Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!
    Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!
    Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!
    Ebook93 pages1 hour

    Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!

    By Wendy Smith-Gordon

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Laugh, weep, be moved, challenged, and inspired, as you are taken on a journey of discovery. You might identify with the students – or relate to this teacher! Delve into her world, as she fulfils her childhood dream of becoming a wise and compassionate teacher.

    She considers teaching as the greatest privilege and responsibility. She taught her school subjects, but she also taught young people life skills: how to learn, laugh, live, love, forgive – and what really matters, in this short life we are gifted.

    She strongly believes that students need acceptance, and self-belief, in order to learn and to love learning – that they are worth her time, interest, and care.

    Her methods of engaging the interest of students were rarely traditional. But they worked! If students had difficulty, her calling as a teacher was to “find another way”. Every time.

    You will be touched not only by her variety of classroom stories, but by her honesty, humour, wit, and insights, but you’ll be hooked with her ‘teaching’ experiences as she travels with seven teenagers for three weeks in a foreign country. What could possibly go wrong?

    Enjoy.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAustin Macauley Publishers
    Release dateFeb 2, 2024
    ISBN9781035825806
    Telling Tales - Out of School: An Honest and Lively Account of REAL Teaching!
    Author

    Wendy Smith-Gordon

    Wendy taught for two years in tropical Queensland before living in France for two years. Subsequently, marriage and three children occupied normal life. The family then spent almost two years in Saudi Arabia, until their dramatic evacuation prior to the Gulf War. Back in Australia, the family fostered a severely disabled boy for ten years, later becoming his legal guardians. When the children became teenagers, she returned to teaching, her first passion. Wendy, now retired, follows other interests, including writing and loving her seven amazing and talented grandchildren, along with her special dog, Sunny, now an official Therapy Dog providing love and support to others.

    Related to Telling Tales - Out of School

    Related ebooks

    Adventurers & Explorers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      The Beauty Of You

      Jan 4, 2021

      Do you know how much you’re loved and how beautiful you are? You’re beautiful of thought, beautiful of heart, beautiful of face, beautiful of body, beautiful of soul – and so are your precious tamariki. Our beautiful selves, and especially our bodies

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Thriving Away From Home

      Jul 20, 2023

      Thriving Away From Home
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Age Is Just A Number

      Aug 8, 2024

      Age Is Just A Number
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      In A Class Of THEIR OWN

      Mar 19, 2023

      A great chat with the queen of talk back We can all, no matter our age, remember the name of our favourite teacher. The one who made us feel special. The one who opened a world of possibility to us. The one who taught us far more than the lessons the

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      John Marsden Teaches Courage

      Aug 1, 2018

      John Marsden Teaches Courage
      19 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      At Home With Bliss

      Jun 6, 2022

      At Home With Bliss
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Teachers Are Not OK

      Mar 28, 2022

      The Teachers Are Not OK
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Valeria

      May 15, 2019

      Valeria
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      America’s Classroom Heroes

      Sep 3, 2021

      America’s Classroom Heroes
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Valeria

      May 15, 2019

      Valeria
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Fix To Count On

      Apr 24, 2022

      In his article on the decline in primary student performance (Upfront, April 16), Keith Williamson’s focus is maths. But the same is true for literacy and many other subjects. One of the causes he identifies is the takeover, about 20 years ago, of te

      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Open Mic

      Feb 26, 2020

      Dear Parents and Caregivers, Now that we’ve had a few weeks to settle into the school year, I thought I would write to say how much I’m enjoying working with your children, watching them grow and learn and change. There’s a restless kind of beauty t

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Our Pottery Story

      May 12, 2023

      Our Pottery Story
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Destination MAXIM: SAMOA

      Apr 15, 2020

      Destination MAXIM: SAMOA
      15 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Class Of Her Own

      Nov 20, 2019

      Class Of Her Own
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Class Of Her Own

      Nov 20, 2019

      Class Of Her Own
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Join The Weekly Conversation

      Nov 13, 2023

      Join The Weekly Conversation
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      KODIE Macayan

      Oct 25, 2021

      KODIE Macayan
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Redefining Togetherness: One Mother’s Quest for an Adventurous Family Life

      Jan 12, 2021

      — Isn’t it interesting how an image can evoke so many emotions? Of course, that’s why they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Visual art moves us humans. Yes, some of us seem to be moved more easily than others, but the potential is there for u

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Letters

      Aug 23, 2024

      A CHILDHOOD friend visited me recently. While paging through the latest YOU, she paused and asked, “What would young Shanaaz think about you being the editor of YOU magazine today? Growing up, there was always a YOU in your house!” That moment made m

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Boarding Abroad

      Apr 2, 2024

      Boarding Abroad
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Telling Tales - Out of School

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Telling Tales - Out of School - Wendy Smith-Gordon

      About the Author

      Wendy taught for two years in tropical Queensland before living in France for two years. Subsequently, marriage and three children occupied normal life. The family then spent almost two years in Saudi Arabia, until their dramatic evacuation prior to the Gulf War. Back in Australia, the family fostered a severely disabled boy for ten years, later becoming his legal guardians. When the children became teenagers, she returned to teaching, her first passion.

