The Un-Ending Adventures of Jenny Jumps

One summer in particular, I put in a good few days as a freelance lifeguard.

Actually, as I recall it was my boss at the Georgina Leisure Pool who put my name forward and recommended me to a woman who was holding a private pool party in her backyard.  She had a son with a severe physical disability and had invited several children with similar diagnoses and their parents.

I arrived at her home unsure of what to expect, and when I realised the extent of the children’s condition, I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage what she was asking of me.  She wanted to put the children in lifejackets, and then with the assistance of one other adult, allow them to float around her pool while herself and the rest of the parents relaxed on the deck.

So I did just that.  I was apprehensive at first.  I took one child at a time and lowered them gently into the water.  Most experienced at least  severe paralysis, if not some degree of blindness, reduced hearing and various cardio-vascular difficulties.  Their conditions prevented them from making sudden – if any – movements but one wrong move by the other adult or I could flip any number of children over,  turning them face down in the water and effectively ending their life.

I lay each child into the water face-up in a lifejacket.  Then, one by one, bringing each child close to my body, I looked them in the eyes and moved them gently through the water.  The parent who stood in the water with me, watched the children to be sure that they remained face-up.  After the first round I felt more confident, and one-at-a-time, removed each child from his or her lifejacket and allowed each child to experience the sensation of floating in their own skin.

I fell in love which each of those children.

Apparently the parents were watching in astonishment from the balcony above.  Not only did I love the children, but I handled them physically with skill and finesse.

Suffice to say, that mother paid me double what she had originally offered, and continued to recommend me to other parents and organisations throughout the community.

The influx of requests resulted in a fairly busy summer for me that year, and at $25 per hour, I was continuing to develop my intuition as a successful entrepreneur.

I think it was probably in or around 11th grade when I discovered my teenage angst.

Anyways; I suddenly discovered that I met the requisite age for co-operative education and seeing it as an opportunity to both a) skip school and b) prove to my old-country father that I was also the requisite age for a paying job, I signed up for the programme.

Every co-op student participates in an informal meeting with the co-op co-ordinator during the term before your co-op term begins.  During my meeting I told the co-ordinator that I wanted to play the piano for the rest of my life.  This is the same answer I later gave my father when he asked, “what do you want to do with the rest of your life; what will you study in university?” .

“Play the piano?”

Apparently the ADULT response to the aspirations of an angsty teenager is, “Yeah right; What’s your backup plan?”

Which is HOW, I was ultimately placed in a teaching position at Pickering College for two school terms, or 10 months.

I won’t say that I enjoyed every moment of it.

I will say that at the time, I :

• loved the good days
• hated “dressing appropriately”
• felt cursed by the GoBus schedule
• felt awkward most of the time
• was embarrassed by the eighth graders more often than not
• grew a sense of humour
• improved my sight reading skills
• learned to conduct a musical group
• taught junior school music classes both independently and as an assistant
• made lesson plans, prepared supplies for classes
• helped to grade assignments
• worked with other staff & teachers to develop concerts & performances
• learned the basics for most orchestral instruments and how to teach them
• loved the perks! the free lunches, the field trips!
• experientially discovered and categorized developmental traits by age
• experienced staff meetings & private school politics

I’m not finished.

This was one of the coolest experiences of my life – but I can only say that in retrospect.

In retrospect, my father was right.  Prior to my co-operative placement, I was not prepared socially or intellectually to work in a paid position.   The co-op programme prepared and coached students through the application process, counselled students on an ongoing basis, checked-in with employers and students on-site during the workday and acted as a moderator throughout the working experience to ensure that all parties acted responsibly and appropriately at all times.

Additionally, I discovered a deep and profound love for teaching.  I carried that love throughout university and applied it to my education related courses, and my education related work positions.

Having worked in this environment when I was very young, I know that I could return to this position at any time, and be an even more effective school music teacher than had I not had this opportunity.