圣诞节快乐 and 新年快乐! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I hope no one reading this is convinced that I have suddenly acquired some new-fangled Chinese skills. This would not be the case. However, since I'm writing from the future and since 2013 is already here, who knows what will come of the new year.

I won't dwell or reminisce too much about 2012, other than to say I'm a wee bit glad it's over. It was one of the most... full... years I've probably ever had. I'm tired, but the time has flown. Teachers at our school usually feel like the first semester is never ending with no Christmas/New Year holidays and multiple 6-day work weeks between October and January. However, this year the sand has slipped through the glass at a ridiculous rate. It's January 1st. In 3 weeks I'll be on a plane south. And next year will move me out of the PRC's northeast down to the sprawl of Shanghai.

Yup, I'll be on the road again this summer, but China seems to have kept it's grip. MM (my endlessly delightful lady friend) and I have both acquired jobs at an IB school in Shanghai for the 2013-2014 school year, and we'll be packing up for the move south in coming months. Although I had my heart set on SE Asia, Shanghai will be an excellent stepping stone and will hopefully provide me/us with more experience with which to pursue jobs elsewhere in the world. And I'll be able to get my fill of fake China shoes and hockey jerseys. If anyone is interested, start putting in your orders now!

For the timebeing, I need to stop procrastinating and begin facing the endless pile of papers in front of me. Only 3 more classes remain in the semester and I need to get a move on.

To all the fam and friends around the world, much love from China and I"m hoping that 2013 brings ya'll a bucket of happiness, a wagon of good health, and a dump truck full of prosperity. Make sure you're in Western Canada in July. And don't hesitate to book a flight so you can come and visit. All the best...

T

With great power comes great responsibility (I'm not the one with great power)

Participating in the democratic process through the media is a challenging thing. As an audience member wanting to join in, one has little power to choose what is published and what isn't, what voices are brought to the forefront of a discussion and which are ignored. And even when someone chooses to present an alternative perspective, the writers at the newspaper have the ability to edit, omit, and spin whatever words come their way. This is the nature of the beast, and I put my hand in its mouth.

I didn't actually get bit. In reality, I got what I wanted: publication. Of course, leaving my words in the hands of someone else allows room for  comment, editing, and a careful portrayal of the words which were sent out. This I knew and expected. And it's what I received. Regardless, for those people who took the time to read my complete response, thank you. I feel strongly that the articles are not representative of my school reality. I do not work for a perfect system, but I've seen a great deal of improvement this year and more hope is on the horizon. Our students don't deserve the bad press, nor do our teachers.

After my first email (with the letter seen previously), the writer at the Sun responded with a link to further stories which are also very critical of the company I work for. I sent a follow up email the same day  which was a little bit more strongly worded. Of course, she used all of this email and less than half of my original letter. However, I don't regret sending it. It makes some points that otherwise would not have been shared.

The link to that article is at the bottom of this post, and my most recent letter to the aforementioned Education columnist is below. I edited it quite a bit from the letter I'd planned earlier in the day. Hopefully I won't add any more flammable fodder to an unreasonably well-stoked fire. Thanks again for all the support.

My final correspondence to the Sun:

Thank you for printing part of my correspondence on your blog. It's unfortunate that you didn't point anyone toward the positive comments from 10 or more current or former ML teachers, two former students, and more than one non-ML teacher which can be found in response to a number of your articles; it was to these comments I referred to in my letter, not simply the few emails you received directly. However, you printed important parts of my letter and email, which I appreciate. It's good to see that a little balance found its way into the column, even if these alternate perspectives were perhaps portrayed negatively.

I hope that the graduates from our program who work hard to legitimately earn their Dogwood Diplomas aren't hurt by your articles. The same goes for the dedicated teachers who invest their time in the students of our school. I am sure that wasn't your intention; however, it's a potential reality because of the way you've chosen to develop your articles.

Thanks again for your time.

The article can be found HERE.

And for those who are still reading, consider sending a letter yourself one day. Putting pen to paper is still a powerful expression of the democratic process. Even if you can't tether spoken words to your tongue to pull back in times of embarrassment, saying it is better than silence. 

T