CoMC and Beyond (tag: Kiva) on Cascade Hall

Kerry O'Shaunasey

November 23, 2011 3:04 PM

CoMC and Beyond (tag: Kiva) by Kerry O'Shaunasey

Kerry was just a touch nervous to go see Kiva. For a few reasons. First, he had her old job and wanted to pick her brain about it a little. He suspected they'd had very different focuses of their knowledge and skill. He was just worried it would sound like a deficit on his end. On the other hand, she'd hired him, she knew exactly what his skills and areas of knowledge were. There wasn't any reason to be worried, but he still was a little. This was his first full time teaching gig after all, and he was going to speak to his boss.

Then there was also the fact that he wanted to pitch and idea to Kiva that he thought would be good for the students. He was a total noob though and wanting to suggest something and he didn't want to come off as uppity or know-it-ally. Maybe the school had thought of this already and decided it wouldn't work. But, if no one had brought it up... well, it was worth the potential awkwardness to at least have the idea brought up.

Kerry found his way to the headmistress's office behind the wall off the Hall of Plants. He'd dressed a bit more professional than his usual, his tie actually tight to his collar instead of worn a bit loose, his wizarding robes zipped most of the way up so that only his collar, tie and part of his shirt showed, much like it would under a suit coat. He was still wearing jeans under the robes, and sturdy black boots, and he still had long hair pulled back in a ponytail, all of which belied his professional appearance a bit. He'd put his glasses on, though, in hopes of looking smart and professional and detract from his youth and informality.

He made his presence known, knocking, or whatever made the most sense for Kiva's office, and waited to be invited in.

0 Kerry O'Shaunasey CoMC and Beyond (tag: Kiva) 0 Kerry O'Shaunasey 1 5

Kiva Kijewski

November 24, 2011 12:31 AM

The 'Beyond' part worries me... by Kiva Kijewski

Kiva had long ago left the administration and political part of the educational system behind when she had decided it was best to leave Sonora six years ago. She had never dreamed that she would be behind this desk ever. She had chosen to come back last year because she had been asked and then decided to become Headmistress because the school had been in a pickle of sorts and after Amelia had turned it down, Kiva was a last resort. She didn’t regret agreeing to it so much because she still maintained a nine to five (most days) job where she could go home to her son at night. But she did regret all the extra work that she now had to deal with. She had to hire multiple new staff members over the summer and still was in need of an Astronomy professor. All the paperwork, letters, visits from the board members, staffing, scheduling, students, etc… she could understand now why only a select few ever lasted in this position.

The knock on the door startled her and she nearly knocked over her ink well. “Come in.” She called out, standing up to clear off some of the papers that she had spread over her desk. The Head office was supposed to be stiff and professional. At least, that was what she was told as to how it should be. But Kiva was an animal lover and a mother so there was no way she could work eight to nine hours a day (sometimes longer) in a hostile environment.

Her desk was large and positioned next to the window so that her owl deliveries can be received easily, but also because she wanted to have a view of the gardens. Her walls were lined with large bookshelves that were filled with all sorts of books. Most from her career field, but there were plenty where the subjects ranged from Charms to Potions to Divinations. Her chair and the chairs across from her desk were all similar in size and were made for comfort and the décor were all in Earth tones for a warmth feel. Pictures of her parents, of her and her now deceased father, of her and her mother, of her son, of her son and a little blonde girl, and of her colleagues of the past were placed in various spots within the room for personalization. She spent all of her time here, she wanted to make it as comfortable as possible. For herself and for her guests.

“How can I help?” She asked her newest guest, curiously.

6 Kiva Kijewski The 'Beyond' part worries me... 5 Kiva Kijewski 0 5

Kerry O'Shaunasey

November 24, 2011 1:12 AM

Well you see, there were these whales... by Kerry O'Shaunasey

Kerry stepped into the office, offering Kiva a smile as he closed the door. "Good afternoon, Kiva, how are you?" he asked, instead of launching right into things. He knew it was rather casual to address the headmistress by her first name, but Kerry had been born and raised in the Society of Friends (Quakers), and took moral issue with formal titles. It suggested that one person was better than another, and that wasn't the case at all. All persons were well and truly equal. It was why he had his students call him Kerry as well.

