A Slice of Life
with Charlie Yuliusie
– “What’s your sport?” I randomly asked.
– “I used to play hockey as a goalkeeper.” replied Charlie.
I must admit, nothing was surprising about his revelation. His posture and lively look gave it away early on. Charlie’s ability to filter every kids’ behavior in the gym was something impressive to watch. The stillness in his stance, eyes like a hawk. This combination somehow projected a convincing image of someone able to intervene swiftly if needed.
– “I’ll be right back.” said Charlie as he drew away to sort out a conflict between a boy and a girl.
Children enjoy showcasing their vitality during Charlie’s class and for him, it is the proper place to do so. At some point, kids flying in every direction could have been easily mistaken for hockey pucks, blasted by your favorite player! Dodging them inside Pigiurvik School gymnasium felt like being under an overwhelming chaos of cheerfulness 🏃♀️🏃♂️💨✨
Charlie is a certified gym teacher in Salluit. You see, once you go beyond the first painted side line on the gym flooring, you enter Charlie’s goal crease and find yourself under his regulation: a zone where bullying is prohibited. At all times.
I’m thankful for what Teacher Training has brought me. Sports helped me in life, getting through some tough times. I’m happy I can now teach its benefits to our youth.
I found myself following Charlie around the gym while throwing questions at him. This was my front row ticket to possibly witness a few tricks hidden under the goalie’s mask. How could he manage to make every kid cool down and listen to him? 🤔
– “I’m fair.”
This simple answer was enough to express a balanced mix of two traits favorable for any educator: being firm yet inspirational. Firm to withstand the kids’ agitation due to the energy and heat released in the air; inspirational to build on their motivation and engagement while maintaining clear guidelines. Let’s be real here, it is not the army. Every kid must experience the freedom of exploring sports or any physical activity in their own way, and Charlie knows that all too well.
– “It’s great to work with kids, they make me laugh.”
Kids are great to work with indeed. At a young age, they start recognizing the control they have over their own motor coordination. Funny enough, some students believe that the shoes are doing the actual work:
– “Some of them even look at their feet when they run and mention how fast their shoes are going!” said the teacher, erupting in laughter.
As we grow older, we keep feeding the intangible list of things we take for granted. Indirectly, kids often find a way to make us review the elements of that list. From the most basic motion of walking, one foot in front of the other, to the complexity behind our body coordination of jumping over a rope, we eventually stop watching the work of our feet. This alone comes to show how much we evolve.
– “I get to see the kids’ evolution over the years, and that makes me happy.”
Charlie is working on bringing back arctic games in his community. We’re sending positive vibe his way for his upcoming project. We’ll be keeping an eye out!