Just a few of the things my father taught me (in no particular order):
It’s okay to be scared, but you’re going to have to do it anyway. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Play the man, not the puck. Polite is good. Charming is better. There are some mistakes you can only make once- so be safe. Don’t turn down a bower- take a chance. Trust your partner. Measure twice- cut once - curse five or six times. Be generous. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes everyone is mistaken. People deserve second chances. (Except pedophiles- put them with the general population of prisons and let them be murdered). See the humour in things. Respect and trust are earned. The best horror stories will scare you for years afterwards. That’s why they are the best. When confronted by stupidity and ignorance, laugh at it. If you want to warm up your hands quickly, put them in your armpits or, if circumstances allow, down your pants. Never waste food. If you put it on your plate, you eat it. If you think someone needs help, ask. Play. When push starting a car, try to get it up to at least 10km before you pop the clutch. Don’t limit yourself with a lack of ambition or imagination. There is a first time for everything. Being ready and willing to fight will get you out of a lot of fights. When it doesn’t, go for the nose then get him off his feet as quickly as you can. Make sure the people you love, know how you feel. When you take something apart and put it back together, there are always pieces leftover. These are “extra” and unnecessary. Help when and where you can. You can play through a little pain. Walk it off. Be grateful for what you have. The world doesn’t owe you anything. With few exceptions, people will treat you the way you treat them. And finally, the Cockram family motto: Virtute et labore- through virtue and effort.
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People in my staff room know better than to talk to me about space exploration, but occasionally something happens where the topic just can’t be avoided- a successful test of the Falcon Heavy rocket, T.E.S.S. discovers another planet, an impact crater is discovered under the ice sheet in Greenland or scientists challenge the theory that Earth’s water came from space... Okay, so I guess I bring it up a fair amount without anyone's help. But this week it was the first “photos” of a Black Hole providing further evidence for Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. After sharing around the picture and explaining (manplaining?) what exactly we weren’t seeing and why that was SO cool, I was asked the question I am always asked at these moments: Why do you care about this stuff? A Brief Answer My interest in space actually began with space’s interest in me. When I was younger than Ms. M, I noticed that moon followed our car at night. I couldn’t have been the only five year old that found that a little creepy. Then one morning in 1979, the sun went out. What I remember most about that day was being scared that I was going to go blind. “Don’t look at the sun!” They talked about it on the news. My parents both warned me, my baby-sitter and my teacher too. I got scared that I might be outside when IT happened and my eyes would be irresistibly be drawn skyward, compelled by some mysterious, irresistible, celestial force. When the day finally arrived, I remember that we went out early for recess to avoid being outside during the eclipse. When we came in, we gathered on the carpet and then a television (AT SCHOOL!) was wheeled into the room and we watched the world outside our windows grow dark while on the black and white TV, the moon slowly crept across the surface of the sun- just as they said it would. Well, from that point on, I was hooked. To their credit, my parents were very supportive of all my passions growing up. When I told them I needed to take my bathrobe to Grade 1 because I needed a “lab coat” they didn’t bat an eye. Santa brought me a telescope and a model rocket. They took me to the Ontario Science centre every time we visited Toronto. But by far the best thing they ever did for my learning was investing in the Charlie Brown cyclopedia set- one book every two weeks during the second grade. There were few cartoons in those days, but everyone knew Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. I learned more from this collection than I did from any teacher until Mr. Corbeil in Grade 8. And I became particularly fascinated by the Voyager space probes. I put a lot of work into a report explaining its mission to my Grade 2 class who were about as interested in space as my current peers. (I have continued to follow this mission throughout my life until three years ago when Voyager 2 left our solar system for good. It remains to my mind one of the most amazing achievements ever and I am not alone in this- see the documentary "The Farthest" on Netflix). Beyond Space Of course my interest in science wasn't confined to the extraterrestrial. I