I think if you arrive at my blog on a Celebration Saturday and I am sharing news that the strike has ended and I am back in my classroom, you will have to close your eyes and plug your ears. Somehow, I will have figured out how to install a brass band and fireworks exploding everywhere as soon as you click on the link.
But today, is obviously not that day. Monday, I will be on a picket line for the eighteenth day since May of this year (rotating strike days with full scale walk out beginning mid June) and have sat through two study session days organized by my union, which confirmed, if I hadn’t figured it out that we are really truly on strike.
There are weeks where I shed a few tears trying to dig deep and find something to celebrate.
But. Breathing deep, here I go. I still have the power to find things despite my sadness.
This week, I celebrate voice. There is so much feeling out of control in prolonged job actions. This week, I was invited into the CBC studios a few times to talk about how low income children are faring during this strike. I am very concerned about my students and their well being. It felt many shades of right to be able to talk about it. I am grateful to both CBC television and CBC radio for sharing this aspect to the strike that many might not be thinking about. The impact on children, especially those most vulnerable, matters.
I do have the clip to the radio segment. If you want to listen, the link is here.
Thank you to Ruth Ayres, for the inspiration and her Celebration Link up that she hosts each week. I treasure this #celebratelu community. Despite our busy days, time is always found to share what we celebrate. It’s like passing a virtual gratitude stone!
There's a Book for That 
My heart goes out to you and all teachers fighting for what is right for students and teachers. When I blogged last night about the first week of school I thought of all of you and knew you were not where you SHOULD be: in your classrooms. I hope it changes soon.
Thank you Faige for always thinking of us. I really do appreciate it. We are definitely not where we should be.
Thanks for sharing the link to the radio segment–I will be listening to that later today. The most vulnerable children are certainly the ones who suffer the most. Glad you had an opportunity to give voice to that. And I agree about the Celebrate community. Reading all of the different celebrations is certainly a bright spot in my week.
Thanks Elisabeth. It did feel good to be able to be part of telling the story that this strike really hurts lots of kids. It is a constant worry for me.
Dearest Carrie, just listened to your radio broadcast – you are such an inspiration to me and so many others. I have a hard time going to the place you have gone with this strike – focusing on my own personal celebrations this week because I’m trying to find the positive in all of this. I hate what this strike is doing to our children, especially the most vulnerable, who come to us for so much more than the curriculum. But I have to believe that, in the end, they will somehow benefit from all of this. Let’s only hope. Take care, my dearest friend.
I am impressed with how much you can focus on the positive. I hate everything about this. I am worried about my students. I want my children in school. I am worried about our family (loss of two incomes). I am just worried. It did feel good to be able to talk about my students. We have such limited voice in this.
Carrie,
I am glad that you are finding ways to celebrate the small, but important steps along this journey. I hope that you are reunited with your students soon. They need you more than you need them. Thank you also for sharing your voice, both on the CBC and here on your blog.
Bingo. They do need me. And it is killing me to not be there. I, for one, believe that every individual voice has value. Not everyone shares my philosophy.
I have been thinking of you. I feel your voice and your heartache. I have those students, and I fear that this type of action is looming near my classroom. There is no easy answer but the effects on children is quite clear. Thank you for the link, Your voice is an inspiration.
Thank you Julieanne for your thoughts and support from afar. It really does mean so much to me to have such wonderful support from educators I respect so much. My voice is my truth. I think that matters.
Indeed I have been looking for good news form you, both here and on twitter. I keep shaking my head in disbelief that there is still no solution. You are right that the ones suffering the most are the kids who don’t have a chance to be in the classroom with teachers like you.
You are so right Terje. These children really do need to be in school. This entire dispute is completely ridiculous. And sadder than I ever thought it could get.
Your voice is important. Stay strong.
Thank you Lisa. Sometimes, I am very far from strong. But the one thing I am always fierce about is that each individual voice is important. I can hang on to that.