The halls around the school have returned to some semblance of normal. The tears have drifted away, to be replaced by smiles that come with the beautiful spring weather we've had this past week. I even burned my scalp while supervising a phys-ed class that was in the middle of softball. There's still a lingering sense of quiet in certain respects, but to a fresh pair of eyes, it would seem like business as usual.
Last week proved to be an extremely long 5 days. Friday finally came and went with sombre footsteps as the memorial for our young student was held in town. Many students attended, but few teachers were able to due to the lack of substitute teachers in the district. Still, a few of us were there, including my principal and two or three other teachers. It was sad, frustrating, and a number of other things piled into one. But it was still beautiful, and the students were wonderful. As I always seem to do, I forget that they're simply kids trying to navigate their way through this world.
I also had my district interview this past Monday, which seemed to go extremely well. I was relaxed and, other than saying "absolutely" about a quadrillion times, I made it out unscathed and I'm officially a Teacher-On-Call (TOC). Ultimately, this was expected the whole time, but it means that I'm finally making some money, I'm an employee of my school district now, and I'm no longer simply a student! It's wonderful, and moderately scary, and exciting all at the same time. Still, until that first paycheque comes (which I hope will keep getting bigger and bigger with more TOC days), I'm still broke. Well, K and I are broke together.
I like this feeling that we're finally going to launch ourselves into the middle class. It's been quite some time in the lower ranks of society as a student living off the borrowed money of the governement and various banks/pieces of plastic. And being a TOC is kinda cool too... this past week I covered a softball class, did some portfolio-style interviewing for the grade 12's as they graduate, and I covered a Science 9 class on Friday. Tuesday I'm in during the morning for a English 12 class, so that should be fun, and hopefully the school will find me some more work for the rest of the week so I can help pay the bills.
Okay, enough rambling for now. More to come later...
- T (a.k.a. Mr. M, TOC extraordinaire)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
May and the smell of rain
I walked out the side doors of our apartment this morning. The damp air greeted me pleasantly, heavy with the scent of cedars and shrubs that spot the turf beside the parking lot. Last night had felt similar; it was cool but not cold, and although the sky was dark with clouds, the air was still, waiting to shed the weight of water it carried over the valley.
I clicked my MP3 player to the next song, and the soulful voice of Corinne Bailey Rae filled my ears, slowly and fully, like the sound of running a warm bath. My walk resembled any other day, except that it seemed like I could smell every blade of grass in the park that ran parallel to the road I walked to the bus. I glanced up as I often do, checking to see if any mischievous birds had me in their eyesight. Luckily, there were no pigeons. Just a pair of sneakers tied in a knot by the shoelaces that had been tossed up to overhang the telephone and power wires and wrap one around the other. I've always loved pictures of sneakers on a telephone wire.
The rottweiler down the road was still sleeping in his yard, so rather than greeting me with a timid bark, he rolled over as if to ignore any rude intrusions into his dreams of chasing cats or running after postal workers. I was early today to my stop, so I caught an early bus and had to transfer at the university. Although the air was nearly wet with all it's moisture, the benches were dry, meaning I could sit without worrying that my pants were going to be striped with dew. The bus out to the school arrived shortly, and after bidding a congenial hello to the driver who I've seen and talked to numerous times, I sat down to enjoy the rest of my commute and the novel that I've been reading.
As I stepped down from the bus, I was again hit with the spring smell of blooming trees and rain that had not yet fallen. Some people say they hate the grey and rain of the coast, but in spring, it's one of the most enchanting smells on the planet. I was never really bothered by the cloud or rain, unless it was during a cold snap (which, for Victoria, was rare). It was like a blanket to me, old and familiar. I used to walk in the rain when I could, just to be a part of it.
I walked through the doors of the school, again, as usual. They didn't bear the weight that they did on Monday. So up the stairs I went to get back to work. As I was gathering materials for my upcoming poetry unit, I came across a poem called, "Did I Miss Anything", by Tom Wayman, which, after asking that question in the title, goes on to respond in the body of the poem, alternating between answers of "Nothing" and "Everything". It's sarcastic and a little bit harsh, but the last stanza was ironically touching. Given the situation, that is. It reads as follows:
"Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
And you weren't here"
I smiled, although there were tears in my eyes. Last night I had spent some time reading through the news reports of the accident from Sunday, and all the commentary provided by people in the community who were either sending their condolences or were friends of my young student, rallying against reports that he was a loner. I didn't every think that... quiet, yes, but not a loner. Still, he isn't here. The tears have faded to a certain extent, but the heaviness remains.
- T
I clicked my MP3 player to the next song, and the soulful voice of Corinne Bailey Rae filled my ears, slowly and fully, like the sound of running a warm bath. My walk resembled any other day, except that it seemed like I could smell every blade of grass in the park that ran parallel to the road I walked to the bus. I glanced up as I often do, checking to see if any mischievous birds had me in their eyesight. Luckily, there were no pigeons. Just a pair of sneakers tied in a knot by the shoelaces that had been tossed up to overhang the telephone and power wires and wrap one around the other. I've always loved pictures of sneakers on a telephone wire.
The rottweiler down the road was still sleeping in his yard, so rather than greeting me with a timid bark, he rolled over as if to ignore any rude intrusions into his dreams of chasing cats or running after postal workers. I was early today to my stop, so I caught an early bus and had to transfer at the university. Although the air was nearly wet with all it's moisture, the benches were dry, meaning I could sit without worrying that my pants were going to be striped with dew. The bus out to the school arrived shortly, and after bidding a congenial hello to the driver who I've seen and talked to numerous times, I sat down to enjoy the rest of my commute and the novel that I've been reading.
As I stepped down from the bus, I was again hit with the spring smell of blooming trees and rain that had not yet fallen. Some people say they hate the grey and rain of the coast, but in spring, it's one of the most enchanting smells on the planet. I was never really bothered by the cloud or rain, unless it was during a cold snap (which, for Victoria, was rare). It was like a blanket to me, old and familiar. I used to walk in the rain when I could, just to be a part of it.
I walked through the doors of the school, again, as usual. They didn't bear the weight that they did on Monday. So up the stairs I went to get back to work. As I was gathering materials for my upcoming poetry unit, I came across a poem called, "Did I Miss Anything", by Tom Wayman, which, after asking that question in the title, goes on to respond in the body of the poem, alternating between answers of "Nothing" and "Everything". It's sarcastic and a little bit harsh, but the last stanza was ironically touching. Given the situation, that is. It reads as follows:
"Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
And you weren't here"
I smiled, although there were tears in my eyes. Last night I had spent some time reading through the news reports of the accident from Sunday, and all the commentary provided by people in the community who were either sending their condolences or were friends of my young student, rallying against reports that he was a loner. I didn't every think that... quiet, yes, but not a loner. Still, he isn't here. The tears have faded to a certain extent, but the heaviness remains.
- T
Monday, April 30, 2007
Anything but a restful night
As per usual, I was at the school about an hour before classes were supposed to begin. Only a few students had arrived, most of them unaware of what happened less than a day ago. I walked from the bus stop, head down, trying not to scuff my shoes as I walked in the front doors. The doors seemed heavier today, as they heaved open with the press of my weight on the handle. I got up the stairs, noticing that my backpack felt much more full than usual, but I knew in the back of my mind it was just because it was today. Monday. Still April, the month of showers... but just barely. It's the last day of the month.
I followed the same routine I always do... up the stairs and into my prep room/office. Bags (two of them) slung off my shoulders and onto the floor by my chaotic work station. I'm not the most tidy guy, but you already knew that. I set up my computer and for a few moments, stared blankly at the screen before hitting the power button. I don't usually just stare, unless I had a restless sleep, but even then, it's limited. This one lasted longer. Again, I knew it was just a side-effect of today.A few emails were checked, others were sent, still others were ignored. I felt okay but a sense of apprehension had been growing inside me all morning. My coffee was sweet and creamy, with the remnants of steam rising from the surface of the liquid. It tasted as it usually did... I love (and need) my morning coffee, but my stomach didn't seem to have the same affection for it. I just hoped the feeling would pass. I caught myself staring at the mug, senselessly avoiding the work that was piled before me. I purposely left it for the weekend, since I knew I was going to be coaching all day Saturday and Sunday. But today it would remain where it was. Dust wouldn't gather for weeks.
I could hear the clicking of footsteps on the floor as someone approached the door. I wanted to guard it, lock it, keep myself inside. Why would I want to see people? I just wanted everyone to leave. Yet, the absurdity of this sentiment collided strongly with the desire to talk to someone, anyone. The feelings did not contradict each other... they strangely agreed. D walked in, asking if I'd received the message from our principal last night. I replied with a nod, but little else. My eyes were fixed on her to see how she was feeling, how she was coping. She's a rock, I thought. Strong, fully ready to cope. I knew this was rubbish, but it was the first response that came into my head nonetheless. I could see some reaction in her, but for my sake she was keeping it together. I couldn't. I thought I got it all out last night, but I didn't. The tears came back, but I knew they were allowed. Today, anyway. Maybe not always, but definitely today.
I had just started to feel better, more together. Then L showed up, noticing that I was obviously upset. Then G, then others. I told the story for those who didn't know. I did my best to get it out. Others shared their stories. But, since it was still a work day, people kept going about their days. After a bit of alone time, I was feeling a bit better. It didn't last
The announcement came over the P.A. I knew about the meeting already, so I went and washed my face so I could meet the rest of the staff downstairs in the main staff room. As I stared into the mirror, I laughed... I'm not the most dashing man when I have eyes full of saline. It was brief laugh, but it was a laugh all the same. After towelling off my face, I made the walk downstairs and down the hall to the staff room. Most people were already there. Some were talking in hushed whispers while others were uncertain what the meeting was about. Our principal walked in with some strangers in tow, and addressed the group. "Sorry to meet you on the Monday morning with this sort of news..." His voice started getting more and more faint, like an echo. Maybe it just seemed that way to me. Still, I knew what was coming. "...the student was killed after being hit by a vehicle on the highway yesterday morning." The man with the crisis intervention team took the floor. I began counting the number of tiles on the floor. The pattern was regular. Predictable. I glanced up periodically to find at least a few pairs of eyes on me. "For those of you who didn't teach or know this student, we're passing around a picture..." It began across the room. The black-and-white travelled from hand to hand, quickly and efficiently, but respectfully at the same time. It came around closer to me... I was leaning on the door frame, as far away from the nucleus of people as possible.
Then I caught a glimpse. It was obviously his school photo... his blond hair was short and simple, and his smile was surprisingly large. I know so many kids who just purse their lips or try to look cool. I remember years when I did the same. But I couldn't take my eyes off the picture. It kept transferring from one set of hands to another, slowly approaching, creeping. I turned sharply when it came to within about five feet. I tried to be subtle when I left, but when you exit a staff meeting in the middle of something like this, subtlety is the last thing you can achieve. I had to get out, if only for a moment. Things just got too big, like an older brother who sits on your chest waiting for you to say uncle or tap out.
Still, people were there. Helping. Hugging. Consoling. I'm not the only one who lost a student today. Why, then, did it feel like it? But the staff were good to me. "You're just a baby", one said affectionately. I think she might have been right.I was at home when I received the news Sunday night. The call came later that night. 10:30'ish. I was on the phone with a friend living in the lower mainland, and we were catching up on all the things that have happened over the past few weeks... coaching, teaching, goofing off, etc. She was excited, since she just landed a contract for the last 2 months of the year at a school she loves and where she did her practicum last year. Then the phone beeped... I saw the name of my principal on the caller ID and instantly got nervous. "Why is he calling on a Sunday night?" I asked myself. Why was he calling at all? I picked up. He apologized for calling late and potentially ruining my Sunday night. Then he gave me the news. I was stunned and didn't really know how to react (or even believe it was real), and before I even realized, I had hung up. After clicking over to my friend, I said I had to go. I hung up again. The tears came uncontrollably. I woke K and told her the news. And I cried some more. She cried with me. Then came the numbness. Later, some sort of sleep arrived, but I was so restless before that happened that I got up for a few hours of TV before trying to get back to bed.
There's a TOC in my class right now. It's one of my other grade 11 classes. I just don't think I could handle it, being there, facing them. Even now, a headache is starting to press on my forehead, not willing to just disappear into a memory. How do you prepare for this? What does teacher training do to get us ready for losing a student? Very little, I know. The rest of the coping is equally as uncertain. I'm not sure if there's ever any preparation you can do. This was one of the school's students. My students. And he's gone. It seems like a definitive statement. But in reality, it's all questions.
- T
I followed the same routine I always do... up the stairs and into my prep room/office. Bags (two of them) slung off my shoulders and onto the floor by my chaotic work station. I'm not the most tidy guy, but you already knew that. I set up my computer and for a few moments, stared blankly at the screen before hitting the power button. I don't usually just stare, unless I had a restless sleep, but even then, it's limited. This one lasted longer. Again, I knew it was just a side-effect of today.A few emails were checked, others were sent, still others were ignored. I felt okay but a sense of apprehension had been growing inside me all morning. My coffee was sweet and creamy, with the remnants of steam rising from the surface of the liquid. It tasted as it usually did... I love (and need) my morning coffee, but my stomach didn't seem to have the same affection for it. I just hoped the feeling would pass. I caught myself staring at the mug, senselessly avoiding the work that was piled before me. I purposely left it for the weekend, since I knew I was going to be coaching all day Saturday and Sunday. But today it would remain where it was. Dust wouldn't gather for weeks.
I could hear the clicking of footsteps on the floor as someone approached the door. I wanted to guard it, lock it, keep myself inside. Why would I want to see people? I just wanted everyone to leave. Yet, the absurdity of this sentiment collided strongly with the desire to talk to someone, anyone. The feelings did not contradict each other... they strangely agreed. D walked in, asking if I'd received the message from our principal last night. I replied with a nod, but little else. My eyes were fixed on her to see how she was feeling, how she was coping. She's a rock, I thought. Strong, fully ready to cope. I knew this was rubbish, but it was the first response that came into my head nonetheless. I could see some reaction in her, but for my sake she was keeping it together. I couldn't. I thought I got it all out last night, but I didn't. The tears came back, but I knew they were allowed. Today, anyway. Maybe not always, but definitely today.
I had just started to feel better, more together. Then L showed up, noticing that I was obviously upset. Then G, then others. I told the story for those who didn't know. I did my best to get it out. Others shared their stories. But, since it was still a work day, people kept going about their days. After a bit of alone time, I was feeling a bit better. It didn't last
The announcement came over the P.A. I knew about the meeting already, so I went and washed my face so I could meet the rest of the staff downstairs in the main staff room. As I stared into the mirror, I laughed... I'm not the most dashing man when I have eyes full of saline. It was brief laugh, but it was a laugh all the same. After towelling off my face, I made the walk downstairs and down the hall to the staff room. Most people were already there. Some were talking in hushed whispers while others were uncertain what the meeting was about. Our principal walked in with some strangers in tow, and addressed the group. "Sorry to meet you on the Monday morning with this sort of news..." His voice started getting more and more faint, like an echo. Maybe it just seemed that way to me. Still, I knew what was coming. "...the student was killed after being hit by a vehicle on the highway yesterday morning." The man with the crisis intervention team took the floor. I began counting the number of tiles on the floor. The pattern was regular. Predictable. I glanced up periodically to find at least a few pairs of eyes on me. "For those of you who didn't teach or know this student, we're passing around a picture..." It began across the room. The black-and-white travelled from hand to hand, quickly and efficiently, but respectfully at the same time. It came around closer to me... I was leaning on the door frame, as far away from the nucleus of people as possible.
Then I caught a glimpse. It was obviously his school photo... his blond hair was short and simple, and his smile was surprisingly large. I know so many kids who just purse their lips or try to look cool. I remember years when I did the same. But I couldn't take my eyes off the picture. It kept transferring from one set of hands to another, slowly approaching, creeping. I turned sharply when it came to within about five feet. I tried to be subtle when I left, but when you exit a staff meeting in the middle of something like this, subtlety is the last thing you can achieve. I had to get out, if only for a moment. Things just got too big, like an older brother who sits on your chest waiting for you to say uncle or tap out.
