Week One = Done!

I do love beginnings. Those first few minutes in a movie where the camera swoops over, in or around the setting, the audio helping to stage the scene; those first few pages in a book when the story is still unknown and could take you anywhere; that moment when you first go to a new place and are able to escape certain preconceived expectations like a reset... There's just so much potential for anything!

When writing, beginnings were always my favourite (which is also probably why I've finished so few stories). I just find something attractive about beginnings.

This week was certainly one of beginnings for me, my coworkers and many of my students. 

The first week of the school year...

The first at a new school (or section of the school)...

The first in an advisory (homeroom equivalent)...

The first of many assemblies...

The first auditions and tryouts for all sorts of programs...

The first few assessments and tasks...

Really there are too many firsts to list and I know that many are a bit shell shocked after this week (both among faculty and students). I definitely forgot how much information our school uses as the foundation for many other programs and systems. From our multiple online platforms to the structure of the advisory program, the school council and then of course the requirements for the IB, there's a lot to grasp and remember. It can leave even the best reeling in the first few weeks. Ugh!

My goofy post First-Day Selfie.

Still, I think this was a good intro to the year. My students seem keen (here's hoping that'll last after a few weeks of school!) and I'm really excited for the content that we'll be covering in my courses this year. 

As we progress through the next few weeks, my goal is to really lay the foundation so that (a) hopefully we don't have to backtrack later on and (b) to help students navigate induction as stress free as possible, and (c) to help them see the relevance between how we structure our units, what we cover and the MYP Global Contexts. Here's hoping I can balance it all without rushing or going too slowly! I suppose that is the challenge and obstacle for teachers: time.

Here we go!

Love and Hugs

Settling In: Apartment Life

And thus, I have entered the world of apartment dwellers—the people who have a room or two, a kitchen, a bed and sporadic furniture minus a yard—and it feels great. No residence living for me this year! Get out the flags and play the music loud. (But not too loud so as not to annoy the neighbours!)

It's been a whirlwind over the last couple of weeks (feels more like a couple of months, but alas it was not that long).

After Quebec City, my mum sister and I found time for a bit of camping in between visits with friends, and then I flew off to Colorado for a few days for more visits with friends, before at last embarking on my 26h trek from Denver to my new apartment near my school (see a couple of landscape highlights below!). Last week was packed with induction-y things as I joined the crew of "new" teachers coming to Jeju and BHA for the first time. It's fun meeting new people and it looks like this will be a good year with some good people. Or at least here's hoping.

My apartment is a one bedroom apartment with the main flaw being there is not as much space as many of us westerners are used to. For those of us in the same apartment complex, we were all surprised there were no drawers. In reflection, it's probably a good thing because I then keep everything visible and this will hopefully keep me from hoarding utensils that I never use and a permanent residence of dark drawers, but I also didn't want to keep that much on my counter top if I could help it... Oh well. The joys of interior decorating, I suppose.

The only thing I'm missing is a good bookshelf to bring it all together. Until then, no photos. ㅋㅋㅋHere's hoping I can find something that suits my designs in the next couple of weeks, or, after discussing with coworkers, potentially build something to suit my purposes (I did always want to do woodshop in high school. A little late but...).

At least I now have wifi!

Here's hoping I get everything I need done before classes next week! Time to be productive.

Love and Hugs

Sunset over Charleston Lake (Ontario)

Beautiful sun shining over the Rockies (South of Garden of the Gods, Colorado)

View of Pike's Peak from Palmer Park

Almost There: Home for Christmas

Less than a week to go and then school will be over for 2016!

One of our Residence Trees "decorated" by Osulloc Tea Museum (오설록).

In some ways it's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here, but on the other hand, I'm sure teachers everywhere can also agree when I say "Finally!" It's been a crazy-busy fall and I am ready for another kind of crazy-busy with my friends and family back in Canada.

I'm only home for two weeks and I'm sure the days will race by all too quickly. Last year, I couldn't afford the plane ticket across the ocean and while travelling around south-east Asia was fun, it didn't really feel like Christmas. Without the family, food and usual (habitual?) disappointing lack of snow, it just wasn't "Christmas" in some ways.

