It's getting really lonely here. I'm beginning to think the blogosphere has been conquered by the mighty Facebook. People who previously couldn't hold down a blog have mysteriously become prolific status-updaters and wall-commenters. I, still rather lacking in Facebook skills, sit here faithfully constructing a more sophisticated and somewhat antiquated kind of prose... all alone.
I'm lead to believe one of two conclusions:
1) nobody reads my blog anymore because blogging is so old-fashioned, or
2) nobody reads my blog anymore because my content is so boring.
So, just in case it is the latter, I am giving you, my dear faithful readers, the chance to let me know how boring I've been and give me some suggestions for improvement! Please check out my new poll on the sidebar.
And if I get no responses, I know it's time to learn to use Facebook...
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Sunday, 21 September 2008
The term that was
I am so sick right now! I've been in bed/on the couch since Friday afternoon with a Panadol-ignoring fever running over 39, no voice, and swollen, agonising glands the size of golf balls in my throat. The sinuses have started today.
I'm annoyed that I'm sick, because I only had a cold two weeks ago, and should have been on the post-cold immune streak for a little longer than this. Perhaps I picked it up from the many very sick staff and students at work, or perhaps I ran myself a little too ragged in this final, terrible week, or perhaps it is just the results of the term that was.
This term started with my final teaching round. For three weeks I had to forgo my day and a half of planning and study time to teach in a primary classroom. I spent every spare second preparing for 5 full days at school. When rounds were finally over, I gained my half day of planning back, which was a welcome relief. But I still had to spend the next four weeks' of Thursdays at uni. This was also the time I started all those major final assignments. I spent all week getting organised for school, and each weekend cramming those assignments. Finally, week 8, uni was finished, so I threw myself into curriculum documentation at work and trying to catch up on German at home (I'm up to week 6 now).
All these extras have made life very busy, but work itself has been no easy feat this term. Secondary has more contact hours to plan for, but having a reference text and workbook to work from make it a lot easier. You already have your curriculum and your content, and your job is to make it accessible and engaging. With primary, I'm the curriculum developer, content researcher and resource creator all rolled into one. Because of a wonderful thing called the Olympics, I developed this insanely huge Olympics project (which was great once it was started, but a lot of work to set up and resource), and a unit on Chinese music (I learnt a lot, I hope the students did too).
I've had to step back and admit that I can't keep it all up anymore. I took August off Explorers to complete uni (very much needed!), only organised two youth nights, and skipped a couple of social events. Now it's holidays and I'm exhausted. I think I've survived it all, hopefully even done well. This term hasn't been a very healthy pace, although I have included more exercise, fruits and wholegrains in my lifestyle at least. The good news is this term was an exception, and definitely not the rule.
A friend of mine asked me the other day what was making me tired. I looked at him somewhat incredulously, with all this running through my mind, before replying, "Oh, you know. Just work and uni and all that."
I'm annoyed that I'm sick, because I only had a cold two weeks ago, and should have been on the post-cold immune streak for a little longer than this. Perhaps I picked it up from the many very sick staff and students at work, or perhaps I ran myself a little too ragged in this final, terrible week, or perhaps it is just the results of the term that was.
This term started with my final teaching round. For three weeks I had to forgo my day and a half of planning and study time to teach in a primary classroom. I spent every spare second preparing for 5 full days at school. When rounds were finally over, I gained my half day of planning back, which was a welcome relief. But I still had to spend the next four weeks' of Thursdays at uni. This was also the time I started all those major final assignments. I spent all week getting organised for school, and each weekend cramming those assignments. Finally, week 8, uni was finished, so I threw myself into curriculum documentation at work and trying to catch up on German at home (I'm up to week 6 now).
All these extras have made life very busy, but work itself has been no easy feat this term. Secondary has more contact hours to plan for, but having a reference text and workbook to work from make it a lot easier. You already have your curriculum and your content, and your job is to make it accessible and engaging. With primary, I'm the curriculum developer, content researcher and resource creator all rolled into one. Because of a wonderful thing called the Olympics, I developed this insanely huge Olympics project (which was great once it was started, but a lot of work to set up and resource), and a unit on Chinese music (I learnt a lot, I hope the students did too).
I've had to step back and admit that I can't keep it all up anymore. I took August off Explorers to complete uni (very much needed!), only organised two youth nights, and skipped a couple of social events. Now it's holidays and I'm exhausted. I think I've survived it all, hopefully even done well. This term hasn't been a very healthy pace, although I have included more exercise, fruits and wholegrains in my lifestyle at least. The good news is this term was an exception, and definitely not the rule.
A friend of mine asked me the other day what was making me tired. I looked at him somewhat incredulously, with all this running through my mind, before replying, "Oh, you know. Just work and uni and all that."
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Transition to teaching
Ironically, we had a unit titled this in our final, block-moded semester of uni. The unit was aimed to help us prepare for work as a casual relief teacher and included assembling a teaching kit, a final practicum component, and for some still unknown reason, a largely irrelevant poster task.
