rabidness gets turned up two notches. We were treated to a pretty awesome event and the crowd was eager to extol the virtues of their side after a hard earned victory. 

We were both SUPER glad (that one's for you Simmer) about making the game!

If you've ever made the trek south, you're well aware that planning when you traverse some of the major cities along the way is of paramount importance. For us, this meant hitting the road early, and despite some traffic woes, we arrived in Gainesville, Florida with just enough time to check in to the hotel and dash up to O'Connor Arena to catch, you guessed it, another NCAA spectacle. This night's flavour was Florida vs Georgia and, when we arrived just prior to the end of the first half, we saw that Florida had laid an egg and was down 16 points at the buzzer for halftime. What happened next over the 20 min of the second half was a rare treat for an old coach like me. Although the Gator fans were not quite as rabid, they were certainly capable of generating noise when their team played well, so you can imagine the decibels emitted as the Bulldog lead slowly vanished until the Gators took their first lead with 5 min or so left. Despite a valiant effort, the Bulldogs couldn't rescue the win and the Gator faithful were a buzz with excitement.

Two for Two!

Arriving at my mother's condo, we were treated to a humid 28 C day and, once we were settled, a pleasant dip in the pool and hot tub was welcomed respite after 27 hours of driving, prompting an early visit to the guest room and the loud growls of exhaustion-inspired snoring. The following day was exactly seven days AR (after retirement) so, considering the previous six days, choosing to attend a local high school basketball double header seemed appropriate. The opener was a Jr Varsity game that was long on athletes but short on talent, but entertaining none the less, followed by one of the more exciting Sr games I had the privilege to witness. The partisan crowd loudly supported the home boys but, inadvertently, only served to spur the visiting side and the game was hotly contested down to the final 3 minutes, when the visitors found the mark more often and coasted to an 8 point upset victory. This old coach is Uber excited about the upcoming district tournament and maybe even a regional tournament game or two. 

Three for Three!

Joyce and I have had the opportunity to talk a lot these past 9 days and we have agreed that it still feels like a vacation rather than retirement. If retirement takes time to get used to, I'm up for the challenge! 

"Okay, you're retiring ... What's Next?"

I would have to say that the most frequent conversation that I have these days sounds like this ...
"Hey P, I hear you've decided to retire."
"Yep, I looked at things and decided that the time has come."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Oh, I have some plans but mostly looking forward to not trading time for money."
"Yeah, but you'll go crazy doing nothing. I'm sure you'll come back and coach."
"I'm actually looking forward to sitting on the other side of the pitch, court or field for a while."
"Really?"

Please don't get me wrong ... I am deeply flattered by conversations like this!

Having said that, I feel that the time I have invested in other people's children speaks for itself, and I think that it's time to let someone else carry the torch for a while. As many are aware, I actively sought out opportunities to "pay it forward" in repayment of the debt I felt I owed so many of the adults in my own life for the time, energy and support they bestowed upon me. I still communicate with some of them, be it through social media or a chance meeting at the grocery store, and many of them confess to me that they felt it was time to pass the torch when they chose to step away. That's not to say that the reason I have chosen this path is to emulate my own mentors ... It is the right decision for me, at this time in my life, with the best interests of my marriage in mind.

My very last Yearbook group!
The book turned out awesome!

Some of the plans I have in mind include things that I fell in love with through my experiences in the classroom. 15 years ago, my then principal Russ Atkinson was faced with a problem and felt strongly that I was the solution. We had a course at Central that was responsible for creating the Yearbook and the teacher that was running it asked to be replaced. Russ knew that I was an amateur shutterbug and wanted me to take over the course, despite having no qualifications to teach it. Well, as long as it wasn't a problem for Russ, I was willing to do my best. "That's why I asked you," he replied, "You're one of the few I know I can give something you don't want to do and have faith you won't "eff" it up." He was right, of course, like he often was, and it became a labour of love for a number of years. Teaching the Yearbook eventually saw me transition into teaching photography when I moved to North for the final years of my career. I was doing the Yearbook there, but the students of North didn't choose to support that elective and, subsequently, "killed" the course. Another very smart man, Greg Brucker, saw that as an opportunity for me to fill a hole in the photography courses, again, despite having no qualifications to teach it. What a blast it has been teaching that for the past 2 years!

Now that I will have time on my hands, I would like to seek out some professional assistance to bolster what I already understand about photography. My passion is sports photography, an obvious segue from my coaching passions, and although I feel I have developed some skills already, I am eager to find out what I don't know. Coupled with this, I would like to right a wrong I see that has occurred in Simcoe County. When I first started coaching, there were regular stories in the daily newspaper and the local TV about the escapades of youth athletics, and with the "death" of the Barrie Examiner and CTV's decision to drop local sports, there's a hole that needs to be filled. I need find some help with understanding how to be a freelance photojournalist so that the incredible things that are happening around this area's schools are made more public and celebrated appropriately. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that will be a significant undertaking that will gobble up some of my day.

If you asked me 10 years ago if I would be interested in supply teaching, I would have looked at you with bewilderment and disdain. I confess that my attitude toward that has changed a little. Partly due to selfish reasons and partly to due selfless reasons. Selfishly, I feel that I am pretty competent, flexible, and respected so supplying would be a way to stay in touch with education. I have seen that there are a number of supply teachers who struggle and, until I see improvement, why not assist where I can, and put a few dollars in my pocket at the same time? Selflessly, I have spent the better part of my career in Special Education, HPE and Comm Tech, three areas where there isn't a lot of supply competency, and I could help make a colleague's life a little less stressful when the need arises. I'm not looking to do a ton of supplying, but I am open to doing a little, both to help my former colleagues and to help the students.

Everyone has a Bucket List. I've already checked off a bunch of items on mine but there are a few experiences left that will be the focus of my retired years.

One of them is to visit Scotland. My grandfather was born there and I bet that I still have relatives in the greater Glasgow area. I would very motivated to visit, see the wonders of a countryside I fell in love with through movies and documentaries, and see if I can establish some new friendships with some relatives. Not to be left unspoken, I am very interested is a "wee nosing" ... I am a single malt Scotch lover and visiting a distillery or three would be pretty gosh darned cool!

Another on BIG one is to visit New Zealand. As those of you who know me are already aware, I transitioned from basketball to rugby in my later years, and to have an opportunity to attend an All Blacks match in person would be a dream come true. I am also very much interested in seeing the incredible geography of NZ with mine own eyes ... it looks to be breath-taking. As I have already stated in previous posts, I married VERY well ... Joyce is just as eager to do some globe-trotting as I am and she enjoys live rugby almost as much as I do. That trip will take a little planning but I'll be as giddy as a wee lad when I experience the Haka live and in person.

No matter what the future holds, I look forward to a transition. By and large, we humans like to settle into routines, but this change will be a welcomed one and I am not worried in the least about being bored. When you no longer have to work to keep yourself comfortable, "The world is your oyster." as the saying goes. I hope that our pathways of life intersect early and often.