A Teacher's Ruminations

Disclaimer: I apologize to those of you who may think this is not a typical Slice of Life posting, but I've been thinking a lot about bullying lately and I've got to write this down. Source: http://bit.ly/1cmUJd5 I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced or witnessed bullying at some point during their lifetime. And, when I talk about bullying, I don't mean casual teasing or bothering. I am referring to systematic, ongoing actions perpetrated on another person by someone who has authority or power over that person. For example, high status students bullying lower status students, or administrators bullying teachers. There are other instances but I'm limiting my sphere to schools because there is always bullying going on in schools and we often look the other way rather than dealing with it for what it is: someone wielding their power over another person. When we stand by and don't do anything, then we are complicit and guilty as charged. Can you ...

                                  Source: http://bit.ly/1eO3nOJ On Sunday, my husband, my son and I went on an outing. First, let me say that although we're not an outdoors kind of family we recognize the importance of getting outside for a hike as often as we can. Despite having lived in Canada for six years, we didn't learn how to ice skate or ski. We don't particularly enjoy extreme weather conditions. In fact, we prefer the beach whenever possible. My particular preference is for the warm waters of the Caribbean. However, now that we are back in Ecuador we are rediscovering the treasures of this beautiful country, and especially the gems that exist a mere two hours or less in any direction from the capital city of Quito. Furthermore, we have decided that it's critical for all of us, but especially for our 9 year-old son, to get out and enjoy nature as much as possible. We live in...