was interested in science of all sorts and I believe that stemmed chiefly from growing up in the country. I think there are few better things for cultivating an interest in the world than growing up in a rural area. I have sat and watched as a frog kicked its last kick in the mouth of a garter snake. I have collected tadpoles and crickets and even a praying mantis in jars and witnessed the migration of monarch butterflies and geese. I have collected fossils from limestone quarries of creatures that haven’t lived in a hundred million years. I have planted seeds in a garden, watched them grow and grudgingly eaten the vegetables produced. I have, day after day, seen the creep of ice across a pond until it fuses in the middle then buckles and breaks at the shore, watched the shimmering blue-green curtain of the Northern Lights sway and dance across the sky. I know how the air feels when a thunderstorm is coming and the smell before a snow. I have been out walking at night on a new moon and seen all the stars and planets above and felt how infinitesimally small I am, how small we all are in the greater scheme of things. “The place where we spend most of our lives moulds our priorities and the way we perceive our surroundings. A human-engineered habitat of asphalt, concrete and glass reinforces our belief that we lie outside of and above nature, immune from uncertainty and the unexpected of the wild.” ― David Suzuki I don’t know if children who grow up in cities experience these same things, but my suspicion is that they don’t or that they don’t witness them because these days they have so many other distractions and entertainments. I think this in part accounts for their lack of perspective on our world which to my mind should be one of awe and wonder. Humility is, I believe, unavoidable if you have any understanding of the universe and our world. This is certainly the perspective I do my best to cultivate through my teaching, but as is always the case, results are mixed. Making Science Bearable Friday, my class was busy working on some online surveys created by by my Grade 6 math students. A few students were discussing one the questions and comparing their least favourite subjects. “Science!” said one vehemently, “It’s only bearable because of Mr. C.” So obviously making science “bearable” is a little short of the bar I set for myself- especially given the fact that I believe that our precarious future depends on rapid technological advancement combined with a much deeper understanding of the complexity and interdependence of life on Earth. But I wasn't really discouraged by the conversation either because of something else that happened this week. On Wednesday one of my former students visited the school. When I asked him how it was going he told me he had just been accepted into UBC and that he was pursuing a B.Sc in Biology. Six years ago he was a bright but unmotivated student. I couldn't have guessed his future from the student I knew then, but perhaps I made science a little more bearable for him too or perhaps it has been his passion from his earliest memories. Either way, I'm counting it as a point for the home team. “At first you are awed by the splendour, by the beauty, of the planet and then you look down and you realize that this one planet is the only thing we have. Every time the sun comes up and goes down… and for us that’s sixteen times a day… you see a thin, thin, thin layer just above the surface, maybe 10 or 12 kilometres thick. That is the atmosphere of the Earth. That is it. Below that is life. Above it is nothing." JULIE PAYETTE, Canadian astronaut The BCTF held its annual general meeting at Victoria this past week. There could not be a more picturesque setting in which to be cloistered in a conference room for four days. Here are a few impressions from the meetings. Union engagement is growing Whether due to rising polarization and extremism world-wide or because social media has facilitated participation, we are living in a time where people are engaged and involved politically. This is good news for unions in general and for social justice unions like the BCTF in particular. Many members who spoke at the this years’ meeting did so for the first time and a good many of them identified themselves as first time delegates. Clearly, efforts to build member engagement are paying dividends. We saw this at my own local too where we were forced to elect delegates for the first time in four years. Emotions Ran High Coming on the heels of the racist, terrorist attack in New Zealand, there was a pall over much of the meeting and a heightened awareness of the rising tide of fear, hatred and intolerance throughout the world. For some this was reinforced by the meetings refusal to adopt measures that would give members from equity seeking groups guaranteed representation at the executive level of the BCTF. This was interpreted as further evidence of systematic racism, sexism and homophobia within the organization. Obviously, I