"If you have a few minutes, I wanted to ask you about how you approached Care of Magical Creatures yourself. And I also had a bit of an idea I wanted to bring up to you, unrelated to Care of Magical Creatures. I don't know how good of an idea it is or isn't, but I figure there's only one way to find out." He offered a smile to Kiva, absently tucking a few flyaways behind his ear.

Kerry didn't take a seat just yet, waiting to be invited, not wanting to assume she actually had the time to talk to him right now. "If you're busy, I can come back at a different time," he added. He was sure she was, what with the year just starting and all. He was plenty busy himself.

0 Kerry O'Shaunasey Well you see, there were these whales... 0 Kerry O'Shaunasey 0 5

Kiva

November 26, 2011 7:15 PM

There are whales involved? by Kiva

“I’m quite well, Kerry.” Kiva commented, smiling and indicating for him to take a seat in one of her guest chairs across from her. “I always have time for this.” Kiva commented. “It gives me a break from reports anyway. Would you like some water, tea, coffee?” She could get any other drink he wanted, aside from alcoholic, but most chose from the list she’d provided. Looking him over, she was surprised by how professional and young he looked. Knowing he was her replacement, the one she had chosen, Kiva felt old even though she wasn’t even forty yet.

When she had just been another Professor, Kiva had kept herself in a laid back casual manner. Capris, t-shirts, crazy hair, little makeup. When she was a Zoologist and working in the field, she had a uniform, her hair was always up, and little makeup. Now that she’s a Headmistress, her entire wardrobe and appearance had to change. She wore button down fitted blouses, pencil skirts, or dresses with high heels. Her hair was always done, and she wore a little bit more makeup than in the past. She felt like she was faking something personal. But, she was told she needed to look professional and so, this was her being professional.

Returning to her own seat after giving him whatever he wanted, Kiva thought about what he had said. “My approach was probably similar to any other professor’s here at Sonora. With the younger years, we studied the least dangerous of creatures where as the advance students tend to learn the more dangerous of creatures. Normally, I would do a lecture and then present the creature for them to see. They would learn why these creatures are important and what to do or not to do when faced with them. After the lecture was done, they were allowed to study to their hearts content.

“I cannot say for sure if that’s how the professors before me in this subject taught that same way, but it’s usually how anyone approaches things. I, for one, believe that lecture and practical or lecture and visual are the best ways of teaching. Not everyone can handle discussion and with certain ages, they get bored easily. By keeping some practical in the lessons, at least the kids have something to focus on.” She explained. She wasn’t entirely sure this was the information he was looking for when he asked about her approach, but at least it was a start.

“For the older students, because I don’t feel comfortable with providing extremely dangerous or endangered creatures around them being so young, I usually create the lesson in the Mirage Chamber so that way the students can still study the creatures without any fear of harm. Does that answer your question?” She hoped it did, but she would be okay with expanding her information for him if he needed it.

“What is this idea you have?” She asked him, curious to know what he was thinking.

0 Kiva There are whales involved? 0 Kiva 0 5

Kerry O'Shaunasey

December 03, 2011 1:23 AM

Actually, there was just the one... by Kerry O'Shaunasey

"Nothing, thank you," Kerry said politely before lowering himself into one of the chairs. He listened as Kiva relayed to him her general method, nodding along. That sounded reasonable. Not that it was anything he hadn't guessed. Discussions were difficult and theory was more than most students wanted to deal with. When he had been in school lots of people took Care of Magical Creatures because it was like muggle gym class only with animals. As long as you showed up and tried a little, it was a pretty easy boost to your GPA. Of course that had only been at his school, he couldn't speak for the rest.

"Oh, my idea, you see, I was in the library a few days ago and struck up a conversation with one of the muggle born first years," Kerry said, sitting forward a bit. "There was so much she didn't know, just about everyday realities of the magical world, like what animals are real and which ones aren't." Kerry explained. "And it seems unfair that muggleborn firsties start at such a disadvantage. We drop them into the magical world and expect them to just sort of learn as they go. It seems like there could be more proactive options."

This was where it got a little complicated, at least in the sense that it was a little nerve wracking to make suggestions when he was so new both to teaching and the school. "I was thinking we could consider offering some cultural lessons to any muggleborns who might be interested. It wouldn't be a formal class or anything. More like a couple of informational meetings. We could even do it like muggles teach sex ed and offer muggle studies for the magic born and magical studies for the muggle born." He grinned a little. "Since I don't think we currently offer muggle studies either?" He asked. "Anyway, that's what I wanted to mention."

