The Times and Tribulations of JY: November 2005

Monday, November 28, 2005

Looks Depressing

Spooky Night

Nice shot eh!

Sun up or Moon up?

8:30pm - Trying to Keep My Eyes Open

What a weekend! I did get more sleep on Saturday, but I could have slept more. Anyways, before I get to all that, I should talk about how school has been going.

I started my teaching on a day that we had a supply teacher. It wasn't that he was a bad teacher, in fact, I think the kids like him very much - but as a mentor.. it wasn't a pretty class. Anyways, on Tuesday, things got a bit better as my mentor teacher came back to school. He gave me some pointers which proceeded to make me feel overwhelmed with things I needed to be cautious about. On Wednesday, my mentor teacher was gone again (field trip - I stayed back to teach) so I was supervised by two teachers from the school. The first teacher kept pretty quiet and just did his own thing which was good because it didn't make me feel like I was under the microscope. The 2nd teacher that supervised me sat in the middle of the classroom and watched - YIKES! She's a nice person and I really like her and all, but boy, it was really distracting and intimidating. Anyhow, I realized that day that despite blank and zombish looks from the class, I still needed to get through my stuff and should just plow on through at a more understandable pace (I sped through a couple of lessons). By the end of the week though, things started to get better. I think I started to calm down, plus, I started to get to know the students better.

On Friday, I went to MEC to hunt for a warmer coat. If it's going to be -40C here, I don't know if I'm going to survive walking to and from the bus station with my current coat. ARGH. I am thinking of buying a Gortex shell but since it's so pricey, I'm very hesitant. I did buy a fleece coat though on Friday (and proceeded to wear it immediately - I was really cold on Friday night!!!). We shall see.

After jacket shopping, I went out with my friends to "2nd Floor" Restaurant in China town. It was a send off dinner from one of our Japanese friends Taka.

Saturday was a day that was suppose to be spent sleeping, reading, eating and other general vegging activities. Late in the afternoon, I went on another jacket hunting expedition because some of my friends really enjoy going through outdoor/sports shops and convinced me to go look some more. Anyhow, we ended up at the St. Laurant mall because I wanted to find some more sweaters (notice a pattern in my current shopping expeditions? It's as if I'm preparing to live in the Artic). NO LUCK. Bummer.

To make a long story short, the group of us stayed over night at one friend's place and proceeded to accomplish next to nothing for the following 24 hours. The guys played games (they have a projector at their house), we girls chatted and read books, we all ate and all watched War of the Worlds (Interesting movie). It was really strange though. It was weird waking up that morning and walking downstairs and greeting one another as if 7 of us lived together. It was also very surreal when we went out to dinner. Stepping outside in the fresh air was bizarre because it felt like I hadn't been outside for days on end. It was as if we'd stepped into another universe for 24 hours...

Anyways, today was a pretty good day. Some students said some things to make me believe that they like me! (They like me! They like me!!). One student asked me to go to a certain high school to teach next year because he is going to be attending there.. another students said I was better than the other student teachers. OOO.. I felt so happy. Actually, I'm just happy that they think I can teach and that they like me :) It made my day.

This week should fly by pretty quickly. Tomorrow, I'll be going on a field trip to see Guys and Dolls with some of the classes, on Wednesday, the afternoon will be spent preparing for student led conferences (sort of like parent-teacher interviews except the students present their parents with a portfolio of the work they've been doing), half the day on Thursday will be student led conferences, and there's just a few hours on Friday morning for Professional development! YAY!!!

I'm counting the minutes so that I can go to bed. How pathetic is that?

Friday, November 25, 2005

TGIF Has Never Been More Meaningful

Ok.. maybe that's a slight exaggeration (my title). Regardless, it's been a long and EXHAUSTING week. Even though I had a general idea as to how hard it is to teach, I never realized HOW many things you have to think about while teaching!! It's not just presenting, but the classroom management part of it is overwhelming.

This week has been overwhelming. Monday seems like an eternity ago. I got off to a rough start since my mentor teacher wasn't there and I had a supply teacher with me. Plus, I started off with the class that is known to be the most social and a lot of time was spent waiting, shhing and glaring. Turns out, half of them had gone of their behaviour logs that day so it just meant another reason to go wild. Since I don't have much time to write this morning, I'll just say, I actually really enjoy this class.. they are very bright, animated and are full of really great kids.. and they are back to really good behaviour these past few days.

The first few days of teaching left me with anxious, stressed and very tired. I have been going to bed at 9:30pm every night and I'm still waking up with large black bags under my eyes. Great eh? My plan for the weekend (well, at least tomorrow) is to sleep ALL DAY. I deserve it!!

