The Alberta Teachers’ Association

A star is born

I remember being observed by the principal for my continuous contract, and I was teaching a lesson on musical form. I was so flustered that I forgot the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I sang it as an example to the class in a horrible, wonky key, and everyone just stared at me while I soldiered through an awful rendition. Finally the principal called out, “why don’t you try the ABC song instead.”

Odessa Nguyen Music, Homesteader Elementary, Edmonton

A light bulb moment for only three coins

I had a kindergarten student who couldn’t focus and often made poor choices. We tried a sticker chart, but he couldn’t grasp the concept of working towards a reward. So, instead, I gave him a treasure chest and three gold coins. If he made a poor choice, he had to “spend” a coin. Depending on what he had left at the end of the day, he could “buy” a reward. After a few weeks, I wasn’t quite sure this was helping him move toward understand the choices he was making, as he often had no coins or only one coin left.

We were building igloos out of marshmallows one day and I specifically told all the students, “Don’t eat the ones we build with and you can have some at the end.” He looked right at me and deliberately ate a marshmallow. Then he quietly got up and gave me one of his coins. A few minutes later he loudly declared, “I think that was a really expensive marshmallow!”

After that, he always had three coins left! I’ve always considered it one of my best “light bulb” moments!

Kristan Myers
Grade 2 English, Academie Saint-Andre Academy, Beaumont