Well if you don`t know by now I am headed off to Kuwait to teach for two years. I`ll be teaching grade eight social sciences, exciting I know. Well the idea of this blog was quickly inspired after I accepted the job offer at the Dasman Model School of Kuwait. I think it was really out of the boredom that resulted from two and a half hours of history curriculum class that we had twice a week, among my other classes. Me, Simon, Sammy, Cornelia, and Sarah, would sit at our table in class not paying attention to whatever was going on, as usual, and joke about the kinds of adventures I would have. As a result, the idea of me actually starting a blog about my worldly travels came to fruition.
This being my first official post before I leave Canada, I have struggled over the weeks leading up to today thinking about what I wanted to write about. I`ve attempted to write this first post a few times, but each time I would come up with something different later on, leaving me unsatisfied with my previous ideas. I finally decided to wait to the last the day before I left to capture whatever it is that I am feeling. So here I am, it`s three A.M. and I jumped out of bed because I can`t sleep despite how tired I actually am.
What is it that I am thinking? Well I know for most that is a scary thought to actually know what`s going through Eric Mackinnon`s mind, because honestly I don’t even know ninety percent of the time. However, the one thought that has been dominating my mind today and yesterday was the fact that I am going halfway across the world to teach the children of parents who I essentially have no connection with at all. I have been entrusted by those who have hired me to provide a level of quality education. To nurture, foster and build young and growing minds.
I know I get the jokes time to time about me actually being in charge of the ``future,`` and how could such an event be allowed to happen, what has the world come to. Although they are good faith, I believe they stem from my at times eccentric personality. However, in all fairness, that idea torments my mind. I am in fact part of a community of educators whose passion is to educate and inspire children. To help create individuals who can think for themselves. To demonstrate that learning is not something they do from Sunday to Thursday, but it is a lifelong and continuous process. When I am at the front of the classroom, I am more than just a teacher, I am a role model. Each and every single one of my words and actions can and will have either a negative or positive impact for the rest of a student’s life. Students look to us for more than just the answers to the questions we give them. They look for guidance in their own lives. Teaching is more than just giving a passing grade of A, B, C, it`s about passing students through life. This is what torments my mind, not being able to deliver anything but the best of my abilities to each of my students when I demand the same from them. The passion to teach has been something I`ve truly wanted to do since I was nineteen and in two weeks from now I`ll finally be at the front of my own classroom.
Well as I continue to mentally prepare myself for a good 20 hours worth of travelling with waiting and flying, I think it would only be fair to thank everyone in general for all your support through the years. Everyone I have known has helped me each in different ways; some just being there for a good laugh, and others who have been around for the deep troubles and profound talks about life. But I think two people who really need some mentioning are my parents. Sometimes I have no idea how they were able to survive me. I was always up to something. However, I know could not have got to where I am today without their continuous support throughout the years, whether it was from lending me money or coming to watch me compete when I was wrestling. I know this will be especially hard on my mom, but what mother would it actually be easy for. It was hard enough for our mothers to finally let us walk on our own as babies, even a mere three feet away from their reach; although this time I`ve learned how to fly and I`m only going a few thousand miles away.
I guess I should also thank my siblings for enduring me the last twenty seven years and mercifully letting my live. Haha, but don’t worry you get me back in the summers, so consider this time away from me as a much needed vacation.
With that being said, I know I`m not fully prepared for the adventure that lies ahead, but it wouldn’t be my style not to think about what I`m doing and jump head first into the shallow end of the swimming pool. So feel free to read my blog as often or as little as you want. If you find you`re having trouble sleeping at night and need something really boring to put you to sleep then I suggest you read my posts about my ongoing adventures, as a better solution than warm milk.