Gotta get moving.. ciao. Pray for me people.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

I Vote for a 3 Day Weekend!

Oh man.. Saturday night already. One more day of the weekend :( I still haven't finished the stuff I need done for this coming week and my brain is too tired to think.

Anyways, I went to see Harry Potter the Goblet of Fire last night.. first time I've been to an opening night movie.. erk. We were in line for 2 hours!! It was sort of mind boggling how many people were in line waiting to see this movie.

I am a big Harry Potter fan.. I've ready all the books (ok, except the last one that was released - it's sitting on my night stand awaiting me to begin.. I held off because I knew that if I started, I wouldn't be able to stop and no work would get done). I was a bit disappointed in this movie. It missed out on a lot of aspects that the book described and I felt it didn't do justice to characters other than Harry. Plus, what's with the scene during the ball when they start dancing to rock music!? It totally ruined the mood!! ARGH!! If you've read the book, chances are you won't be very impressed with the movie. BUT, it doesn't mean I won't be going to see the next Harry Potter movie!! (ya, crazy!)

It snowed for most of the day on Thursday and so it started to feel like Christmas was here. I am starting to think of all the things I need to do to prepare - write cards, get some gifts, etc. Sorry to those that I usually send calendars to every Christmas - no money this year!! Wait til I'm employed :P

I went to a craft fair this afternoon called 10,000 Villages Fair Trade. This organization buys and then sells crafts from artisans around the world to help them earn their livlihood. I didn't expect to see such interesting things - some of the stuff there was really gorgeous. The prices weren't too bad either! All the workers at the fair were volunteers and I found out that there are stores across North America called Ten Thousand Villages that are also run by volunteers. Maybe I'll volunteer there when I have some free time (whenever that happens!). Back to my story. There were lots of interesting things: woodwork, stone paintings (gorgeous glossy black stones that had brilliant red goldfish painting on them done in Vietnam), stone carvings, tableware, scarves, table clothes, jewellery, ornaments (I got this cool thing that you hang off the door - folded paper stars the are stringed vertically and then again horizontally - which are suppose to keep away bad thoughts because they ask anyone that enters the room to leave their negativity at the door. It came from India.. cool eh?), instruments (a whole wack of different kinds, had lots of fun trying them out and wished I had lots of money to buy one of each :( ), assortment of coffee from Columbia, etc.. Ah.. if you ever have the opportunity to visit one of these fairs or stores, GO!!

So.. on Friday, my mentor teacher was away and we had a substitute teacher come in. I basically ran all the classes since we only had grade 8's that day (we had grade 7's but that was during an assembly about Bullying with some Toronto Raptor's Basketball trickster named Q something - he was really talented). The students were working on a tutorial with iMovie since they will be making a movie during my unit. It was a bit hard to get their attention after they started to work - I hope it was just because they were too excited and engrossed in their work. I hope to be able to be more at ease with them later.. but it's going to be stressful this coming week with 4 different teachers observing me teach plus the fact that it's going to be my first few days with these kids!!

One thing that I am finding as I start getting into this is that it's extremely weird and difficult trying to be a student teacher coming into a classroom after the rules and society of the classes have already been established. The other big factor is that it's not YOUR class, it's someone elses and you have to be cautious about stepping on other people's toes. It makes me feel very odd sometimes because I don't really know where I fit in and don't know what my role really is (well, I guess that's not as true anymore). Oh well, I just have to deal with it for a few more months.

Going to try to hit the sack earlier tonight. Hopefully it'll help with my energy level during the week (I hear that you shouldn't sleep in on weekends but keep your regular sleep schedule so your body isn't so messed up).

Ciao!

Monday, November 14, 2005

9pm = bedtime!

Darn it! I missed the 9:30 deadline to get to bed. HEHE.. it's so pathetic, my aim to get to bed becomes earlier and earlier each week. I actually made it to bed around 9:30ish last night but I think I only fell asleep at 10pm then promptly awoke at 11:30pm in a state of a blur. Needless to say, I was tired when the alarm went off this morning (big surprise).

Jeff mentioned to me that I didn't explain what Summit is! That's the school I've been placed at! opps..! It's actually 2 schools in one, one regular school and one alternative school. I'm at the alternative school. It's only grades 7 and 8s at these schools. An alternative school isn't a bad thing - it's based on constructivist learning - meaning that the students do more hands on activities and get to take a lot more field trips. It's been pretty interesting so far. The teachers try to get the students to do things that aren't just out of the textbook so each week I've been there, there's always been something special going on which always gives some spice to things.