Still, people were there. Helping. Hugging. Consoling. I'm not the only one who lost a student today. Why, then, did it feel like it? But the staff were good to me. "You're just a baby", one said affectionately. I think she might have been right.I was at home when I received the news Sunday night. The call came later that night. 10:30'ish. I was on the phone with a friend living in the lower mainland, and we were catching up on all the things that have happened over the past few weeks... coaching, teaching, goofing off, etc. She was excited, since she just landed a contract for the last 2 months of the year at a school she loves and where she did her practicum last year. Then the phone beeped... I saw the name of my principal on the caller ID and instantly got nervous. "Why is he calling on a Sunday night?" I asked myself. Why was he calling at all? I picked up. He apologized for calling late and potentially ruining my Sunday night. Then he gave me the news. I was stunned and didn't really know how to react (or even believe it was real), and before I even realized, I had hung up. After clicking over to my friend, I said I had to go. I hung up again. The tears came uncontrollably. I woke K and told her the news. And I cried some more. She cried with me. Then came the numbness. Later, some sort of sleep arrived, but I was so restless before that happened that I got up for a few hours of TV before trying to get back to bed.
There's a TOC in my class right now. It's one of my other grade 11 classes. I just don't think I could handle it, being there, facing them. Even now, a headache is starting to press on my forehead, not willing to just disappear into a memory. How do you prepare for this? What does teacher training do to get us ready for losing a student? Very little, I know. The rest of the coping is equally as uncertain. I'm not sure if there's ever any preparation you can do. This was one of the school's students. My students. And he's gone. It seems like a definitive statement. But in reality, it's all questions.
- T
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Meme/Survey from Cibi (from, uhh.... a long time ago)
This is from months ago, but I thought I'd post it anyway...
Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times.
Ummm... probably The Princess Bride. Speed probably gets on that list too (I was obsessed with it when it first came out... I was young). Dead Poets Society makes the grade as well.
Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
I'm pretty sure I saw Independence Day in the theatres two or three times. Otherwise, it's pretty rare.
Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Kevin Spacey would be my number one. John Cusack and John Malkovitch... and maybe the chubby kid from Superbad. Mark Wahlberg would probably make the list as well. And ever since I've seen The Departed, I'd probably go see a new Alex Baldwin flick because he was absolutely hilarious in it. Then there's some others for different reasons... Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, and maybe a few others. :)
Name an actor who would make you less inclined to see a movie.
These days it would be Ben Stiller... I used to love his movies, but he's hard to watch now. Steven Segal and Jean-Claude Van Damme (too many ridiculous movies that I watched as a kid... I'll watch them if they're old and blatantly cheesey).
Name a movie that you can quote from.
Pardon the language, but one would be, "Fuck you, batteries!" from the movie Once. I can recite huge amounts of Russell Peters' stand-up comedy... a number of Shakespeare movies (due to teaching them)... "Who is Kaiser Soze?" from The Usual Suspects... "My name is Inigo Mantoya... you killed my father... prepare to die" + "'Inconceivable!' 'I do not think that word means what you think it means'" from The Princess Bride. I'm sure there's more.
Name a movie musical from which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Ummm... this is a sad admittance, but I know a tonne from "Hairspray". When your wife subjects you to tens of hours of the soundtrack on trips to and from Alberta, it's unavoidable.
Name a movie to which you have been known to sing along.
Pretty much any Disney movie.
Name a movie you would recommend everyone see.
Crash, The Usual Suspects, Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, Superbad, Seven, Dead Poets Society, Once.
Name a movie you own.
I just bought Hoodwinked and Crash.
Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
I'll go with cibi... Will Smith. And Mark Wahlberg.
Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
A bunch on road trips to Montana when I was a kid... some kids movies... maybe Land Before Time?
Ever made out in a movie?
Only once in public... it was awkward.
Name a movie you keep meaning to see but just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Rent.
The reason I haven't gotten around to it yet is that I can never remember the titles.Ever walked out of a movie?
Yuppers. But only twice.
Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I pretty much broke down in Crash when the Latino locksmith was about to get shot and his daughter came running out.
What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Umm... don't recall... something sappy, I'm sure.
What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Drama, action or comedy.
What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Land Before Time 1
What movie do you wish you’d never seen?
I've seen a few bad ones... Cruel Intentions II was probably THE worst.
What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Being John Malkovitch. It's messed up.
What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
I also don't watch Scary Movies, but I also enjoyed The Blair Witch Project (judge if you must).
What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Old School is still a favourite, and I like a lot of new cartoons (Shrek, The Incredibles, etc.)
Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times.
Ummm... probably The Princess Bride. Speed probably gets on that list too (I was obsessed with it when it first came out... I was young). Dead Poets Society makes the grade as well.
Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
I'm pretty sure I saw Independence Day in the theatres two or three times. Otherwise, it's pretty rare.
Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Kevin Spacey would be my number one. John Cusack and John Malkovitch... and maybe the chubby kid from Superbad. Mark Wahlberg would probably make the list as well. And ever since I've seen The Departed, I'd probably go see a new Alex Baldwin flick because he was absolutely hilarious in it. Then there's some others for different reasons... Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, and maybe a few others. :)
Name an actor who would make you less inclined to see a movie.
These days it would be Ben Stiller... I used to love his movies, but he's hard to watch now. Steven Segal and Jean-Claude Van Damme (too many ridiculous movies that I watched as a kid... I'll watch them if they're old and blatantly cheesey).
Name a movie that you can quote from.
Pardon the language, but one would be, "Fuck you, batteries!" from the movie Once. I can recite huge amounts of Russell Peters' stand-up comedy... a number of Shakespeare movies (due to teaching them)... "Who is Kaiser Soze?" from The Usual Suspects... "My name is Inigo Mantoya... you killed my father... prepare to die" + "'Inconceivable!' 'I do not think that word means what you think it means'" from The Princess Bride. I'm sure there's more.
Name a movie musical from which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Ummm... this is a sad admittance, but I know a tonne from "Hairspray". When your wife subjects you to tens of hours of the soundtrack on trips to and from Alberta, it's unavoidable.
Name a movie to which you have been known to sing along.
Pretty much any Disney movie.
Name a movie you would recommend everyone see.
Crash, The Usual Suspects, Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, Superbad, Seven, Dead Poets Society, Once.
Name a movie you own.
I just bought Hoodwinked and Crash.
Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
I'll go with cibi... Will Smith. And Mark Wahlberg.
Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
A bunch on road trips to Montana when I was a kid... some kids movies... maybe Land Before Time?
Ever made out in a movie?
Only once in public... it was awkward.
Name a movie you keep meaning to see but just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Rent.
The reason I haven't gotten around to it yet is that I can never remember the titles.Ever walked out of a movie?
Yuppers. But only twice.
Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I pretty much broke down in Crash when the Latino locksmith was about to get shot and his daughter came running out.
What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Umm... don't recall... something sappy, I'm sure.
What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Drama, action or comedy.
What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Land Before Time 1
What movie do you wish you’d never seen?
I've seen a few bad ones... Cruel Intentions II was probably THE worst.
What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Being John Malkovitch. It's messed up.
What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
I also don't watch Scary Movies, but I also enjoyed The Blair Witch Project (judge if you must).
What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Old School is still a favourite, and I like a lot of new cartoons (Shrek, The Incredibles, etc.)
Survival
Well, I'm not the demi-God of teaching. I'm not the future saviour of the profession either. But, the final report was good, and I think I've officially survived and weathered the storm of the Internship. Sure, I have P/T conferences next week (on the same day as my district interview), I still have to receive my final report from 2/3 sponsor teachers, and I have a stack of marking that may reach the ceiling, but officially, I'm done. DONE! Weeeeeeeeeee. I know there's a long way to go, but as of May 4th, I'm an official employee (temporarily) of the district and will be put on the TOC list for the remainder of the year for my remaining days off. It's kindof lovely.
But I can't dwell on that today... my volleyball team is playing in provincials today, so I hope all the work I've done with these 15 year olds has paid off and we light up the gym. Wish me luck! I'm hoping for top 10, but that'll be another update for another day.
- T
Post-script: I need to make sure that I don't take all the credit for my pictures that I posted the other day... I took some of them, but many (most) were actually taken by my lovely wife, K. I forgot to mention that... sorry hun!
But I can't dwell on that today... my volleyball team is playing in provincials today, so I hope all the work I've done with these 15 year olds has paid off and we light up the gym. Wish me luck! I'm hoping for top 10, but that'll be another update for another day.
- T
Post-script: I need to make sure that I don't take all the credit for my pictures that I posted the other day... I took some of them, but many (most) were actually taken by my lovely wife, K. I forgot to mention that... sorry hun!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thus begins, the day of judgment...
It's my final evaluation from my university advisor today. In essence, this report will make or break my teaching career. Although I'm not terrified, there is an unavoidable stress that goes along with any evaluation. Particularly one of this magnitude. I guess I just have to wait and see what is to come.
“The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck.”
- R. W. Emerson
- T
“The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck.”
- R. W. Emerson
- T
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The finish line and other such nonsense
I'll be completing one of my classes as of tomorrow. TOMORROW! I'm ending a unit with a research project and a unit test, and other than the marking that will accompany said test/project, I'll be done that class. So on Friday, I'll be down to two classes, one each day.
Then, next Thursday I'll be dropping another class, which means that I will only have one class remaining to take care of from that point foward (for the last 6 weeks until exams, so realistically I'll only have approximately 12 classes remaining that I'll be responsible for until the end of the term/exams week). And then the real challenge begins... getting me a job somewhere!
Over the past few days, I've come to realize that in all the stress, anxiety, and pressure I've had to deal with, that I made this choice for a reason. I didn't think I'd be the one to lose sight of it, but I really did. I have always wanted to inspire a love of literature in others, but over the past few weeks/months, I've lost sight of that. I was talking with two of my students last night and I mentioned that I didn't dislike any of the students in the class. Sure, I've disliked their actions from time to time, but not them personally. I've even thought to myself how they act like this or like that (not in a positive way) and how frustrating it can be. But when I take some time to look back on it, I really do enjoy being here. Some of it is ego... I do enjoy being in front of people (I'm surprised I didn't get more involved in theatre), but a good part of it is my sincere enjoyment with these young adults. They're intriguing, they're interesting, they're sometimes unpredictable, they're unruly, they're charming, they're sometimes a walking headache. Still, I see these students in the hallway or in my class or at a tutorial and I think that I'm pretty lucky that I get to experience all of this. Teaching is definitely not for the faint of heart. All jobs have responsibilities, but there's few that assume the responsibility for the lives of 30 minors... and not simply their lives, but their moral, emotional and intellectual development. If that's not overwhelming, I don't know what is.
My goal for these next 8 weeks: to find a kernal of the passion that I had when I walked into this school, and to do my best to understand these people that are forced to look at me for guidance, for leadership, and for development. I sometimes forget what my role is. I can only hope that if I can come to regain an understanding of what the role is supposed to be, than I can do something to win over those who are uninterested and lacking motivation. How? That is TBA...
- T
Then, next Thursday I'll be dropping another class, which means that I will only have one class remaining to take care of from that point foward (for the last 6 weeks until exams, so realistically I'll only have approximately 12 classes remaining that I'll be responsible for until the end of the term/exams week). And then the real challenge begins... getting me a job somewhere!
Over the past few days, I've come to realize that in all the stress, anxiety, and pressure I've had to deal with, that I made this choice for a reason. I didn't think I'd be the one to lose sight of it, but I really did. I have always wanted to inspire a love of literature in others, but over the past few weeks/months, I've lost sight of that. I was talking with two of my students last night and I mentioned that I didn't dislike any of the students in the class. Sure, I've disliked their actions from time to time, but not them personally. I've even thought to myself how they act like this or like that (not in a positive way) and how frustrating it can be. But when I take some time to look back on it, I really do enjoy being here. Some of it is ego... I do enjoy being in front of people (I'm surprised I didn't get more involved in theatre), but a good part of it is my sincere enjoyment with these young adults. They're intriguing, they're interesting, they're sometimes unpredictable, they're unruly, they're charming, they're sometimes a walking headache. Still, I see these students in the hallway or in my class or at a tutorial and I think that I'm pretty lucky that I get to experience all of this. Teaching is definitely not for the faint of heart. All jobs have responsibilities, but there's few that assume the responsibility for the lives of 30 minors... and not simply their lives, but their moral, emotional and intellectual development. If that's not overwhelming, I don't know what is.
My goal for these next 8 weeks: to find a kernal of the passion that I had when I walked into this school, and to do my best to understand these people that are forced to look at me for guidance, for leadership, and for development. I sometimes forget what my role is. I can only hope that if I can come to regain an understanding of what the role is supposed to be, than I can do something to win over those who are uninterested and lacking motivation. How? That is TBA...
- T
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Macbeth, CSI, and the first days of the rest of my life
Connecting curriculum material to the lives of students is probably one of the greatest strengths a teacher can possess. These days, if they material being taught in a class doesn't directly influence or link to a kids life, it could be very easily forgotten. Sure, this doesn't happen in all cases... for a lot of kids, the fact that it needs to be remembered for a test or quiz or assignment is enough. However, for a huge number of students, they simply don't care too much.
Thus, I am able to talk about one of my addictions: CSI. Shakespeare might as well be Greek for some kids. They couldn't be less interested. It's difficult, time-consuming, often frustrating, and takes place so long before their existence that many simply don't see a point to it at all. However, you spend a good deal of time connecting it to crime dramas that appear on prime time TV, they actually get an idea of what's happening. And really, MAcbeth is a perfect case of a ridiculously thick-skulled criminal who is effected by bouts of random hallucinations and is obsessed with the prophecies that come from a bunch of old, scary, bearded ladies. I don't know about some other people, but he's a big bucket of crazy, and there are lessons to be learned.
Changing gears slightly...
I officially have 10 days of student teaching left before I'm officially done my teaching program. Sure, I have to teach one of my classes to the end of the year, but I'm done 2/3 and can start making some money. Which is lovely. But in these last 2 weeks, I really have to pull out the stops in order to make my one sponsor teacher happy. And that is going to be a difficult task. She's not only uber-intelligent, but she's crazy organized, super-ambitious, and has the big picture structure down pat. I think from the time that she started that she was a natural at all of the above talents, and this whole teaching thing came fairly easy to her. I also have no doubt that even though she has the odd off-day, she's about as committed and focussed as anyone around. She's really like a super-teacher... although she's hard, she does an excellent job. However (of COURSE there had to be a "but")... I'm terrified as to what she's going to write about me. My university advisor and her sat down for over an hour the other day while I was teaching, then neglected to tell me what went on. Also, my visit by my advisor immediately following this wasn't super-wonderful. It was one of those, "You've improved so much at X, Y, and Z this year T! But..." The dreaded "but". For those of you who aren't involved in teaching, this is a killer phrase. In reality, one mediocre teaching report can ruin the chances of getting a teaching position in the district I'm working in (particularly since everyone knows everyone). And although I think I'm competent and relatively well-liked, I'm absolutely terrified of the possibility of receiving a "but" on my teaching report. I've hit more or less every single trait listed on our teaching reports to a reasonable degree, and for this I'm happy. However, this one sponsor may put that dreaded "but" in the area of planning and organization which may hurt me. Even though I probably did more planning that 2-3 interns did together. I have no doubt that others worked as hard or harder than I did, but for one single sponsor, I did more work for her than I did for all my other ones combined.
I definitely struggled with the planning and lesson prep. It hasn't come naturally to me and I still have moments where I get caught up in all the stress and I stop doing the job I know I can. And any friend of mine can tell you I've NEVER been the most organized guy in town. K could tell you this over and over. But over the past 8 months, I've come a long way and I feel like I've improved 10 fold in so many ways. Still, I'm not sure it was good enough for my sponsor. And it seems like no matter what my other sponsors say about me positively, her questions and constant challenges make me feel like I'm totally letting down her and the system as a whole. I don't think this is true, but it still lingers in my mind.
