At this junction in my life, I feel like I'm constantly fighting to stay ahead of the curve in any of my present ventures. I'm a new teacher, and it takes a tonne of time to stay on top of the kids and the material and make sense of what I'm trying to teach them. I'm also a new coach, so I'm trying to soak up as much information as possible in order to pass that on to my future players down the road. And since I'm still fairly young and new at the whole marriage thing (even though, realistically, by year two I feel like a seasoned vet), I'm still learning what it takes to have a solid relationhip. Every day is a new challenge on how to learn as much as possible and utilize what I learn in my day to day life.
Learning from a mentor coach has been extremely eye-opening thus far. I've learned about my faults and inabilities quite quickly working with A, who has almost as much coaching experience as I do life experience (which is intimidating on a number of levels). I keep thinking of the old adage, "The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know" (or something to that effect). Now, I'm not sure who said this, but there are few things in this world that are more true. Every day I work with him, I learn that I have a endlessly more to learn. I've also come to know my bad habits as a leader and a coach, and how my persona plays into the level of respect students/players have for me. So far, I've approached my classes and teams with a desire for them to know things about me and become friendly with me so they feel as though they're in a safe environment. However, A has really challenged this mentality and approaches the leadership position from a very different angle... one of disciplined aloofness... friendly, but distant always as a method of separation between the roles of teacher and student/player. Even though I'm not sure I'd be able to adopt the same approach, he's definitely developed an ability to handle kids in just this way.
I guess it's just being the new guy in town... everything I'm doing seems new, so it's a big challenge. I can only hope that I take in as much as possible and constantly improve. Some days I realize my work ethic prevents this, but I can still work towards improving. Always to improve...
T
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Piles
When weeks like this arrive, I start thinking of Jenga. Piles of blocks, vicariously perched on one another. Just things piled on top of other things, with very little room in between.
I guess I should qualify this statement. I don't feel like my Jenga-world is going to suddenly topple to the ground. But this week has just been a bit hectic, and stressful, and there hasn't been any time to really step back. Being back in the classroom full-time is still a hard adjustment... so many more people have so many requests of me and my time and expectations of me and my abilities, and it seems to stretch a person thin.
Yesterday was just the epitome of such a day. I had to go in for my "New Teacher Orientation" yesterday morning, which is about, well, 3 weeks late. Still, one of my VP's wanted to get it done and make sure they went through the proper motions with me, so I met him yesterday morning before school. I figured it would take about 10 minutes. However, after waiting in his office for 10 minutes, we spent the next 45 going over the orientation checklist of every possible scenario I may run into throughout the school year. I'm a pretty resourceful guy, so I'd actually sorted all that out already, but we went through the motions anyway. Thus, it left me about 5 minutes to get my room ready for the animals.
I then ended up with only about 10 minutes of my lunch because of a student who was having some serious issues keeping up with the material in the classes, missing my meeting for a social justice group I thought I'd have time to help out with. After school, I cleaned up my stuff, did a bit of prep work, then had to book it home in time to get picked up for my rec-league volleyball which started at 6pm last night, which was followed by another game at a different school with a different team (helping out a friend who was short-handed), and finally had to take off to the University to coach from 8-10, getting home just after 10. K had to run out to the office to get something done that she forgot (at 9:30pm!), so I arrived home to an empty house, and upon her return, she had to fill me in on her stressful day.
By 11pm, I was about ready to pass out, so off to bed I went. It was just one of those days. Although today's a new day and a new start, I have to get home shortly after school to cook dinner and start cleaning the house, as K's mom is coming for out for a funeral and is staying at our place. Oh, did I mention that I have a Pro-D day tomorrow, and I'm leaving for the Fraser Valley at 4pm (immediately after the Pro-D) to coach at a tournament until Sunday night? Like I said... Jenga. Piles and piles. The holes? They must be the fatigue.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
T
I guess I should qualify this statement. I don't feel like my Jenga-world is going to suddenly topple to the ground. But this week has just been a bit hectic, and stressful, and there hasn't been any time to really step back. Being back in the classroom full-time is still a hard adjustment... so many more people have so many requests of me and my time and expectations of me and my abilities, and it seems to stretch a person thin.
Yesterday was just the epitome of such a day. I had to go in for my "New Teacher Orientation" yesterday morning, which is about, well, 3 weeks late. Still, one of my VP's wanted to get it done and make sure they went through the proper motions with me, so I met him yesterday morning before school. I figured it would take about 10 minutes. However, after waiting in his office for 10 minutes, we spent the next 45 going over the orientation checklist of every possible scenario I may run into throughout the school year. I'm a pretty resourceful guy, so I'd actually sorted all that out already, but we went through the motions anyway. Thus, it left me about 5 minutes to get my room ready for the animals.
I then ended up with only about 10 minutes of my lunch because of a student who was having some serious issues keeping up with the material in the classes, missing my meeting for a social justice group I thought I'd have time to help out with. After school, I cleaned up my stuff, did a bit of prep work, then had to book it home in time to get picked up for my rec-league volleyball which started at 6pm last night, which was followed by another game at a different school with a different team (helping out a friend who was short-handed), and finally had to take off to the University to coach from 8-10, getting home just after 10. K had to run out to the office to get something done that she forgot (at 9:30pm!), so I arrived home to an empty house, and upon her return, she had to fill me in on her stressful day.
By 11pm, I was about ready to pass out, so off to bed I went. It was just one of those days. Although today's a new day and a new start, I have to get home shortly after school to cook dinner and start cleaning the house, as K's mom is coming for out for a funeral and is staying at our place. Oh, did I mention that I have a Pro-D day tomorrow, and I'm leaving for the Fraser Valley at 4pm (immediately after the Pro-D) to coach at a tournament until Sunday night? Like I said... Jenga. Piles and piles. The holes? They must be the fatigue.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
T
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
New songs in my IPod...
Over the past few months, I've been adding a variety of new music to my IPod. It's quite varied, and because of this, the music I put on definitely depends on the mood I'm in.
Last night, on recommendation of a friend, I acquired some blues music from a musician named Harry Manx. Now, he's been around for decades, but from what I can tell, his music is seeing a bit of a renaissance. He played a show recently here in the Valley, and friends in attendance said it was wonderful. Typically, I never turn down live music so I'm disappointed that I didn't attend, and this was even more so the case when I actually listened to his music.
It's fantastic. He blends soulful southern blues with the sounds of India (by way of his acoustic slide guitar manipulations), and his voice is strong and pure. I absolutely love it, and you should too. You need to go here to see a performance on YouTube... you won't be disappointed.
I've also added music ranging from Everlast and Jay-Z, to John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald, to Lily Allen and Jack Johnson. I think I even have a song or two by the Dixie Chicks. I've definitely stepped away from the louder, more intense tunes of my youth as my main listening interests, even though my youth is, in reality, still here and I still have a quite glorious collection of 90's rock and alternative tunes on there. But, overall my tastes have mellowed, and I definitely enjoy more of the jazz and blues music that I always liked but never pursued. I think part of my soul lives in Louisiana... not only because of my love for the music, but my taste for spicy food and catfish too.
T
Last night, on recommendation of a friend, I acquired some blues music from a musician named Harry Manx. Now, he's been around for decades, but from what I can tell, his music is seeing a bit of a renaissance. He played a show recently here in the Valley, and friends in attendance said it was wonderful. Typically, I never turn down live music so I'm disappointed that I didn't attend, and this was even more so the case when I actually listened to his music.
It's fantastic. He blends soulful southern blues with the sounds of India (by way of his acoustic slide guitar manipulations), and his voice is strong and pure. I absolutely love it, and you should too. You need to go here to see a performance on YouTube... you won't be disappointed.
I've also added music ranging from Everlast and Jay-Z, to John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald, to Lily Allen and Jack Johnson. I think I even have a song or two by the Dixie Chicks. I've definitely stepped away from the louder, more intense tunes of my youth as my main listening interests, even though my youth is, in reality, still here and I still have a quite glorious collection of 90's rock and alternative tunes on there. But, overall my tastes have mellowed, and I definitely enjoy more of the jazz and blues music that I always liked but never pursued. I think part of my soul lives in Louisiana... not only because of my love for the music, but my taste for spicy food and catfish too.
T
Monday, February 11, 2008
I'm not generally one for awards shows, but...
The Grammy Awards last night were absolutely spectacular. I don't think I've been entertained by such good quality live music on TV, well, ever. Kanye's performance of "Stronger" with the tribute to his mother was extremely touching, Alicia Keys is not only one of the most beautiful people on the planet but also one of the most talented (both with her "duet" with Frank Sinatra and her performance of "No One" with John Mayer), and seeing Aretha Franklin bring it home was great. Not to mention Feist put on a great performance, as did Foo Fighters. I'm a huge Amy Winehouse fan, so I was really excited to see her win, and the fact that Herbie Hancock won Album of the year just redeems my faith in the modern music industry... at least a little... maybe it's not all shot to hell.
If you haven't seen the performances, track them down online somewhere... it's well worth the show.
T
If you haven't seen the performances, track them down online somewhere... it's well worth the show.
T
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday morning routines at their finest
The sun shines outside the patio windows, and Jack Johnson's new album is playing softly in the background. K and I just finished a breakfast of chocolate-chip pancakes with blackberry yogurty and raspberries on top, with a few cups of coffee and juice on the side. It's supposed to reach about +7 degrees today, so we might have to take in a walk through M.C. Park, only a few kilometres from home. Of course, reality will be calling later in the day as I set out to do some marking and tackling the prep work for the rest of the week. Although I'm somewhat ahead of the game, I need to keep on top of everything... I've always been a bit of a procrastinator (okay... that was a HUGE understatement), but so far things are going alright, so I just have to keep on keeping on.