Throwback: The sun's rays hitting the peak on Mount Kinabalu, Christmas morning 2015

Throwback: My friend Jade and I bundled at the top of Mount Kinabalu. My hat? A t-shirt.

So, family, friends, I miss you and I am so excited to see as many of you as I can soon!

Love and Hugs.

Update

Plumb tuckered out. But still alive. ㅎ

That describes how I feel at this moment in time.

I decided to take an additional basic qualification course this semester so that I could teach English to Intermediate level students. With my residence and day school duties, I know that I have to balance, but I knew I would still be able to manage. What I didn't consider was my current Korean class (+homework) and that I would be taking a swim qualification course so that I could supervise students at our pool. With everything colliding at once, I feel like a rag-doll pulled in all directions. And every time my butt finds a chair, I tend to flop to one side or the other. I dream of sleep. ㅋㅋ.

I haven't had much opportunity to do any new hiking, too, and now's the perfect time for it--not too hot and not too cold. Sadness!

Chère famille, I'm still alive and despite being tired I am well. I send you my love and hugs.

Please enjoy this picture of the "Loner Tree" (왕따 나무; Wang-dda Na-mu) that I visited briefly with my friend at the end of September.

The end.

For now.

Go, Go, Go - The first 3 Weeks

Year 2 has begun.

I think I'm still alive. Mostly. Haha.

If last year was a marathon--long, exhausting, harder at times than at others, but with an overall steady pace--this year feels like a sprint. So far, it has truly been a mad-dash. From the get-go we have been busy in residence. With 40+ grade 12s working on their Extended Essays for the IB program, I have had a near constant stream of papers to read and edit. I don't remember last year being this busy--although last year we had less than 20 grade 12s at the start of the year in residence, and they were hesitant to ask for help.

The first few weeks after the returning faculty arrived were a little strange. So many people left at the end of last year and while I like making new friends and meeting new people, it was a little strange thinking about my friends who had moved on to other countries and other jobs. They were here a few months ago and now someone else is in their stead. But, Jeju is still Jeju with it's beautiful landscapes, crazy hot weather, and giant bugs (especially at this time of year). So it goes.

Sagye-ri, at the base of Sanbangsan (사계리, 산방산옆에)

To my friends and family back home, I've been taking the start of this year a little slower than last year. Facebook, with it's daily reminders "On This Day..." keeps showing me all the hiking and adventures I had last year and in comparison I feel like I really haven't done much since coming back to Jeju 6 weeks ago. ㅎㅎ. I suppose I should fix that soontimes. New adventures are on the horizon. (Like Busan/부산... again... tomorrow. ㅋㅋㅋ).

There is one week left before the Chuseok (추석, Korean Thanksgiving) break and I am looking forward to heading up to Seoul, visiting some friends, relaxing, and exploring new territory. Then, soon, I will have new stories to tell.

Until then, love and hugs.

My (Brief) Florida Vacation

Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom

Well, I'm on the move again and am now in Georgia.  I started out my trip in Florida to visit my friend Amanda.  She's pretty cool because she's an über-talented seamstress and she can talk in a chipmunk voice on cue.

This was my first time in Florida and I had the pleasure of going to Universal Studios one day and to Disney's Magic Kingdom on another.  Both were pretty cool parks to walk around.  There's a lot to look at, even if you don't go on many rides.  I've always been a fan of Disney--especially the soundtracks.  (Alan Menken is one of my favourites!).  As a kid, I would see the commercials for vacations in Disney Land or Disney World, I'm not exactly sure which one.  My young brain only caught on to "Disney."  I knew it was beyond what we could do as a family, but I always wanted to go.

I'm glad that I was at last able to go to at least one of the parks.  I hope that sometime in the future I will be able to go to the others as well.  The building structures and the layout of the Magic Kingdom was really pretty.  We got there just in time for the afternoon parade.  Looking at the costumes as the people and floats went by, I couldn't believe what they were wearing in the heat.  Some of the cast members were dripping with sweat! What troopers.

