As a teacher one hopes to create that one iconic moment for students where academia becomes magic. My moment as a student happened when my ethereal English teacher, Moira Lovell, began reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird' to our Grade 10 class. If one is familiar with the book one knows that the opening pages are somewhat long in the tooth. Lots of sociopolitical context. The introduction is one which will make a 16 year old fresh from having eaten lunch a little heavy lidded. Enter Scout. The moment Mrs Lovell changed her perfect elocution and adult tone to the gritty, fiesty accent of a little girl from Maycomb County, Alabama I believed that anything was possible in a classroom. The entire class was transfixed. Similar to how I'm sure the generation of radio listeners felt at the lead up to the next Goon Show, or War of the Worlds, our English lessons became much anticipated events. We would sit enraptured for an entire lesson as the voice of Moira Lovell, an English teach...
Dear Leo, You don't know me but you probably know my type. I'm one of those aunties who will come up to you and squeeze your little foot, and talk in a high pitched voice telling you that I've known your mom since she was a little girl. I would probably also tell you that you're handsome like your dad and have the cutest little face. I would also be a clown to try to make you laugh. Lets be honest, I would probably be a bit awkward, like most aunties are, but that's because I know how loved you are and I want you to know how much I love you. Even if I'm just some random auntie. The thing is Leo, I've known your mom for almost all my life. We grew up together, farm girls from the mountains and we also went to high school together. And even though your mom is a completely sophisticated belter today I remember the days when she was so little that eating a peanut butter sandwich would result in most of the peanut butter ending up all over her cheeks. I also r...
Inspired by various families I have witnessed while on holiday... The family chat group that Kevin begrudgingly belonges to exploded sometime in February when one of his in-laws suggested that they all celebrate the coming Christmas together at a hotel. It would coincide perfectly with his mother in law's 70th birthday. Everyone on the chat group, apart from Kevin, agreed that they could think of no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to spend seven solid days in each other's company, including nine children all under the age of 10. Since then the chat group has been riddled with extreme holiday expectations and awkward reminders to pay for accommodation. Kevin spent the next 9 and a half months in mild therapy with his padel partner, Brian. Their final post game beer, sometime at the beginning of December, ended in a bracing hug with Brian reminding Kevin that he is only a phone call away if things get too much. It is now two days into the seven day Christmas ext...
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