This week's TEACHER of the Week is Mr. Waterman (that picture!!! Is he 13-years old? Adorable!!).
I remember when Mr. Waterman first arrived at our school. I believe it was in late June, three years ago. He came to my room and introduced himself as the new Drama teacher. I could tell right away that he was a very friendly and enthusiastic guy. But he also seemed just the slightest bit nervous (in retrospect, I am sure that I was interpreting this incorrectly). Anyway, I decided to be a "really nice guy" and offer Mr. Waterman my assistance. Me: Hey, you know, I taught Drama a few times when I was in Squamish. I still have some resources I could pass your way. Would you like them? Mr. Waterman: That would be AMAZING!! Thanks so much, Man! He seemed so genuinely thankful, it seemed to underline the fact that this guy was eager (if not desperate) for help. I went home thinking: "way to go. You supported a new, fledgling teacher today". Fast forward to around October when it had already become abundantly clear that Mr. Waterman is a teaching superstar!! The way his students spoke about him, the sorts of things I heard he was doing in class, the quality of his instruction, etc. I could not feel any MORE stupid for thinking my silly resources would be of any help to this guy. And the idea that he was nervous and required my assistance... NONSENSE!! You'd think I'd be smart enough to learn from this experience... NOPE! Earlier this year, Mr. Waterman was telling me how he was particularly busy as he was doing some drama work with a group of Canadian veterans. I pictured him at a local community centre or legion, struggling through some basic exercises with a motley crew. How admirable, I thought. Then, one day, I opened up an email from Mr. Waterman to all the KG teaching staff. It included a news report and photos of Mr. Waterman and his "motley crew" performing in London, with members of the royal family in attendance! This was no small deal! Note to self: do not ever underestimate Mr. Waterman again. He is the sort of teacher - and sort of person - who gets things done and gets them done very, VERY well. Consider the school plays over the past few years. They have been extraordinary. And the lip-sync contest. Tons of fun! And I KNOW all of Mr. Waterman's students would sing his praises (and often do). In fact, I'd like to share what one of Mr. Waterman's grade 8 students wrote about him recently (I read this at our staff party last week. I was choking up as I read it. Mr Waterman was teary eyed. ALL the teachers were touched by these sweet words): "When I transitioned to high school I was really scared. Your class made me laugh and feel like high school wasn't that bad at all and I really belonged here. I hope wherever you go next will bring you as much happiness as you brought to me" Sadly, Mr. Waterman is leaving King George this year. What a major loss to our school. I believe he is off to Magee. Our loss is their gain. I know that soon we will start to hear from students and staff at that school, about the amazing Drama teacher that is educating and inspiring Magee's Drama classes. On a selfish note, I will also miss Mr. Waterman's exuberance and... uh... stamina. I believe that the average ending time of KG Staff social events was extended about 2 hours upon Mr. Waterman's arrival. This guy likes to have a good time. The life of the party one could say. I guess that responsibility now falls on Mr. Wilband. Time to step up, PW!! Thanks, Mike, for everything you did for our school. I loved working with you but I loved, even more, seeing how much your students respected, admired, and had such affection for you. And why wouldn't they with your great sense of humour, your caring nature, and your undeniable charisma? I look forward to following your career in the coming years, as you make a name for yourself as one of the VSB's most outstanding Drama teachers. I have not a doubt about it. Good luck to you, Mr. Waterman!! The Avalanches released their first album (Since I Left You) in 2000. It was a masterpiece!! But - incredibly - it took them 16 years to release their next album (next Friday). This is one of the first singles. Sadly, it's "ok" at best. The Stone Roses were a truly legendary alternative band in the 1980s. Their debut self-titled album is a classic (one of my favourites ever!) but - due to legal troubles - they only released one more (pretty lousy) album in 1994. Now, over 20 years later, they are back!! The first single was AWFUL (I'm not posting it) but this one is MUCH better! Left to right: Iago A, Wadge, Moe G, Joseph K, Raveel T, Yanal M, Rohail, Galena B, Blaga I, Sophia K, Galena's cousin, Sam L
Missing: Stefan A (it was leg day the previous day) |
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