Beauty and the Beast in the Parade

Merida on bagpipes

While I didn't find the rides as exciting as the ones at Universal (or Canada's Wonderland), they were still entertaining.  I almost lost my hat on one ride.  I would have been really sad if that had been the case, but my luck held out and I was able to get it back.

Universal also had some really cool buildings relating to the movies.  The Harry Potter sections were my favourite and I even got a picture with the Night Bus like a cool tourist.

The Night Bus and me.

The recreation of Hogwarts was also cool to look at and very majestic sitting on the hill above everything else.  I wish it had been a model that we could have walked through.  Oh well...  All in all, it was an enjoyable experience.  

And now, I look forward to the next stage in my adventure!

Hogwarts Castle

8 more days of classes.

I've been back at school now for a week with less than two more weeks left.  It's hard to believe that there are only two weeks left of my B.Ed year.  After coming back from placement, none of the Teacher Candidates want to be back in our classes, but it's the homestretch and we're almost there.  It's hard to get back in the assignment mindset.  It seems like in these last few weeks that we have so many little things do that it is almost difficult to keep track of them all.

And yet, despite the fact that most of us wish we were already out teaching (or in some cases, wishing they were in master's programs), it is good to see these friends again.  We've all had such different experiences on placements and in our alternative placements and it is such a treat hearing about their adventures.  I will really miss these people when school is over and we all leave.  I'm so happy to say that I've made some wonderful friends this year.  Friends that I will carry with me wherever I go.

As I try to stay on top of everything, I just keep reminding myself that, as of today, only 8 more days of class.

Things I've learned in North Somerset

Well, it's not Canada, but I suppose that was a given.

I arrived at Heathrow airport in one piece last Friday and proceeded onward via bus to Bristol.  The first thing I noticed as we travelled along--and one of the main things I noticed when I went down to the states last April--was that I didn't recognize most of the stores or restaurants.  I never realize how much I rely on store brands/restaurants when creating my inner maps and coordinating myself in a city.  It's a lot harder when the "place-markers" are unfamiliar and hard to grasp.

One of the wider roads--though I suppose without a car you
don't have perspective comparison...

Second, after getting into a car and seeing the world from the front seat, I realized how much narrower the roads are.  Narrower AND twistier!  As a car comes toward us on the other side of the road, I wonder if we'll both fit abreast.  At times, it's scarily tight and in other places, you have to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear because you both don't fit.  And as my uncle says, Canadian cities are boring laid out on a grid, but here the roads and towns have character.  Curvaceous character.

Them winding roads definitely make for lovely landscapes.  Especially as North Somerset has lovely hills that pass like a rolling wave between the villages.  I was lucky enough to hike to the top of one of these hills to survey the countryside.  It was really windy that day, but so worth it.  My camera does not do it justice.

View from near the top of Crook Peak in the Mendips.
If only the weather had been sunny...

I've learned that it's a weird feeling to stand out because of your accent. At first, I pass for normal, and then I say something and people look at me and really see me. There are moments where I have the strongest desire to camouflage myself so that I don't stand out. But I think it would be weirder if I tried to feign an accent. And, I would most likely fail which would lead to embarrassment.

Living near Toronto, I feel like different accents were very common and you met people from all over the world fairly often, but where I'm currently staying, everyone is from somewhere else in the UK making my accent truly different. The Canadian who probably sounds American to them, but oh well. It's definitely a new (and interesting) experience.

 And the adventure will continue...

Never have I ever...

I don't know if you're familiar with this game, but if you're not, it's quite simple.  Sitting in a circle, everyone holds up their fingers.  Each signifies a life.  Every person then proceeds to say, "Never have I ever ________."(Example: Gone fishing, worn a dress, danced with a dog, eaten sushi etc).  Everyone else in the circle who has completed whatever the speaker named loses a life.  The goal of the game is to survive until the end, or as I like to say, the goal is to have lived the most boring/mundane life.  I like playing this game because it's a fun way to learn about other people and I see it as a challenge to think of things that everyone else has done, but you haven't.