This Sunday morning routine has become pretty common over the past month. I woke up a bit early one morning to cook K some pancakes, and since then it's become just a bit, well, expected. Not that I mind... I like starting off the day with a quiet and casual breakfast, enjoying time that we never seem to have during the week. K's been working overtime for nearly two weeks now because of RRSP/Mutual fund season (she works at a financial office), and since I've started my new job, I need to put in some pretty major hours in order to keep on top of skipping kids and missed assignments and sorting out where, exactly, the ESL room and the department resources are. That, and the day to day planning as well... gotta keep up on that, as well. K had to go into work yesterday, so I went with her and spent the day typing up questions and quizzes and assignments for my Macbeth unit that I started this week. The more I read the play, the more I really enjoy it, and I get really excited about it's contents. In a way, I feel like I'm cheating the play by not teaching every important tidbit, even though I know that if students can walk away just a little more comfortable with Elizabethan English and respecting the highly figurative nature of Shakespeare's language, then I've accomplished my goal. That, and making them think that maybe Shakespeare isn't so impossible at the end of the day after all.
My first week has been pretty successful, all things considered. I've already started calling parents about absent students, and have tried to do my best to set a tone for my high expectations regarding both behaviour and effort. At least one of the classes seems to be truly on board (which is also my biggest), and another seems to be following in that direction as well. The third is, well, going to be challenging for sure... a few of the girls in the class are already challenging the way I run the ship, and I've had to make an extra point of not putting up with any crap if they're going to skip and complain and be pylons while they're supposed to be working. I've been told a million times that the first few weeks are all about setting the tone, and I've tried to do that as well as I can. Then again, we're still inthe honeymoon period... talk to me again when it's May and beautiful outside and kids are more concerned with partying than poetry. Not that anything like that would ever happen... 17 year old boys love poetry...
Right??
Since he's singing along with his guitar in the background of my life, here is a good line from Jack Johnson's new album...
"... don't daydream again
Just help me to believe and then
Show me that there's more than just the meantime"
- Jack Johnson, "Monsoon", from the album "Sleep Through The Static".
T
This Sunday morning routine has become pretty common over the past month. I woke up a bit early one morning to cook K some pancakes, and since then it's become just a bit, well, expected. Not that I mind... I like starting off the day with a quiet and casual breakfast, enjoying time that we never seem to have during the week. K's been working overtime for nearly two weeks now because of RRSP/Mutual fund season (she works at a financial office), and since I've started my new job, I need to put in some pretty major hours in order to keep on top of skipping kids and missed assignments and sorting out where, exactly, the ESL room and the department resources are. That, and the day to day planning as well... gotta keep up on that, as well. K had to go into work yesterday, so I went with her and spent the day typing up questions and quizzes and assignments for my Macbeth unit that I started this week. The more I read the play, the more I really enjoy it, and I get really excited about it's contents. In a way, I feel like I'm cheating the play by not teaching every important tidbit, even though I know that if students can walk away just a little more comfortable with Elizabethan English and respecting the highly figurative nature of Shakespeare's language, then I've accomplished my goal. That, and making them think that maybe Shakespeare isn't so impossible at the end of the day after all.
My first week has been pretty successful, all things considered. I've already started calling parents about absent students, and have tried to do my best to set a tone for my high expectations regarding both behaviour and effort. At least one of the classes seems to be truly on board (which is also my biggest), and another seems to be following in that direction as well. The third is, well, going to be challenging for sure... a few of the girls in the class are already challenging the way I run the ship, and I've had to make an extra point of not putting up with any crap if they're going to skip and complain and be pylons while they're supposed to be working. I've been told a million times that the first few weeks are all about setting the tone, and I've tried to do that as well as I can. Then again, we're still inthe honeymoon period... talk to me again when it's May and beautiful outside and kids are more concerned with partying than poetry. Not that anything like that would ever happen... 17 year old boys love poetry...
Right??
Since he's singing along with his guitar in the background of my life, here is a good line from Jack Johnson's new album...
"... don't daydream again
Just help me to believe and then
Show me that there's more than just the meantime"
- Jack Johnson, "Monsoon", from the album "Sleep Through The Static".
T
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Finding home in a new environment
It hasn't quite been a week since day one of the new job, but I'm still here.
So far, the experience has been great (don't worry... I'm rapping my knuckles on the wood of my desk as I type with one hand). The kids have responded really well, and they've settled into my routines without any issues. I've started organizing my materials as well as I can, while trying to learn at least two or three new names every day... this is always an uphill battle, but it's coming slowly but surely.
In the days leading up to my first official day, I spent a great deal of time going through materials of the teacher I was more or less replacing. He'd been in the district for decades, and had compiled a massive amount of materials over the years. Class copies of previous provincial exams from the early 90's, grammar worksheets that were still on Bible-paper-thin carbon paper with purple writing (I remember these from elementary school!), and texts that dated back to the 70's. Everything had to be either recycled or adopted by me. As it turned out, a few of the texts made the grade (notice the pun??? Get it? I'm a teacher??? ;) ), but a ridiculous amount of paper was recycled that didn't even get perused. There was just too much stuff, and to start fresh, I needed to embrace the "out with the old" mentality. I'd guess that there were hundreds of pounds of old photocopies that met their maker throughout the week. Sad... but we all have an end of the line.
The room is starting to feel like home. The geography of the class has changed to suit me a bit better, the old posters are off the walls, and the cupboards are starting to get filled with my own books and binders and materials. My desk feels like mine... or, at least most of it does. And I get to come back to the same kids consistently for the next few months. Although that will almost definitely get tiresome, there's a good feeling that goes along with knowing your environment and where you'll be going every day.
The teachers at this school have been super-supportive, as has administration. Everyone seems like their willing to lend an ear or a hand with whatever I need, and it's made the transition form TOC to Mr. M a really easy one to make. I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it's work I'm looking forward. For the first time in this new career path, I have a place to call my own. In the general scheme of life, isn't that what we're all looking for?
"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration."
~Charles Dickens
-T
So far, the experience has been great (don't worry... I'm rapping my knuckles on the wood of my desk as I type with one hand). The kids have responded really well, and they've settled into my routines without any issues. I've started organizing my materials as well as I can, while trying to learn at least two or three new names every day... this is always an uphill battle, but it's coming slowly but surely.
In the days leading up to my first official day, I spent a great deal of time going through materials of the teacher I was more or less replacing. He'd been in the district for decades, and had compiled a massive amount of materials over the years. Class copies of previous provincial exams from the early 90's, grammar worksheets that were still on Bible-paper-thin carbon paper with purple writing (I remember these from elementary school!), and texts that dated back to the 70's. Everything had to be either recycled or adopted by me. As it turned out, a few of the texts made the grade (notice the pun??? Get it? I'm a teacher??? ;) ), but a ridiculous amount of paper was recycled that didn't even get perused. There was just too much stuff, and to start fresh, I needed to embrace the "out with the old" mentality. I'd guess that there were hundreds of pounds of old photocopies that met their maker throughout the week. Sad... but we all have an end of the line.
The room is starting to feel like home. The geography of the class has changed to suit me a bit better, the old posters are off the walls, and the cupboards are starting to get filled with my own books and binders and materials. My desk feels like mine... or, at least most of it does. And I get to come back to the same kids consistently for the next few months. Although that will almost definitely get tiresome, there's a good feeling that goes along with knowing your environment and where you'll be going every day.
The teachers at this school have been super-supportive, as has administration. Everyone seems like their willing to lend an ear or a hand with whatever I need, and it's made the transition form TOC to Mr. M a really easy one to make. I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it's work I'm looking forward. For the first time in this new career path, I have a place to call my own. In the general scheme of life, isn't that what we're all looking for?
"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration."
~Charles Dickens
-T
Monday, January 28, 2008
The advent of change
I'd like to say the countdown is on, but to be honest, the day has already arrived. Today is the first day at my new job. Although I'm not getting paid until Thursday, I entered my new classroom for the first time just a few moments ago. It still feels occupied... established. I shouldn't be so surprised, considering the man I'm about to replace has been here for years and he hasn't yet cleared out all his materials. Still, I looked around at the posters on the wall and the papers on the desk, trying to mentally sort out what kind of changes I'd make to the geography of the desks, and what I could get to fill the walls around the room. How did I want my classroom to look, to feel, to BE.
My practicum last year consisted of five different sponsor teachers with five different rooms in various locations around the school. It's true that I had my own little hideaway "office" which I shared with a few other teachers. However, when the place you call your own consists of a space on a desk that is about one metre squared, it's hard to settle in and make yourself at home. Even the students weren't mine... they were just on loan from another teacher, another place. Their report cards had another teacher's name on them, their parents called the school asking for the person on the schedule from the start of the year, and many saw me as something less than a "real" teacher.
As with the tides, things predictably change. There is no sage-like sponsor teacher to go to when the students are acting out anymore. There is no relief at the end of your practicum, where you can hand the reins over to the people in charge, the people who know what they're doing. Nope. It's just you. And them.
I guess this post sounds a little bit ominous and makes me sound like I'm terrified. To a certain extent, I am. Worried that the kids won't take me seriously... worried that my reputation (how limited it may be) may procede me as a fun guy but a bit of a push-over. Worried that my kids won't learn anything and they'll perform miserably throughout the semester because I'm not effective enough. Worried that I'm not cut out for this whole teaching thing.
But alas, there's no time for hesitancy. All I can do is show up. Be here. And do my best. Ignore the dreams of insecurity that haunted me at about 2am this morning when I was forced to get out of bed and watch TV for an hour before being settled enough to return to my slumber. Ignore the mental chatter that makes me uncertain. And just be.
And so, mes amis, off I go into the fray. Wish me luck.
T
My practicum last year consisted of five different sponsor teachers with five different rooms in various locations around the school. It's true that I had my own little hideaway "office" which I shared with a few other teachers. However, when the place you call your own consists of a space on a desk that is about one metre squared, it's hard to settle in and make yourself at home. Even the students weren't mine... they were just on loan from another teacher, another place. Their report cards had another teacher's name on them, their parents called the school asking for the person on the schedule from the start of the year, and many saw me as something less than a "real" teacher.
As with the tides, things predictably change. There is no sage-like sponsor teacher to go to when the students are acting out anymore. There is no relief at the end of your practicum, where you can hand the reins over to the people in charge, the people who know what they're doing. Nope. It's just you. And them.