I know I only have 5 more classes with her, and that I've just gotta push through. But when I walked into this program, I thought I'd be a natural at every aspect of teaching. I thought my personality would provide me with a walk on easy street. My, how wrong I was. I'm definitely doing okay, but I do have a ways to go. And teaching is not one of those occupations that you ever totally get down. The kid factor is simply too great to be totally effective. And so I'm finishing these last few weeks with mixed emotions and can't get over the stress that I've been feeling over the past 2-3 weeks. It's like a constant anxiety to do something I'm incapable of doing.
At one point, I think I talked about Diogenes of Sinope who would walk around the Athenian Agora carry a lamp in the middle of the day. When asked what he was doing, he responded by saying that he was searching for an honest man. I really identified with him, and still do. However, over the past few weeks I've identified with another figure of Ancient Greece... a man by the name of Sisyphus. In The Odyssey he is mentioned to have been punished for trickery. His duty was to push or carry a boulder up a steep hill. However, whenever he reached the top, the rock with slip out of his grasp and roll back down the hill. This was his eternal destiny. I feel that sometimes teaching is similar... just when we think we have things under control, that boulder slips, and soon we are at the bottom of the hill trying to figure out how to get that boulder to the top. The one difference is the rewards throughout the journey are ever-present in the eyes of the students we teach. I sometimes forget that I'm not pursuing this career for me... but for the students I'll be teaching. It's hard to keep that in mind sometimes.
- T
Thus, I am able to talk about one of my addictions: CSI. Shakespeare might as well be Greek for some kids. They couldn't be less interested. It's difficult, time-consuming, often frustrating, and takes place so long before their existence that many simply don't see a point to it at all. However, you spend a good deal of time connecting it to crime dramas that appear on prime time TV, they actually get an idea of what's happening. And really, MAcbeth is a perfect case of a ridiculously thick-skulled criminal who is effected by bouts of random hallucinations and is obsessed with the prophecies that come from a bunch of old, scary, bearded ladies. I don't know about some other people, but he's a big bucket of crazy, and there are lessons to be learned.
Changing gears slightly...
I officially have 10 days of student teaching left before I'm officially done my teaching program. Sure, I have to teach one of my classes to the end of the year, but I'm done 2/3 and can start making some money. Which is lovely. But in these last 2 weeks, I really have to pull out the stops in order to make my one sponsor teacher happy. And that is going to be a difficult task. She's not only uber-intelligent, but she's crazy organized, super-ambitious, and has the big picture structure down pat. I think from the time that she started that she was a natural at all of the above talents, and this whole teaching thing came fairly easy to her. I also have no doubt that even though she has the odd off-day, she's about as committed and focussed as anyone around. She's really like a super-teacher... although she's hard, she does an excellent job. However (of COURSE there had to be a "but")... I'm terrified as to what she's going to write about me. My university advisor and her sat down for over an hour the other day while I was teaching, then neglected to tell me what went on. Also, my visit by my advisor immediately following this wasn't super-wonderful. It was one of those, "You've improved so much at X, Y, and Z this year T! But..." The dreaded "but". For those of you who aren't involved in teaching, this is a killer phrase. In reality, one mediocre teaching report can ruin the chances of getting a teaching position in the district I'm working in (particularly since everyone knows everyone). And although I think I'm competent and relatively well-liked, I'm absolutely terrified of the possibility of receiving a "but" on my teaching report. I've hit more or less every single trait listed on our teaching reports to a reasonable degree, and for this I'm happy. However, this one sponsor may put that dreaded "but" in the area of planning and organization which may hurt me. Even though I probably did more planning that 2-3 interns did together. I have no doubt that others worked as hard or harder than I did, but for one single sponsor, I did more work for her than I did for all my other ones combined.
I definitely struggled with the planning and lesson prep. It hasn't come naturally to me and I still have moments where I get caught up in all the stress and I stop doing the job I know I can. And any friend of mine can tell you I've NEVER been the most organized guy in town. K could tell you this over and over. But over the past 8 months, I've come a long way and I feel like I've improved 10 fold in so many ways. Still, I'm not sure it was good enough for my sponsor. And it seems like no matter what my other sponsors say about me positively, her questions and constant challenges make me feel like I'm totally letting down her and the system as a whole. I don't think this is true, but it still lingers in my mind.
I know I only have 5 more classes with her, and that I've just gotta push through. But when I walked into this program, I thought I'd be a natural at every aspect of teaching. I thought my personality would provide me with a walk on easy street. My, how wrong I was. I'm definitely doing okay, but I do have a ways to go. And teaching is not one of those occupations that you ever totally get down. The kid factor is simply too great to be totally effective. And so I'm finishing these last few weeks with mixed emotions and can't get over the stress that I've been feeling over the past 2-3 weeks. It's like a constant anxiety to do something I'm incapable of doing.
At one point, I think I talked about Diogenes of Sinope who would walk around the Athenian Agora carry a lamp in the middle of the day. When asked what he was doing, he responded by saying that he was searching for an honest man. I really identified with him, and still do. However, over the past few weeks I've identified with another figure of Ancient Greece... a man by the name of Sisyphus. In The Odyssey he is mentioned to have been punished for trickery. His duty was to push or carry a boulder up a steep hill. However, whenever he reached the top, the rock with slip out of his grasp and roll back down the hill. This was his eternal destiny. I feel that sometimes teaching is similar... just when we think we have things under control, that boulder slips, and soon we are at the bottom of the hill trying to figure out how to get that boulder to the top. The one difference is the rewards throughout the journey are ever-present in the eyes of the students we teach. I sometimes forget that I'm not pursuing this career for me... but for the students I'll be teaching. It's hard to keep that in mind sometimes.
- T
Monday, April 16, 2007
Addition from previous post...
a) I forgot to add the picture of the fox cubs and...
b) After doing an image search online, it looks like the fox we saw was a "Silver Fox"... not to be mistaken for the slick silver foxes that prowl through peeler joints and over-25 clubs. This vulpes vulpes is the real deal.
c) Finally, a few more pictures that I'd just like to add...
You know you're in a tourist town when...
A mini-getaway and three weeks remaining
Before Christmas time, I mentioned to K that my most memorable presents/gifts were things like trips or vacations or the things we did around the special occasions that usually involved gift giving. She was always getting disappointed about my reaction to the things she got for me as presents... although I was always excited, I'm pretty hard to get really riled up regarding gifts. So, she took an alternative approach and paid for a night up at Sun Peaks Resort, which we were finally able to take this past weekend.
It's off-season for this ski destination, which is just fine with me. I'm definitely more into the quiet vacations where I don't have to fight crowds and there's no rush to get anything accomplished, and this night away fulfilled exactly that. Not only was it beautiful and refreshing, but it was quiet... we were one of three rooms that were booked between the two buildings at the Pinnacle Lodge, and nearly the whole town is shut down until May Long Weekend when things begin to open again for the summer tourist season. We were able to enjoy the scenery, the quiet, and the outdoor hot tub (which was completely deserted). Needless to say, it was about as enjoyable as a one-night vacation gets. We also got a first hand look some type of fox and it's cubs, which were playing near the roadside and popping in and out of their den. If you can identify the type of fox, let me know because I have no clue what kind it is. The pictures of the pups are blurry... my apologies..
I can't wait to go on another trip... we're hoping a camping trip with some good friends is upcoming at the end of June, so my fingers are crossed. With gifts like this last trip, I think I snagged a pretty good lady.
On a completely unrelated note, I only have three weeks of practicum time left until certification... craziness!
- T
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Hate the flaw, love the flaw victim?
I absolutely despise my shortcomings. I think the worst part, however, is the fact that while I'm indulging in these shortcomings, I'm completely unaware of, or completely unwilling to change, said faults. One of these things is talking too much (surprised, anyone?). Another is a terrible sense of time. If I'm not constantly looking at the clock, I'm so completely prone to losing track of time that I'm late for things or I completely underestimate the amount of time it will take me to do something... anything, really. Many of my friends have referred to my world working on what has been dubbed, "T-Time", which differs drastically from Standard Time. If Standard Time dictates that Activity X should take 10 minutes, T-Time will mean it will probably be 15 or 20. If I ever told someone 6:30, they could expect no problems if they arrived at approximately 6:43. If I say I'll meet you in 20 minutes, don't worry if you don't get there for 30. This turns into the obvious issues of always being late and never providing myself enough time to do things.
I'm absolutely certain this was one of the main factors that prevented me from earning my million when I was painting on a piece-work system two years ago. And it also directly impacts my teaching, since teachers have to learn to budget their time extremely well in order to get through the intended lessons and curriculum. When looking long-term, I'm not terrible, but in the short term things are absolutely awful. I'm sure I get this from my mom (since my dad has had to deal with the fact that she's late, or, at least not early, well, ever), since it seems like her genetics have pretty much hit me like a tonne of bricks since I was kid (fair skin, early hair loss, average height, bad joints, propensity to gab, atrocious memory) and they continue to manifest themselves quite regularly. And really, I blame my mom's genes for all the obvious things which she suffers from that I see in myself. I've always wondered how certain sets of genes can so overwhelmingly control the fate of one offspring... not quite like the pea pods and curved thumbs that we studied in high school biology.
The point of this is really to say that, in my slow attempts at getting ready and putting my life in order before heading out the door, I realized I was late and that I was going to miss my bus. Which I did. Which is why I'm stranded here at the University, waiting for the next bus out to my sponsor school. Oh joy, oh bliss. I think I'm just trying to make excuses, because I find that things are easier to accept when you don't have control over them. Maybe not all things, but I've got a pretty large Hakuna Matata attitude, so I find that its pretty easy to deal with. Particularly those things that make you feel like a big moron. Oh well... not much I can do at this point in the game. Thank goodness for silent reading at the start of class.
- T
I'm absolutely certain this was one of the main factors that prevented me from earning my million when I was painting on a piece-work system two years ago. And it also directly impacts my teaching, since teachers have to learn to budget their time extremely well in order to get through the intended lessons and curriculum. When looking long-term, I'm not terrible, but in the short term things are absolutely awful. I'm sure I get this from my mom (since my dad has had to deal with the fact that she's late, or, at least not early, well, ever), since it seems like her genetics have pretty much hit me like a tonne of bricks since I was kid (fair skin, early hair loss, average height, bad joints, propensity to gab, atrocious memory) and they continue to manifest themselves quite regularly. And really, I blame my mom's genes for all the obvious things which she suffers from that I see in myself. I've always wondered how certain sets of genes can so overwhelmingly control the fate of one offspring... not quite like the pea pods and curved thumbs that we studied in high school biology.
The point of this is really to say that, in my slow attempts at getting ready and putting my life in order before heading out the door, I realized I was late and that I was going to miss my bus. Which I did. Which is why I'm stranded here at the University, waiting for the next bus out to my sponsor school. Oh joy, oh bliss. I think I'm just trying to make excuses, because I find that things are easier to accept when you don't have control over them. Maybe not all things, but I've got a pretty large Hakuna Matata attitude, so I find that its pretty easy to deal with. Particularly those things that make you feel like a big moron. Oh well... not much I can do at this point in the game. Thank goodness for silent reading at the start of class.
- T
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Do you ever have days...
... that seem like they go on forever? Today is one of them. If only I had some clever quote about being kicked in the teeth with a golf cleat then having the victime smile because they're optimistic. I don't think this makes sense. G' night.
-T
-T
Sunday, April 01, 2007
100 posts
I think it should be a celebration!
Okay, maybe that's a bit absurd. If I were to celebrate my own incessant rambling, it would be like celebrating how much I love myself. And, well, that's simply a bit strange. And egocentric. And just ridiculous. So I won't. But this is post #100... weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Now that I'm finished with that, onto other things.
I used to be a voracious reader. I had a strong appetite for a variety of fiction (usually Canadian) and loved spending time at coffee shops on my own just enjoying the fact that I'm alone and I'm okay with that. Needless to say, it's been a long time since I've had a chance to enjoy that sort of time. Between school, work, social and familial committments, there's not a massive amount of T-time left. The odd walk and time on my own either browsing the internet or doing schoolwork is about all I have. Not that it's anything to cry about, but I sometimes miss the days where I could put in my headphones, go for a walk down to the local java hut, and just lose myself for three or four hours eavesdropping on a variety of interesting and not-so-interesting conversations while DMB filled my ears and the smells of chocolate and coffee grounds and toasting sandwiches filled my nostrils, all the while getting lost in the adventures of Timothy Findlay or Douglas Coupland. It's just been a long time since I've been alone.
And it looks like this weekend might be the first time that I have that time. Time to work on my resume, waste time watching crappy TV, drinking coffee at a shop that I've never been to, and just getting my mind together. Sure, it gets a little lonely and I'm a bit of a social butterfly, but I've always been fairly good at being on my own. K might be heading back to visit her family again this weekend since they recently put down a rather large creature of the bovine family which has been turned into a wide variety of choice cuts that are coming to my deep freeze at the most reasonable of prices (and they need to be picked up and brought out here). K wants me to go with her for the drive, but I've been going somewhere and doing something every weekend for the past 3 months, and it might be nice just to have the weekend off. Of everything. Including 16 hours in the car, even though I thoroughly enjoy car rides with my hunny.
So, I guess here's to a year of blogging, 100 rants, and a self-indulgent attempt at immortalizing my less-than-exciting life. I only hope that a little pleasure comes from this from time to time (for my 3 or so readers per day!).
- T
Okay, maybe that's a bit absurd. If I were to celebrate my own incessant rambling, it would be like celebrating how much I love myself. And, well, that's simply a bit strange. And egocentric. And just ridiculous. So I won't. But this is post #100... weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Now that I'm finished with that, onto other things.
I used to be a voracious reader. I had a strong appetite for a variety of fiction (usually Canadian) and loved spending time at coffee shops on my own just enjoying the fact that I'm alone and I'm okay with that. Needless to say, it's been a long time since I've had a chance to enjoy that sort of time. Between school, work, social and familial committments, there's not a massive amount of T-time left. The odd walk and time on my own either browsing the internet or doing schoolwork is about all I have. Not that it's anything to cry about, but I sometimes miss the days where I could put in my headphones, go for a walk down to the local java hut, and just lose myself for three or four hours eavesdropping on a variety of interesting and not-so-interesting conversations while DMB filled my ears and the smells of chocolate and coffee grounds and toasting sandwiches filled my nostrils, all the while getting lost in the adventures of Timothy Findlay or Douglas Coupland. It's just been a long time since I've been alone.
And it looks like this weekend might be the first time that I have that time. Time to work on my resume, waste time watching crappy TV, drinking coffee at a shop that I've never been to, and just getting my mind together. Sure, it gets a little lonely and I'm a bit of a social butterfly, but I've always been fairly good at being on my own. K might be heading back to visit her family again this weekend since they recently put down a rather large creature of the bovine family which has been turned into a wide variety of choice cuts that are coming to my deep freeze at the most reasonable of prices (and they need to be picked up and brought out here). K wants me to go with her for the drive, but I've been going somewhere and doing something every weekend for the past 3 months, and it might be nice just to have the weekend off. Of everything. Including 16 hours in the car, even though I thoroughly enjoy car rides with my hunny.
So, I guess here's to a year of blogging, 100 rants, and a self-indulgent attempt at immortalizing my less-than-exciting life. I only hope that a little pleasure comes from this from time to time (for my 3 or so readers per day!).
- T
Thursday, March 29, 2007
My life as a pilly sweater
I was obviously very tired yesterday. As my friend/colleague N.T. were on our way back into town from school, this thought came into my head and I had to share it. I looked over and said something along the lines of, "I feel fuzzy. I mean, my hair does. I think I need a haircut. Do you ever feel like your head looks like an old, worn-in teddy bear? I do, and my hair feels like that right now." I laughed out loud to myself, and said, "Ah... my life as a pilly sweater! I should write a book about that." I looked over at N.T. and inquired, "Would you buy a book by me titled, 'My life as a pilly sweater'?" She laughed and I felt like a bit of a meathead. Still funny.