(I've played games where it got really sexist really fast as both genders attacked the other with "never have I ever braided my hair/had a pony tail/worn makeup..." to "never have I ever worn boxers or briefs/played on an all male hockey team..." and in those cases, you might want to moderate a bit.)

One of my go-to phrases is "Never have I ever been on a plane."  I can usually knock a life off almost everyone else in the circle depending on where I am and who is playing.  My statement is usually followed by exclamations of surprise.  Twenty-two and never flown?  (Personally, I think that in all likelihood, most of the world's population has probably never flown on a plane... but anyways...).

In a couple of days, I will have to think of new statements to out people in the game.

Thursday night, I board my first plane to fly to the UK.  Excited?  Oh yeah. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I've been looking forward to this trip in particular since last year.  Nervous?  Check for that as well.  This first flight is also a solo flight and that's a little nervous-making.  I worry that I'll lose something or get lost in an airport somewhere.  Or what if I happen to be one of those people who gets sick while flying?  That'll suck.  I hope that's not me.

In any case, I cannot wait for my adventure to begin.  And with each step, I look forward to trying new things so that when I play Never have I ever again, I'll be in a rut to think of a good one.

Halfway There

Two weeks done and two weeks to go!

I am currently enjoying my placement block, although it is a whirlwind.  This week, the other teacher candidates and I are taking on a full teaching load which makes for a lot of lesson planning and prep work.  The big thing I've learned from this block so far is that it's good to consult with colleagues. Bouncing ideas off each other and sharing resources or helping to improve a resource; a teacher is always and should always interact with their team.  I feel as though I could burn out very quickly if I insisted on making new things for every unit and activity that I planned.  But, in working together, I learn about things that have worked in the past and get almost too many resources thrown my way.  I am so very grateful.

But as much as I am enjoying placement, I can't wait for the two weeks to be done! In two weeks, I will be in England for my alternative placement.  I am so excited for that!  I have never flown before and am looking forward to my first big international experience (I've been to the States, but I feel like in some ways, that doesn't count).  I am counting down the days and getting busy with different prep work that needs done (e.g. planning my budget, talking to the bank, and getting needed supplies).  It's a bit of a struggle to focus on the now when the near future has such greatness coming.

WOOT WOOT! (^.^)

I'll have to do my best to work hard until then.  For now, I guess it's back to lesson planning I go.

Final Placement Begins!

Today is the first day of my last block of my practical teaching placement.  Over the next four weeks, I will be working under the guidance of two different host teachers in their respective classrooms.

I'm really looking forward to heading back out into a high school.  Last semester we had a six week block and, while it was very hard and time consuming, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed teaching.

On the eve of practicum last semester, I remember my biggest worry being, "What will I wear?" This may seem like a really trivial and vain thing to think, but I was nervous to go out into a school.  I would only be there for a brief time and I would be using someone else's classroom and supplies.  I wanted to make sure I made a good impression.  The only thing I felt like I had control over at the start was my wardrobe.

Now, as I'm back in the same school again, my wardrobe is not my main concern, though I still had jitters the night before.  What will my classes be like?  What will the students be like?  What material will I get to cover? How will I choose to teach it?

So much excitement!  I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks and am anxious to see what's in store.  No matter what, I'm sure it will be a wondrous learning opportunity!

Stressed Over the Moon

Let's say that there's a stress meter.  At the lower end the tag reads, "Productivity lacking due to no stress."  At the higher end it reads, "Forgot how to breathe, over the moon with stress."  Everything else falls in between.

Currently, many of my friends are at the "Over the moon, but somehow still breathing" level.  Last week, we had this fair called "Options."  If you're any good at guessing, you might just guess that it was all about exploring our options as teachers.  (Who knew, right?).  A number of Ontario school boards came along with northern Ontario organizations, Ontario private schools, a board from Calgary, and then a few international teaching opportunities including some UK and Australian teaching agencies and schools in Sweden, China, Korea and Honduras.  I'm probably missing a few categories, but I imagine you can get the gist from the list:  There were a lot of options.