I guess this post sounds a little bit ominous and makes me sound like I'm terrified. To a certain extent, I am. Worried that the kids won't take me seriously... worried that my reputation (how limited it may be) may procede me as a fun guy but a bit of a push-over. Worried that my kids won't learn anything and they'll perform miserably throughout the semester because I'm not effective enough. Worried that I'm not cut out for this whole teaching thing.
But alas, there's no time for hesitancy. All I can do is show up. Be here. And do my best. Ignore the dreams of insecurity that haunted me at about 2am this morning when I was forced to get out of bed and watch TV for an hour before being settled enough to return to my slumber. Ignore the mental chatter that makes me uncertain. And just be.
And so, mes amis, off I go into the fray. Wish me luck.
T
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tearing up at Tim Hortons at 7:45am
K had to go into work early. I received a call for a 3 day job at one of the high schools in town to finish out the week, but K needed to be at work by about 7:30am... far too early to show up expecting keys and TOC notes. Since there was the loveliest of Timmy Ho's right across the street from K's office, I stopped in for an extra large and a doughnut and some reading.
Over the past few months I've been reading A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. I first thought about reading it because K did and really enjoyed it. Then I found out it was one of the most recent additions to the local school district's Approved Literature List for secondary schools. In preparation for the the possibility of getting a job, I wanted to read it. I finished up the Kite Runner at the end of November and picked this one up.
Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. It started off with a tonne of biting wit, was written in an extremely casual, conversational manner, and although it was slow in the beginning, there were enough charming moments throughout the book to keep me coming back.
As I'm sitting in T.H.'s this morning, I'm just finishing up the final two chapters of the book... and I think to myself that I truly know what "having heart" means for a novel. The whole story set up a beautiful and tragically sad (but still triumphant) ending about a girl who just tries to navigate life in small-town, rural, uber-Mennonite Manitoba. And it was great.
I've already admitted that I'm a big sap and I love a good cry from time to time. And although I held myself together in this very busy location, I really thought the ending was suitable, unexpected, and completely appropriate. I know this is close to the ending, but I just wanted to share a few lines from the story...
"... no, I preferred the first story, the one about sacrifice and pain, because it presented opportunities, of being reunited, of being happy again, somewhere in the real world, our family, and because it was about everlasting love and that's what I like to believe in... I've learned from living in this town that stories are what matter, and if we can believe them, I mean really believe them, we have a chance at redemption."
- Miriam Toews, from A Complicated Kindness
If you haven't read it, I give it a hearty thumbs up. Sure, it may be considered a "girl" book, but when was I ever the type to embrace only the macho? For those who don't know me, the answer is, well, never... the James Bond good looks and my machismo persona aside. ;)
T
Over the past few months I've been reading A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. I first thought about reading it because K did and really enjoyed it. Then I found out it was one of the most recent additions to the local school district's Approved Literature List for secondary schools. In preparation for the the possibility of getting a job, I wanted to read it. I finished up the Kite Runner at the end of November and picked this one up.
Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. It started off with a tonne of biting wit, was written in an extremely casual, conversational manner, and although it was slow in the beginning, there were enough charming moments throughout the book to keep me coming back.
As I'm sitting in T.H.'s this morning, I'm just finishing up the final two chapters of the book... and I think to myself that I truly know what "having heart" means for a novel. The whole story set up a beautiful and tragically sad (but still triumphant) ending about a girl who just tries to navigate life in small-town, rural, uber-Mennonite Manitoba. And it was great.
I've already admitted that I'm a big sap and I love a good cry from time to time. And although I held myself together in this very busy location, I really thought the ending was suitable, unexpected, and completely appropriate. I know this is close to the ending, but I just wanted to share a few lines from the story...
"... no, I preferred the first story, the one about sacrifice and pain, because it presented opportunities, of being reunited, of being happy again, somewhere in the real world, our family, and because it was about everlasting love and that's what I like to believe in... I've learned from living in this town that stories are what matter, and if we can believe them, I mean really believe them, we have a chance at redemption."
- Miriam Toews, from A Complicated Kindness
If you haven't read it, I give it a hearty thumbs up. Sure, it may be considered a "girl" book, but when was I ever the type to embrace only the macho? For those who don't know me, the answer is, well, never... the James Bond good looks and my machismo persona aside. ;)
T
Monday, January 21, 2008
Dreams that wake
Over the past week or so, I've been afflicted with something I am rarely affected by: dreams.
I do know about psychological research which states that all people dream... it's only those who wake up in the middle of a dream whom ever recall their dreams. Lately, though, I've recalled more than one dream in an evening, which means that I've been waking up in the middle of said dream, which also means I haven't been sleeping soundly for a number of nights. All this filters down to the fact that I'm tired. I've definitely been in bed for a reasonable number of hours each night... I just haven't had the satisfaction of a deep sleep recently, which generally makes me a bit grouchy and touchy and easily distracted.
I was in today at my soon-to-be work location for a teacher I've been in for a couple of times. Her kids generally know me and know what kind of guy I am, but few know when I've been a donkey on the edge (due to my poor slumber experiences as of late). Well, needless to say, a few were acquainted with this version of Mr. M. I just find my patience fleeing out the window as I move through the paces of the day. I guess this is one of my most obvious downfalls as a teacher... my lack of patience that seems to make itself apparent when I don't have a full night's rest.
On a school related (but non-sleep related) note, I'm getting back into listening to interviews on
CBC radio watching poetry slam performances on YouTube. I heard about a guy who is apparently from the Okanagan Valley who'd won a few slam poetry competitions who was a graduate of a local high school. So, being intrigued, I looked it up, and so should you. His name is Shane Koyczan and he's won a number of poetry competitions around North America... CLICK HERE to take a look at one of his earlier performances... really good stuff.
Another one I think you should all watch is by Talib Kweli from the Def Jam Poetry performances also found on YouTube. Go HERE to see him perform one of his poems. For now, adios...
T
I do know about psychological research which states that all people dream... it's only those who wake up in the middle of a dream whom ever recall their dreams. Lately, though, I've recalled more than one dream in an evening, which means that I've been waking up in the middle of said dream, which also means I haven't been sleeping soundly for a number of nights. All this filters down to the fact that I'm tired. I've definitely been in bed for a reasonable number of hours each night... I just haven't had the satisfaction of a deep sleep recently, which generally makes me a bit grouchy and touchy and easily distracted.
I was in today at my soon-to-be work location for a teacher I've been in for a couple of times. Her kids generally know me and know what kind of guy I am, but few know when I've been a donkey on the edge (due to my poor slumber experiences as of late). Well, needless to say, a few were acquainted with this version of Mr. M. I just find my patience fleeing out the window as I move through the paces of the day. I guess this is one of my most obvious downfalls as a teacher... my lack of patience that seems to make itself apparent when I don't have a full night's rest.
On a school related (but non-sleep related) note, I'm getting back into listening to interviews on
CBC radio watching poetry slam performances on YouTube. I heard about a guy who is apparently from the Okanagan Valley who'd won a few slam poetry competitions who was a graduate of a local high school. So, being intrigued, I looked it up, and so should you. His name is Shane Koyczan and he's won a number of poetry competitions around North America... CLICK HERE to take a look at one of his earlier performances... really good stuff.
Another one I think you should all watch is by Talib Kweli from the Def Jam Poetry performances also found on YouTube. Go HERE to see him perform one of his poems. For now, adios...
T
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Do kids lose out with subsitutes in the class?
I received this story from a teacher at the high school I'm going to be working at for the rest of the year. MSNBC ran it this week, and it discusses how having substitute teachers in the classroom can damage teaching progress and can set students back rather than help them progress forward. Although the teacher that sent it pointed out that things are much different north of the border, she thought it was interesting. In an attempt to protet my TOC brethren, I'll respond...
I'll begin by saying that qualifications in Canada to be a subsitute teacher (known here as a teacher-on-call, or TOC) are the same as those of a regular teacher. We are subject to the same background checks, the same interview processes, and the same guidelines and expectations laid out by the provincial college of teachers (and this goes for most, if not every province in the country). We are not underqualified baby-sitters, and we are not unintelligent pylons.
It is true that in some districts and in some situtations, a TOC will have to teach outside of their particular subject area training. Sometimes this is because of a clerical error, and other times it is simply because of a shortage of TOC's on a given day. I, for one, have taught Junior math and science. Still, I have a degree in English lit with a second concentration in history, so I'm certified to teach Social Studies and English. However, I also have coverage areas in Phys-Ed (due to my coaching and athletics background) and in Foods (a few months working in a kitchen and I took a mini-contract in Foods at the end of last year). I am a full member of the college of teachers and a certified member of the local teachers union as well.
The reason I point these things out is that I believe that when I come in to a class, I'm definitely not responsible for setting students back in any way unless, of course, I'm outside of my subject area or a teacher leaves insufficient instructions. To date, I have only taught outside of my subject area a total of 3 times (for no more than one day at a time) and is quite uncommon. When I come in to teach a class for another teacher, I follow the directions as closely as is possible and am as thorough as possible when it comes to teaching various concepts with the kids. The same goes for any other TOC's I know... we are trained teachers who know our stuff... sure, many of us may have limited experience (I only graduated last year), but we are doing the best we can with what's available.
In most districts in Canada now, a person must apply to get on the TOC list before they are allowed to apply for contract jobs within the district. They must have a teacher-education program (which is almost univerally a minimum of 4 years), and related training in their subject area if they are to teach high school. That is definitely the case here in BC... you have to be on the TOC list before you can even apply for any teaching position. It is the TOC's that are used to fill vacancies... this is not a problem, though, since all the TOC's are qualified to take on the jobs they are hired for.
I fully agree with the article when it says that sometimes it's simply a holding pattern when it comes to behavioural challenges and classroom routines, but one of the things a TOC has to develop is their own expectations that can translate almost universally to any class they come into. Also, and maybe this is strange, but there is enough support in our schools that if, in fact I run into a serious behaviour issue, there are people at the school to help solve any conflict.
It seems to me that many of the symptoms and issues related to the U.S. issues relating to ineffective substitute teaching is directed related to adminstration problems/requirements, and a complete lack of funding for the schools. I've heard a lot of talk about this issue in the news it seems like it's a huge philosophical issue as well. How are teachers valued? What kind of standards are expected? At what point is education going to become the top priority of government? Even though many experienced teachers and administrators may disagree, I'd say that Canadian governments in general value education much more than governments south of the border.