      Wendy, now retired, follows other interests, including writing and loving her seven amazing and talented grandchildren, along with her special dog, Sunny, now an official Therapy Dog providing love and support to others.

      Dedication

      To the headmaster and deputy headmaster of the school where I spent many happy and hard-working years: thank you for helping me fulfil my dreams.

      To my husband, children and wonderful grandchildren: thank you for your on-going love and support. You are my world. I love each of you so very much!

      To all teachers everywhere: Love your students, care for them like your own family, and never give up on trying to find a way to connect with them and inspire them.

      Copyright Information ©

      Wendy Smith-Gordon 2024

      The right of Wendy Smith-Gordon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

      Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 9781035825790 (Paperback)

      ISBN 9781035825806 (ePub e-book)

      www.austinmacauley.com

      First Published 2024

      Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

      1 Canada Square

      Canary Wharf

      London

      E14 5AA

      The Colouring Pencil Dream

      From four years old, despite being quiet and shy, I wanted to be a teacher. I had few toys, so I played school with my colouring pencils, standing them up like children.

      They were all different colours and sizes; I liked telling them stories, explaining things and encouraging them in group and teamwork. Happy hours passed in my world of imagination. I was a kind teacher, and my students were happy.

      Then I went to real school.

      My Grade Two teacher was like a witch, dressed entirely in black, with a gash of bright red lipstick. Our writing needed to be perfect, with no ink blots on the page—or we suffered from the sharp edge of her ruler across our knuckles. I was six years old.

      The classroom was to be silent. The boy next to me knocked my glue pot. It fell to the floor. I was sent outside, and was later confronted by the headmaster. She didn’t ask who knocked it over, only who owned it. I was punished. She smacked a little boy who whispered to his neighbour. He had to stand on a stool facing the back wall. He poked his tongue out. She saw. I remember my fear as she took off her black shoes and in her black stockinged feet crept up behind him, hitting him so hard he fell off the stool. I had never treated my colouring pencils that way. I still wanted to be a teacher, but not cruel like her.

      In Grade Five, I went to a different public school with a kind and wise headmaster. Each classroom had speakers and he conducted morning devotions from his office. He prayed for us and we joined in singing a daily hymn. There were weekly assemblies where we would commit to honour the Queen, serve our country, and salute our flag. Things were very different.

      He visited each class regularly, adding his own life lessons and igniting our imaginations with wonder at the world around us. He mainly taught us to love learning, and to respect all people, animals and the environment. He loved teaching, loved children, and did not want to be confined to administrative duties. He was loved and respected in return.

      He died from a heart attack—mowing the extensive school grounds so they would look nice for our return after the summer holidays. A humble headmaster. I wanted to be a caring, capable and interesting teacher like him.

      I became a teacher, still quiet and shy. My focus was on being kind and wise, never cruel.

      Towards my career’s end, I received perhaps my most precious compliment, when the mother of a fifteen-year-old said, Mrs G, I probably shouldn’t tell you this—Andrew wouldn’t want me to. Please don’t be insulted. He said you are like everyone’s favourite grandmother. You are the Grandma all the kids wish they could have!

      My colouring pencil dream was fulfilled. I was a kind teacher and my students were happy.

      The American Way

      A spontaneous decision to live for two years in Saudi Arabia, for a work project…

      Schooling for our three? We chose the American International School. But … was this the better choice?

      There were no school uniforms, as we had in Australia. Were their casual clothes acceptable and sufficiently cool? It seemed that our children’s individual tastes in clothes were fine … despite their initial fears!

      They were astonished to find that their spelling was frequently marked wrong—we spell colour and neighbour and all such words differently, among many others.

      They were even more astonished that their speech was not well understood. We pronounce words differently … and even use different words altogether! We spoke of bubblers—but they were drinking fountains. Many explanations of cultural differences were forthcoming. So they did things the American way for two years.

      Soon they adopted American

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1