I always thought choices were supposed to be a good thing, but I learned in psychology that too many options actually produce more stress and can cause damage.  

People were nervous before Options even started because we were told that the international opportunities would be accepting cover letters/resumes and possibly doing interviews.  (The school boards weren't accepting resumes but merely there to answer questions we had about their boards and the application process).

The day of it was like all of the animals at the Toronto zoo had been squished into the same pavilion.  The chaos started at 10:30.  The different organizations had booths lining the main hallway in the Faculty of Ed, ready and eager to talk about who they are, what they offer, and why you should apply to work for them (well, mostly.  Not everyone who came was helpful, but I won't name names).  Some of the organizations also had presentations throughout the day.  So, seemingly helpful, yes?

Apparently not.  Many of my friends found that Options only exacerbated their stress and as the day progressed, they only felt worse.  I wish I knew the magical words that could help them step back and calm down.  While stress in moderation is helpful and even good, too much stress can hurt you physically as well as mentally.  (Psych Major.  That's me).

While I'm not over the moon like some of my friends, I am feeling the mounting stress.  Especially as job interviews are quickly approaching.  I'd classify myself just over the halfway point at "Steady stream of Steam" (try saying that 10x fast!).  At this point, I think what is most stressful is the fact that I know that in an interview, I can only do my best and then it is out of my hands.  Not having the power over the final decision is nervous-making.

At the same time, this thought is also what helps alleviate a lot of the stress for me.  I can only do the best that I can do.  Worrying and over-stressing will not help me do my best and can instead trip me up.  Worrying won't make a job fall into my lap or make me feel any better, so why should I waste hours of my life worrying over something that I can't directly change?

While it's not always easy to do, I know that I need to find my source of calm and ride through this season, come what may.  To any of you in similar boats, I wish you the best.  Keep your wits and hold steady!

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his pan of life?  
Matthew 6:27

and

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  
Matthew 6:34

2015 at a Glance

I don't know about you, but for me, 2015 is a big year. There a lot of things "scheduled" in and a lot is on the horizon.  So, for those curious as to where I stand, I've condensed my year to five points.  Here it is at a glance (In a mostly chronological, but sometimes not, order):

1. In four months, I will be done my formal schooling.  (But of course, never done learning!).  I finished my undergrad last year and this year I will finish my B.Ed.  By the end of June, I will be a certified teacher.  My friends and I are all very excited to be almost done.  Three and a half more months of classes!  The countdown is on!  

2. In this last semester, I am taking part in a musical with people from my faculty.  This next month will be a flurry of activity as we perform the 5th and 6th of February.  Until then, there is a lot to do, learn and practice.  I never thought I'd be able to do something like this now that I am deemed an "adult" by society and must do "adult-like-things" and what-not.  I really love drama though and am really looking forward to this opportunity.

3.  Also in this last semester, I am going to England for one of my practical components to learn what I can from the British school system.  I've never been on a plane before and I am both really excited and nervous about it all.  To say the least, I am really looking forward to the experience.

4. In the summer, I'm looking to do some travelling.  The current goal is to hopefully go around to some of the States and visit a few of my friends who live down there.  Plans are mainly idea at this point though.  The reason for the last who-haw is....

5. Next September, I will be working.  Somewhere in the world, may hap.  Teaching in a school.  That is the plan.  Yay for plans!

I look at my list and can't help but smile.  There is so much possibility in what the future holds and I can't wait to see what's in store.

Send me a Postcard: From Fort Henry

Well, we're into December and the weather still cannot make up its mind.  Monday was 9°C, Wednesday 5° and Tuesday?  Well, Tuesday this week was a startlingly frigid -17° feeling like -22° with the wind.  My body was not prepared for that sudden descent into the ice box.  And you know, I probably would have been okay had I only needed to walk to and from school, but nope.  Tuesday, I had the pleasure of going on a field trip with one of my classes to see and experience Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario.