This seems like a terrifying fact:
"...states with the fewest standards for substitutes also rely most on subs. Principals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., are most likely to identify teacher absenteeism as a big problem, according to Education Department survey data from 2003-04, the most recent available.
Among those places, only Washington requires all substitutes to have some college. And even there, principals sometimes ignore that requirement when faced with teacher absences, according to a district review."
- from MSNBC.com via the AP
Only one state requires subs to have SOME college? Obviously this needs to be addressed. Again, the administration and the lawmakers/governmetns providing funding need to give their head a shake.
It is this sort of article that makes me thankful that I am working in a district/province that does, in fact, provide a somewhat reasonable amount of support for TOC's and teachers in general. Sure, it can always get better (wages, support funding, etc.), but when looking at what goes on elsewhere, it's kinda nice to look at our job and say, "Geeez... it could be SO much worse".
T
I'll begin by saying that qualifications in Canada to be a subsitute teacher (known here as a teacher-on-call, or TOC) are the same as those of a regular teacher. We are subject to the same background checks, the same interview processes, and the same guidelines and expectations laid out by the provincial college of teachers (and this goes for most, if not every province in the country). We are not underqualified baby-sitters, and we are not unintelligent pylons.
It is true that in some districts and in some situtations, a TOC will have to teach outside of their particular subject area training. Sometimes this is because of a clerical error, and other times it is simply because of a shortage of TOC's on a given day. I, for one, have taught Junior math and science. Still, I have a degree in English lit with a second concentration in history, so I'm certified to teach Social Studies and English. However, I also have coverage areas in Phys-Ed (due to my coaching and athletics background) and in Foods (a few months working in a kitchen and I took a mini-contract in Foods at the end of last year). I am a full member of the college of teachers and a certified member of the local teachers union as well.
The reason I point these things out is that I believe that when I come in to a class, I'm definitely not responsible for setting students back in any way unless, of course, I'm outside of my subject area or a teacher leaves insufficient instructions. To date, I have only taught outside of my subject area a total of 3 times (for no more than one day at a time) and is quite uncommon. When I come in to teach a class for another teacher, I follow the directions as closely as is possible and am as thorough as possible when it comes to teaching various concepts with the kids. The same goes for any other TOC's I know... we are trained teachers who know our stuff... sure, many of us may have limited experience (I only graduated last year), but we are doing the best we can with what's available.
In most districts in Canada now, a person must apply to get on the TOC list before they are allowed to apply for contract jobs within the district. They must have a teacher-education program (which is almost univerally a minimum of 4 years), and related training in their subject area if they are to teach high school. That is definitely the case here in BC... you have to be on the TOC list before you can even apply for any teaching position. It is the TOC's that are used to fill vacancies... this is not a problem, though, since all the TOC's are qualified to take on the jobs they are hired for.
I fully agree with the article when it says that sometimes it's simply a holding pattern when it comes to behavioural challenges and classroom routines, but one of the things a TOC has to develop is their own expectations that can translate almost universally to any class they come into. Also, and maybe this is strange, but there is enough support in our schools that if, in fact I run into a serious behaviour issue, there are people at the school to help solve any conflict.
It seems to me that many of the symptoms and issues related to the U.S. issues relating to ineffective substitute teaching is directed related to adminstration problems/requirements, and a complete lack of funding for the schools. I've heard a lot of talk about this issue in the news it seems like it's a huge philosophical issue as well. How are teachers valued? What kind of standards are expected? At what point is education going to become the top priority of government? Even though many experienced teachers and administrators may disagree, I'd say that Canadian governments in general value education much more than governments south of the border.
This seems like a terrifying fact:
"...states with the fewest standards for substitutes also rely most on subs. Principals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., are most likely to identify teacher absenteeism as a big problem, according to Education Department survey data from 2003-04, the most recent available.
Among those places, only Washington requires all substitutes to have some college. And even there, principals sometimes ignore that requirement when faced with teacher absences, according to a district review."
- from MSNBC.com via the AP
Only one state requires subs to have SOME college? Obviously this needs to be addressed. Again, the administration and the lawmakers/governmetns providing funding need to give their head a shake.
It is this sort of article that makes me thankful that I am working in a district/province that does, in fact, provide a somewhat reasonable amount of support for TOC's and teachers in general. Sure, it can always get better (wages, support funding, etc.), but when looking at what goes on elsewhere, it's kinda nice to look at our job and say, "Geeez... it could be SO much worse".
T
A completion to the update...
Well. I guess I should begin at the start.
K and I got on the road back home on the 22nd of December. Typically, we're short on time so we end up driving during the early evening. This causes issues. Actually, it only causes issues for one of us: me. K fights night blindness and doesn't see well enough to confidently drive when it gets dark (particularly on the highway where there are no street lights). Thus, I have to take on the driving duties. Now, I don't really mind driving. I actually kinda like it for the most part. But I hate driving in bad conditions. Lucky for me, though, we had some extra time over the holidays, so K was able to drive during the day over the icy/snowy roads through the northern Okanagan toward the Trans-Canada before getting back to the 4-0-3. Growing up in the boondocks north of Calgary turned her into a ninja of a winter driver, so she's much more confident on the snowy/icy roads than I am.
We got back to Alberta in one piece and had a lot of time to spend with our respective families. K's family was riddled with the flu, which they passed on to K and which she ended up passing to my little sister, but I managed to stay alive and fought off my cough/cold without it ever settling in. I popped more echinacea in those two weeks than I have in my life! We had a nice visit, though, with K's family, and then made it down to see my family in Bridge City on Christmas Day just in time to get the last part of Christmas dinner. As always, my family spoiled us with too many gifts and we left with more stuff than we came with. I also got to meet up with the old high school crew... 6 or 7 of us met for brunch the day before we got back on the road to BC, so it was great to see everyone. One is in Med School, another is doing a Masters in Performance Piano, another just left for Australia, still another is finishing up a teaching program, and another buddy is just about to have a baby with his lovely wife (who couldn't make... doctor's appointment). Always so much stuff going on.
On the 28th, we headed back to Calgary for an extended family Christmas get together with some of K's aunts, uncles and cousins. We were thinking of spending the night again, but decided last-minute to simply get back on the the road to the OK Valley so we could spend another day out in Victoria. So we stayed for about 2 hours, then made the drive back home, arriving at the apartment at about 11pm.
By 9:30am the next morning, we were on the road to the Island. K and I got stuck behind an accident on the Coquihalla for nearly 2 hours, but since we had left a whole day earlier than anticipated, we got there about 7:30pm, had some dinner and beer, and turned in... K at her friend's house, and me at my friend's house.
After playing lots of games, drinking lots of brew, and seeing a bunch of people, we were back home on the 1st with K's friend in tow. I did nearly all the driving after the first day (on the 22nd), but the roads weren't too bad, and although it was a bit stressful at times, we made it home in one piece. AND, after visiting with K's friend for 5 days and relaxing, it was back to life and work and such.
And so, here I am... two weeks away from starting my new (very REAL) job, and two weeks into the TOC'ing world. Subbing hasn't been too bad, and although it was quiet last week, I'm working 4/5 this week, and I'll be able to get some planning/cleaning done today to offset the lack of work that's been taking place over the past 2-3 weeks. I did some painting for my uncle last week, but with coaching and a busy subbing week, I haven't had time to do much planning, so today is what that's for... heading up to the school to get some materials and chat with a couple of the English teachers about some stuff, and hopefully snagging some keys so I can get copying and preparing more effectively. I can only do so much here at home.
Now we're all caught up... I'm going to make another unrelated post shortly about substitutes in the U.S. and issues surrounding their effectiveness. For now, I can only say that the standards are much higher north of the border, in most provinces anyway. But more on that later...
T
K and I got on the road back home on the 22nd of December. Typically, we're short on time so we end up driving during the early evening. This causes issues. Actually, it only causes issues for one of us: me. K fights night blindness and doesn't see well enough to confidently drive when it gets dark (particularly on the highway where there are no street lights). Thus, I have to take on the driving duties. Now, I don't really mind driving. I actually kinda like it for the most part. But I hate driving in bad conditions. Lucky for me, though, we had some extra time over the holidays, so K was able to drive during the day over the icy/snowy roads through the northern Okanagan toward the Trans-Canada before getting back to the 4-0-3. Growing up in the boondocks north of Calgary turned her into a ninja of a winter driver, so she's much more confident on the snowy/icy roads than I am.
We got back to Alberta in one piece and had a lot of time to spend with our respective families. K's family was riddled with the flu, which they passed on to K and which she ended up passing to my little sister, but I managed to stay alive and fought off my cough/cold without it ever settling in. I popped more echinacea in those two weeks than I have in my life! We had a nice visit, though, with K's family, and then made it down to see my family in Bridge City on Christmas Day just in time to get the last part of Christmas dinner. As always, my family spoiled us with too many gifts and we left with more stuff than we came with. I also got to meet up with the old high school crew... 6 or 7 of us met for brunch the day before we got back on the road to BC, so it was great to see everyone. One is in Med School, another is doing a Masters in Performance Piano, another just left for Australia, still another is finishing up a teaching program, and another buddy is just about to have a baby with his lovely wife (who couldn't make... doctor's appointment). Always so much stuff going on.
On the 28th, we headed back to Calgary for an extended family Christmas get together with some of K's aunts, uncles and cousins. We were thinking of spending the night again, but decided last-minute to simply get back on the the road to the OK Valley so we could spend another day out in Victoria. So we stayed for about 2 hours, then made the drive back home, arriving at the apartment at about 11pm.
By 9:30am the next morning, we were on the road to the Island. K and I got stuck behind an accident on the Coquihalla for nearly 2 hours, but since we had left a whole day earlier than anticipated, we got there about 7:30pm, had some dinner and beer, and turned in... K at her friend's house, and me at my friend's house.