But the real inspiration for this post came not from uni (unsurprisingly), but while I was cleaning down the sinks in the home economics room at school. I had just survived a largely successful cooking session with my year 8 class. I had prepared for chaos, and it was indeed chaotic. But above all that I was somewhat disbelieving of how well it had actually worked out. As all must surely know, I am in actual fact a rather lousy cook. It dawned on me as I was clearing up in the aftermath that the transition to becoming a teacher involves so much more than just moving from a lecture theatre to a classroom. It's about moving into teaching practice, of course, but it's also about learning to lead others in new experiences and skills - often requiring us to step up and develop these for ourselves!
As I'm transitioning into teaching, I can't help but feel I am transitioning into a more 'real' adulthood as well. Or maybe that's just the kids making me feel old!
But the real inspiration for this post came not from uni (unsurprisingly), but while I was cleaning down the sinks in the home economics room at school. I had just survived a largely successful cooking session with my year 8 class. I had prepared for chaos, and it was indeed chaotic. But above all that I was somewhat disbelieving of how well it had actually worked out. As all must surely know, I am in actual fact a rather lousy cook. It dawned on me as I was clearing up in the aftermath that the transition to becoming a teacher involves so much more than just moving from a lecture theatre to a classroom. It's about moving into teaching practice, of course, but it's also about learning to lead others in new experiences and skills - often requiring us to step up and develop these for ourselves!
As I'm transitioning into teaching, I can't help but feel I am transitioning into a more 'real' adulthood as well. Or maybe that's just the kids making me feel old!
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Meet the parents
It's that pivotal time in a relationship. Things are sailing along smoothly, the world seems a magical place, and your lovey-doveyness is more gooey than a toddler's pre-loved biscuit. So you decide that it is time get acquainted with the relatives.
At near-on six years in, we finally had the chance to do what we had waited many years to do; introduce the grandparents to each other. Oma is from Poland, Opa is from former Czechoslovakia. Due to the war and invasion and experiences as soldiers, prisoners of war, refugees, and workers, they both found themselves in Germany. Oma married a Yugoslav and Opa married the beautiful German woman, my Omi. Both families emigrated to Australia and spent time in the same migrant camp, ten years apart. Both individuals have avid memories, and a great many stories to tell.
Today they met for the first time and shared some of their experiences. It was a great time, and I'm so happy we could all get together and just enjoy each other's company.
At near-on six years in, we finally had the chance to do what we had waited many years to do; introduce the grandparents to each other. Oma is from Poland, Opa is from former Czechoslovakia. Due to the war and invasion and experiences as soldiers, prisoners of war, refugees, and workers, they both found themselves in Germany. Oma married a Yugoslav and Opa married the beautiful German woman, my Omi. Both families emigrated to Australia and spent time in the same migrant camp, ten years apart. Both individuals have avid memories, and a great many stories to tell.
Today they met for the first time and shared some of their experiences. It was a great time, and I'm so happy we could all get together and just enjoy each other's company.
Saturday, 30 August 2008
God is so good!
He did it - He brought me through yet another crunch-time experience. Like always, this felt like the worst time ever. This post was originally going to be earlier in the week when I was exuberant about not only completing all these hurdles but doing so early - however, I ended up needing to do some last minute alterations after all. In any case, La Trobe University is finished!
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Can I do it?
Two weeks.On Friday the 29th of August, I will hopefully submit the last of the assessment items crowding this month's to-do list. Between now and then, I have to design a poster, assemble a teaching kit, make some kind of contribution to a debate forum, and catch up on four weeks of coursework for submission.
Two weeks.
I'm wondering, can I do it? Often I have found myself in the crunch and wondered if I would pull through one more time. I've stood at the foot of To-Do Mountain, thinking, this time it really is insurmountable, and somehow mustered the strength to push on anyway. Always before God has brought me through. Will He help me traverse this path again, or will He choose to use this mountain to teach me a different way?
Two weeks.
People don't seem to understand that I feel the pressure of work and assignments just as much as everyone else. They look at my past achievements and label me 'A'. What are you stressed about? they ask, almost as if to deny me any right to feel anxious, You always do well. To them, my mountain has a highway cut straight through the middle, along which I am able to slowly meander, carefree as can be. They don't see that I must in fact scale the cliff right beside them and trek the same rugged terrain. My past is only testimony to hard work, and even more so to God's work in me to bring me through.
Two weeks.
Those two words repeat in my head, rhythmic like a runner's feet pounding one in front of the other, over and over. As I run and climb this mountain, my body grows tired. My eyes feel strained, and my legs and shoulders ache and cramp. Keep on running, keep on climbing, keep on working, keep on, keep on...
Two weeks.
Can I do it, one more time?
Friday, 8 August 2008
Now a Jedi
The friend I mentioned in an early post has now finished their training. Well done on the long years of hard work, and congratulations on your new qualification! :)
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