don’t share this interpretation as I am both for representation, inclusion and equity and opposed to to these policies. The ends should not justify the means. Women Rule Teri Mooring (Quesnel) is our new president. Carole Gordon (Kelowna) is our 2nd VP. Susan Trabant (Prince George) Rae Firgursky (Burnaby), Violette Baillargeon (Surrey), Karen Edwards (Tumbler Ridge), Jody Polukoshko (Vancouver), and Katherine Trepanier (Prince George) are our new Members at Large. Not to be forgotten, Clint Johnston (Chilliwack) moved from 2nd VP to first VP. Democracy is Expensive One of the bigger expenses of the BCTF is the AGM which costs approximately $1.18 million. Given that we are in session for a total of 28 hours, it's $42142.86/hour or $702.38/minute. If that seems expensive to you consider the collective body. This group is one of the most highly educated, intelligent and informed groups in the province. Their opinions will influence education for years to come which in turn will influence the future for decades. Really, it’s a bargain. And I won’t share the details of the union finances here, but suffice to say our increased member contributions over the past five years have drastically improved our financial situation as an organization. That led to a number of proposed amendments to reduce membership fees, but all were defeated. Prudence dictates, it’s better to have money and not need it than to need money and not have it. And this is a bargaining year. Speaking of which- Bargaining There was some encouraging news on the bargaining front. The BCTF is the last public sector labour union to sit down with the government and thus far the negotiators have been pleased with the general tone of the negotiations. Looking at numerous other collective agreements that have already been completed, it seems it is possible to get a new deal done before the end of this collective agreement that addresses the disparity between the salaries of BC teachers those living in the rest of Canada which, in turn, might help us to address problems with recruitment and retention. Proper negotiations don’t begin until April 1st (don’t trust anything they say before noon!) but, fingers crossed, hopefully we can negotiate an agreement that teachers will celebrate. Decolonizing is a Tricky Business The AGM got a collective lesson in just how difficult this work is on the day after we heard an inspiring, yet troubling presentation from Lucia Morales, an indigenous educator from Mexico, where the process of colonization is ongoing. The BCTF committed to adopting the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as well as the The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), but as one delegate eloquently put it, “voting for this resolution is just the start of the work”. The Government has a Fight on its Hands Delegates spoke passionately against the government's desire to move to a prevalence based funding formula for school districts. The problems with such a model were explained by President Glen Hansman: “The prevalence model will lead to fewer special needs assessments and diagnoses. Without that information, teachers will lose valuable insights at the start of each year when they begin working with a new class. If there is no record of diagnosis and paperwork articulating the nature of a student's disability or learning challenges, teachers will not be able to properly address that child's needs as they move through different grades. This disconnection in the name of accounting efficiencies will hamstring teachers' efforts to support all students.” Furthermore, “Moving to a prevalence model will also force parents to fight even harder for specialized supports and services. Families who can afford it will turn to outside psychologists to diagnose their children's needs. But kids whose parents can't afford it, or don't have a parent pushing hard in the principal's office, will be left behind.” Although delegates stopped short of taking immediate action, it was clear that there is a willingness to do whatever it takes to prevent the implementation of this funding model. The Kids are Alright- the Planet... Not So Much Seth Klein gave an impassioned speech to the delegation about the need for urgent mobilization on Climate Change. He likened the climate crisis to the second world war and suggested that a similar response was required to meet the transformational challenges we have before us. His presentation was followed by a group of Victoria students who had been part of the student strike the Friday before the March break. Over a million students worldwide walked out of their classes on March 15th protesting climate inaction on the part of world leaders. Despite their youth, they were as intelligent and articulate in presenting their petition to have teachers endorse their walk-out. Both presentations helped to support a slew of recommendations calling for a greater focus on the environment going forward. Unfortunately, many of these failed