Jump to content
gdf

Life

Recommended Posts

Oo, Miffy, what are your thoughts on teaching? Are you a proponent of any particular epistemology and/or methodology?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
do you accept blue cross

Thanks, subbes!

(subbes is paying)

Also, thanks for the words, Miffy.

It's so silly looking back: I'd forgotten to mention an important piece of information - the reason I was concerned was because my doctor had told me that I wouldn't feel 25mg. That it would be like taking nothing. Without that it just looks like I was freaking out for no real reason. Even I'd forgotten that's what had started it. Silly me.

Onwards!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Oo, Miffy, what are your thoughts on teaching? Are you a proponent of any particular epistemology and/or methodology?

The presentation I gave was specifically on the idea of getting a junior high school science class engaged with the debate on what science is by deliberately teaching them lies and setting up class experiments that will prove what you've been teaching them wrong. What it boils down is two things: The first and simple assumption that a kid is way more likely to remember something if they've proven their teacher wrong on it. The second is that having a vivid example of science being about disproving what you think you know rather than confirming it will drive the point home and get the class talking about science as more than a collection of crap to be memorized. It's really disheartening for me how many science programs are just a list of facts, and if I end up teaching at that level (despite training for 3rd/4th grade, who knows where I'll end up employed?) I want to at least try and get that into the lessons.

I'm only a first year student in education, so the idea of representing my school at a national conference (the name says "Western Canadian" but there were people from both coasts there) was scary. Still, people seemed to like my ideas, and the professor who was down with what I was saying hinted at wanting to supervise graduate work with me if I were to pursue the topic.

As for methodology, I have only had two weeks of classroom experience so far. I get another month starting on the 26th, so that will be nice, but I feel like I won't really know how I'm going to do it until I get there. I know from personal style that I'm more willing to feel the flow of a classroom than try to structure everything just so. As I'm studying to teach Primary English, most of what I'm learning pertains to different theories and methods for teaching young children to read. I am quite sympathetic to the Critical school, teaching reading as an equalizer, force of social justice, etc rather than as simply for the joy of it. Not that reading for the joy of it is bad, just that those kids will already be plenty motivated. To get the whole class on board, they need to be reading and writing for a cause that they care about. It's up to me to encourage the action and find ways to channel it into learning. That's not to ignore the fundamentals, of course. I'm a stickler for spelling and grammar even in my most relaxed moments. There are plenty of ways other than rehearsal to get that down though.

I fully expect that as a result of trying to adapt my lessons around the kids passions, my first few years will be dominated by staying incredibly late trying to find ways to plan the next class' events around whatever may have come up during the school day. Eventually, I will hopefully have built up enough of a library of activities that I'll have something from a previous year ready to go when for most times when a class really digs into something. There will still, I'm sure, be panicked nights of "oh crap, I didn't think they'd talk about that. How the hell can I make tomorrow's lesson relevant to it?", but hopefully after a few years it will only be once a week or so. In the meantime, coffee coffee coffee.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting stuff going on in your life, Miffy. As much as I'm sure it's sad to leave a job that you once loved, I hope moving on from it and distancing yourself from its fall can end up helping you overall.

Speaking of distancing yourself from bad things and such, I have more things to complain about! Yay!

This will mostly only make sense to those of you who were reading my posts about my adventures in love recently. After all the events of last episode, she seemed to start trying a little harder with me and things were looking at least a little bit up for a few weeks, but I was still gradually coming to the conclusion that nothing was really changing.

Then, all of a sudden, she actually broke up with her boyfriend. He'd been lying and seeing that other girl of his again, and she caught them in bed on Valentine's day and so on and so forth. So she kicked him out (and apparently punched him in the face for good measure) and yadda yadda. Shitty that it went down that way, but at least it's some movement in the situation, right? You'd think, but no.

Now, a couple weeks after that, I discover he's actually basically still saying there because "he has nowhere else to go". He's staying in the spare room, or at least so I'm told, but she didn't even really tell me this until I basically found out on my own and point blank asked her to start properly keeping me in the loop. When I eventually asked her what the situation was between them, she said she doesn't know. When I brought up how this just keeps reinforcing how I have no surety or security in the relationship or her feelings, she eventually got to the point where she was just saying "I want everyone to leave me alone, I don't want to talk to anyone". Great.

I pretty much see things going this way, now; she doesn't figure out or deal with her situation. She slowly just lets him become her boyfriend again. He learns that even as he continues to lie and manipulate for the things he wants, the worst he gets is a temporary setback. As they get back together, I finally feel like I can't hang on anymore hoping for anything better, and let her go. Commence my soul trying to exit through my abdomen for a while.

The exhausted tone of this post probably belies how much it bothers me and worries me right now. I am far from accepting of this situation, but what the fuck else can I do at this point? I don't think she's actually going to step up and make the choice to change her life, even though she theoretically already did, and I think attrition will end up with the same situation coming back. I don't think I can handle that.

Also I'm getting more and more convinced that the constant worry, stress and disappointment created by this situation in confluence with how unhappy I have been about work and study over the last couple years is resulting in up and down bouts of various physical symptoms. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even physically healthy for me to subject myself to this anymore.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Gward, looks to me as if you've already got all the answers right there. What more do you want? This situation is a terrible one and the girl is obviously not mentally strong enough to decide either for or against you. You'll have to be the brave one here and step out of this asap. If I recall the previous situation correctly, that was always going to be the right thing to do, and even more so now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The exhausted tone of this post probably belies how much it bothers me and worries me right now. I am far from accepting of this situation, but what the fuck else can I do at this point? I don't think she's actually going to step up and make the choice to change her life, even though she theoretically already did, and I think attrition will end up with the same situation coming back. I don't think I can handle that.

