“Me as a learner” caught my attention, to me, learning has been life experience; I have gone through three stages; first Inuktitut, introduce to English, and then I move down here to live.
I was born in an Igloo, the month of February, and it’s the coldest time of the year (-50). You probably guessed it, when I mention igloo how did she sit in a class room in an igloo. There were no class rooms. I wasn’t introduced to modern life and education till I was eight years old. The government ask my parents to move to little hamlet now called old M.O.T. There wasn’t very many buildings, few match box housing. But the old M.O.T. people had bigger housing, so they use one of their buildings just for classroom.
I still remember the first time I’ve every step in a classroom; I hid behind the coal stove and I stayed behind that stove all day long; there was no way I was going in front of this alien. This alien spoke different language and he was all was very different human being (no color) very light skin complexion; he spoke different; it was all jibber, jabber. I was happy when the day was over at that awful place. As I had to go back next day it didn’t make it easier, thinking how am I suppose to understand this person, or where did he come from.
Next day came, when I entered the classroom, he handed me a very colorful book (looking back, that book is called Dick and Jill went the hill). I looked at the pictures because what ever was written on those pages had no to me.
By the time I was fifteen, I pretty much knew, what education or sitting in class room was all about, but yet I had no concept about grammar, literature, social study, science and mathematic, but yet I wrote them five days a week.
My teacher never explains, what they were teaching us. They just taught, the teachers were send from down south.
In my late sixteen year I became pregnant, so I my early seventieth, I became a mom, so I put education a side till all my children got old enough.
My marriage was over down here and I had to look after four children on my own with no education, what I to do am.
I had to get help from social assistance I talked to one of the workers there and he told me about this adult education program I was scared, thinking I am too old to be sitting in the class room, with an attitude that I already had been in school in my younger years. (I know it all attitude), I was send to Annapolis Valley Work Centre.
There I took cooking course in the morning from 8-1 pm and in the after noon I was being taught grammar and math and so on from 1-3pm, for me too learn grammar and math , the time wasn’t long enough, so much to learn in little time.
It wasn’t long enough. So much to learn about proper grammar, and to learn to speak proper language and write.
Inuktitut is my first language and that how learn I learn to write, we need alphabet to write next page is our alphabet in Inuktitut. www.rrsss17.gouv.qc.ca/en/nunavik/langue.aspx
When I first started this adult Uteracy education, I thought no problem, I done this before after six month being at V.C.L.A I realize that I still got long ways to go.
Thanks to our very passionate instructor, Karen Cloghesy and her boss Peter Gills and the secretary Lorna Marks. Those people have taken their time to answer my million questions about English language.
As I have gone through adult education last eight years, my children have been behind me all the way, my oldest daughter, Deborah has been my teacher, since I cant take my teacher with me when I leave my classroom, I have to turn to my daughter(Deborah) for help, she helps me on the grammar.
When I started adult education, I had grade five levels, even though I finished grade nine level up at home (Clyde River Baffin Island). For that I thank all the people that have taken their time teaching me on grammar, math and everything else to do with education.