to make it to the floor of the AGM to be debated and voted upon, but they will be addressed at the next Representative Assembly in May. Teachers Like a Good Time The St. Patrick’s Day dance with “Queer as Funk” was definitely the highlight of the festivities, but every evening had something to let delegates blow off some steam. From karaoke to trivia to stand-up comedy, there was something for everyone as well and appies and drinks to keep everybody hydrated and well-nourished. It creates the ideal circumstances to mix and mingle and get to know other educators from around the province. If you have never attended an AGM, I highly recommend that you try to make it to one. You will leave both exhausted and energized with a much greater appreciation and understanding of how your union functions as well as the challenges facing both our profession and our world. The BCTF’s Commitment to Solidarity begins, “We believe that union solidarity is based on the principle that all members are equal and deserve mutual respect.” What does that look like? Well, judging by a pair of recommendations coming forward to this year’s AGM. It means that 80% of our equal, respected membership will be eligible to run for 10, 11 or 12 positions on the 12-member executive. The remaining 20% of our equal, respected membership can, at best, occupy up to 3 positions. The distinction between the two group of members? One group are straight, white men. The other group is everyone else. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. – George Orwell Now setting aside the question of whether it is ever okay for an organization to require someone to reveal their sexuality (hard no!), does the BCTF have the right to discriminate against a fifth of its members? The BC Human Rights code suggests not. Section 14 states a trade union, employers' organization or occupational association must not discriminate against any person or member because of the race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or age. However some supporters of the recommendations have argued that there may be a way to circumvent this prohibition. There is an exemption for employers who wish to implement employment equity programs. Under the special program exemption, it is not discrimination or a contravention of this Code to plan, advertise, adopt or implement an employment equity program that (a)has as its objective the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups who are disadvantaged because of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, and (b)achieves or is reasonably likely to achieve that objective. I’m not a lawyer so I really don’t know whether this exemption applies to unions as well as employers or not. I am also uncertain whether the employment equity exemption has ever been used to ensure a 75% majority position in the leadership of an organization, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the BCTF was breaking new ground with these recommendations. Legality aside, however, they still doesn’t put our organization in a positive light. Impartiality is essential to our credibility as professionals. If the BCTF adopts resolutions seemingly biased against some men, parents might justifiably question whether this bias extends to teachers’ judgement of some boys. Indeed, there is no shortage of writers cherry picking statistics to make exactly this argument. But the recommendations raise other questions too. Is it really the position of the BCTF that there is nothing morally wrong with prejudice (literally to “pre-judge” someone based on characteristics such as race, gender or sexuality) and discrimination? That they have just been applied to the wrong people? Do teachers really view these ideas as “progressive”? What happened to the union that passed the resolution insisting “That the BCTF not maintain membership in any organization that limits membership by sex, race or creed”? (41.B.03). The members who put that policy in place were demanding that people be treated and evaluated as individuals not as symbolic representations of groups. That people "not be judged on the colour of their skin, but on content of their character". To me this is far more nuanced and sensible position than one that can’t a distinguish between male Serbian refugee (privileged) and the daughter of two university professors (disadvantaged). Thankfully, we have a system that can make these fine distinctions. It’s called liberal democracy and there are few better examples of it than at the BCTF AGM. We should not be attempting to limit it. “Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?” – George Orwell Delegates, presumably for reasons like my own, after lengthy debate have rejected versions of these recommendations in past years. Those who support them see this as a rejection of equity and inclusion and have argued that these recommendations are necessary to “create space for voices that have traditionally been marginalized through racism, sexism and homophobia”.