I had never been to the Fort before and was excited to see this historic site.  And honestly, the day was lovely: the sun was shining and the sky was patched with blue.  But, as the main body of the Fort is pretty much outside... Cold. It was a cold field trip.  I say that I couldn't feel my nose, toes or fingers after a few minutes, and sadly I am not exaggerating.  An hour after I got in from the cold, I was still struggling to warm up my finger tips.  (Luckily no frostbite!).  Still, despite the cold, the Fort was pretty cool.  And it had a killer view of Kingston!  Just look at that lovely image.

Image of Kingston from Fort Henry

What's really cool about Fort Henry is the way that the site is run.  The employees work hard to create an interactive learning experience.  At different times in the year, they put on dramatizations of battles that the public can come and watch.  And, in addition, our tour was also like a play.  Our guide was in character the whole time (I think he said he was a Lieutenant Colonel... either way he was near the top and he was in uniform) and addressed as army recruits.  We had to march and answer his questions as if we, too, were part of the militia force.  It made for a fun learning experience.  At one point, he mentioned how groups would sometimes spend the night and I honestly wished that we could have been doing a sleep over trip.  Before I knew it, our time was up and it was time to leave.  This was definitely one of the best Tour Guide/Museum experience that I have ever had and I wish it had been longer.

Lessons from Prac: The Last Day

Yesterday was my last day with my students during this first block of practicum.  Tomorrow is a P.D. day and I will not get another chance to see them until next semester.  

It's hard to believe that six weeks have already come and gone by.  It doesn't feel like I've been with them and teaching for six weeks, but it's true.  And what a crazy six weeks it has been.  I feel like I've been constantly on the go, trying to keep up in a race from one lesson to the next.  Coming into this career path, I don't think I fully understood the type of difficulties and challenges I would face.  I knew that teaching would not be easy--I mean, I was the type of student who sometimes needed a concept explained multiple times and in multiple different ways, forcing my teachers to re-explain things that they probably thought were clear.  I recognized that I would have to teach lessons, make assignments, give tests and then mark( and for the most part I dreaded the marking).  I also understood that in a classroom full of teens, there are bound to be other problems that arise with the students, whether individual or group problems, and that as a teacher I might need to handle difficult situations.  

But what I underestimated was the time and the challenges that some of these different aspects would present.  Namely, I did not anticipate how long it would take to plan and prepare a lesson.  It's one thing to have taught a course for years and have oodles of materials available in the wings just needing to be printed and photocopied and another thing entirely to be creating worksheets and hunting down resources.  Thus was my battle.  The Ontario government recently changed for the grade 10 history curriculum and there is now a lot more emphasis on understanding the "big six historical thinking concepts" (click for an overview).  One of which is the evidence or the primary documents.  

I spent hours on Saturdays or weekday evenings hunting down different documents, reading and assessing whether they meet my needs, and then organizing them into different lessons.  My biggest problem: I was teaching an Immersion History class.  If you don't know what that means, I'll break it down: the class is in French. This means that the primary documents need to be in French.  My task just got 100x more difficult.

At the start of my placement, I thought I'd have more time at home to work on my classroom assignments from my professors.  Nope.  I have not touched a single thing; I haven't had the time.  Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed placement and I really loved my students and what I was teaching (I honestly wish I could be teaching about the Second World War next week with my 10s!).  But although I enjoyed it, it was hard and time consuming.  I did not have much down time for myself.  Now, I can say that I have a whole new perspective of this profession and a whole new respect for the teachers already working.  

This job may be difficult, but it sure is rewarding.

Submerged: The First Week of Prac

Well, I did it.  I survived the first week of my practicum: the teaching placement where I get practical experience.

I say "survived" but I don't mean that in the sense that it was hard or painful.  No, that creates a negative image and that would not be accurate.  By "survived" I mean that I have not passed out from exhaustion because, man, being in high school is overwhelming.  Everything is go-go-go as students go from one period to the next with a brief lunch in between.  I find myself once more in the centre of the stream, being swept along from one thing to the next as I try to get my bearings and stay afloat.

