......I was in the middle of another thought and the fatigue and confusion of the past few weeks has caused me to lose track. I am trying to get myself organized and create a plan of attack on how to get everything done....while trying to remember what I just finished. All in all, it is an amazing experience and I am trying to absorb every little bit.
The building on the north side of the building in full view of the cafeteria windows is such an incredible analogy for my own present position and where I see myself going. The building is an immense structure, specifically being built to accommodate first year students. It started as a barren lot around the time I began my first inquiry into teachers college in January of last year. I have watched its expansion and steady rise over the months. In just the past few weeks, the work seems to have quickened its pace. I watch all the work men clamber over the structure in their bright orange shirts and helmets....I think i need a helmet to protect the brain that aches with the constant barrage of information. The structure should be almost complete as the school year ends. Like the progress of that structure, I shall be restructured and moulded into an Ontario Teacher.
I am joined by my new colleagues and there is something really great about each and every one of them. They are all as eager to gain as much knowledge before going to practicum as I am. We are gelling as a group and helping each other when we can. We are a truly chatty bunch and some of the oldest students in the classes in a sea of hopeful young candidates just coming out of their university courses. We are all just grateful to be here....out of thousands of applicants....there are only 40 tech candidates out of 680 candidates attending this year. It is just amazing!!!
Yesterday I did my presentation project in Instructional class. I did a Power Point presentation on BreadBoards. I couldn't believe how nervous I felt and later realized that it was likely because it was in front of all my peers. The chocolate chip cookies Max made for my presentation help break the ice in my opening 'hook'. However, I realize, had this been a class of high school students, I would have lost them the second they saw the cookies....oh well, live and learn. I also volunteered to play the part of a teacher in a group play coming up in the Safe Schools lecture at the beginning of October. We get a reward for volunteering - we get to have three of our worst weekly submissions dropped, in favor of our best marks, to then be averaged.
Today our lecturer for Educational Psychology asked the assembled class if anyone had a phobia and what it was. A young man put up his hand and shared with the group that he had a phobia of snakes. The lecturer asked him if he knew at what point in his life experiences that this phobia developed and he answered that he had run over a snake years ago with a lawn mower. The lecturer replied with "if anything should have a phobia, it would be the snake that witnessed the incident!" The audience roared with laughter when he added "you may want to consider using a push mower and use it slowly.....". Of course he apologized if there were audience attendees who might not be so quick to share in his lectures.....with an apology to the young man, he promptly continued.
Tomorrow I will find out where I will teach for my practicum. There are a number of tech schools in London and surrounding area. I had no idea how huge the school district actually is!!!!! The practicum starts in October and ends in November when we once again head back into the classrooms. Six weeks of being unleashed in the tech environment and I can't wait!!!
I am keeping a dictionary handy and directly at my fingertips as I venture forth in a language I am not accustomed to....University English!!!!!!
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