After playing lots of games, drinking lots of brew, and seeing a bunch of people, we were back home on the 1st with K's friend in tow. I did nearly all the driving after the first day (on the 22nd), but the roads weren't too bad, and although it was a bit stressful at times, we made it home in one piece. AND, after visiting with K's friend for 5 days and relaxing, it was back to life and work and such.
And so, here I am... two weeks away from starting my new (very REAL) job, and two weeks into the TOC'ing world. Subbing hasn't been too bad, and although it was quiet last week, I'm working 4/5 this week, and I'll be able to get some planning/cleaning done today to offset the lack of work that's been taking place over the past 2-3 weeks. I did some painting for my uncle last week, but with coaching and a busy subbing week, I haven't had time to do much planning, so today is what that's for... heading up to the school to get some materials and chat with a couple of the English teachers about some stuff, and hopefully snagging some keys so I can get copying and preparing more effectively. I can only do so much here at home.
Now we're all caught up... I'm going to make another unrelated post shortly about substitutes in the U.S. and issues surrounding their effectiveness. For now, I can only say that the standards are much higher north of the border, in most provinces anyway. But more on that later...
T
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Holiday hiatus...
I'm back now. However, I took a few weeks off due to the craziness that has ensued over the previous weeks. Unfortunately, I won't full return until sometime this next week, but I'll give a bit of information related to the craziness...
I finally got a job! I accepted a contract at a local high school (about 8 blocks from my house) for a full-time position for the next semester. I'm really excited, and since it's all English, I couldn't have received a better schedule (unless they paid me for a prep, which they don't). This means that I'm going to be super-busy for the next six months coaching and playing volleyball and tackling my first full-time teaching position ever. I was also being pursued for another job at another high school I really like, but I'm not one to be picky (not yet, anyway) and took the first offer I received.
I was also gone to the motherland (also known as the windy, bald prairies of southern Alberta) for a week and was out on the coast for a few more days... we've had company for the past 5 days as well, so I haven't accomplished much of anything work-related (i.e. getting ready for the semester), and haven't even had a chance to catch up on my sleep. So, those are priorities, even though we're all going out for a big night of booze and bowling.
Thus, for now I must make an exit... more details to follow soon. Happy New Year to the three people who stop by from time to time :)
T
I finally got a job! I accepted a contract at a local high school (about 8 blocks from my house) for a full-time position for the next semester. I'm really excited, and since it's all English, I couldn't have received a better schedule (unless they paid me for a prep, which they don't). This means that I'm going to be super-busy for the next six months coaching and playing volleyball and tackling my first full-time teaching position ever. I was also being pursued for another job at another high school I really like, but I'm not one to be picky (not yet, anyway) and took the first offer I received.
I was also gone to the motherland (also known as the windy, bald prairies of southern Alberta) for a week and was out on the coast for a few more days... we've had company for the past 5 days as well, so I haven't accomplished much of anything work-related (i.e. getting ready for the semester), and haven't even had a chance to catch up on my sleep. So, those are priorities, even though we're all going out for a big night of booze and bowling.
Thus, for now I must make an exit... more details to follow soon. Happy New Year to the three people who stop by from time to time :)
T
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Impact of Bureaucratic decision making
Since I've entered the field of education, there has been a great deal of talk about changes taking place. Theoretically speaking, secondary teachers are not simply expected to "teach to the exam" (I'm sure this was never officially the policy, but it was, in fact, the practice for many teachers). Rather than focusing on evaluation via standardized testing, teachers are now to focus their efforts on getting students to successfully fulfill a number of prescribed learning outcomes for every course they take. Also, particularly around my school district, there is a big focus on Assessment for Learning (rather than evaluation of learning), where teachers take in assignments and look at them to learn what they need to focus on more in future lessons, and students receive analogous, non-evaluative feedback so they can focus their efforts on improving specific facets of the skills they are expected to acquire. Most of these outcomes are concerned with skills and concepts rather than the memorization and rote regurgitation of facts and figures. No longer are teacher expected to get students to memorize a series of facts to be recalled for a trivia-laden final exam. Nope... the concepts are the key.
Although this philosophical shift has been taking place in the theoretical environment, the fact remained that students were expected to take a standardized examination for most subjects at the end of their schooling (particularly in high school). In order to graduate and put oneself in a position to go on to college, a student had to successfully write a standardized provincial exam in all core subjects in order to be considered for any post-secondary programs and, in reality, graduation as well. For many subjects, a large portion of the test would likely be fact-recall based (particularly in history/biology). If you failed the final and the average of the final and the school mark were below that infamous 50%, no credit was given. So, the problem remained that the theoretical talk of concepts was overshadowed by a need to perform on a standardized examination. Again, this is somewhat specific to the course, but was a reality all the same.
Another part of the problem was seen to be the relevancy of the exams in general. In the OK Valley, only about 15-20% of high school students are attending post-secondary programs after graduating high school (college and university included). So the question being begged is this: why should students who have no plans to go on to post-secondary education be forced to write standardized academic examinations if they were successful in completing the learning outcomes for the course as designated by their classroom teacher? Also, the pressure issue was also in question... if students can satisfactorily complete the outcomes for the course as designated by their classroom teacher, why should the province require them to write an extremely stressful marathon-length exam in order to prove they deserve the mark they've received? This was even more so the case because the skills and concepts being taught might not connect with the content of the provincial exam at all. The Ministry of Education in BC thought long and hard about this and they came up with a response: students were no longer required to take provincial exams (other than English Language Arts 12 and BC First Nations Studies 12).
Now, the recommendation still stood that if, in fact, students were expecting at ANY point to attend university or college anywhere, they should still write the provincial exam in all of their examinable subjects. The reason was that universities and colleges still required a combined mark of the classroom grade and the grade from the provincial exam in any relevant subjects in order to be considered for admission. Also, since ambitions and attitudes about education changes in the minds of young adults, they were generally encouraged all around for anyone with the ability or interest to go on to post-secondary studies.
Even more interesting is the change that took place this week. The University of Victoria, my alma mater, recently published this notification on their website which states that the writing of any optional BC provincial exams is no longer required for entrance into the university. If an exam was still required for completion of the course (English 12 and First Nations 12), then the blended mark would be needed and accepted. Otherwise, the higher mark of either the classroom grade or the blended exam/classroom grade would be taken as the application grade for the course for non-mandatory exams. In essence, students could bomb their Bio/Chem/History 12 finals and as long as they performed well in class, they'd be fine (again, if they were only planning to attend UVic).
Now, this has some big implications for students and teachers around the province. Although I haven't been able to come close to sorting them all out, it will still cause quite a big stir. An interesting thing is that no other universities or colleges (to my knowledge) in BC have changed other than UVic... UBC Vancouver just recently rejected the possible amendment to admissions but apparently the vote was quite close.
My first worry is about transitioning to university. If writing those big standardized exams is no longer required, I'm worried that some students may crash and burn under the pressure of testing that takes place in university. Those people who have attended university know that class sizes are often large and impersonal, learning if generally a self-directed pursuit, and exams are based solely on lectures, reading assignments, and personal research. At least, that was my experience.
Another curiosity... are these bureaucratic changes going to have any effect on the way universities run classes or test students? My first response is a vehement NO. Since most university profs have no training in the teaching of their subject (but uber-amounts of training in the study of their subject), are they really going to change the tried and true format of lecture, assign readings, evaluate on examinuation? Again, my personal thoughts are, well, it's not likely. However, I also didn't think that university admin would aquiesce to the changes made by the Ministry of Ed here in BC.
I think I'm just curious about what the talk is going to be like around the schools... I think there's going to be a big division among teachers on how they are going to take the news.
As for me, I think I'm a bit ambivalent. I guess I'll just wait to see how it all comes out in the wash...
T
Although this philosophical shift has been taking place in the theoretical environment, the fact remained that students were expected to take a standardized examination for most subjects at the end of their schooling (particularly in high school). In order to graduate and put oneself in a position to go on to college, a student had to successfully write a standardized provincial exam in all core subjects in order to be considered for any post-secondary programs and, in reality, graduation as well. For many subjects, a large portion of the test would likely be fact-recall based (particularly in history/biology). If you failed the final and the average of the final and the school mark were below that infamous 50%, no credit was given. So, the problem remained that the theoretical talk of concepts was overshadowed by a need to perform on a standardized examination. Again, this is somewhat specific to the course, but was a reality all the same.
Another part of the problem was seen to be the relevancy of the exams in general. In the OK Valley, only about 15-20% of high school students are attending post-secondary programs after graduating high school (college and university included). So the question being begged is this: why should students who have no plans to go on to post-secondary education be forced to write standardized academic examinations if they were successful in completing the learning outcomes for the course as designated by their classroom teacher? Also, the pressure issue was also in question... if students can satisfactorily complete the outcomes for the course as designated by their classroom teacher, why should the province require them to write an extremely stressful marathon-length exam in order to prove they deserve the mark they've received? This was even more so the case because the skills and concepts being taught might not connect with the content of the provincial exam at all. The Ministry of Education in BC thought long and hard about this and they came up with a response: students were no longer required to take provincial exams (other than English Language Arts 12 and BC First Nations Studies 12).
Now, the recommendation still stood that if, in fact, students were expecting at ANY point to attend university or college anywhere, they should still write the provincial exam in all of their examinable subjects. The reason was that universities and colleges still required a combined mark of the classroom grade and the grade from the provincial exam in any relevant subjects in order to be considered for admission. Also, since ambitions and attitudes about education changes in the minds of young adults, they were generally encouraged all around for anyone with the ability or interest to go on to post-secondary studies.
Even more interesting is the change that took place this week. The University of Victoria, my alma mater, recently published this notification on their website which states that the writing of any optional BC provincial exams is no longer required for entrance into the university. If an exam was still required for completion of the course (English 12 and First Nations 12), then the blended mark would be needed and accepted. Otherwise, the higher mark of either the classroom grade or the blended exam/classroom grade would be taken as the application grade for the course for non-mandatory exams. In essence, students could bomb their Bio/Chem/History 12 finals and as long as they performed well in class, they'd be fine (again, if they were only planning to attend UVic).
