A better life!

Hi Everyone,
Our class believes that we need to stop drugs and alcohol. Too many kids are doing them. We need an education to get a better life. A better life is full of friends and good parents. ---A cool class

Always Believe

We go to a school in the north. There is a lot that is happening in the north. What’s not so good is the use of drugs and alcohol. We have a story in all of us that gives us a dark spot in our mind. People have families, we all do, but we can’t pick our mothers and fathers, but we all still love them.

Sometimes a dad or mom leaves the family and people have to deal with them leaving. People use drugs and alcohol to escape reality and avoid the depression of their lost love ones. Though everyone smiles I think we die inside. Who would leave a child alone in the streets or sell their belongings to get a fix? We all struggle with these bad things inside. We still have control and can change; we just have to believe it.

Dealing drugs and buying for others gets you cash but at what cost? You’re feeding the addiction that is the demon in us, keeping us from reaching our goals and holding us down. Part of having a choice is saying NO. Don’t give in and ALWAYS believe in your power.

Kelly

Behavioural Bridges

The schools of the Canadian North require special teachers. Teachers who work outside the box and create bridges of opportunity where there is only misbehaviour, violence and profanity. Thousands of students in the north come from broken homes and live in communities that are bogged down in addictions, poverty and crime. Teachers, often in their first placement, move to isolated northern communities and try to help. Teaching here you learn that control is an illusion and sitting still and being quiet are distant forms of colonialism.

Our universities must train teachers to build 'behavioural bridges.' The bridge begins where the student hurts, traverses the 'terrain of school' and arrives at the 'student self.' Teachers who can find these bridges make long lasting connections that see through chronic behaviour challenges and find the source of the students 'confusion.' Today I had the privilege to travel with one courageous teacher to an isolated home of a difficult student. The student beamed with pride as he toured his teacher through his home and showed him his ATV and snow mobile. It was wonderful!!! It didn't solve all of the problems but it created a 'behavioural bridge' that helped the teacher understand the 'student self.' This is when education becomes really exciting!!! This is where excellence in teaching is defined. TJS 2009