He was willing to do it himself, even, offer the muggle/magical study groups. He could do either side of that coin. His parents were both half magical and half muggle, and he'd been raised with a foot in either world like his parents had been. But he was a still a newb and not about to say he was the best man for the job. He may well not be.

0 Kerry O'Shaunasey Actually, there was just the one... 0 Kerry O'Shaunasey 0 5

Kiva

December 03, 2011 10:23 PM

Oh well, that changes everything... by Kiva

Kiva gave Kerry her undivided attention as he began to explain his idea. She could respect the fact that he wanted to give a sort of program to Muggleborns when they first enter the Magical world. She briefly wondered if he was a Muggleborn himself, but the thought was gone after only a mere few seconds. Those things didn’t matter in the long run and Kiva wanted to stay as far away from those politics for as long as possible.

“Well…” Kiva said after a moment of contemplation. “I do agree that Muggleborns are at a disadvantage when they first begin their new lives in the Magical world. They are eleven years behind the other students in a sense.” Kiva began. “The representatives that the board of education sends to the homes of the Muggleborn students are supposed to give them a briefing about everything. Obviously a briefing isn’t going to actually be enough to catch them up, but it is supposed to give them basics of the Magical world. And they are supposed to answer as many questions as the student and parents may have.” Kiva took a deep breath. After years of working in the educational world, she knew how lacking some of these representatives could be. “Whether the representative actually makes themselves available is a whole other topic that I really can’t answer.”

Kiva leaned back in her chair thinking about his offer. “We had taught Muggle Studies and the History of Magic in the passed, but budgeting and staff turnovers forced us to keep those positions empty. I’d be more than happy to hire someone to fill those vacancies, but until then, we have to make do.” She was a little offended by his implications that the school wasn’t providing the students with what they needed. The school could only do so much and until they get applications from willing professionals, there was little she could do about maintaining a Muggle Studies or History of Magic class.

“I am all for study groups, clubs, and informational meetings. However, I can’t okay opening up actual classes without the staffing for it. But, if you think you can get a group of students interested in wanting to learn and you are willing to hold a study group or club or meeting, than I will be more than happy to help you were I can. Dig around, put up some flyers and see if anyone bites. You can even ask for help from some of the other staff members. I know most are flexible and willing to be of help.” Kiva really would do her best to support him, she knew how difficult it was for students from non-magical homes to adjust to this new world. “You know, you can even ask for help from older students who have been through this. Have them share their experiences and the like.” She suggested.

0 Kiva Oh well, that changes everything... 0 Kiva 0 5

Kerry O'Shaunasey

December 12, 2011 1:22 PM

I thought it might by Kerry O'Shaunasey

"Oh, no, I understand," Kerry nodded quickly, not wanting her to think he was accusing her of anything. Certainly his own school, or the one he'd done his student teaching at hadn't provided such a class or group for Muggleborns. "Besides, making anything like that as formal as a class might mean less students engage. That's a really good idea about getting older students involved." For any of them who might be interested in careers where mentoring or teaching was a part of that job, it would be good to put on a resume, and Kerry himself could only relate to a certain degree with what it was like to come into the magical world as a muggle. He'd had solid understanding of most magical cultural norms. Or at least he'd thought he had.

"If its okay with you, I'll see if there is any interest for something informal, ask around and see if other teachers are interested. Maybe there is no interest," he smiled. "Things that seem problematic for adults, children just skate right through," Kerry shrugged. Kids were adaptable. In addition to his speaking with Waverly in the library he'd noticed something else that he found very odd that made him think it might be useful to have some extra support for muggleborn students.

"There is one other thing," He paused a moment, wanting to proceed with the utmost care, even more so than his last question. Maybe it was what had brought all of this together in his mind without him knowing it, but at times he felt like a real country cousin... fish out of water... choose your metaphor. "I've noticed that there is a number of the students here at Sonora who are a bit... more formal than I would expect children to be. Very proper heavily gendered clothing is the most obvious of it. Very formal modes of speech. Am I missing something about the student body here at Sonora?" he asked.