Now, this has some big implications for students and teachers around the province. Although I haven't been able to come close to sorting them all out, it will still cause quite a big stir. An interesting thing is that no other universities or colleges (to my knowledge) in BC have changed other than UVic... UBC Vancouver just recently rejected the possible amendment to admissions but apparently the vote was quite close.
My first worry is about transitioning to university. If writing those big standardized exams is no longer required, I'm worried that some students may crash and burn under the pressure of testing that takes place in university. Those people who have attended university know that class sizes are often large and impersonal, learning if generally a self-directed pursuit, and exams are based solely on lectures, reading assignments, and personal research. At least, that was my experience.
Another curiosity... are these bureaucratic changes going to have any effect on the way universities run classes or test students? My first response is a vehement NO. Since most university profs have no training in the teaching of their subject (but uber-amounts of training in the study of their subject), are they really going to change the tried and true format of lecture, assign readings, evaluate on examinuation? Again, my personal thoughts are, well, it's not likely. However, I also didn't think that university admin would aquiesce to the changes made by the Ministry of Ed here in BC.
I think I'm just curious about what the talk is going to be like around the schools... I think there's going to be a big division among teachers on how they are going to take the news.
As for me, I think I'm a bit ambivalent. I guess I'll just wait to see how it all comes out in the wash...
T
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Funny mid-week adventure
Being a TOC is always an adventure in written communication. The art of interpretation should never be underestimated. What seems simple may not be. What may be implied may be completely incorrect. And as a teacher friend reminded me... to "assume" means to make an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
Here's the story.
I received an email from S (the teacher I'm in for) relating to today's lessons a few nights ago. In the email, she attached the lesson plans for today. I've been in for her a few times previously, and since it was a requested day, she typically sends me the notes for the day ahead of time.
They were in a Word document, so I opened it up and perused the events for the day... on the left-hand side of the document, there were directions for the Dynamics 8 class (low English ability) that she teaches. I assumed that, since they were on the left hand side of the page, that I was going to teach that class first. Normally there's a piece of paper laying out the blocks for me, but since I know S and I've been in for her before, I guess the office staff didn't think it was a big deal. On the right hand side of the page were the directions for her AP Lit class (obviously in the afternoon in the second block).
Now, last time I was in, the Dynamics kids were only in the room for 1/2 the block (meaning the class was linear). On this school's schedule, the linear block would flipflop time schedules with another linear block. Last time, I taught the Dynamics kids in the first half and had a prep in the second. There was another teacher in for a Socials class, so I had to find somewhere else to work... yay for prep time. Again, I assumed that I'd likely teach the Dynamics class in the second half of the block.
So, first thing this morning, I was sitting in the room getting organized and a number of older students came in. Since I was kicked out of the room last time when another class entered, and since the Dynamics class is linear and only had 1/2 the block in the class with me, I assumed (in my infinite wisdom) that I needed to vacate the class and went to the staff room to work on the marking. I relaxed, drank some coffee, talked with another English teacher and marked some assignments.
I had to pick up some other books from her shelves so I could keep marking, so I went back to her room. I walked in and it was pretty empty (strange, since there was a full SS class in there last time). The first student that saw me asked, "Are you our sub?" Startled, I asked what class it was. The young lad responded by saying, "This is Ms. G's AP Lit Class."
As shocked as I was, I tried to explain the situation (i.e. the total miscommunication) as best as I could and ran back to the staff room to get my materials. Upon returning, I took a, "So, who was here at the beginning of class" attendance and got them working on their assignment. Apologizing profusely, I asked all the students to come back at the end of the block to let me know they were here. I also went on a spy mission with a couple of the students to figure out who was there after break and who checked in and then went missing again. It was espionage at it's most brutal, and our mission only returned satisfactory results.
I really only had a couple of students that were completely MIA, but needless to say it was an adventurous morning. It's kinda disheartening that something so ridiculous has already happened, particularly since it's only Wednesday! I can only hope that the rest of the day/week goes better. Hope ya'll are doing better than I! And remember, never assume... anything...
T
Here's the story.
I received an email from S (the teacher I'm in for) relating to today's lessons a few nights ago. In the email, she attached the lesson plans for today. I've been in for her a few times previously, and since it was a requested day, she typically sends me the notes for the day ahead of time.
They were in a Word document, so I opened it up and perused the events for the day... on the left-hand side of the document, there were directions for the Dynamics 8 class (low English ability) that she teaches. I assumed that, since they were on the left hand side of the page, that I was going to teach that class first. Normally there's a piece of paper laying out the blocks for me, but since I know S and I've been in for her before, I guess the office staff didn't think it was a big deal. On the right hand side of the page were the directions for her AP Lit class (obviously in the afternoon in the second block).
Now, last time I was in, the Dynamics kids were only in the room for 1/2 the block (meaning the class was linear). On this school's schedule, the linear block would flipflop time schedules with another linear block. Last time, I taught the Dynamics kids in the first half and had a prep in the second. There was another teacher in for a Socials class, so I had to find somewhere else to work... yay for prep time. Again, I assumed that I'd likely teach the Dynamics class in the second half of the block.
So, first thing this morning, I was sitting in the room getting organized and a number of older students came in. Since I was kicked out of the room last time when another class entered, and since the Dynamics class is linear and only had 1/2 the block in the class with me, I assumed (in my infinite wisdom) that I needed to vacate the class and went to the staff room to work on the marking. I relaxed, drank some coffee, talked with another English teacher and marked some assignments.
I had to pick up some other books from her shelves so I could keep marking, so I went back to her room. I walked in and it was pretty empty (strange, since there was a full SS class in there last time). The first student that saw me asked, "Are you our sub?" Startled, I asked what class it was. The young lad responded by saying, "This is Ms. G's AP Lit Class."
As shocked as I was, I tried to explain the situation (i.e. the total miscommunication) as best as I could and ran back to the staff room to get my materials. Upon returning, I took a, "So, who was here at the beginning of class" attendance and got them working on their assignment. Apologizing profusely, I asked all the students to come back at the end of the block to let me know they were here. I also went on a spy mission with a couple of the students to figure out who was there after break and who checked in and then went missing again. It was espionage at it's most brutal, and our mission only returned satisfactory results.
I really only had a couple of students that were completely MIA, but needless to say it was an adventurous morning. It's kinda disheartening that something so ridiculous has already happened, particularly since it's only Wednesday! I can only hope that the rest of the day/week goes better. Hope ya'll are doing better than I! And remember, never assume... anything...
T
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Welcome weekend (and a countdown to Christmas)
K and I just walked in from the gym. It's been approximately two weeks since we've actually done a lot of core and weight work, so today was our day to get in there and flex the pecs and abs and see if we could get back on the train. Even though I was panting throughout the routine, we made it through without any injuries and actually did most of the stuff we would typically do, so I guess that means it wasn't a total loss.
In reality, making it to the gym at all on a Sunday is a victory in itself.
I didn't work very much this week, but it seemed tiring nonetheless. I've been fighting off the early stages of a cold for about 8 days now, and even though it hasn't become much worse, it hasn't improved a massive amount and it's kinda taking away from my energy. I did two days at the end of the week for a teacher I've been in for a number a times, and I absolutely love teaching her class... her kids are really great, they respond really well to me, and they're never really high maintenance. Still... I was exhausted when I left yesterday. I found out some really interesting job-related stuff at the end of the day, but I'm going to postpone any discussion about work opportunities until I actually hear something concrete that goes beyond intention and gossip.
K and I have been keeping busy for the most part. We had her staff Christmas party at a really nice hotel last week, and we went out to see a friend of ours play (he's in a two-man band and is a phenomenal guitar player) at a local pub this past Friday. We also saw another band called the Hot Chochies, who play a sort of surfer-rock that seem to be inspired from both Sublime and the artists who sang "Wipeout", who were really good. I am now officially finished with my fall rec-league volleyball, but our team has registered in a tournament for next weekend, and I'm coaching at our local club team tryouts for about 4 hours later this afternoon. Then, K and I are heading to Salmon Arm on Wednesday Night to attend a play at the Caravan Farm Theatre... they're peforming King Lear, which I've never seen live. It's also an interesting venue for the winter shows... you're put on horse-drawn carriages and pulled around to different locations where the scenes are performed. I saw a performance of the Tell-Tale Heart last year with some students from my old sponsor school, and it was wonderful. That, and free hot chocolate... what could be better?
And work has been great lately... I keep meeting a tonne of awesome teachers at various schools (one of whom I'll be working with for my club coaching this year and who will be an awesome mentor), the kids are still really great (I had two students who knew I was teaching for their regular teacher on Thursday and Friday who left notes for me saying that they were disappointed that they'd miss me! I also had one who was late for class, who knew I was in, and bribed me with a slushie so I wouldn't put her on my very fake "Bad List"), and I am really finding myself comfortable at a number of different schools. I worried about this at the start of the year... I'm not generally that good at being a stranger in a new environment, and I absolutely loved my sponsor school last year during my practicum and didn't think I'd find another place I'd love as much, so that's been reassuring.
Lastly, I'm getting really excited to head home for Christmas. It's going to be an insane amount of driving (splitting Christmas between families is always an adventure)... I think we'll probably be in the car for approximately 30-35 hours in about 10 days, which doesn't thrill me so much, but I'm just excited to see everyone and have some time to goof off. We always try to cram more stuff in every year, and this year is no exception... after heading back to Alberta for about a week, we're trying to make it out to the Island for a few days to see some family and friends back there. Yes, this means more driving. But, gotta see 'em... it's been far too long, and the ocean is calling my name.
T
In reality, making it to the gym at all on a Sunday is a victory in itself.
I didn't work very much this week, but it seemed tiring nonetheless. I've been fighting off the early stages of a cold for about 8 days now, and even though it hasn't become much worse, it hasn't improved a massive amount and it's kinda taking away from my energy. I did two days at the end of the week for a teacher I've been in for a number a times, and I absolutely love teaching her class... her kids are really great, they respond really well to me, and they're never really high maintenance. Still... I was exhausted when I left yesterday. I found out some really interesting job-related stuff at the end of the day, but I'm going to postpone any discussion about work opportunities until I actually hear something concrete that goes beyond intention and gossip.
