Letter to MLA Terry Lake

June 17^th, 2014

Dear Terry Lake,

I hope in some small way this letter is actually read.

My name is Stephan Bloom and I teach in the Kamloops School District (grade 5). I did not vote for you although I would have if you had followed a different political philosophy. I have played soccer against you, I have coached your daughter, I have voted for you for Mayor. My daughter has been friends and team mates with yours. I have a sense of your values and family and they are very admirable. I have liked your passion for everything you have done.

You must be finding the way the provincial Liberals are running the province disheartening. Are you really comfortable with democracy in B.C.?

Unions of workers and their “rights” are painful, as a member, and as an employer (20 staff in my 2 businesses)! But they have moved us out of the time of sweat shops and workers abuse. They have created a middle class rather than working poor and the financially rich. There is still a place for them. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing. Child poverty is an indicator by itself.

I left my businesses for altruistic reasons! I wanted to contribute! My businesses were not contributors. I am proud to be a teacher, to be associated with people that are working for the betterment of others and now fighting for them.

It may be political suicide for you to stand up and say something in caucus but I would expect no less from someone like you.

Stephan Bloom

Amazing Teachers!

Another super day! and humbling!  It was great!  We are continuing with training students in the ways of creating great science experiments through using the SMARTER Science program.  This is all in preparation to sending a student experiment into space on Mission 6 in the fall of 2014.

Today I visited 2 classrooms and saw amazing teachers at work!  I can't believe the talent and caring of the teachers I have worked with in the Kamloops district.  It is humbling for me because I can see the true competence these teachers have and recognize that I could work on a few things!!  And I'm not talking about things as romantic as Inquiry.  I could work harder on things like humour, intensity (less), and yes perhaps even respect.

Thanks and kudos to Rolynda and Grant and Seema.

2014 has it really been a year since my last post!

What a year it has been.  I haven't posted, haven't tweeted but I have been busy developing my Inquiry teaching skills.  My class is completely changed, I can't even imagine going back to textbook and teaching.  I don't even call myself a teacher anymore.  I interchange classroom leader with class/learning facilitator as my new title.  On some assignments - I don't plan it, or the process or the assessment. I just lead the students to do it.  The other day I showed the students the IRP and they planned the unit on Immigration and Public Speaking they even made the Rubric for assessing public speaking.

My challenge is to come to school with my A game - I need to be well rested, well exercised, well meditated and my relationship strong.  If I have my A game I am usually disappointed when Friday or a holiday comes along because I am having so much fun watching the learning take place.

I am not a power person at all (I think) but...  Those who are should look at the power they could have by giving up the control.  Watching enthusiasm, excitement for learning take place and knowing without your guidance that these children would be missing out is POWERFUL.

Life is Good!