Snow and teaching

Yes I love snow!! I grew up in sunny South Africa where I had to drive three hours to a beautiful place called Hogsback (Google it!) to see any snow! This photo is of a corner patio of my garden where I like to sit and read-except when it's covered in snow that is!
I love snow because it changes the ordinary into something out of the ordinary.A friend of mine calls it God's icing. I love that each snowflake is unique! I find it fascinating that one snowflake on it's own will melt but put them together and they can stop traffic.

Walking in our neighbourhood forest admiring the snow got me thinking about how snow is much like teaching. It's a wonderful profession with icing on the top times when a student achieves something-anything!
It also has challenging moments-like driving in the snow-when you just can't make a breakthrough with a student. It has fun-snow ball fight moments- like dancing on the stage with two of my students (they actually made it on stage!) at the Christmas play.
Each of my students and each of my wonderful team of staff are snowflakes! Without the support of eachother we would not be able to achieve much. Each one unique, each one beautiful in their own way!

I have six students and as many Learning Support Assistants as the students are all educated one to one. I have an amazing group of students, they teach me well each day ! They have taught me to be compassionate, to be patient,to really listen, to be intuitive, to be observant,to be organised and above all to really appreciate the so-called "little" things in life- like snowflakes and snow :)

Home is where the heart is

Home is where the heart is...
or to put it as eloquently as Emily Dickinson
" Where thou art,that is home"

I have put a photo of our current home in this blog as we will soon be leaving it. As you may or may not know, moving has been a big part of my new life in the UK . It is not something I am used to- not something that I enjoy. Some people relish the thought of a new scene, new neighbours, perhaps new furniture
I am not one of them! My title to this entry is fitting because my home will always be where my husband and sons are but each time I say farewell a piece of me is left behind. When I left South Africa a huge piece of my heart was left behind- My sister,brother,nephews and nieces, sisters and brother -in law, great nieces and nephew- all kept a piece of me. It did indeed feel as if my heart had been broken to leave them.
This house has been our fourth home since moving here four years ago. However it has been the house we have lived in for three years and which has provided my family and I with the safety and security we have needed. It has been a wonderful home and though we do not own it- a piece of me will remain there. I will add it to my love memory.

A house is not the same as a home. I have owned three houses and rented four-they have all been home to me for there my heart is also.

I'm Back!!

Hi all my family and friends on FB- and of course my fellow JLanders who would be familiar with my "old" blog.
I have finally been able to access my blog and will now try to continue! I have spent the afternoon (yes I'm on holiday this week) reading my old entries.
Since my last post THREE years ago we have continued to settle well into our new lives in the UK. I am so very relieved that both my boys- now 19 and 15- have settled so well! I remember all my Jlanders amazing support when we left our life in South Africa behind to move to the UK. Since then JLand is no more but I am happy that I have reconnected with many of you via facebook.

That's all for now-follow my blog if you like and leave a comment too. :)