K and I have been keeping busy for the most part. We had her staff Christmas party at a really nice hotel last week, and we went out to see a friend of ours play (he's in a two-man band and is a phenomenal guitar player) at a local pub this past Friday. We also saw another band called the Hot Chochies, who play a sort of surfer-rock that seem to be inspired from both Sublime and the artists who sang "Wipeout", who were really good. I am now officially finished with my fall rec-league volleyball, but our team has registered in a tournament for next weekend, and I'm coaching at our local club team tryouts for about 4 hours later this afternoon. Then, K and I are heading to Salmon Arm on Wednesday Night to attend a play at the Caravan Farm Theatre... they're peforming King Lear, which I've never seen live. It's also an interesting venue for the winter shows... you're put on horse-drawn carriages and pulled around to different locations where the scenes are performed. I saw a performance of the Tell-Tale Heart last year with some students from my old sponsor school, and it was wonderful. That, and free hot chocolate... what could be better?
And work has been great lately... I keep meeting a tonne of awesome teachers at various schools (one of whom I'll be working with for my club coaching this year and who will be an awesome mentor), the kids are still really great (I had two students who knew I was teaching for their regular teacher on Thursday and Friday who left notes for me saying that they were disappointed that they'd miss me! I also had one who was late for class, who knew I was in, and bribed me with a slushie so I wouldn't put her on my very fake "Bad List"), and I am really finding myself comfortable at a number of different schools. I worried about this at the start of the year... I'm not generally that good at being a stranger in a new environment, and I absolutely loved my sponsor school last year during my practicum and didn't think I'd find another place I'd love as much, so that's been reassuring.
Lastly, I'm getting really excited to head home for Christmas. It's going to be an insane amount of driving (splitting Christmas between families is always an adventure)... I think we'll probably be in the car for approximately 30-35 hours in about 10 days, which doesn't thrill me so much, but I'm just excited to see everyone and have some time to goof off. We always try to cram more stuff in every year, and this year is no exception... after heading back to Alberta for about a week, we're trying to make it out to the Island for a few days to see some family and friends back there. Yes, this means more driving. But, gotta see 'em... it's been far too long, and the ocean is calling my name.
T
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Randomness and the start of a new month
It's over. However, I feel a little strange now that the obligation to post is gone.
Lately, I’ve felt like I’ve been sucked into a strange bizzaro-world. This may be a bit of an inaccurate way to describe life as of late, but I’m definitely experiencing some randomness. I won’t get into it all, but I will share a few really brief stories (if, in fact, I’m capable of such a thing)…
I didn’t get a call for work yesterday. Although I hate not working, I’ve been feeling the very early warnings of a cold lingering in my nose and chest, so I was okay with the fact that I wouldn’t have to face the germs of hundreds of hormonal teens during the peak of cold and flu season. So, home I stayed. About ten o’clock in the morning, I received a call from a lady from a number I didn’t recognize. She informed me that I had been referred to her by The City’s office as a contact for trapping a troublesome animal.
"Sorry? What were you calling about?" I responded. Disbelief and some giggling could both be found in the shaky nature of my voice.
"The City gave me your number. I’m calling you because I need to trap a raccoon that has been terrorizing my house, and I was told that you could come and trap it."
"Oh, sure, no problem. What’s your address? I’ll be right over. By the way, approximately how big is your raccoon?"
Okay, this isn’t how the conversation actually proceeded. In reality, I responded by laughing a hearty chuckle and saying I had absolutely no idea how the city provided my number, but I was definitely not the local trapper guy. I wished her good luck and hung up the phone.
Strange.
Also, how many people have been afflicted with inoperable windshield wipers? Well, I’ve never actually encountered anyone who has, but last week, this is exactly the part of the Hyundai that died on our car. We live in a pretty sunny place. However, western North American has been afflicted with some seriously wet weather (both rain and snow), and this has created a problem. No windshield wipers = issues. There haven't been any vehicular mishaps, but there was definitely potential yesterday.
After sitting around the house, I decided that I'd go to the gym while it wasn't raining and pick K up on the way home. There was even some blue sky, so as long as I didn't get a truckload of snow dumped on my windshield, I'd be fine. Upon leaving, I saw that it had, in fact, started raining. However, my pea-like brain thought, "You know, I could probably make it to K's work as long as I don't drive fast and stay on side roads. Windshield wipers aren't that important." Yes, I realize that I should've been struck by lightning for this comment, but in my naivety, I left anyways.
The parking lot portion of the drive was tolerable. The actual road, on the other hand??? Not so much. After about a block and a half, I slammed the button for the hazards, pulled into the Superstore parking lot, and started dialing people to rescue me. Luckily, a buddy of mine came by, picked me up, took me to NAPA to pick up the new wiper motor, picked up K and we both got a ride home. I learned a lot from this experience. The main thing: Don't be stupid when it comes to windows and rain. Period.
Although some small adjustments need to be made tomorrow, the new wiper motor is in and the wipers are again functional. All's well. I also won another Florida vacation (according to a telephone call)... but, I think that I'll pass on another free trip because who would really want to leave MY apartment? It's pretty wonderful in all it's whitewashed glory. Insert tongue in cheek.
T
I didn’t get a call for work yesterday. Although I hate not working, I’ve been feeling the very early warnings of a cold lingering in my nose and chest, so I was okay with the fact that I wouldn’t have to face the germs of hundreds of hormonal teens during the peak of cold and flu season. So, home I stayed. About ten o’clock in the morning, I received a call from a lady from a number I didn’t recognize. She informed me that I had been referred to her by The City’s office as a contact for trapping a troublesome animal.
"Sorry? What were you calling about?" I responded. Disbelief and some giggling could both be found in the shaky nature of my voice.
"The City gave me your number. I’m calling you because I need to trap a raccoon that has been terrorizing my house, and I was told that you could come and trap it."
"Oh, sure, no problem. What’s your address? I’ll be right over. By the way, approximately how big is your raccoon?"
Okay, this isn’t how the conversation actually proceeded. In reality, I responded by laughing a hearty chuckle and saying I had absolutely no idea how the city provided my number, but I was definitely not the local trapper guy. I wished her good luck and hung up the phone.
Strange.
Also, how many people have been afflicted with inoperable windshield wipers? Well, I’ve never actually encountered anyone who has, but last week, this is exactly the part of the Hyundai that died on our car. We live in a pretty sunny place. However, western North American has been afflicted with some seriously wet weather (both rain and snow), and this has created a problem. No windshield wipers = issues. There haven't been any vehicular mishaps, but there was definitely potential yesterday.
After sitting around the house, I decided that I'd go to the gym while it wasn't raining and pick K up on the way home. There was even some blue sky, so as long as I didn't get a truckload of snow dumped on my windshield, I'd be fine. Upon leaving, I saw that it had, in fact, started raining. However, my pea-like brain thought, "You know, I could probably make it to K's work as long as I don't drive fast and stay on side roads. Windshield wipers aren't that important." Yes, I realize that I should've been struck by lightning for this comment, but in my naivety, I left anyways.
The parking lot portion of the drive was tolerable. The actual road, on the other hand??? Not so much. After about a block and a half, I slammed the button for the hazards, pulled into the Superstore parking lot, and started dialing people to rescue me. Luckily, a buddy of mine came by, picked me up, took me to NAPA to pick up the new wiper motor, picked up K and we both got a ride home. I learned a lot from this experience. The main thing: Don't be stupid when it comes to windows and rain. Period.
Although some small adjustments need to be made tomorrow, the new wiper motor is in and the wipers are again functional. All's well. I also won another Florida vacation (according to a telephone call)... but, I think that I'll pass on another free trip because who would really want to leave MY apartment? It's pretty wonderful in all it's whitewashed glory. Insert tongue in cheek.
T
Friday, November 30, 2007
And so it is done
Although I was late on one day, and had an extra day tossed in, this is the final post of the Nablopomo. 30 days of posting in a row is quite the feat for me (and too many others), considering I haven't really posted much over the past 5 or so months. But I have to say, I did enjoy it.
I think I'll leave it there. For now, anyway. K and I have had a busy week, and I'm just beat. I got to teach a couple blocks of Foods today, so I've had a fun day. That, and a great dinner out on the town, and now that I've seen the Polar Express (for the first time), I'm content to roll into bed with my book and get to sleep early.
T
I think I'll leave it there. For now, anyway. K and I have had a busy week, and I'm just beat. I got to teach a couple blocks of Foods today, so I've had a fun day. That, and a great dinner out on the town, and now that I've seen the Polar Express (for the first time), I'm content to roll into bed with my book and get to sleep early.
T
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The 7 Weird Things Meme...
Okay, so I was tagged by sten because of the "clever foodiness" of my blog name. What comes below is a copy/paste/edit job from his blog.
Here's how it's done:
a. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
b. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
c. Tag 7 random people from NaBloPoMo at the end of the Blog entry by leaving a comment on their blog saying that they've been tagged in the 7 Weird Things meme, and include links to your blog in a comment.
I apologize in advance if any of this dives into the territory of TMI... too much information. There's a good chance I'll keep it G-rated, but we'll see.
So, here goes (in no particular order)...
1) I love the smell of rotting foliage. You know... the smell of leaves and dying brush and muck that comes about in late fall and the very first days of spring. It's lovely and comforting and makes me think of pumpkin pie and espresso.
2) I have approximately 12 hairs that grow on the top of my back, which I pluck with tweezers (because they're sparse, reachable, and for some reason VERY annoying).
3) I often sing the lyrics to random commercials from decades ago in my head and even out loud. I mentioned an HP sauce commercial and a Milk commercial the other day, and that's just one. Catchy jingles are my enemy, but my wife and I sometimes recite them to each other.
4) I love giving my wife nicknames that she initially hates and ultimately ends up embracing. She used to watch a tonne of Gilmour Girls, and there was a crazy woman in the show named Babette. So, as a joke, I started calling K by the name Babette (in the most affectionate voice possible). She despised it at first, and now loves it when I call her that. A very fond moment for me when I realized that she did, in fact, like it.
