Gluten-Free Oatmeal Bars
(Recipe Below)
Yummmmo!
It is blowing my mind how quickly November is marching along!
Isn't it funny how relative time is sometimes? We've been so very busy this month, that setting the intention to enjoy the "Now Moment" has meant that a string of Now Moments are lining up to create one big blur. I guess it is time to get more specific about what I want my Now Moments to look like, because while saying "yes" more often to life's offerings, I am finding that time simply slips by without me noticing exactly where on the timeline I happen to be!
In the meantime, I am honestly truly enjoying the busy-ness we've been engaged in. I have welcomed yet another client onto my load, which will be wonderful for both our family income
as well as for the kids. This means that for circle time, we'll have a couple more children to add to the mix. Of course, we'll have to start a bit back at the beginning with our verses and songs, but I doubt my kids will mind.
In other news, the weather is definitely getting cooler. We still get days that go above 40F, but more and more days are hovering closer to the freezing mark. Some areas in Maine have already gotten some snow (albiet probably not a great measurable amount). I have been slowly winterizing our windows, which means a big push is coming soon where I will have to bite the bullet and spend a day getting the rest of the windows done before the deep freeze.
Thanksgiving is next week (already?!). I have posted a note on my Facebook page letting everyone know that we are opening our doors to any friends on our friend list who may be looking at spending Thanksgiving alone. So far there are no takers, but I am hoping that as we get closer to the day there will be someone who would like to join us for turkey with all the trimmings. My dad will be coming down (he lives about 1.5 hours away), which will be nice. Besides my dad, it will be my hubby, myself, and the two younger kids. My oldest (from my first marriage) always spends Thanksgiving with her father's family in New York. She and I always make a pan of my mom's peanut butter fudge for her to bring with her, which is always a hit with my ex's family. This year, my ex's wife is pregnant with their first child together, so there will be extra excitement to be thankful for. I get along very well with my ex and his family, so it is with a full heart that I send my very best to them each year along with a pan of delicious fudge.
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It is definitely bitter-sweet to be preparing for our adventures abroad, away from all that I have known to be familiar and comfortable. On the one hand, being in Maine is pretty much all I've ever known (besides spending 3 years in New York to finish up my college degree). This is my comfort zone, and it is always a challenge to consider going outside of that comfort zone. On the other hand, there is a big world out there just waiting to be explored. There are fun opportunities for adventure, as well as (hopefully) an environment more suited to our ideals for education for our children
and a lifestyle we can truly embrace with joy.
My studies in Waldorf education have been shaping my outlook on a great many things this past year. My teaching style has evolved in really wonderful ways. I feel that I am now able to offer so much more to students in the Waldorf environment. It is such a better fit for my soul, and I firmly believe with all my heart that it is the most gentle, loving, enabling, and inspiring way for children to learn.
I cannot wait to take all that I have been learning and apply it to a larger classroom setting.
My theory is that if I begin as a relief teacher (just as I did when I began "traditional" teaching in the public schools here), then I can really see the process from the inside even more vividly. Because I'll be in a different country, it will also give me the opportunity to observe the local culture as well. Each Waldorf school is going to be different than the next, because there is a focus on taking local needs and making the school work for the community in which it operates. Being a relief teacher first will allow me the chance to work closely with other staff and students to see exactly how that specific school runs.
Another benefit of being a relief teacher first is that the school can also observe *ME*. They can be a part of my evolution, helping me to fine tune my own skills into ones that will fit that specific school. They can get a good look into my heart, see how I interact with students and staff, and observe my commitment to teaching and to the community at large. Then, when I have spent a comfortable amount of time working within the school, I can be considered for a position that will fit perfectly for both myself and for the school.
I know that many teachers do not enjoy being a relief teacher, but I have spent as many years being a relief teacher as I did being a classroom teacher, and I can honestly say that I enjoy both equally (but for different reasons). Being a relief teacher means little (or no) lesson planning. You have the chance to work with another teacher's plans, getting a good idea how lesson planning is done in that school. The students often see a relief teacher as a "day off", or at least a break from the norm. I also like to look at it that way! Naturally, I stick to the rhythm and flow of a room, but being a unique individual, I bring my own flavor into the room.
As a relief teacher, I am sometimes able to take more breaks for games and fun, since many classroom teachers leave gaps in their plans when they have relief teachers fill in for them - because they understand that sometimes the day can go unexpectedly when there is a relief teacher. Besides, the regular teacher often will not want the relief teacher to present too much new information, as they do not want to miss that experience with their class. Because of that, relief teachers often have a bit of leeway to insert some fun activities into the day due to those gaps in the plans.
Being a regular classroom teacher, however, is pretty amazing because you can form bonds with your students. You join them on a journey from the start of the year to the end of the year (and in Waldorf schools, you often follow them for several years!). As a classroom teacher, you help shape the year. You help create a flow that weaves a wonderful tapestry of learning by the end of the year. It is fun to set some goals, and then brainstorm about all of the fun ways you can reach those goals with your class. I love surprising students with something unique, fun, and unexpected during the school year. There is no greater joy than seeing your class enter your room each day with wonder and excitement on their faces as they anticipate your latest lesson.
I think that if the payscale were exactly the same for relief teachers as they are for classroom teachers, it would be a hard choice! I think I would still lean towards having a classroom of my own, however. The enjoyment of growing alongside your class is a gift you give to yourself.
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Here is the link to the recipe for the Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars I made this morning. I changed mine up a bit by grating a few baby carrots and added some mini (dairy and nut free) chocolate chips. I used dried cherries as my fruit.
I followed the suggestion to soak my oats in water and a bit of raw apple cider vinegar.
These were pretty yummo!
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