Also I'm getting more and more convinced that the constant worry, stress and disappointment created by this situation in confluence with how unhappy I have been about work and study over the last couple years is resulting in up and down bouts of various physical symptoms. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even physically healthy for me to subject myself to this anymore.

This is the most important part of your post, to me, because it sounds like even when/if she makes up her mind you're already emotionally done with the whole thing. I sympathize with her not wanting to discuss the whole thing with you though, and don't think it's really much of a sign of anything; I wouldn't wanna let anybody in on the details of the problems between me and my partner, especially if that other person would be directly affected by whatever I ended up deciding. Still, if it's affecting you physically, you should probably distance yourself from it and relax.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Rodi's and Sal's advice sounds good. But as an alternative of distancing yourself from the whole thing (which seems hard for you to do as well) have you had a chat with the other guy about this? If I remember correctly, he is/was(?) also your friend. Maybe you are focusing too much on her. Maybe you should have a talk with him about this situation. I don't know what you'd say, but maybe it would help to resolve it whichever way it goes.

(disclaimer: this advice may or may not be completely stupid)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Feeling a bit better today because I finally figured out where Nachimir's avatar picture is from! Bwahahaha.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Easily my favourite panel from the entirety of Planetary :)

I just read the last issue today. Pretty short series, but I enjoyed it. Vaguely considering starting to read the Authority due to the tie-ins, but I saw the first couple of issues a while back and wasn't too thrilled.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Authority is ok, but it's much more like traditional superhero fare, and constantly has potentially world ending threats and drama in it. There are a couple of characters that are essentially analogues of Batman and Superman, and they do some really nice things with them.

They're a gay couple. There was an unfortunate piece of censorship where Midnighter is preparing to go out for revenge, and was intended to say "They just pissed off the wrong faggot", but the publisher made the writers change that word.

I much preferred Planetary though, as it's set in the same world but about that world being full of unusual and sometimes lovely things, and the protagonists actively trying to make it a better place rather than just defeat threats.

--

Uh, life stuff. Today, I tested a home made chest mount for cameras, and got some nice mountain bike footage. Also this still of doing 40mph down a hill near my house.

527882009.jpg?key=1280720&Expires=1330563722&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIYVGSUJFNRFZBBTA&Signature=AMk4i-lwTzNVEqaFhejFh4bedqptEvy0FDRx58Mas3pt4Savb4TFWa6Ii6HMOcxWHsiaJBsetKyDbxosYm0BlHF9bJkAWyzzA5SHEosp9g22TNmTGTZlGmdfHwZ9hCP8GOvnvA39zZhsMlWjWMR-ByQeRQZdooQjcRWREdFLA~Q_

(Edit: Gah, http://twitpic.com/8qacd5 )

It works well.

I also went to the hackspace, where someone had bought an old wheelchair, and we messed around with it and learned to do some tricks. Apparently I'm a natural at wheelies, and within minutes could hold them, roll around while balancing, and spin on the spot without the front wheels ever touching the ground. Wheelchairs are fun! I did fly out of it backwards a couple of times though.

Edited by Nachimir

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It was my best friend's birthday yesterday (he's a leapling) and I drew him a picture BUT I didn't actually finish the picture before I sent it to him AND he didn't notice it wasn't finished so NOW I'm thinking I don't actually need to finish it at all.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS: SOMETHING.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I got my practicum placement yesterday! I won't specifically say the school in case that's some privacy thing, but it's only about 8 blocks from my house and when I told classmates where I was going they were super jealous, so apparently it's a good'un. I'm stoked as hell now! Oh, and I now know which grade I'll be working with. 5th graders. 9 and 10 year olds, for those who may not be familiar with how old Canadian kids are at what grade. Very exciting stuff.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's great, miffy! 5th graders are pretty cool to teach in my experience. I'm gonna write a response to your teaching post when I find the time. I have had Stuff to deal with lately.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

ugh... 5th graders... I gave some gymnastics lessons a shit load of year ago to that age range. Wasn't really my thing. (I was just glad that they were not like me, that would have been dreadful.)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

They would've been like "ugh... gymteachers... go run your own ass around the field. This sucks and is terrible. Sigh."

edit: Almost forgot! Congratulations, Miffy!

Edited by PiratePooAndHisBattleship

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not gym-teacher, but gymnastics teacher. There's no "field" to run around in gymnastics.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Was part of the college fashion show earlier this evening. It was so much fun :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I saw Indie Game The Movie (This Is A Terrible Title). It was pretty good. I hadn't realized that Edmund McMillen was a Santa Cruz native.

Best parts:

1) The delicious suffering of humans.

2)

The scene where Phil Fish realizes his 12k Facebook likes are the result of a bug, and he actually has zero. It prompted some candid talk about the importance of being liked.

3) In the QA Phil Fish said he is not a huge believer of narrative in games. Which is wrong, but bold, so we love him anyway.

Worst part:

1) Not really a movie you can show to people who don't already know these games. To the general public, this will look like any other 'comeback kid' movie.

2) The crowd of bummed out social game developers lingering after the show

The movie also made me miss Idle Thumbs. I haven't really found anyone who likes talking about games like I like talking about games, and I like ended up going alone. Looking forward to having piping hot podcasts flowing back into my ears.

Edited by Cult of Jared

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×