I think this is a fair point, but it is also worth pointing out that presently ten out of twelve members of the executive are from equity seeking groups (as defined by the BC Human Rights Code). Barring any last-minute surprises, following these next elections, there will be a maximum of two and possibly only one member out of thirteen who doesn't come from an equity seeking group. And isn't representation achieved through an unfettered democratic process superior to one mandated by a bylaw? Whatever racism, sexism and homophobia exists within the union, it hasn’t prevented equity seeking members from finding success. I understand this is in large part due to the work of the advocates who have prioritized representation and spent a lot of time and energy into making sure that members from equity seeking groups had the support, skills and confidence to step forward and get involved in the leadership. This is the right way to bring about progress, by tearing down barriers, not by putting them up. For me, recommendations that compromise solidarity, introduce prejudice and discrimination and circumvent a free democratic process aren’t progressive, but I imagine there will be no shortage of people in Victoria ready to explain how and where I am mistaken. I can't wait! I fell in love with folklore from a very young age. My mother read to me from Mother Goose- I knew my nursery rhymes and learned the stories of Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk. My childhood was rich in magic. Fairies, elves, witches and trolls populated the deep dark woods of my imagination. But as I got older, I outgrew my belief in magic and stopped seeing the faces of trolls in rocks. I became evermore confident that the world was no longer like it had been, “Once upon a time”. And though I continued to visit the land of Dungeons and Dragons with my friends through role playing and alone through the fantasy literature of C.S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, Tolkien, Piers Anthony and David Eddings among others, I was keenly aware that these worlds were unlike the one I was living in. Fairy tales do not tell children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters exist. Fairy tales tell children that monsters can be killed. - G.K. Chesterton It wasn’t until I was in my third year of university that I rediscovered folklore. I came across a book of folktales, the Red Fairy book by Andrew Lang and started reading them and sharing them with my friends over pizza after work. There is something intoxicating both in hearing and telling a good story. I was hooked. I fell in love with the simple intricate plots and the themes that emerged. Themes like the strength of courage, the transformational power of love, the importance of loyalty and the value of a little trickery. I found the characters were struggling with many of the same challenges I was facing as a young man. They struggled to live up to their parents expectations,to become independent and mature, to resist easy temptations and to take on responsibility for others. They struggled to survive against an indifferent world, against villains who were possessed by jealousy, ambition, hatred or greed. These are all mature, complex themes that are found throughout all literature, but here in folklore they were explored simply yet thoroughly in a language that was easily understood by even children. The thematic richness and depth of folklore is not particularly surprising. For thousands of years before the invention of the printing press, folklore was passed down orally from one generation to the next. It has formed the basis of culture since the very beginning. Even Shakespeare himself borrowed heavily from it. These stories represented the collective wisdom of peoples and were a great source of both moral and practical life lessons. More than simply entertainment, they fostered a stronger sense of cultural identity and created an understanding of a shared heritage.
The act of telling stories and hearing stories in this way, strengthened memory and fostered discipline as well as listening skills. Most importantly, it engaged the imagination, which according to literary critic Northrope Frye is the seat of both empathy and innovation. “No matter how much experience we may gather in life, we can never in life get the dimension of experience that the imagination gives us. Only the arts and sciences can do that, and of these, only literature gives us the whole sweep and range of human imagination as it sees itself”. The capacity to see fairies in the dappled sunlight of a meadow is no different from the ability to see horseless carriages before they exist or envision riding in a metal bird. Every great leap in history whether technological or social began because someone imagined that the world could be different, better, than it was. Carl Jung saw the importance of folklore and myth in a different light. He made is the cornerstone of his psychology. He posited that we all interpret the world through constructed narratives that we borrow from stories deep in our unconsciousness. At times you might be Robin Hood, fighting to protect the helpless against tyrants. Other times, you will be the biblical Job- enduring suffering upon suffering at the hands of an ineffable God. There are times in your life when you will face the choice of Faust or find yourself flying too high like Icarus. Perhaps your life story isn’t so specific, but if you think about it for a moment, I am sure you can look back on the past year and easily tell whether it was a comedy, tragedy or romance. This structure is part of what gives our lives meaning. Try as we might, it is difficult to shake the belief that there is not some kind or order in the world. Whether it’s true or not, we all want to believe that there is a purpose to suffering, that good things happen to good people, that we should strive to be heroic and that it’s possible to live “Happily Ever After”. This is the wisdom, the practical and moral life lessons that these stories contain and this is why we must continue to tell them. |