Despite considering myself a reflective person, I found it difficult to start this assignment.

Diving
into reflection with the frame that this is an assignment can make reflection more difficult. My
first step was to come up with a word category of my personal values and traits, as well as some
that I value in others and would love to foster in my students. Below is a list of what came to
mind:

Risk-oriented, hard working, competitive, fun, optimistic, considerate, persistent

For this assignment I fixated particularly on the bolded traits. I decided to have some fun, take a
risk, and make it interesting. Because poetry eludes me, I figured Haikus would be the best way
to proceed. The following Haikus draw inspiration from past experiences where I demonstrated
the traits listed above. I’ve also added short paragraphs after each Haiku to give them more
context, adding more breath to the reflection. It was very interesting to write these Haikus as I
was forced to write long stories with very few words. It really forced me to think deeply on the
stories so that I could best extract what makes them so tantalizing.

Optimistic/fun: Type 2 Fun

Huddled in a hut
Heavy rain soaking our clothes
At least we’ve got rum

This one is based on hiking, camping, and backpacking trips I’ve done when the weather does
not cooperate. Whether it’s walking through a snow storm, a sudden downpour, or a long cold
night, what keeps us moving forward is our cheerful company and the promise of rum.
Hard working: Landscaping
Sun burning my skin
Digging clay and raking loam
Just eight hours to go

Just before moving to Lethbridge I found myself strapped for cash. I figured landscaping would
be a good way to make a lot of money in a short five weeks. I had never worked a job that
called for twelve-hour days, let alone a physical one. Despite that, I was able to stay motivated
through it and even found it enjoyable at times.

Considerate: A naïve senior

Old, lost and confused
Wisdom eroding away
Yet warmth still remains

About four years ago, an older man approaching retirement age walked into the gas station
that I worked at. He was a very warm and friendly man, yet I couldn’t help but feel something
was off. Although he owned a jerrycan, he didn’t know how to use one. He also couldn’t figure
out that the reason his blinkers were going was because his hazard lights were on. After we
gave him some instructions, I still couldn’t shake the feeling. I went out and found him still
struggling, so I helped him with a smile through the whole process. At this point, his wife pulled
up behind us. Once we finished, she gave me a strong hug and whispered “thank you” in my
ear. At that point I clued in that the man was likely suffering from dementia. I will never forget
neither his kindness nor the warmth of his wife’s hug.

Competitive: swimming
Dark skies, cheering crowd
Must not think and only swim
Only gold matters
One of my pastimes growing up as a kid in Venezuela was competitive swimming. Some
competitions would start late and run past sundown. This particular night I was selected for the
freestyle relay team. I was up second last and watched as we slowly sank behind. When it was
my turn, I was determined to turn it around. I swam as hard as I could, hardly gasping for air. By
the time I was done my leg, we had pulled ahead. We managed to win gold that night.

Risk-oriented: rock climbing

No answer feels clear
Yet I commit to the smear
Can’t silence the fear

In rock climbing, often times one is unsure what’s the best way to proceed. Maybe it looks
easier going up and left, but you look up and it seems to lead nowhere. Other times one must
make a move that feels extremely insecure. Smearing is a particular move that can be insecure,
which is when you push as hard as you can with your feet on the rock without standing on any
edges and hope that the friction you create keeps you stuck to the rock as you reach up. If
there’s potential for a big or risky fall, your heart will be racing and your mind screaming.
Nevertheless, it’s a risk you must take if you wish to succeed; better to fall trying than frozen in
fear.

Persistent: backcountry backpacking trips

Bloody feet, cramped thighs
No mercy from the mountain
Better move forward

I’ve had the pleasure to go on a few backpacking trips through the mountains. Long hiking days
with a heavy bag has a certain cathartic feel to it. That is until the third day when your feet are
sore, your legs cramped, and you’re about to hike up a mountain. At this point the only way up
is to persist like a mule and look for comfort later.