Yesterday just felt like the longest half-day of teaching I've had since being here. I'm sure some of it was caused by a mediocre sleep (or just lack of spring-break sleepins), but nonetheless I needed a bit more of it. Then I had two hours of volleyball after I got home and cooked, then marked until 11pm before finally crawling into bed (where I fell asleep immediately after hitting the pillow). Today is gonna be another long one, but I have a limited amount of work to do and tomorrow's Friday (oh joy, oh bliss). And next week is a short week and so is the week after. And then after those 2 weeks, I only have 3 more weeks after that until I'm certified. Not that I'm counting. Okay, maybe I'm counting. And it's springtime. And there's ice cream in the freezer. So really, life's swell. Other than darn kids giving me migraines, life's swell.
- T
Yesterday just felt like the longest half-day of teaching I've had since being here. I'm sure some of it was caused by a mediocre sleep (or just lack of spring-break sleepins), but nonetheless I needed a bit more of it. Then I had two hours of volleyball after I got home and cooked, then marked until 11pm before finally crawling into bed (where I fell asleep immediately after hitting the pillow). Today is gonna be another long one, but I have a limited amount of work to do and tomorrow's Friday (oh joy, oh bliss). And next week is a short week and so is the week after. And then after those 2 weeks, I only have 3 more weeks after that until I'm certified. Not that I'm counting. Okay, maybe I'm counting. And it's springtime. And there's ice cream in the freezer. So really, life's swell. Other than darn kids giving me migraines, life's swell.
- T
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Cute things I saw as I was driving to the school today
I had to get some photocopying done, and as I was driving, I saw some pretty funny things....
One billboard read,
"My wife and I had words last night... I just didn't get to use mine."
Another one read,
"Fat is what you get for breaking the feed limit."
The final entertaining thing I saw was a group of kindergarteners waiting on the side of the road and pumping their arms in the air. At first I wasn't sure what they were doing, but then I heard a deep, loud honk coming from the cement truck. They successfully got the cement truck to pull his air horn, hence the arm-pumping motion. During sport road trips back in junior high and high school we used to do that to passing semi's all the time. That, as well as reaching out the window and making paddling motions as we passed people (yes, like in a canoe). Fun times.
- T
One billboard read,
"My wife and I had words last night... I just didn't get to use mine."
Another one read,
"Fat is what you get for breaking the feed limit."
The final entertaining thing I saw was a group of kindergarteners waiting on the side of the road and pumping their arms in the air. At first I wasn't sure what they were doing, but then I heard a deep, loud honk coming from the cement truck. They successfully got the cement truck to pull his air horn, hence the arm-pumping motion. During sport road trips back in junior high and high school we used to do that to passing semi's all the time. That, as well as reaching out the window and making paddling motions as we passed people (yes, like in a canoe). Fun times.
- T
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
How I communicate:
Interestingly, I did this once and had "You Communicate Like a Man" come up. I then went back and changed only one answer, and this came up. Interesting, very interesting...
You Communicate Like a Woman |
 You empathize, talk things out, and express your emotions freely. You're a good listener, and you're non-judgmental with your advice. Communication is how you connect with people. You're always up for a long talk, no matter how difficult the subject matter is. |
In other news...
I had a really enjoyable trip back to Alberta last weekend. It was great to see a huge number of friends and acquaintances, as well as my family. As always, it never seems like long enough, but it's enjoyable all the same. I'm glad that I have the opportunities to see everyone from time to time.
I was also thinking about where I'm going to be in the next few years. I've been asked repeatedly if I plan to go back to my home town or to Alberta in general, and my response keeps coming back to, "I'm not sure." I'm sure some people think that I hesitate because I don't want to be close to my family, or that I really despise Alberta. However, this isn't really the case at all.
There's no doubt that I love my independence and the fact that I can make a life on my own (with K, of course) outside of the place where I grew up. Other people have difficulty with this. But the fact remains that I simply love B.C. I feel pretty much at home here, and now that I'm in the interior, I'm really enjoying the fact that K and I can drive home for our holidays rather than shelling out money for a flight. This is the real reason I'm hesitating at the move back home. Along with the fact that only a few of my friends still live in Lethbridge and I have many here in B.C. makes me want to stay. The real reason we're considering the move back to Alberta is our families, and as we start considering having a family of our own, we'd like to be closer to them all. If they were in B.C., I wouldn't be planning a move back to the 4-0-3, but since they are there, we're slowly moving closer and closer as time moves on.
Another consideration is where I get a teaching job. I'm hoping to get one here in the valley, but I have no idea if that's going to happen (even though I'm hopeful and moderately confident). I'll probably apply for jobs all over the place, and maybe even send in an application for my old mentor's teaching position. I don't know. All I know is that I've got a lot on my plate and I have no clue where I'll be in 6 months. Wherever it is, though, I'm sure I'll be happy...
- T
I was also thinking about where I'm going to be in the next few years. I've been asked repeatedly if I plan to go back to my home town or to Alberta in general, and my response keeps coming back to, "I'm not sure." I'm sure some people think that I hesitate because I don't want to be close to my family, or that I really despise Alberta. However, this isn't really the case at all.
There's no doubt that I love my independence and the fact that I can make a life on my own (with K, of course) outside of the place where I grew up. Other people have difficulty with this. But the fact remains that I simply love B.C. I feel pretty much at home here, and now that I'm in the interior, I'm really enjoying the fact that K and I can drive home for our holidays rather than shelling out money for a flight. This is the real reason I'm hesitating at the move back home. Along with the fact that only a few of my friends still live in Lethbridge and I have many here in B.C. makes me want to stay. The real reason we're considering the move back to Alberta is our families, and as we start considering having a family of our own, we'd like to be closer to them all. If they were in B.C., I wouldn't be planning a move back to the 4-0-3, but since they are there, we're slowly moving closer and closer as time moves on.
Another consideration is where I get a teaching job. I'm hoping to get one here in the valley, but I have no idea if that's going to happen (even though I'm hopeful and moderately confident). I'll probably apply for jobs all over the place, and maybe even send in an application for my old mentor's teaching position. I don't know. All I know is that I've got a lot on my plate and I have no clue where I'll be in 6 months. Wherever it is, though, I'm sure I'll be happy...
- T
Certain all-consuming things
I was tossing and turning. My feet were slightly cold since we decided to leave the window open a crack in order to let in some of the fresh (but chilly) night air. And I was dreaming. Not about sunsets or puppies or eating cheeseburgers (do people actually dream about these things?), but about school. Not university either, but my upcoming return to my sponsor school after a generally enjoyable spring break.
As I rolled over for the tenth time, I grabbed my glasses so I could see the alarm across the room; it read 4:13am. I was awake. Actually, not just awake.... wide awake. I came to the realization that I had only two days to meet with my sponsor teacher about my unit plans for the upcoming 6 weeks, and I hadn't sent them off yet. Of course, this is typical me, but still created some stress.
I thought about what I needed to do, and even wrote down a few things on a post-it sitting on my bedside table. I had it all somewhat clear in my mind, although there were some unanswered questions that I'm still not sure about. So I tried to roll over and get some more sleep. The clock read 4:27. And then it read 4:35. I read it again with the same result a few moments later (the minutes passing by exceedingly slowly), so I just got up, turned on the computer, and started typing. It was early, but when you're awake, you're awake. Or, at least I am.
I didn't get a huge amount accomplished, but I laid out some things that I finished today and got rid of the demons that troubled my sleep. After typing up some of the plan and writing myself some notes, I had a glass of milk and crawled back into bed. And I'm still wondering why I'm doing far more work than almost anyone else in the program. I constantly ask others what is expected of them, and I keep running into the same general response: a limited amount. As long as they're doing a tolerable job, they have the class under control and they show a sense of competence, sponsor teachers are happy. And this seems to be the case in 2/3 of my classes. But in one, it's an all-consuming battle to meet expectations and try to figure this whole thing out.
- T
As I rolled over for the tenth time, I grabbed my glasses so I could see the alarm across the room; it read 4:13am. I was awake. Actually, not just awake.... wide awake. I came to the realization that I had only two days to meet with my sponsor teacher about my unit plans for the upcoming 6 weeks, and I hadn't sent them off yet. Of course, this is typical me, but still created some stress.
I thought about what I needed to do, and even wrote down a few things on a post-it sitting on my bedside table. I had it all somewhat clear in my mind, although there were some unanswered questions that I'm still not sure about. So I tried to roll over and get some more sleep. The clock read 4:27. And then it read 4:35. I read it again with the same result a few moments later (the minutes passing by exceedingly slowly), so I just got up, turned on the computer, and started typing. It was early, but when you're awake, you're awake. Or, at least I am.
I didn't get a huge amount accomplished, but I laid out some things that I finished today and got rid of the demons that troubled my sleep. After typing up some of the plan and writing myself some notes, I had a glass of milk and crawled back into bed. And I'm still wondering why I'm doing far more work than almost anyone else in the program. I constantly ask others what is expected of them, and I keep running into the same general response: a limited amount. As long as they're doing a tolerable job, they have the class under control and they show a sense of competence, sponsor teachers are happy. And this seems to be the case in 2/3 of my classes. But in one, it's an all-consuming battle to meet expectations and try to figure this whole thing out.
- T
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Walking... stories.
If I ever go for a walk, I often think about the people I pass or see from the sidewalk and wonder what they're doing, or where they're going, or what they're thinking. I look at a young man with his child at the park and I wonder if he has an interesting story to tell about the tatoos that crawl up and down his arms. I'm curious about the young girl with a heavy backpack, wondering if she's a good student, and wonder what her favorite subject is (or if she even likes school at all). Maybe it's not even school books in her bag. Not that it matters. I create a reality for the elderly gentleman nearby, who is walking his yappy pomeranian and smoking his tobacco pipe. The scent vaguely reminds me of someone from my childhood that smoked a pipe, though I don't recall who. Again, it probably doesn't matter.
I used to walk all the time... it used to be my way of shutting my mind off getting away from bitterness or frustration or from situations that I didn't know how to handle. After a fight with a parent or a miserable breakup, I would throw on my shoes and head for the park near my house. The bike path cutting through it led all over the west side. Sometimes I'd end up over at the house I grew up in. Other times I'd get all the way to my old elementary school. I guess it depended on the time of day/night and how cold I was getting. At one point in high school, I bumped into another troubled soul who had also taken off from her house to get away from an argument with her parents. Just as I was entering the park I noticed her and said hi. We went to school together, but hadn't really said more than a few words to each other in two or three years. I was a bit of a jock/prep/nerd type, and she hung out more with the wannabe misfits who hung out in the smoke pit and talked about Curt Cobain and Jim Morrison and the idiotic nature of the popular kids. I didn't always have to make up personalities and worlds of other people... sometimes they revealed themselves to me.
So yesterday, I went for a walk. I put my headphones in and let my mind wander aimlessly to the violins that always linger in the background of Dave Matthews' music. I strolled a few blocks and turned a corner toward the nearby strip mall. My objective: coffee. And not just coffee... but a delicious toffee-nut Americano (with cream, of course... I drink baby coffee). After turning the corner and tapping my fingers to the music in my ears, I notice a police car parked a block up the road. Since it was sitting just outside a parking lot, it seemed out of place. After a few more steps, I saw the officer standing near the corner. No radio. No radar. Just standing. He was young... maybe 30, if that. Probably got stuck here doing some sort of traffic duty while the vets ate muffins at the station or were busy breaking down the doors of meth houses. This young guy was probably thinking he'd rather be writing parking tickets than standing on the side of some road looking lost. I kept on walking, knowing that he probably had everything under control, even though he looked thoroughly bored. As I got closer to the coffee shop, I noticed another police car, this time parked in an apartment parking lot. Two officers were sitting in the car. No one in the back. No radar. No lights. Just sitting. This is even more strange, I thought. But again, I kept walking.
After reaching my desired destination and acquiring my delicious caffeine jolt, I return on the same route I came. Still, the two officers sat in their car. No lights. No radar. And again I passed the young officer on the side of the road. No radio. No radar. An ambulance then passed by the both of us, but didn't stop and kept going past. Same with a firetruck, sirens blaring. We both watched and wondered what the destination was... who was in trouble. And the officer remained, checking his pockets for something. And I kept walking.
I got in the apartment a few minutes later, wondering if the officer had a girlfriend waiting for him at home. Maybe he has a small dog sleeping at the foot of the stairs, waiting for him. I took a drink of my coffee. His job could be dangerous. How long would the dog wait? Probably a long time. Forever, if it took that long. That's the nice thing about dogs... their loyalty doesn't wane. What about the girlfriend? Is she as understanding and patient about his chosen career? Maybe... it's hard to say.
- T
I used to walk all the time... it used to be my way of shutting my mind off getting away from bitterness or frustration or from situations that I didn't know how to handle. After a fight with a parent or a miserable breakup, I would throw on my shoes and head for the park near my house. The bike path cutting through it led all over the west side. Sometimes I'd end up over at the house I grew up in. Other times I'd get all the way to my old elementary school. I guess it depended on the time of day/night and how cold I was getting. At one point in high school, I bumped into another troubled soul who had also taken off from her house to get away from an argument with her parents. Just as I was entering the park I noticed her and said hi. We went to school together, but hadn't really said more than a few words to each other in two or three years. I was a bit of a jock/prep/nerd type, and she hung out more with the wannabe misfits who hung out in the smoke pit and talked about Curt Cobain and Jim Morrison and the idiotic nature of the popular kids. I didn't always have to make up personalities and worlds of other people... sometimes they revealed themselves to me.
So yesterday, I went for a walk. I put my headphones in and let my mind wander aimlessly to the violins that always linger in the background of Dave Matthews' music. I strolled a few blocks and turned a corner toward the nearby strip mall. My objective: coffee. And not just coffee... but a delicious toffee-nut Americano (with cream, of course... I drink baby coffee). After turning the corner and tapping my fingers to the music in my ears, I notice a police car parked a block up the road. Since it was sitting just outside a parking lot, it seemed out of place. After a few more steps, I saw the officer standing near the corner. No radio. No radar. Just standing. He was young... maybe 30, if that. Probably got stuck here doing some sort of traffic duty while the vets ate muffins at the station or were busy breaking down the doors of meth houses. This young guy was probably thinking he'd rather be writing parking tickets than standing on the side of some road looking lost. I kept on walking, knowing that he probably had everything under control, even though he looked thoroughly bored. As I got closer to the coffee shop, I noticed another police car, this time parked in an apartment parking lot. Two officers were sitting in the car. No one in the back. No radar. No lights. Just sitting. This is even more strange, I thought. But again, I kept walking.
After reaching my desired destination and acquiring my delicious caffeine jolt, I return on the same route I came. Still, the two officers sat in their car. No lights. No radar. And again I passed the young officer on the side of the road. No radio. No radar. An ambulance then passed by the both of us, but didn't stop and kept going past. Same with a firetruck, sirens blaring. We both watched and wondered what the destination was... who was in trouble. And the officer remained, checking his pockets for something. And I kept walking.
I got in the apartment a few minutes later, wondering if the officer had a girlfriend waiting for him at home. Maybe he has a small dog sleeping at the foot of the stairs, waiting for him. I took a drink of my coffee. His job could be dangerous. How long would the dog wait? Probably a long time. Forever, if it took that long. That's the nice thing about dogs... their loyalty doesn't wane. What about the girlfriend? Is she as understanding and patient about his chosen career? Maybe... it's hard to say.
- T
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
My love for all things Canadiana and reflections about home
Maple Syrup
Beavers
Sock&Sandal Hippies
The NDP
Gretzky
Curling
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Don Cherry
Passive-Aggressive Politeness
Prairie
All these things make up something uniquely Canadian. Now, some people won't identify with the prairies, or they may have an aversion to maple syrup, or they may see Jack Layton as a communist conspirator. Nonetheless, these things combined create something uniquely Canadian, whether we admit it or not.
A few quotes from Will Ferguson's Why I Hate Canadians should be appropriate here...
"The border between Canada and the U.S. was forged in geography, trade routes, blood, war, threats and ultimatums. It was not a psychological yearning that kept us clinging to the border, it was the combined threat of frostbite and Manifest Destiny."