The weather predicts snow this week - I'm excited! (Don't tell anyone though!). Hopefully the weather won't be too cold.. it's been making me think I need to buy a better winter coat (as if I need MORE things added to my list of things I need to buy - grrr..). It's been pretty chilly in Ottawa the last few weeks and winter hasn't even hit yet. *Sigh*

It's the last week of classes and it's an INSANE week. There are at least 4 assignments due this week, a unit plan to detail out for next week, assignments to create, marking schemes to think about, errands to run, scholarships to apply for and a bed that is crying for my attention!

I hope that I can take it easy this weekend. Comeon.. give me a weekend!? I hope to go browse around some shops.. maybe start my Christmas shopping (Christmas is full blown in the malls around here and it was making me feel like I was going to start hyperventilating this afternoon while I was looking for a pillow (old pillow = neck hurts)). Plus, I plan to go watch Harry Potter :D I'm excited! I am a big Harry Potter fan! I still haven't read the half blood prince though.. it's sitting on my night stand waiting to be opened but I haven't dared to start it yet because I'm afraid I won't do anything else if I do!!

Ahhh.. just thinking of that book is making me think of how fast Christmas vacation is going to fly by. I was talking to my mom this evening and I was saying that I was contemplating skipping the first two days of classes (since I'll only have two days of classes and then Thursday and Friday are off ...) and staying at home for a few extra days before flying back here. Man, it's going to whip by so fast.. :( (OK, PATHETIC - vacation hasn't started and I'm already dreading that it's going to go fast.)

Alright, it's almost 10pm, my eyes are getting really tired. I've been so good this evening .. I'm going to BED! GOOD NIGHT!

Monday, November 07, 2005

Ahh??

It's been a while since I've last posted..hehehe.. sorry.. it's been hectic (I know, I know.. I keep saying that..but it's true!!)

Anyways, I recovered from my cold but it left me really tired for a while. I've been over it for about 2 weeks now and now my roommate is down with it.. (a different one mind you!!).. man.. I hope I don't catch it too!! It seems to just circulate.. *ugh* I have decided that I WILL get a flu shot this year even though I am sort of at odds with whether its good for me or not. I just cannot afford to get sick.. no TIME to be sick!

One piece of exciting news is that my friend (ex co-worker) just had her baby! Congratulations to Kimi even though she will never read this (she's not a huge fan of the computer). I had heard her water broke on Thursday and didn't have a clue of when she gave birth until today (I assumed she had already given birth by Sunday.. duh). I was about 95% sure she was going to have a girl even though nobody could confirm it (the person who did her ultrasound had hugely hinted that it was going to be a girl). Ah.. I can't believe it's already been 9 months and she's now a mom! Wow.. the miracle of life still cannot get through to my thick brain.

Besides all that excitement.. not too much has been happening. My placement is pretty interesting.. each week there has been at least one exciting and not so usual activity happening at the school. Last week it was Halloween so they had a dance in the afternoon, this past week we went on a field trip one afternoon with the grade 8's to a "world of work" fair which gave them ideas of what careers they could have if they didn't want to go to university and this week we'll be having an assembly for Remembrance Day (yes, there is no day off for Remembrance Day in Ottawa!!).

I am now preparing a unit to teach to the grade 8 classes (3 classes). The unit is in Geography and is about Migration. It should be interesting. As of yet, I'm not really comfortable with the grade 8's, mainly because I don't really know them. Funny enough, I have gotten to know the grade 7's better. Mostly because they have computer classes which actually allow for me to help them whereas I haven't even seen the grade 8's as much as I see the grade 7's! (They are on a 6 day cyle as we once used back in the days of Junior High.)

I'm beginning to really look forward to going home for Christmas. I'm ready for a vacation (time to sleep and relax), looking forward to some of my mom's food, looking forward to seeing my family and friends (and that new baby!!). I didn't anticipate this one: I actually really miss the community.. especially the CCANB community. I guess I worked with them so closely just up to before I left that I miss seeing them each week and talking to people about how they are doing. I really miss the kids too.

Speaking of all this missing.. I can't say I've had a dose of homesickness yet. I mean, I do miss my family and home but not to the extent where I'm miserable. It was hard to leave.. but after I arrived, it wasn't bad. I think it's partially because I've got friends here, that I'm older now, and that I've been so busy that I haven't had time to dwell on anything negative! It has made me feel more guilty about not writing to people though!

Anyways, I better stop here.. I'm already feeling sleepy.. see .. 9pm and my body is urging me to go to bed. It gets earlier and earlier every week.. really pathetic!! Three weeks ago.. I was exhausted at 1am (and I mean drop dead exhausted.. not just "Yawn, I'm tired" exhausted!), two weeks ago, I was exhausted at 10pm, this past weekend.. 8pm!! I am going to have huge problems if this continues......

The Times and Tribulations of JY