5) Every chance I get, I shorted people's first names to the brief form of said name. If their name is Matthew, it's simply Matt, or Michael and Mike (so on and so forth ad nauseum). However, I hate the sound of my own name shortened. I let K get away with it, and I have an old friend that I've known forever that has always called me that.... and I guess my mom and dad call me by a variation on the shortened version, but otherwise I think it sounds quite ridiculous. Ironically enough, I called a fellow teacher (one I know moderately well) by the common shorthand of her name, and she didn't hesitate to correct me (she liked the full, unadulterated version) and explain why. It happened about 7 hours ago.
6) I often feel like I'm living in a circus, and the people around me are performers or jesters of some sort. I've asked people if they ever feel this, and I'm almost always met with a strange look.
7) I like using random terminology in everyday conversation. Words like rubbish, extranneous, spectacular, chump, and other such words. I try to work them in, sometimes in a pun or just in an explanation of whatever it is I'm talking about. For this I also get weird looks.
I'm sure there are things that are more strange (and likely more disgusting, personal grime) about me, but I'll leave it at that. Now, I'll try to randomly select a few meme victims for this. I'm not going to use the Blogroll, though, because it takes a million years to load, so I Googled "Nablopomo" and these are some of the findings...
Big Fat Deal... about the portrayal of weight in society... I like the hook!
Sophie Junction... to be honest, I thought it would have to do with something philosophy related at first (because I'm an English geek and that's what I assumed at the site name), but she had some cool artwork up, so there ya go.
Adventures of a Bad Ass... since he's a college prof, we are both in the teaching profession. And I like the blog name "badassturtle".
Life: The Ongoing Education... another clever name, chosen at random. Also a cool looking space.
And Ciboulette... I couldn't bother to spend time looking for another one, so she's my last victim! Sorry L!
Now, to bed.
T
Here's how it's done:
a. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
b. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
c. Tag 7 random people from NaBloPoMo at the end of the Blog entry by leaving a comment on their blog saying that they've been tagged in the 7 Weird Things meme, and include links to your blog in a comment.
I apologize in advance if any of this dives into the territory of TMI... too much information. There's a good chance I'll keep it G-rated, but we'll see.
So, here goes (in no particular order)...
1) I love the smell of rotting foliage. You know... the smell of leaves and dying brush and muck that comes about in late fall and the very first days of spring. It's lovely and comforting and makes me think of pumpkin pie and espresso.
2) I have approximately 12 hairs that grow on the top of my back, which I pluck with tweezers (because they're sparse, reachable, and for some reason VERY annoying).
3) I often sing the lyrics to random commercials from decades ago in my head and even out loud. I mentioned an HP sauce commercial and a Milk commercial the other day, and that's just one. Catchy jingles are my enemy, but my wife and I sometimes recite them to each other.
4) I love giving my wife nicknames that she initially hates and ultimately ends up embracing. She used to watch a tonne of Gilmour Girls, and there was a crazy woman in the show named Babette. So, as a joke, I started calling K by the name Babette (in the most affectionate voice possible). She despised it at first, and now loves it when I call her that. A very fond moment for me when I realized that she did, in fact, like it.
5) Every chance I get, I shorted people's first names to the brief form of said name. If their name is Matthew, it's simply Matt, or Michael and Mike (so on and so forth ad nauseum). However, I hate the sound of my own name shortened. I let K get away with it, and I have an old friend that I've known forever that has always called me that.... and I guess my mom and dad call me by a variation on the shortened version, but otherwise I think it sounds quite ridiculous. Ironically enough, I called a fellow teacher (one I know moderately well) by the common shorthand of her name, and she didn't hesitate to correct me (she liked the full, unadulterated version) and explain why. It happened about 7 hours ago.
6) I often feel like I'm living in a circus, and the people around me are performers or jesters of some sort. I've asked people if they ever feel this, and I'm almost always met with a strange look.
7) I like using random terminology in everyday conversation. Words like rubbish, extranneous, spectacular, chump, and other such words. I try to work them in, sometimes in a pun or just in an explanation of whatever it is I'm talking about. For this I also get weird looks.
I'm sure there are things that are more strange (and likely more disgusting, personal grime) about me, but I'll leave it at that. Now, I'll try to randomly select a few meme victims for this. I'm not going to use the Blogroll, though, because it takes a million years to load, so I Googled "Nablopomo" and these are some of the findings...
Big Fat Deal... about the portrayal of weight in society... I like the hook!
Sophie Junction... to be honest, I thought it would have to do with something philosophy related at first (because I'm an English geek and that's what I assumed at the site name), but she had some cool artwork up, so there ya go.
Adventures of a Bad Ass... since he's a college prof, we are both in the teaching profession. And I like the blog name "badassturtle".
Life: The Ongoing Education... another clever name, chosen at random. Also a cool looking space.
And Ciboulette... I couldn't bother to spend time looking for another one, so she's my last victim! Sorry L!
Now, to bed.
T
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Almost done this NaBloPoMo thing...
Apparently I was tagged for a meme by some random guy, but for now, I'm going to delay posting.
I'm sitting in front of my computer in the dark. Typically, I have the warm glow of a lamp on, or maybe the less-warm glow of the room's very typical apartment light fixture. But the night sky is a wonderful, warm orange. Snow is falling quietly and gently, and the heavy, dense clouds are reflecting the city lights back down on the earth. It's peaceful, and few people are out. It's quite soothing. The Christmas countdown is still looming... the various TV stations have begun to show the standard Christmas shows, and everywhere you look there's a Starbucks cup with the tell-tale snowflakes on a background of red cardboard.
Today was quite productive... although I only worked a half-day, I attempted to sort out the busting volumes of notes and worksheets that I piled into my office closet at the close of my practicum in June. Since the job prospects look more and more promising, I feel the need to organize my life in case I do, in fact, land a job. Hopefully this ambition will prevent any panic come February. After organizing my teaching life, working for a half-day and playing a few hours of rec-league volleyball, I was able to enjoy a few beers in front of the TV before sitting in front of my trusty Dell to pen these last reflective notes of the evening. I have a full day booked for tomorrow, which will be one of those perfect days... marking and watching volleyball in the morning, and supervising/watching a movie in the afternoon. It is for this reason (and of course, many others), that I truly enjoy subbing. Particularly for friends.
But for now, I must turn in... the calm, soothing sky is turning me into a pumpkin, so to bed I must retreat. More meme-related response tomorrow.
T
I'm sitting in front of my computer in the dark. Typically, I have the warm glow of a lamp on, or maybe the less-warm glow of the room's very typical apartment light fixture. But the night sky is a wonderful, warm orange. Snow is falling quietly and gently, and the heavy, dense clouds are reflecting the city lights back down on the earth. It's peaceful, and few people are out. It's quite soothing. The Christmas countdown is still looming... the various TV stations have begun to show the standard Christmas shows, and everywhere you look there's a Starbucks cup with the tell-tale snowflakes on a background of red cardboard.
Today was quite productive... although I only worked a half-day, I attempted to sort out the busting volumes of notes and worksheets that I piled into my office closet at the close of my practicum in June. Since the job prospects look more and more promising, I feel the need to organize my life in case I do, in fact, land a job. Hopefully this ambition will prevent any panic come February. After organizing my teaching life, working for a half-day and playing a few hours of rec-league volleyball, I was able to enjoy a few beers in front of the TV before sitting in front of my trusty Dell to pen these last reflective notes of the evening. I have a full day booked for tomorrow, which will be one of those perfect days... marking and watching volleyball in the morning, and supervising/watching a movie in the afternoon. It is for this reason (and of course, many others), that I truly enjoy subbing. Particularly for friends.
But for now, I must turn in... the calm, soothing sky is turning me into a pumpkin, so to bed I must retreat. More meme-related response tomorrow.
T
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Interesting articles on everyone's favourite church signs
I'm sure most of you have driven by a local church either in your neighbourhood or on the way to work, noticing the sometimes cheesy, sometimes funny, sometimes ridiculous phrases advertised on the marquee signs. After seeing plenty of them myself, I had a good laugh when I came across this article that discusses these signs and the general reactions they get. Being an English geek, I often laugh (or sigh) at the clever (and not-so-clever) punning that often takes place on these signs (i.e. "Happy Hour here every Sunday"). Of course, such signs are not limited to churches... there's a storage place near my house that has one with something generally funny on it all the time.
Now, I'm not really sure what it does for bringing new souls into a building... I've done little organized research (read: NONE) on the topic. But I like to think that I'm one of those people who is swayed little by advertising, so a sign would never move me to come into a church for a Sunday service. For others, though, I cannot speak.
Another fantastic blog that I've come across (as is often the case) from Ciboulette is a grammar geek's dream: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. It's hilarious, and although the author does not judge the grammatical quality of the given signs to bring shame for the bearers' underdeveloped sense of proper punctuation, she does point out the vast variety of double-meanings that could be read when using quotation marks improperly. Sooo funny. Especially when on church signs, when they take on an inappropriate interpretation.
Although there was no work in today's forcast, I was quite productive and pleased with my level of achievement. And, there's only a trip to the gym, a cup of tea and some reading in my night's future, so it must be a good day, even though it's slushy and slippery outside and even though the bloody motor went dead in my winshield wipers!
Well, everything can't be perfect, can it? :)
T
Now, I'm not really sure what it does for bringing new souls into a building... I've done little organized research (read: NONE) on the topic. But I like to think that I'm one of those people who is swayed little by advertising, so a sign would never move me to come into a church for a Sunday service. For others, though, I cannot speak.
Another fantastic blog that I've come across (as is often the case) from Ciboulette is a grammar geek's dream: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. It's hilarious, and although the author does not judge the grammatical quality of the given signs to bring shame for the bearers' underdeveloped sense of proper punctuation, she does point out the vast variety of double-meanings that could be read when using quotation marks improperly. Sooo funny. Especially when on church signs, when they take on an inappropriate interpretation.
Although there was no work in today's forcast, I was quite productive and pleased with my level of achievement. And, there's only a trip to the gym, a cup of tea and some reading in my night's future, so it must be a good day, even though it's slushy and slippery outside and even though the bloody motor went dead in my winshield wipers!
Well, everything can't be perfect, can it? :)
T
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