"Could Canadians have chosen a less inspiring emblem? The Russians have a bear, the Americans a bald eagle, the British a lion rampart - and Canada? Canada has a beaver. If you want to play a round of Could'a Had, the list is long. We could'a had a timber wolf. Or a polar bear. Or a bison. Or a lynx. Or even the conveniently named Canada goose. But no, we got stuck with a 30-kilogram, bucktoothed rodent whose most heroic trait is that he thinks to slap his tail to warn his buddies before he runs away."
One thing I noticed last night (that may or may not be unique to other parts of the world at night), is that Canadian towns all look the same on the drive through. I was out on the Westside last night hanging out with a few friends when I came through the city's downtown. For a few moments, I wasn't sure where I was. I saw the fast-food neons, vacancy signs, the obvious Wally's World (a.k.a. Walmart), and side streets that slipped quickly and quietly into the suburban neighbourhoods off the highway strip. It could have been Kamloops, or Regina, or Winnipeg. The annonymity was a bit overwhelming, as I rolled down my window and wondered when this place had become so strange but at the same time so familiar.
It is still strange to me why certain things feel like home. When I return back to Lethbridge, it's the coffee shop. The familiar trips across the river. It's the recognizable faces. It's the dogs greeting me at the door. My family, friends, former acquaintances. Ex-girlfriends, ex-teachers. But once again I wonder... what's changed? The town may have grown a bit, and the staff at the local grocery store has probably turned over a time or two. I used to wonder why everything didn't just look so different, but why it felt so strange. I think I realized that the scenery doesn't change... just the eyes do.
I think about the coast in the same manner, and I yearn for that sense of what I know. I knew the ferry schedule really well. I knew exactly how long the #14 bus took to get from the stop across from my apartment to the school, and what days I should make sure I'm early in case one is too full to pick me up. I knew that the Moka House in Cook Street Village was a place I could always go for an escape. Even though I knew people that frequented the shop from time to time, I also knew that I could preserve my annonymity through headphones and a quiet table in the corner. I could also enjoy the fact that downtown was a mere 10 minute walk, and if I needed a taste of the ocean, I just had to hop on my bike for 10 minutes for that much-needed indulgence. I've been here in the valley for more than six months, and I still don't know my way around. I don't have a hangout (other than my sponsor school), and I'm still not sure what the best way to get to downtown is. Much of this has to do with the fact that my schedule doesn't allow such indulgences right now, but I'm hoping that it'll come. I do like it here... but it's going to take some time for me to make it feel like home.
- T
Beavers
Sock&Sandal Hippies
The NDP
Gretzky
Curling
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Don Cherry
Passive-Aggressive Politeness
Prairie
All these things make up something uniquely Canadian. Now, some people won't identify with the prairies, or they may have an aversion to maple syrup, or they may see Jack Layton as a communist conspirator. Nonetheless, these things combined create something uniquely Canadian, whether we admit it or not.
A few quotes from Will Ferguson's Why I Hate Canadians should be appropriate here...
"The border between Canada and the U.S. was forged in geography, trade routes, blood, war, threats and ultimatums. It was not a psychological yearning that kept us clinging to the border, it was the combined threat of frostbite and Manifest Destiny."
"Could Canadians have chosen a less inspiring emblem? The Russians have a bear, the Americans a bald eagle, the British a lion rampart - and Canada? Canada has a beaver. If you want to play a round of Could'a Had, the list is long. We could'a had a timber wolf. Or a polar bear. Or a bison. Or a lynx. Or even the conveniently named Canada goose. But no, we got stuck with a 30-kilogram, bucktoothed rodent whose most heroic trait is that he thinks to slap his tail to warn his buddies before he runs away."
One thing I noticed last night (that may or may not be unique to other parts of the world at night), is that Canadian towns all look the same on the drive through. I was out on the Westside last night hanging out with a few friends when I came through the city's downtown. For a few moments, I wasn't sure where I was. I saw the fast-food neons, vacancy signs, the obvious Wally's World (a.k.a. Walmart), and side streets that slipped quickly and quietly into the suburban neighbourhoods off the highway strip. It could have been Kamloops, or Regina, or Winnipeg. The annonymity was a bit overwhelming, as I rolled down my window and wondered when this place had become so strange but at the same time so familiar.
It is still strange to me why certain things feel like home. When I return back to Lethbridge, it's the coffee shop. The familiar trips across the river. It's the recognizable faces. It's the dogs greeting me at the door. My family, friends, former acquaintances. Ex-girlfriends, ex-teachers. But once again I wonder... what's changed? The town may have grown a bit, and the staff at the local grocery store has probably turned over a time or two. I used to wonder why everything didn't just look so different, but why it felt so strange. I think I realized that the scenery doesn't change... just the eyes do.
I think about the coast in the same manner, and I yearn for that sense of what I know. I knew the ferry schedule really well. I knew exactly how long the #14 bus took to get from the stop across from my apartment to the school, and what days I should make sure I'm early in case one is too full to pick me up. I knew that the Moka House in Cook Street Village was a place I could always go for an escape. Even though I knew people that frequented the shop from time to time, I also knew that I could preserve my annonymity through headphones and a quiet table in the corner. I could also enjoy the fact that downtown was a mere 10 minute walk, and if I needed a taste of the ocean, I just had to hop on my bike for 10 minutes for that much-needed indulgence. I've been here in the valley for more than six months, and I still don't know my way around. I don't have a hangout (other than my sponsor school), and I'm still not sure what the best way to get to downtown is. Much of this has to do with the fact that my schedule doesn't allow such indulgences right now, but I'm hoping that it'll come. I do like it here... but it's going to take some time for me to make it feel like home.
- T
Friday, March 09, 2007
Oh, Happy Day
And I'm not talking about the old gospel tune.
Today is the day in every teacher's life that is just a little more bearable, more enjoyable, more glorious than other days past. No, it is not simply that it is Friday, although Friday is a wonderful thing on it's own. No, I'm talking about the final day before HOLIDAYS! Spring Break starts at 3:14 today, and I may be just the slightest bit excited. Maybe.
As per usual, things have been crazy lately. Luckily, I think they're going to be a bit more under control from this point forward (I hope) since I don't have any more coaching clinics to attend and there's only 5 more weeks of practicum time before I'm fully certified. Sure, I have to stay on until the end of the year so I can still keep teaching one class "in the spirit of volunteerism", but certification is coming oh-so-soon, and I'm just that much closer to being able to actually make a bit of money at this teaching gig. Not that I'm in it for the money, because if I am, I should go back to school and reacquire some math skills.
The sun was even shining over the valley this morning, which must be a positive omen.
Other things that have been going on:
- I met Paul Yee, a Governor-General award winning writer who came to our school a week ago for a presentation
- I finished my interim report for part one of the second practicum session I'm doing. It went well, but I still have some things to nail down before I'm approved as an excellent candidate for a teaching job next year.
- Now that the weather is better, I hate the fact that I'm not allowed to Barbeque on my deck.
And that's about all... I'll try to come up with something brilliant as time goes on.
-T
Today is the day in every teacher's life that is just a little more bearable, more enjoyable, more glorious than other days past. No, it is not simply that it is Friday, although Friday is a wonderful thing on it's own. No, I'm talking about the final day before HOLIDAYS! Spring Break starts at 3:14 today, and I may be just the slightest bit excited. Maybe.
As per usual, things have been crazy lately. Luckily, I think they're going to be a bit more under control from this point forward (I hope) since I don't have any more coaching clinics to attend and there's only 5 more weeks of practicum time before I'm fully certified. Sure, I have to stay on until the end of the year so I can still keep teaching one class "in the spirit of volunteerism", but certification is coming oh-so-soon, and I'm just that much closer to being able to actually make a bit of money at this teaching gig. Not that I'm in it for the money, because if I am, I should go back to school and reacquire some math skills.
The sun was even shining over the valley this morning, which must be a positive omen.
Other things that have been going on:
- I met Paul Yee, a Governor-General award winning writer who came to our school a week ago for a presentation
- I finished my interim report for part one of the second practicum session I'm doing. It went well, but I still have some things to nail down before I'm approved as an excellent candidate for a teaching job next year.
- Now that the weather is better, I hate the fact that I'm not allowed to Barbeque on my deck.
And that's about all... I'll try to come up with something brilliant as time goes on.
-T
Friday, March 02, 2007
A few things mashed into one...
I was having a conversation with one of my sponsor teachers the other day, and she asked me to come up with my own list of what went well in the class and what I need to work on. As the term's progressed, this has been the strategy for her... moving away from her advice and criticism to a place where I can come up with my own ideas of being self-aware and self-critical. After filling out about three items in the "recommendations" column, I stared blankly at the "commendations" column. I tensed up, my eyes were getting a bit glassy, and I couldn't come up with a single thing to put in the positive column.
Now, it wasn't that it was a terrible day. I think it was simply... how do I say it... uninspiring. Lately, I've been dealing with the pressures of a boatload of marking, upcoming interim marks (both for my students and the second part of my practicum), getting ready to apply for certification, thinking about getting my resume together, beginning my unit planning for after Spring Break, spending time with Kerrie, coaching 2-3 days a week, and the list seems to go on and on for a long time. I've also been fighting off the early stages of a cold for nearly a week, and although I've been getting some sleep, it just hasn't felt like enough. I don't usually have really bad days... lately they have just been lacking epiphanies and inspiring feelings that I'm changing the world. She made a comment about pessimism and optimism, and how I'd been in the bottom of a whisky bottle if I didn't learn to positively self-reflect. And not grandpa's good whisky, either.
Every once in a while I get thinking about what I was like as a kid. I remember being goofy, but the amount of specific events I recall seem to be pretty sporadic. I have a sister that has the most creative memory on the planet and she claims she remembers all sorts of things that no one else can vouch for.
I remember thinking I was going to be a lawyer when I was in my early teens. I was really into Grisham novels and wanted nothing more than to save the world through my cunning intellect and saavy nature. I also considered being a psychologist, since I was a bit of a go-to guy for friends when they needed a shoulder. Early in university, I considered entering the philosophy and religious studies department to be a scholar of sorts. Anyone who knows me well has probably shared an extended, long-winded discussion with me about religion and philosophy in some form or another. Most recently (before getting into education), I thought my life was going to be in publishing or writing, since I originally moved out to the coast with ambitions of entering the creative writing program. However, I didn't declare a major when I first moved and all the spots for the intro writing classes were taken by creative writing majors. So, I went into English Lit. And four years later, here I am.
Don't get me wrong... I 'm definitely not complaining, because I really enjoyed my degree and my time out in Victoria. If my collective families were closer to the coast, K and I probably would've stayed (minus the fact she hated being on an island). Even when I was in high school and early university, I joked about the fact that I wasn't going to get married for a LONG time, likely in my 30's. Now, I'm the first of my friend group from high school to get married and the third out of my university friends. It's funny how life works out, and how we can have all the expectations and plans we want, but life takes it's own route.
I think reflective people are fatalists by nature. They look back on their lives, and have a hard time imagining how it could be any different. I go in and out of phases of fatalistism. Sometimes life seems so ordered. When looking back, it's hard to imagine how things could be different. But looking ahead... who knows? I'm sure I've quoted him before, but that C.S. Lewis guy is pretty clever...
"For the longest way round is the shortest way home".
- t
Now, it wasn't that it was a terrible day. I think it was simply... how do I say it... uninspiring. Lately, I've been dealing with the pressures of a boatload of marking, upcoming interim marks (both for my students and the second part of my practicum), getting ready to apply for certification, thinking about getting my resume together, beginning my unit planning for after Spring Break, spending time with Kerrie, coaching 2-3 days a week, and the list seems to go on and on for a long time. I've also been fighting off the early stages of a cold for nearly a week, and although I've been getting some sleep, it just hasn't felt like enough. I don't usually have really bad days... lately they have just been lacking epiphanies and inspiring feelings that I'm changing the world. She made a comment about pessimism and optimism, and how I'd been in the bottom of a whisky bottle if I didn't learn to positively self-reflect. And not grandpa's good whisky, either.
Every once in a while I get thinking about what I was like as a kid. I remember being goofy, but the amount of specific events I recall seem to be pretty sporadic. I have a sister that has the most creative memory on the planet and she claims she remembers all sorts of things that no one else can vouch for.
I remember thinking I was going to be a lawyer when I was in my early teens. I was really into Grisham novels and wanted nothing more than to save the world through my cunning intellect and saavy nature. I also considered being a psychologist, since I was a bit of a go-to guy for friends when they needed a shoulder. Early in university, I considered entering the philosophy and religious studies department to be a scholar of sorts. Anyone who knows me well has probably shared an extended, long-winded discussion with me about religion and philosophy in some form or another. Most recently (before getting into education), I thought my life was going to be in publishing or writing, since I originally moved out to the coast with ambitions of entering the creative writing program. However, I didn't declare a major when I first moved and all the spots for the intro writing classes were taken by creative writing majors. So, I went into English Lit. And four years later, here I am.
Don't get me wrong... I 'm definitely not complaining, because I really enjoyed my degree and my time out in Victoria. If my collective families were closer to the coast, K and I probably would've stayed (minus the fact she hated being on an island). Even when I was in high school and early university, I joked about the fact that I wasn't going to get married for a LONG time, likely in my 30's. Now, I'm the first of my friend group from high school to get married and the third out of my university friends. It's funny how life works out, and how we can have all the expectations and plans we want, but life takes it's own route.
I think reflective people are fatalists by nature. They look back on their lives, and have a hard time imagining how it could be any different. I go in and out of phases of fatalistism. Sometimes life seems so ordered. When looking back, it's hard to imagine how things could be different. But looking ahead... who knows? I'm sure I've quoted him before, but that C.S. Lewis guy is pretty clever...
"For the longest way round is the shortest way home".
- t
Monday, February 26, 2007
Only 2 weeks...
... to go until we get Spring Break. And it couldn't come quickly enough.
I got back into town last night from the Fraser Valley after coaching our first real club volleyball tournament of the year. The drive was a bit of a mess and after a long week last week, I was almost thinking of just staying home to relax, mark homework and catch up on my Z's. This was balanced with an urge to get out of town to do something completely unrelated to school, so in the end, coaching won out and it turned out to be a really rewarding weekend. The boys I'm coaching played well, I was complimented on my coaching by my coaching mentor, and we placed 10th out of 17 teams, which was good considering our "A" team only placed 7th. We actually lost a really tight game in the Consolation final which was a bit heartbreaking, and should have placed Top 8 (we were in a 3-way tie for 1st in our round robin pool, and came in second due to points scored) but the guys really played well nearly all tournament, so I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
Things around the valley are still crazy busy, though, and I don't think they'll slow down until March 10th. Obviously I teach all week, and the weekend coming up features yet another coaching clinic for 3 days, and then I get back here to the school all of next week (again, very obvious). But, it's winding down and it's going to be wonderful to have a few days to sleep in and relax, as well as to take some time to get back to Alberta to visit the families.
On a completely unrelated note, here's a great quote from Salman Rushdie on writing...
"What one writer can make in the solitude of one room is something no power can easily destroy"
- S. Rushdie
- T
I got back into town last night from the Fraser Valley after coaching our first real club volleyball tournament of the year. The drive was a bit of a mess and after a long week last week, I was almost thinking of just staying home to relax, mark homework and catch up on my Z's. This was balanced with an urge to get out of town to do something completely unrelated to school, so in the end, coaching won out and it turned out to be a really rewarding weekend. The boys I'm coaching played well, I was complimented on my coaching by my coaching mentor, and we placed 10th out of 17 teams, which was good considering our "A" team only placed 7th. We actually lost a really tight game in the Consolation final which was a bit heartbreaking, and should have placed Top 8 (we were in a 3-way tie for 1st in our round robin pool, and came in second due to points scored) but the guys really played well nearly all tournament, so I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
Things around the valley are still crazy busy, though, and I don't think they'll slow down until March 10th. Obviously I teach all week, and the weekend coming up features yet another coaching clinic for 3 days, and then I get back here to the school all of next week (again, very obvious). But, it's winding down and it's going to be wonderful to have a few days to sleep in and relax, as well as to take some time to get back to Alberta to visit the families.
On a completely unrelated note, here's a great quote from Salman Rushdie on writing...