Kerry used his younger sister, Shay, as a yardstick to measure other children by. She was a bit of a hoyden which he took into account. Not all girls were. She was very well mannered but not with the sort of very formal (and dare he say snobby?) manners that he'd witnessed here at Sonora. She was sweet, kind and well educated (in his admittedly biased opinion) yet she would have seemed like a real hayseed next to some of the girls, even first years, he'd seen here. "And I hear a lot about family names and the like?" he added. To him, that was all kinds of weird. He hadn't had a faction like that in his own school. There had been a few who wanted people to know about their wealth or status, but here there seemed to be cadre of them.

Mostly, Kerry just wanted to know what politics he was walking into working here at the school. He was starting to get the feeling that there was more politics than he'd anticipated.

0 Kerry O'Shaunasey I thought it might 0 Kerry O'Shaunasey 0 5

Kiva

December 13, 2011 8:52 PM

Whales tend to do that for me. by Kiva

She was inclined to agree that making a class out of something like this would lessen the participation from the student body, but she kept that thought to herself. She didn’t want to say that she didn’t see a Muggle Studies or History of Magical class in the future due to poor participation or interest. She would love to see such class again. “Please, I’m more than okay with you looking into this further. Muggleborns and those who were always born into Magic deserve a program that helps them adjust to a new way of life.” They might fight it (the Magical more so than the Muggle), but it never hurt to find out what everyone was interested in knowing.

Kiva had to take a minute to fully understand what it was he was asking her and then to actually process the proper way of answering his question. She had never been asked about the formalities of the students before. Not ever, actually. Not even with the Board members. It threw her completely off and she had to wonder what sort of life he was accustomed to with other Pureblood members. She was just so used to how they behaved that she didn’t even think twice about it. Perhaps they were too formal? Maybe they did behave a bit differently than others? She had nothing to compare it to. She was a Sonora Alumni and when she decided to go into the teaching world, she had only ever taught at Sonora.

Thinking about it (or rather, having it thrust upon her by her newest professor), Kiva had to laugh. And so she did. “That is the first time anyone has ever asked me that.” She told him, still trying not to laugh. “I suppose I never really noticed or thought about it until now. It’s how they’ve always been. Generation after generation.” Kiva was talking more to herself on that point, it was still the truth. “Sonora is a school open to all backgrounds, but our population has a higher ratio of Purebloods than I think many other schools have. They are raised on etiquette classes and most have several branches of their family tree.” Kiva explained to him, hoping that some of this made sense.

“Because of their branches, often times in different states, when they introduce themselves, and therefore their families, they specify which branch of the family line they are from. It’s mainly politics for the families, I believe. I’m not a Pureblood, so I can only make assumptions and observations.” Kiva advised him. “This usually only lasts for part of their first year and then it sort of gives way when they all start cohabitating and work along side one another. Sometimes the formality never leaves them, but everyone has their reasons for that, I suppose.”

Kiva gave a smile and a slight shrug. There were many things that she was never going to truly be able to explain. “You get used to it after awhile.”

0 Kiva Whales tend to do that for me. 0 Kiva 0 5

Kerry O'Shaunasey

December 17, 2011 2:49 PM

I think whales do that for everybody by Kerry O'Shaunasey

Kerry made a mental note to further investigate student interest in muggle and magical studies. Then Kiva was answering his other question, and he listened closely, brow furrowing a little. Apparently he really was a bit of a country cousin on this matter. He'd met a handful of purebloods who acted like that, but it had been a small handful, and Kerry had assumed they were the anomalies not the standard.

"That's... interesting. My experience, what there was of it, with purebloods has been more of the 'those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter' variety." In other words, those who felt the need to call attention to their blood status did so because they were insecure that they didn't actually matter. "Admittedly, I'm starting to suspect that my experience wasn't typical," he chuckled a little. "I went to a rather small magical school. It was run by the Religious Society of Friends, that is, Quakers. Which wouldn't have attracted any families who wanted to emphasize their blood status, or though it was important. Equality is emphasized heavily by the Friends."

Kerry shook his head a bit, mostly at himself. This was a good lesson in humility for himself. Kerry hadn't expected to have too much of an issue connecting with his students. "I guess I'm more of a hayseed then I realized. Oh well, its a learning experience." He smiled. "I take it they don't phase you any?" he asked Kiva.

0 Kerry O'Shaunasey I think whales do that for everybody 0 Kerry O'Shaunasey 0 5