Book Week: Day Two

Two School visits ranging from adult learners to CEGEP students and then a book competition; it was a full day!

The morning started with me arriving at the CDC Vimont adult learning centre in Laval where I met with Enza from the Learning Exchange. She is a warm person who brings calm and happy vibes to a room. I soon met with her colleague Tabatha who was just as welcoming, fun, and eager. These two ladies do great work providing learning experiences for adult students. And they are clearly loved by the student body!

A wonderful morning with the students at the Adult Learning Centre in Laval

I gave a workshop on finding joy and together, we created a lovely scrapbook filled with their poems.

Copies of my books were raffled off and one of the winners, Zara was so grateful she asked to have our picture taken together. The pleasure was all mine!

Many students thanked me for the workshop saying it was meaningful for them and how important it is to focus on joy.

Hearing that from participants was extremely validating!

Zara, who won a copy of "Outta Here"

After many hugs and thanks, I left Laval for Westmount where I gave a talk about how to re-write a classic fairy tale from the perspective of an ethical dilemma and re-write it according to theoretical ethical frameworks.

This required much research on my part. I wanted it to be meaningful for students who have to do a similar assignment for class, but also wanted it to be engaging. So, after some talk about one of Grimm's fairy tales involving a witch (I wore my very cool T-Shirt that reads: They didn't burn witches, they burned Women), we analysed the story together and brainstormed ideas.

I then read to them my new version of the fairy tale, which I re-wrote from a capabilities and feminist approach. I was a little nervous, but it was well-received.

This presentation was special for me since I am a Marianopolis graduate (class of 2000) and although the school is in a different building, I felt the same sense of home in this place as when I attended all those years ago. I don't love presenting in an auditorium with a microphone, but students engaged in brainstorming and even shared their ideas aloud, which made it lots of fun.

Presenting at Marianopolis College

With a couple hours to kill, I spent the afternoon at the Westmount Public Library where I got to focus on my own work in progress: A middle grade novel I am hoping to submit to publishers soon. I was taken with the tree outside the library that was in full bloom and smelled sweet, but then I got to work until about six o'clock.

I met up with my librarian colleague and four of my students at The Study for a Battle of the Books competition. We were not competing, but rather, cheering on the students at Laval Senior Academy who were representing the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Our students lost to them in the board battle a month ago, but JHS students are the kind of kids who love books and who naturally love to show support and sportsmanship. I'm so proud of them for wanting to attend. It helps that they also walked away with some free books and some door prizes. Watching my students get excited over books warms my teacher heart. And these girls are all heart!

Huddling around books. Love it!

It was a busy day but extremely fulfilling and inspiring.