"What one writer can make in the solitude of one room is something no power can easily destroy"
- S. Rushdie
- T
Thursday, February 22, 2007
We all have a bad test from time to time...
I received these pictures from one of my fellow staff members, and they definitely perked up my day. Hope you enjoy!
Click on the pictures to see a more clear view...
Click on the pictures to see a more clear view...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Some days are just longer than others..
... and this may be one of those long ones.
After teaching all day, knowing that I have volleyball practice for 2 hours, as well as a boatload of marking, prep, and course work that was due a month ago, I'm just dreading the next 6 or 7 hours. This doesn't include the work I need to sort out for Friday, since I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for my first big club volleyball tournament. It also ignores the long day of dealing with 16 year olds who can't even handle 10 minutes of responsibility. But, I guess I just need to suck it up. Everyone's busy and stressed and overworked and underpaid, so I guess I should simply quit my excessive whining. Tomorrow's another day, and it's wonderfully sunny outside. Sure, there's plenty to do, but there's also plenty to enjoy.
On a side note... Hey you! That stranger from Airdrie who reads my rants here.... you should leave me a message to let me know who you are!
I'll hopefully have something more fulfilling to write about soon. Until then...
- T
After teaching all day, knowing that I have volleyball practice for 2 hours, as well as a boatload of marking, prep, and course work that was due a month ago, I'm just dreading the next 6 or 7 hours. This doesn't include the work I need to sort out for Friday, since I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for my first big club volleyball tournament. It also ignores the long day of dealing with 16 year olds who can't even handle 10 minutes of responsibility. But, I guess I just need to suck it up. Everyone's busy and stressed and overworked and underpaid, so I guess I should simply quit my excessive whining. Tomorrow's another day, and it's wonderfully sunny outside. Sure, there's plenty to do, but there's also plenty to enjoy.
On a side note... Hey you! That stranger from Airdrie who reads my rants here.... you should leave me a message to let me know who you are!
I'll hopefully have something more fulfilling to write about soon. Until then...
- T
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Crazy animals doing funny things...
I got a good chuckle out of this. It's almost like a "Best Of" for clips of animals from AFV. Enjoy!
- T
- T
First Friday of the week
The weekend is coming and it couldn't be soon enough.
It seems like this week has been dragging on. Much of that has to do with the fact that I had my coaching clinic all weekend, which didn't really provide me with an opportunity to get some much-needed rest. It was actually moderately stressful, since I wasn't sure if I was in over my head or not. Nonetheless, I'm excited that the weekend is here as of 4:00pm today. Tomorrow being a PD Day, I'm heading out to the mountains for a seminar on BC's forestry industry, which should be enjoyable. Outdoors, free lunch, no students to worry about... la dolce vita, I'd say.
On a somewhat related but otherwise unrelated topic, I hate being overtired. Interestingly, I act similarly when I'm either tired or really hungry, which means I manifest a serious attitude of jerkface. I can definitely be pleasant, but it's pretty easy to set me off in a negative direction and I've been known to, from time to time, take my fatigued bitterness out on those around me. Not typically at work or with friends, but usually on family. Why is it that we (or more specifically, I) direct antagonism toward those we really love, and not strangers? I don't know if everyone's like this, but I definitely am. I can be upbeat and chipper (maybe in a false way, but chipper nonetheless) to a total stranger, even if they anger me, but when I get home and I'm in a bit of a mood, I take it out on K or other family members far too easily. This has pretty much always been a character fault of mine, and I really hate it. At the time I lash out, I can justify my anger 6 different ways, but give me 10 seconds to think about it, and I realize that I just treated the love of my life like a piece of rubbish. I guess that's why it's love... these important people stick around even after you treat them like an enemy.
You may be picking up on a tone of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Still, I hate this fault. I was actually talking to one of my intern compadres about something similar, and mentioned that I'm terrible at disengaging when it comes to arguments. It gets even worse when I need to catch on my beauty sleep. I guess we all have our battles... this is just one of my most obvious ones.
On a much more unrelated note, K and I watched "The Departed" last night and I have to say that I loved it. Sure, it may be a bit on the violent side and the actors drop the F-bomb like there's going to be a massive lockdown on profanity in mainstream media, but it was extremely well put together and I always appreciate a good Shakespeare reference which makes sense when it's used and isn't just thrown in as an attempt to make the writing seem more intelligent. Rent it. Seriously. Rent it.
- T
It seems like this week has been dragging on. Much of that has to do with the fact that I had my coaching clinic all weekend, which didn't really provide me with an opportunity to get some much-needed rest. It was actually moderately stressful, since I wasn't sure if I was in over my head or not. Nonetheless, I'm excited that the weekend is here as of 4:00pm today. Tomorrow being a PD Day, I'm heading out to the mountains for a seminar on BC's forestry industry, which should be enjoyable. Outdoors, free lunch, no students to worry about... la dolce vita, I'd say.
On a somewhat related but otherwise unrelated topic, I hate being overtired. Interestingly, I act similarly when I'm either tired or really hungry, which means I manifest a serious attitude of jerkface. I can definitely be pleasant, but it's pretty easy to set me off in a negative direction and I've been known to, from time to time, take my fatigued bitterness out on those around me. Not typically at work or with friends, but usually on family. Why is it that we (or more specifically, I) direct antagonism toward those we really love, and not strangers? I don't know if everyone's like this, but I definitely am. I can be upbeat and chipper (maybe in a false way, but chipper nonetheless) to a total stranger, even if they anger me, but when I get home and I'm in a bit of a mood, I take it out on K or other family members far too easily. This has pretty much always been a character fault of mine, and I really hate it. At the time I lash out, I can justify my anger 6 different ways, but give me 10 seconds to think about it, and I realize that I just treated the love of my life like a piece of rubbish. I guess that's why it's love... these important people stick around even after you treat them like an enemy.
You may be picking up on a tone of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Still, I hate this fault. I was actually talking to one of my intern compadres about something similar, and mentioned that I'm terrible at disengaging when it comes to arguments. It gets even worse when I need to catch on my beauty sleep. I guess we all have our battles... this is just one of my most obvious ones.
On a much more unrelated note, K and I watched "The Departed" last night and I have to say that I loved it. Sure, it may be a bit on the violent side and the actors drop the F-bomb like there's going to be a massive lockdown on profanity in mainstream media, but it was extremely well put together and I always appreciate a good Shakespeare reference which makes sense when it's used and isn't just thrown in as an attempt to make the writing seem more intelligent. Rent it. Seriously. Rent it.
- T
Monday, February 12, 2007
The things in my life
School: really, the most time consuming part of my life. Even more so than spending time with my wife and sleeping, which I don't do often enough. The stories I hear about students and about teacher's experiences makes me think that this job takes a massive amount of both patience and responsibility. Cliched or not, we're in the people-making business, and there's little room for error.
On a completely separate note, even though my sponsor teacher is running me ragged with reflection and lesson-planning and big idea stuff that I can barely get my head around, I think she's going to do a world of good for my career. And, as I hoped, I just really love being with the kids. There's always something surprising that comes up, whether they drive me bonko or not.
Coaching: Taking up a massive amount of my spare time. Mainly, weekends. I finished my Level 1 Technical three weekends ago, and my Level 2 Technical this past weekend over 3 days (both for volleyball), and I have another 3-day clinic on March 3/4/5 to go to to get my Levels 1/2 Theory. Not to mention that I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for a tournament at the end of February, and to Calgary in May for Nationals. Although the weekday schedule is fairly light, it's still plenty time-consuming.
Everything else: I'm heading back to Alberta twice in March. The first trip will be to see one of my old teachers (and someone I hold in hugely high regard) who is retiring this year back in Alberta. Another former teacher and now VP of my old high school has organized a sort of secret send-off for him and another retiring teacher, and has invited many old theatre alumni back for it. I received an invite... for those of you who don't know, I did my high school musical in my senior year, acting as the mischievous Tommy Sloane in Anne of Green Gables. It should be fun.
The second trip is on the following weekend with my in-laws for a bit of a weekend getaway. K's parents, her brother (and his wife), and her sister (with husband and kids) are meeting us in Edmonton for some West Ed. action. We don't get together very often, so it's a chance for us to all be in one place at the same time.
K and I are also heading for bit of a resort getaway (only for one night, but nice all the same) in April, and then I'm back in AB in May for volleyball Nationals. Not to mention that I'm a certified teacher as of May 4th! Weeeee. My intern friend N.T. figured out that there's only about 45 teaching days left before certification. Crazy stuff, I know.
Okay, I've bored ya'll enough. Hope that update was sufficient, and I'll try to write more clever things soon. And I hoped you enjoyed the last post with my itsy story. Thanks for reading, K and L!
- T
On a completely separate note, even though my sponsor teacher is running me ragged with reflection and lesson-planning and big idea stuff that I can barely get my head around, I think she's going to do a world of good for my career. And, as I hoped, I just really love being with the kids. There's always something surprising that comes up, whether they drive me bonko or not.
Coaching: Taking up a massive amount of my spare time. Mainly, weekends. I finished my Level 1 Technical three weekends ago, and my Level 2 Technical this past weekend over 3 days (both for volleyball), and I have another 3-day clinic on March 3/4/5 to go to to get my Levels 1/2 Theory. Not to mention that I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for a tournament at the end of February, and to Calgary in May for Nationals. Although the weekday schedule is fairly light, it's still plenty time-consuming.
Everything else: I'm heading back to Alberta twice in March. The first trip will be to see one of my old teachers (and someone I hold in hugely high regard) who is retiring this year back in Alberta. Another former teacher and now VP of my old high school has organized a sort of secret send-off for him and another retiring teacher, and has invited many old theatre alumni back for it. I received an invite... for those of you who don't know, I did my high school musical in my senior year, acting as the mischievous Tommy Sloane in Anne of Green Gables. It should be fun.
The second trip is on the following weekend with my in-laws for a bit of a weekend getaway. K's parents, her brother (and his wife), and her sister (with husband and kids) are meeting us in Edmonton for some West Ed. action. We don't get together very often, so it's a chance for us to all be in one place at the same time.
K and I are also heading for bit of a resort getaway (only for one night, but nice all the same) in April, and then I'm back in AB in May for volleyball Nationals. Not to mention that I'm a certified teacher as of May 4th! Weeeee. My intern friend N.T. figured out that there's only about 45 teaching days left before certification. Crazy stuff, I know.
Okay, I've bored ya'll enough. Hope that update was sufficient, and I'll try to write more clever things soon. And I hoped you enjoyed the last post with my itsy story. Thanks for reading, K and L!
- T
Friday, February 09, 2007
A postcard-length short story I penned last night
For my English classes, I thought it would be a good idea to come up with an example of what a descriptive paragraph could look like, using some clear imagery and engaging with sensory-related experiences. So, I wrote this last night so my students could see what I meant in the directions. Let me know what you think... enjoy!
I walked out of the conference room toward the parking lot, shoving myself through the weighty door as I swung my backpack over my shoulder. I felt the hard thump of my laptop slam against the small of my back as I inhaled a cold, crisp November breath. The smell of diesel exhaust filled my mouth, heavy and bitter, like sucking on the gray sky that hung over the valley. But the gray above was so much sweeter than the pollution invading my lungs and causing me to hack. Stepping past a rusty Buick and a sloppy, muddy flower bed (which would be blooming with fragrant tulips in a few months), I could feel the pulse of my phone vibrating through my jacket. After being bombarded by voices all day, I needed a few minutes of solace and silence before I battled another request for attention. The partially frozen doors of my jeep creaked open, and I tossed my pack violently on to the passenger seat as I sat down on the cold, vinyl seats. My raspberry car freshener needed to be discarded. Flicking open my cell, I checked the number: home. I probably needed to grab a barbequed chicken or some salty take-out on the way home. Maybe she wanted to grab a sandwich at the jazz café up the road, listening to Duke Wellington and enjoying a glass of pinot noir. Checking the rearview, I backed out slowly, drifting in my mind to Dizzy Gillespie, hearing each note of the trumpet bleet out while the sax kept time in the background. It was like I was already there, as if it took only a moment to transport myself to the dark mahogany and rich maroon and yellow walls of the café. I pulled out on the main drag with a lurch and a grind, thinking about the sticky first gear. I heard a short burst of sound; a quickly-approaching screech, or something similar. As the sheet metal and fiberglass and vinyl and plastic crumpled around me and glass fell about my face, I was thinking about her in that café, smiling, laughing; she was thinking that maybe the day wasn’t as long or as hard or as bad as she originally thought.
I walked out of the conference room toward the parking lot, shoving myself through the weighty door as I swung my backpack over my shoulder. I felt the hard thump of my laptop slam against the small of my back as I inhaled a cold, crisp November breath. The smell of diesel exhaust filled my mouth, heavy and bitter, like sucking on the gray sky that hung over the valley. But the gray above was so much sweeter than the pollution invading my lungs and causing me to hack. Stepping past a rusty Buick and a sloppy, muddy flower bed (which would be blooming with fragrant tulips in a few months), I could feel the pulse of my phone vibrating through my jacket. After being bombarded by voices all day, I needed a few minutes of solace and silence before I battled another request for attention. The partially frozen doors of my jeep creaked open, and I tossed my pack violently on to the passenger seat as I sat down on the cold, vinyl seats. My raspberry car freshener needed to be discarded. Flicking open my cell, I checked the number: home. I probably needed to grab a barbequed chicken or some salty take-out on the way home. Maybe she wanted to grab a sandwich at the jazz café up the road, listening to Duke Wellington and enjoying a glass of pinot noir. Checking the rearview, I backed out slowly, drifting in my mind to Dizzy Gillespie, hearing each note of the trumpet bleet out while the sax kept time in the background. It was like I was already there, as if it took only a moment to transport myself to the dark mahogany and rich maroon and yellow walls of the café. I pulled out on the main drag with a lurch and a grind, thinking about the sticky first gear. I heard a short burst of sound; a quickly-approaching screech, or something similar. As the sheet metal and fiberglass and vinyl and plastic crumpled around me and glass fell about my face, I was thinking about her in that café, smiling, laughing; she was thinking that maybe the day wasn’t as long or as hard or as bad as she originally thought.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Well well well... time to breathe
Well, I guess not a lot of time to breathe, but time all the same.
I'm taking a day off today, because I've been pretty nutso with work as of late. One of my sponsor teachers has had me running ragged getting ready to teach her class. I think maybe her expectations are a little severe, but I'm hoping that the fact that she wants to micro-manage my learning is going to pay off in the long run. I hope.
The new semester/practicum of teaching started this past Thursday, and I think I lucked out with my classes. I'm not perceiving any major issues beyond chattiness and a little bit of rambunctiousness, but the term is still young, and there's plenty of time for things to go wrong. I'm still coaching a bit of volleyball, which has been good, and I was able to get my Level 1 coaching certification partially done last weekend. The first part of my Level 2 comes up next weekend as well. The club I'm coaching for has volunteered to pay for my certification clinics, so I'm happy to let them rack up the $500 bill that will need to be paid when all is said and done. But, I figure it's a good way to get some experience under my belt, pad my resume a bit, and reward myself for helping out beyond the classroom. Not to mention, it may introduce me to some people that may help me get a job in the new year.
It looks like I'll be heading back to the prairies for a few visits in the next few months, and my big brother's coming out for visit as well. In the 4 years that I've been away from AB, he is the only one of my family who hasn't come out for a visit and finally it looks like he's coming at the start of May. It's kinda bad timing because I'm in the process of finishing up my semester of teaching a 75% load and in the middle of being certified, but he's coming out all the same and both K and I are excited. I'm also heading back to the 4-0-3 a few times. My old English teacher and pseudo-mentor is retiring from teaching this year, and the school is providing him with a bit of a send-off, to which all the old theatre alumni are invited. I only participated in theatre in my senior year, but I got to know P.M. pretty well in those formative years and used to go back to visit him fairly often. Ironically, the school is even performing an adaptation of the very play I performed when I did the musical. For a little added (and obvious) irony, I'm receiving my certification for teaching in the same year he's retiring. Meant to be??? I'm not quite sure. I was never really sure what I wanted to do for a career before I actually entered the teaching program, but I think I found a good fit.
I don't really know if there's anything worthwhile to add. My beautiful wife is doing well as always, and it seems as though any major natural disasters have avoided this part of the world as of late. Other than ripping a 6 inch hole in the ass of my nice khakis about 2 weeks ago, I don't think I have anything else to share. But I'll try to keep you loyal readers reading by posting a bit more often... ciao for now...
- T
Oh... I decided to remove my profile from the public view to create a bit more privacy... I've had some strange experiences with people having my online information as of late, so I'm going to try to keep a bit of a low profile.
I'm taking a day off today, because I've been pretty nutso with work as of late. One of my sponsor teachers has had me running ragged getting ready to teach her class. I think maybe her expectations are a little severe, but I'm hoping that the fact that she wants to micro-manage my learning is going to pay off in the long run. I hope.
The new semester/practicum of teaching started this past Thursday, and I think I lucked out with my classes. I'm not perceiving any major issues beyond chattiness and a little bit of rambunctiousness, but the term is still young, and there's plenty of time for things to go wrong. I'm still coaching a bit of volleyball, which has been good, and I was able to get my Level 1 coaching certification partially done last weekend. The first part of my Level 2 comes up next weekend as well. The club I'm coaching for has volunteered to pay for my certification clinics, so I'm happy to let them rack up the $500 bill that will need to be paid when all is said and done. But, I figure it's a good way to get some experience under my belt, pad my resume a bit, and reward myself for helping out beyond the classroom. Not to mention, it may introduce me to some people that may help me get a job in the new year.
It looks like I'll be heading back to the prairies for a few visits in the next few months, and my big brother's coming out for visit as well. In the 4 years that I've been away from AB, he is the only one of my family who hasn't come out for a visit and finally it looks like he's coming at the start of May. It's kinda bad timing because I'm in the process of finishing up my semester of teaching a 75% load and in the middle of being certified, but he's coming out all the same and both K and I are excited. I'm also heading back to the 4-0-3 a few times. My old English teacher and pseudo-mentor is retiring from teaching this year, and the school is providing him with a bit of a send-off, to which all the old theatre alumni are invited. I only participated in theatre in my senior year, but I got to know P.M. pretty well in those formative years and used to go back to visit him fairly often. Ironically, the school is even performing an adaptation of the very play I performed when I did the musical. For a little added (and obvious) irony, I'm receiving my certification for teaching in the same year he's retiring. Meant to be??? I'm not quite sure. I was never really sure what I wanted to do for a career before I actually entered the teaching program, but I think I found a good fit.
I don't really know if there's anything worthwhile to add. My beautiful wife is doing well as always, and it seems as though any major natural disasters have avoided this part of the world as of late. Other than ripping a 6 inch hole in the ass of my nice khakis about 2 weeks ago, I don't think I have anything else to share. But I'll try to keep you loyal readers reading by posting a bit more often... ciao for now...
- T
Oh... I decided to remove my profile from the public view to create a bit more privacy... I've had some strange experiences with people having my online information as of late, so I'm going to try to keep a bit of a low profile.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
M.I.A.
I haven't really been around much lately and I'm sure my 6 person/day readership has severely declined. Not that the 6 people who read this aren't important, I've just been ridiculously swamped with school as of late. Luckily, things are at least moderately under control and I think that by the weekend, I'll feel kinda okay about where I am with my workload.
I officially finished the last university classes for my program yesterday, even though I still have some assignments to submit for one class. I still have another 5 months of student teaching to do, but I don't have to jump through any more university hoops to complete this program anymore! I can't jump for joy quite yet, since I still have a boatload of planning to do before tomorrow and before next week, since I take over a 75% teaching load as of next Thursday. Pretty intense, I know. And really, it's mainly intense to me because I had a hard enough time handling a 50% load, let alone 3/4 blocks. Oh well, I have to just suck it up and do it.
In other news, I'm getting my Level 1 volleyball certification this weekend, paid for by the volleyball club I'm coaching now, and I'll probably even get my level 2 in a few more weeks. I'm also playing a game in a rec-league tournament tomorrow night, so hopefully I don't make a total fool out of myself there. I haven't really played since the summer (or at least October), so it might be ugly.
I should be back to more regular posts after this weekend. T-T-F-N.
- T
I officially finished the last university classes for my program yesterday, even though I still have some assignments to submit for one class. I still have another 5 months of student teaching to do, but I don't have to jump through any more university hoops to complete this program anymore! I can't jump for joy quite yet, since I still have a boatload of planning to do before tomorrow and before next week, since I take over a 75% teaching load as of next Thursday. Pretty intense, I know. And really, it's mainly intense to me because I had a hard enough time handling a 50% load, let alone 3/4 blocks. Oh well, I have to just suck it up and do it.
In other news, I'm getting my Level 1 volleyball certification this weekend, paid for by the volleyball club I'm coaching now, and I'll probably even get my level 2 in a few more weeks. I'm also playing a game in a rec-league tournament tomorrow night, so hopefully I don't make a total fool out of myself there. I haven't really played since the summer (or at least October), so it might be ugly.
I should be back to more regular posts after this weekend. T-T-F-N.
- T
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
How I've been unwinding
When I need a break from University classes and lesson planning and being generally overwhelmed, I've been enjoying short video clips from a wonderful website called "Will it Blend?", which features the Blendtec Blender in all it's pureeing, chopping and smoothie-creating glory. This simply must be the most powerful blender ever!
Check out the videos here. Pick one from the list, sit back and enjoy!
- T.M.
Check out the videos here. Pick one from the list, sit back and enjoy!
- T.M.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Bathroom Bards
When I moved out to the coast four years ago, I had a romantic idea of what my choice of University stood for, and of how the intellectual nature of the institution would literally shine from the walls and rooftops. And then I had to relieve myself between classes.
At an intellectual institution, you'd suspect that you would be awash in maturity and reason and liberal ideas, and so on and so forth. Again, my naive idealism is shining through. To contradict myself, if you ever want to see what a University really has to say about itself, visit the bathrooms on campus. Take a seat in a stall and look at the walls around you to see what these poverty-stricken intellectuals have to say about the world in which they live. If you follow these steps, you'll immediately enter a world that is strikingly familiar to childhood experiences in a middle-school washroom.
The walls are adorned with topics ranging from who slept with who's mother, to bigoted verse about who is inferior to who, to the most mature comments about which professional hockey team is more heterosexual than another professional hockey team. There's the odd insightful poem about making poopie or of wetting oneself, and the less-than-anomalous reference to phallus size (sometimes if you're lucky, a scale model will be provided). And all of these wonderful comments come forth in an array of sharpie felt pen. Or, if none is available, then such references will be made simply with a sharp object used to scratch it's wisdom through the stall paint to be profound for all eternity (or until maintenance has a chance to repaint the place).
Now, I don't know if I should really be bothered by such nonsense, but it seems strikingly odd that such things take place. People hope that higher education will enlighten and force maturity on the masses. However, this may not be the case. Maybe the hijinx of Mr. Belushi in Animal House was closer to the reality of University or College than anyone actually believed. Or maybe I've simply been fooling myself for a very long time.
- T
At an intellectual institution, you'd suspect that you would be awash in maturity and reason and liberal ideas, and so on and so forth. Again, my naive idealism is shining through. To contradict myself, if you ever want to see what a University really has to say about itself, visit the bathrooms on campus. Take a seat in a stall and look at the walls around you to see what these poverty-stricken intellectuals have to say about the world in which they live. If you follow these steps, you'll immediately enter a world that is strikingly familiar to childhood experiences in a middle-school washroom.
The walls are adorned with topics ranging from who slept with who's mother, to bigoted verse about who is inferior to who, to the most mature comments about which professional hockey team is more heterosexual than another professional hockey team. There's the odd insightful poem about making poopie or of wetting oneself, and the less-than-anomalous reference to phallus size (sometimes if you're lucky, a scale model will be provided). And all of these wonderful comments come forth in an array of sharpie felt pen. Or, if none is available, then such references will be made simply with a sharp object used to scratch it's wisdom through the stall paint to be profound for all eternity (or until maintenance has a chance to repaint the place).
Now, I don't know if I should really be bothered by such nonsense, but it seems strikingly odd that such things take place. People hope that higher education will enlighten and force maturity on the masses. However, this may not be the case. Maybe the hijinx of Mr. Belushi in Animal House was closer to the reality of University or College than anyone actually believed. Or maybe I've simply been fooling myself for a very long time.
- T
Monday, January 15, 2007
Hilarious video...
I received this video from a friend of mine in Victoria a couple of years ago. I hadn't watched it for a while, but I figured it was worth sharing. True, it's absurd and strange, but after the confusion you may feel following the video, you'll probably laugh heartily. If not, I guess I just have a warped sense of humour. The title of the video short is "The Boy Who Could Smell the Future". I'm sure I've shown it to some of you, but you still have to check it out a second time if you've already seen it.
See the short video here...
Thanks to Kurt Nellis (the author/director/stranger) for sharing his videos...
- T
See the short video here...
Thanks to Kurt Nellis (the author/director/stranger) for sharing his videos...
- T
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sometimes I just wish I wasn't a bonehead
Yeppers, you guessed it... I'm an idiot. Well, I don't take complete responsibility for this, but I definitely take partial responsibility.
So here's the reason why I say I'm a bonehead...
I arrived at the bus stop early this morning to head out to my sponsor school, and since the bus that heads out that way only comes about once per hour, I caught an earlier bus up to the connector at the University so I could warm up before waiting again. In all reality, I was just excited that I was early and not (as per usual) running late.
I enjoyed my ride out here to the University, drinking my coffee and taking in the scenery... the sky was clear and the sun hadn't yet woken up the city. Sure, it was -20, but it was the nicest -20 you could ask for. I waited a patient 5 minutes at the University terminal for the connector out to the school, and watched it pull up in front of me. At the same time, I reached into my jacket pocket to grab my wallet/bus pass to make sure I was fully ready for the driver. However, my pocket was strangely empty (other than an empty pack of Excel spearmint). Frantic, I frisked myself to see if I had transferred the wallet to another pocket with no success. And I didn't open up my bag on the bus so unless it was immediately behind me on the ground, I realized that it must have fallen out of my pocket and was sitting in the seat I just left a few minutes before.
Shamefully, I still walked onto the bus and told my story to the driver heading out to my sponsor school. Luckily, he's driven me on a number of occasions and other than laughing at me, he had no problem getting on the radio to contact the driver that was running back into the city with my goods. After the story was told yet again, the first driver pulled the bus over, found my wallet, and said that he would be back at the University at 8:45 and that he would hold it for me if I wanted to pick it up there. Shame, shame, T.M.
If this was another day, I probably wouldn't have been worried. But I'm supposed to be meeting one of my Term 2 sponsor teachers at the school at 9am, and I won't even get out there until the bus that stole my wallet comes back and I catch yet another connector up the road!
When things like this happen, I wonder if there's a puppet master out there pulling my strings just so other people can laugh at me. Maybe that puppet master is my own daftness. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I feel like an idiot like this somewhat regularly. Oh well, if not me than someone else, right? Well, maybe not.
- T.M.
So here's the reason why I say I'm a bonehead...
I arrived at the bus stop early this morning to head out to my sponsor school, and since the bus that heads out that way only comes about once per hour, I caught an earlier bus up to the connector at the University so I could warm up before waiting again. In all reality, I was just excited that I was early and not (as per usual) running late.
I enjoyed my ride out here to the University, drinking my coffee and taking in the scenery... the sky was clear and the sun hadn't yet woken up the city. Sure, it was -20, but it was the nicest -20 you could ask for. I waited a patient 5 minutes at the University terminal for the connector out to the school, and watched it pull up in front of me. At the same time, I reached into my jacket pocket to grab my wallet/bus pass to make sure I was fully ready for the driver. However, my pocket was strangely empty (other than an empty pack of Excel spearmint). Frantic, I frisked myself to see if I had transferred the wallet to another pocket with no success. And I didn't open up my bag on the bus so unless it was immediately behind me on the ground, I realized that it must have fallen out of my pocket and was sitting in the seat I just left a few minutes before.
Shamefully, I still walked onto the bus and told my story to the driver heading out to my sponsor school. Luckily, he's driven me on a number of occasions and other than laughing at me, he had no problem getting on the radio to contact the driver that was running back into the city with my goods. After the story was told yet again, the first driver pulled the bus over, found my wallet, and said that he would be back at the University at 8:45 and that he would hold it for me if I wanted to pick it up there. Shame, shame, T.M.
If this was another day, I probably wouldn't have been worried. But I'm supposed to be meeting one of my Term 2 sponsor teachers at the school at 9am, and I won't even get out there until the bus that stole my wallet comes back and I catch yet another connector up the road!
When things like this happen, I wonder if there's a puppet master out there pulling my strings just so other people can laugh at me. Maybe that puppet master is my own daftness. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I feel like an idiot like this somewhat regularly. Oh well, if not me than someone else, right? Well, maybe not.
- T.M.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Quick One
Just thinking about my attitude of teaching and (as always) reflecting on what I'm doing and not doing and what I should be doing to become better at this thing I'm calling a career.
1) More planning. I've got to stop being so damn lazy and satisfying myself with the lame idea that I actually need to unwind for three hours in front of the t.v.
2) My attitude will effect how my students will react to my teaching. I've realized that I've made some mistakes in class when I bring a crappy attitude to my students. If I don't seem like I want to be there, they won't either. My attitude is directly related to the enthusiasm of my students.
3) Realizing that I'm no different than anyone else in this job. The more I talk to teachers, the more I realize that we're all introspective freaks for at least the first few years of the job. I just need to make sure I learn from the mistakes I make rather than dwelling on them and repeating them.
4) Have fun. High school students, to a certain extent, just need to be entertained a bit in order to go through the motions of school with any sort of positive outlook. Sure, this isn't universal, but it's definitely more prevalent than I realized. And I can't simply be selective about this... I have to distribute this through all of my classes.
That's all the insight for now.
- T
1) More planning. I've got to stop being so damn lazy and satisfying myself with the lame idea that I actually need to unwind for three hours in front of the t.v.
2) My attitude will effect how my students will react to my teaching. I've realized that I've made some mistakes in class when I bring a crappy attitude to my students. If I don't seem like I want to be there, they won't either. My attitude is directly related to the enthusiasm of my students.
3) Realizing that I'm no different than anyone else in this job. The more I talk to teachers, the more I realize that we're all introspective freaks for at least the first few years of the job. I just need to make sure I learn from the mistakes I make rather than dwelling on them and repeating them.
4) Have fun. High school students, to a certain extent, just need to be entertained a bit in order to go through the motions of school with any sort of positive outlook. Sure, this isn't universal, but it's definitely more prevalent than I realized. And I can't simply be selective about this... I have to distribute this through all of my classes.
That's all the insight for now.
- T
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Additional Links
I've been wanting to play with my template for a while, but I'm not sure I want to leave the glitzy and uber-sexy world of a black background with white and green text. Come on, admit it... you think it's sexy too.
Okay, maybe sexy is the wrong word. Maybe I'm looking for something more akin to "neat-o" or "okay". Still, I've been considering what I can do to make it more sleek and modern and, dare I say it, "cool".
In reality, the only changes I've made lately are a few additions to the links sections... I've added Mr. John Mayer's blog site, because he's a clever s-o-b and, whether you like him or not, I don't care... he's much cooler and more witty than I'll probably be, and you're in the same boat, whoever you are. Okay, maybe not all of you, but most of you for sure. If I was suddenly blessed with a glowing and attractive tenor voice and more hair and some musical talent, I'd like to be a sleek version of John Mayer. Or Dave Matthews. Damn... now I'll have to see if Dave has a blog that I can stalk from time to time in hopes of hearing more about his plans to tour the central Okanagan.
I've also added "Nature's Mighty Pictures" to the side links, which is simply fun and interesting... if I had some photography-based artistic talent, I'd like to take pictures the quality of many of the ones that find their way onto this site. Neat-O!
I'm not actually much more excited about my position as a teacher when compared with yesterday's very ominous and somewhat melancholy post, but I've just finished marking one stack of Grade 9 projects, and after staring at a good deal of mediocrity with moments of brilliance, I need to let my frontal lobe take a break before diving into grade 10 research projects which I'll have to scan for plagiarism very closely. Still have a long night ahead... but there's light at the end of the tunnel... this is the only marking I'll have to do until February! Weeee... Peace out....
- T
Okay, maybe sexy is the wrong word. Maybe I'm looking for something more akin to "neat-o" or "okay". Still, I've been considering what I can do to make it more sleek and modern and, dare I say it, "cool".
In reality, the only changes I've made lately are a few additions to the links sections... I've added Mr. John Mayer's blog site, because he's a clever s-o-b and, whether you like him or not, I don't care... he's much cooler and more witty than I'll probably be, and you're in the same boat, whoever you are. Okay, maybe not all of you, but most of you for sure. If I was suddenly blessed with a glowing and attractive tenor voice and more hair and some musical talent, I'd like to be a sleek version of John Mayer. Or Dave Matthews. Damn... now I'll have to see if Dave has a blog that I can stalk from time to time in hopes of hearing more about his plans to tour the central Okanagan.
I've also added "Nature's Mighty Pictures" to the side links, which is simply fun and interesting... if I had some photography-based artistic talent, I'd like to take pictures the quality of many of the ones that find their way onto this site. Neat-O!
I'm not actually much more excited about my position as a teacher when compared with yesterday's very ominous and somewhat melancholy post, but I've just finished marking one stack of Grade 9 projects, and after staring at a good deal of mediocrity with moments of brilliance, I need to let my frontal lobe take a break before diving into grade 10 research projects which I'll have to scan for plagiarism very closely. Still have a long night ahead... but there's light at the end of the tunnel... this is the only marking I'll have to do until February! Weeee... Peace out....
- T
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Again, with the insecurities
I'm in the process of getting ready for the next term of teaching, and I'm finding myself very pensive and nervous and battling feelings of insecurity. Part of this is probably due to the fact that I went on ratemyteachers.com and didn't really get a resounding review. And that was from a student in my English class, which I thought was the better of the two classes that I taught last term. And I never seem to be able to shake this feeling of being overwhelmed at the sheer mass of qualities and skills and expectations that go along with the job.
Like I've mentioned before, I did relatively well in my first term as far as my sponsor teachers and univeristy advisor were concerned, and everyone seemed to be happy with what I had accomplished. I'm just not sure whether it's just the nature of this job or if it's my own incessant feelings of insecurity that I keep returning to, but I feel singularly inadequate when thinking about what I'm doing in the classroom. There are so many things I feel I need to change for term #2, but I can't even seem to pull a course outline together for this coming term! I don't even know where to begin, and I keep feeling like I've bit off more than I can chew... and anyone that knows me can vouch for the fact that I can fit a lot in this mouth.
K left for work today puzzled at my mood. I woke up and was just edgy all day. We ate a nice breakfast, watched a taped episode of "Numb3rs", hung out, went for a nice walk through the park outside our apartment, had a tasty lunch, and she headed out to work. But the whole time we were together, I was battling this nagging sensation of frustration and bitterness... not at her, but at how I've been feeling in general. I have these big ideas of what I'd love to do for teaching, but I have trouble laying down an adequate foundation for how to carry out these big ambitions. And then there's the question of where I'm going to work, and where K and I are going to settle down, and there's pressure to get back to the prairies and to get closer to our families... and I don't even know if I'm up to what this job expects of me. Some of my friends and family have mentioned that I'm going to be a great teacher, or that I have the perfect personality for a teacher. I don't even really think that I'm sold on this. But even if I was, the personality is only one piece to a complicated puzzle. Some of my character flaws have come through in the classroom, and I hate the fact that I think and rethink things I've said or done to the point where I obsess over my mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've realized that I'm just an obsessive over-analyzer, but this doesn't make me feel any better about much of anything.
Maybe I just need some bloody exercise. And maybe I just need to figure out a way to get over myself and deal with everything as it comes. And maybe I just need a pint of Jack Daniels and some inspiring movies to change my mood.
Wow, I guess that's enough verbal catharsis for one night. The funny thing is, I'm sure I'll be feeling radically different tomorrow. C'est la vie... ma vie.
- T
Like I've mentioned before, I did relatively well in my first term as far as my sponsor teachers and univeristy advisor were concerned, and everyone seemed to be happy with what I had accomplished. I'm just not sure whether it's just the nature of this job or if it's my own incessant feelings of insecurity that I keep returning to, but I feel singularly inadequate when thinking about what I'm doing in the classroom. There are so many things I feel I need to change for term #2, but I can't even seem to pull a course outline together for this coming term! I don't even know where to begin, and I keep feeling like I've bit off more than I can chew... and anyone that knows me can vouch for the fact that I can fit a lot in this mouth.
K left for work today puzzled at my mood. I woke up and was just edgy all day. We ate a nice breakfast, watched a taped episode of "Numb3rs", hung out, went for a nice walk through the park outside our apartment, had a tasty lunch, and she headed out to work. But the whole time we were together, I was battling this nagging sensation of frustration and bitterness... not at her, but at how I've been feeling in general. I have these big ideas of what I'd love to do for teaching, but I have trouble laying down an adequate foundation for how to carry out these big ambitions. And then there's the question of where I'm going to work, and where K and I are going to settle down, and there's pressure to get back to the prairies and to get closer to our families... and I don't even know if I'm up to what this job expects of me. Some of my friends and family have mentioned that I'm going to be a great teacher, or that I have the perfect personality for a teacher. I don't even really think that I'm sold on this. But even if I was, the personality is only one piece to a complicated puzzle. Some of my character flaws have come through in the classroom, and I hate the fact that I think and rethink things I've said or done to the point where I obsess over my mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've realized that I'm just an obsessive over-analyzer, but this doesn't make me feel any better about much of anything.
Maybe I just need some bloody exercise. And maybe I just need to figure out a way to get over myself and deal with everything as it comes. And maybe I just need a pint of Jack Daniels and some inspiring movies to change my mood.
Wow, I guess that's enough verbal catharsis for one night. The funny thing is, I'm sure I'll be feeling radically different tomorrow. C'est la vie... ma vie.
- T
Friday, January 05, 2007
Did I tell you about the chicken?
I was driving down the street here in Kelowna in December. The roads are a bit slick, and since Christmas was swiftly approaching, people seemed more impatient and more erratic on the roads than normal. I made a few stops to pick up a few odds and ends, picked up one of K's Christmas presents very sly-like, and was heading to another location for more Christmas shopping adventures.
I was approaching a turn and a fellow driver nearly drove me off the road... he was obviously a bit more hurried than I was. Luckily, I was feeling pretty calm, and let the incident roll off my back. As I come up to the next turn, I look into the parking lot of the Canadian Tire that I was passing by, and I saw something out of place. It was as if the song, "One of these things is not like the other one... one of these things is not the same" came into my head. I slowed a bit and narrowed my eyes into a stiff squint to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Nope, no hallucinations here. There was a damned rooster running around in the Canadian Tire parking lot!
Now, if there was a petting zoo on, it wouldn't have seemed strange. And I'm from the prairies, so it's not like I haven't seen a bloody rooster before. Hell, even if it were in the parking lot of Safeway or Costco, I probably would've laughed and thought, "Wow, at least you know they carry some fresh poultry!" But Canadian Tire isn't exactly the place you go for tasty fruits and fresh-from-the-butcher meats.
The strangest thing was that there were absolutely no people around! It was as if this rooster departed the Greyhound after an overnight from Cranbrook and said, "Hmmm... looks like my destination", hopped off and decided he needed some power tools or a new crock pot. He probably left after realizing that he didn't have the necessary opposable thumbs to create a wonderful stew or to frame a house.
After seeing this very out of place creature, I did the first thing to cross my mind... I called one of my fellow interns who has a true appreciation for random events. The message was a bit redundant, and featured me yelling (repeatedly) into the receiver, "I just saw a frickin' rooster in the Canadian Tire parking lot! A bloody rooster! What the hell is a rooster doing in the Canadian Tire parking lot?!?"
And then I almost plowed into another holiday shopper because I was a little distracted. Moral of the story? Don't indulge in your amazement at out of place poultry when driving a hatchback.
- T
I was approaching a turn and a fellow driver nearly drove me off the road... he was obviously a bit more hurried than I was. Luckily, I was feeling pretty calm, and let the incident roll off my back. As I come up to the next turn, I look into the parking lot of the Canadian Tire that I was passing by, and I saw something out of place. It was as if the song, "One of these things is not like the other one... one of these things is not the same" came into my head. I slowed a bit and narrowed my eyes into a stiff squint to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Nope, no hallucinations here. There was a damned rooster running around in the Canadian Tire parking lot!
Now, if there was a petting zoo on, it wouldn't have seemed strange. And I'm from the prairies, so it's not like I haven't seen a bloody rooster before. Hell, even if it were in the parking lot of Safeway or Costco, I probably would've laughed and thought, "Wow, at least you know they carry some fresh poultry!" But Canadian Tire isn't exactly the place you go for tasty fruits and fresh-from-the-butcher meats.
The strangest thing was that there were absolutely no people around! It was as if this rooster departed the Greyhound after an overnight from Cranbrook and said, "Hmmm... looks like my destination", hopped off and decided he needed some power tools or a new crock pot. He probably left after realizing that he didn't have the necessary opposable thumbs to create a wonderful stew or to frame a house.
After seeing this very out of place creature, I did the first thing to cross my mind... I called one of my fellow interns who has a true appreciation for random events. The message was a bit redundant, and featured me yelling (repeatedly) into the receiver, "I just saw a frickin' rooster in the Canadian Tire parking lot! A bloody rooster! What the hell is a rooster doing in the Canadian Tire parking lot?!?"
And then I almost plowed into another holiday shopper because I was a little distracted. Moral of the story? Don't indulge in your amazement at out of place poultry when driving a hatchback.
- T
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
And just because Cibi did it...
I'll do the same... here are the titles and first sentences from the first post of each month since I've been blogging... cheesy, I'm sure, but here ya go... a little blogging Nostalgia for everyone! I think Cibi actually put only the first line, but my need for complete sentences will override this expectation...
First post of April, 2006 (my first post ever):
Dear diary, I met the nicest girl...
Okay, maybe this isn't so much a private diary with stars on the cover where I muse on the juvenile influences of eighth grade.
May 3rd, 2006:
Getting screwed...
Another warning... work rant... only for those who care about how pissed off I am...
June 11th, 2006:
My life isn't really that interesting...
It's definitely been a couple weeks since the last posting.
July 5th, 2006:
A world of similarities...
I've been thinking a good deal lately about the differences among people, and the relationship of our identities in contrast to the identities of others.
August 4th, 2006:
Sometimes you start to lose hope in the media
Okay, I guess it may be more than sometimes.
September 1st, 2006:
Goodbye home, hello home
It's the same area code.
October 12th, 2006:
Fatigue, Stress, and anxiety... I love this job...
Did the title come off as sarcastic?
November 2nd, 2006:
And the season comes to an end...
Our volleyball team finished the final game of their season last night.
December 4th, 2006:
Entry 60... T.M.'s Guide to a Great Internship
Three more weeks to go! Weeeeeeee!
That's all, folks.
- T
First post of April, 2006 (my first post ever):
Dear diary, I met the nicest girl...
Okay, maybe this isn't so much a private diary with stars on the cover where I muse on the juvenile influences of eighth grade.
May 3rd, 2006:
Getting screwed...
Another warning... work rant... only for those who care about how pissed off I am...
June 11th, 2006:
My life isn't really that interesting...
It's definitely been a couple weeks since the last posting.
July 5th, 2006:
A world of similarities...
I've been thinking a good deal lately about the differences among people, and the relationship of our identities in contrast to the identities of others.
August 4th, 2006:
Sometimes you start to lose hope in the media
Okay, I guess it may be more than sometimes.
September 1st, 2006:
Goodbye home, hello home
It's the same area code.
October 12th, 2006:
Fatigue, Stress, and anxiety... I love this job...
Did the title come off as sarcastic?
November 2nd, 2006:
And the season comes to an end...
Our volleyball team finished the final game of their season last night.
December 4th, 2006:
Entry 60... T.M.'s Guide to a Great Internship
Three more weeks to go! Weeeeeeee!
That's all, folks.
- T
New Year's Resolutions and the like
I don't actually have any New Years Resolutions. And I've never really been interested in making them either. I appreciate the sentiment of grandiose declarations of change and improvement in one's life, but I'm highly suspicious as to why these changes don't happen at other times. Why not March 22nd? I'm sure it would be as good as any other day.
Okay, maybe this is a bit cynical. I know we all have good intentions to change something about ourselves when we get reflective, but it seems that a simple change of calendar year is just as arbitrary a holiday as anything else. Funny how this calendar thing affects us. Rather than indulge in this "I'm going to be a different person" thing for 2007, I'll look back on some of the more momentous things that took place in 2006 in the year of me...
10 "Big Things" that have happened in the past year:
1) Graduating with my University degree (my first one, anyway).
2) Having my 1 year marriage anniversary and my 5 year overall anniversary with K
3) Getting into the Internship program for teaching
4) Finishing my summer classes and my Term 1 practicum successfully
5) Selling "Grimace", my beloved purple Sunbird that gave me many memories and many times where I needed extra strength antacids for the stress that bloody purple beast gave me
6) Embracing the fact that my hair is not going to become any more plentiful, and shaving it down to stubble
7) Organizing an enjoyable and successful pub crawl for my fellow Interns at the end of the summer (I don't get out much, so this was a big deal!)
8) Working as a Trainer for College Pro in Calgary for a month... I'd never actually been contacted for a job I didn't apply for, and had never been flown out to a place for a job. Although I didn't make my million, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
9) Coached my first volleyball team... though not exactly successful in the W/L department, it was fun all the same
10) Heard about my first close friend to have a baby. Again, Congrats Mr. T, and Mrs. T as well!
These aren't really in order, but it pretty much recaps the big events of 2006. I've been filling out applications today for my acceptance into the BCCT, and on almost every sheet, I've had to scratch out "Jan. 2nd, 2006" and edit the year to read "2007". Although a big cliched, the year has flown by, and I guess we look forward to the next! I'll try to add some new pictures to the "My Pictures" section soon as a tribute to the year.
Bonne Annee, mes amis.
- T
Okay, maybe this is a bit cynical. I know we all have good intentions to change something about ourselves when we get reflective, but it seems that a simple change of calendar year is just as arbitrary a holiday as anything else. Funny how this calendar thing affects us. Rather than indulge in this "I'm going to be a different person" thing for 2007, I'll look back on some of the more momentous things that took place in 2006 in the year of me...
10 "Big Things" that have happened in the past year:
1) Graduating with my University degree (my first one, anyway).
2) Having my 1 year marriage anniversary and my 5 year overall anniversary with K
3) Getting into the Internship program for teaching
4) Finishing my summer classes and my Term 1 practicum successfully
5) Selling "Grimace", my beloved purple Sunbird that gave me many memories and many times where I needed extra strength antacids for the stress that bloody purple beast gave me
6) Embracing the fact that my hair is not going to become any more plentiful, and shaving it down to stubble
7) Organizing an enjoyable and successful pub crawl for my fellow Interns at the end of the summer (I don't get out much, so this was a big deal!)
8) Working as a Trainer for College Pro in Calgary for a month... I'd never actually been contacted for a job I didn't apply for, and had never been flown out to a place for a job. Although I didn't make my million, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
9) Coached my first volleyball team... though not exactly successful in the W/L department, it was fun all the same
10) Heard about my first close friend to have a baby. Again, Congrats Mr. T, and Mrs. T as well!
These aren't really in order, but it pretty much recaps the big events of 2006. I've been filling out applications today for my acceptance into the BCCT, and on almost every sheet, I've had to scratch out "Jan. 2nd, 2006" and edit the year to read "2007". Although a big cliched, the year has flown by, and I guess we look forward to the next! I'll try to add some new pictures to the "My Pictures" section soon as a tribute to the year.
Bonne Annee, mes amis.
- T
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