One of the big challenges of the week is learning the names of all the students in my three classes.  So that's roughly 75 names and seeing as they keep changing clothes every day, the students are not making the process any easier. Haha.  I think it's important to learn their names because I want to show them that they are important enough for me to know their name.  I'm not just here to "earn a grade."  By knowing their names, I think it also allows me to exercise my authority when needed.  It's a lot easier to tell a kid that he needs to get back on task if you can say their name versus saying, "You..."  And then, in addition to learning students' names, I'm learning the names of the staff.  And while I've learned a number of their first names, I don't know many last names, which can be a challenge when a student is referring to a teacher and I'm oblivious to the fact that it's the teacher to whom I was speaking to moments before.

Another challenge is merely the flood of information.  Globally, my host school is great and they really want us Teacher Candidates to have the best placement experience possible.  We have all been told that we are free to join an extracurricular activity or that we can help out in different areas of the school should we so choose.  All we need to do is pick something.

Zooming in on my country or host teacher, this week has been busy learning where she is in the curriculum, what style of lessons she tends to give, how she manages the classroom, how everything is received by the students, what she expects of me and what (and when) I can start teaching among other details.  We have wasted no time and I've already lead a few activities in a couple of classes this week--which has been fun and a tad nervous-making.

By the time I got home in the evenings, I felt like I could pass out, but then I had tasks to do for the following day and lesson planning to start for next week.  Nonetheless, even with all the work I am enjoying my practicum so far and can even say that I am having fun designing my lesson plans.  There are so many things I want to try and so much more to learn.

As I go forward, I hope and pray that each day is full of new opportunities and that I stay afloat in the days to come.

Practicum and Pep Talks

Tuesday, we Teacher Candidates will each be out in our respective placements as we start the first practicum portion of this final year.  It's all rather exciting and nervous making as each experience will bring with it challenges and excitement and plenty of learning experiences.

I will admit that I am nervous.  As much as I "don't want to mess up" as a teacher, I am more concerned with failing the students.  It's one thing to blunder through lessons and another to merely fail at keeping the students engaged and failing to transmit the necessary knowledge.  That is what makes me nervous.

I also recognize, however, that I cannot spend all of my time worrying about tomorrow or the next day.  One foot in front of the other; that's all I can do for now.

In one of my classes this week, the professor shared the following YouTube video.  It got all of us laughing and in a positive mindset.  As I go forward, I will do so with that optimism, I will do my best and learn lots in the process.

Enjoy!

Link to Video.

Send me a Postcard: From HoTT

Near the starting point, activity is a flurry!

As a teen, I never really understood the whole "homecoming" dances portrayed in movies and books and high schools.  Even during my undergrad, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the Head of the Trent (HoTT) weekend.  It just seemed to be an excuse to goof off and get drunk and that did not really appeal to me.

Coming back to HoTT as an alumni now, I feel my perspective has changed.  This truly is a homecoming because for four years, Trent (and Peterborough) was my home.  Here, I made friends who are now my family.  Some of them remain in Peterborough whereas others have, like me, moved away to other things.  This then, is a weekend where we can come together like one of those crazy family reunions.  Throughout the weekend, I know there are some who I'll see for an hour or more and we'll chat and eat, and catch up.  With some, I'll only have time for a quick hello and a how are you? before we're whisked away, and still others will be like those obscure aunts or uncles that you only ever see from a distance and through a crowd.  Whatever the case may be, this time together is precious all the same.

Today, though the weather is cold and rainy (as per usual HoTT), we congregate with each other along the banks of the Otonabee river, celebrating our years at Trent and cheering on the undergrads who are still there.  No matter where we come from and where we're going, we all have one thing in common: we all bleed Trent green.

Head of the Trent is Hot-to-go! H-O-T-T-O-G-O!

Race is session

Time to turn around

"What are your learning goals?"

I've heard that question a lot last week. In most of my classes, the professors have asked us to reflect (another popular word) and think about what we are trying to achieve and learn in the particular course.  To some, this may seem like an easy question, but for me, this question brings the dawn of an ice age: my mind goes blank as snow and I freeze up.

What are my learning goals?  I'm not really sure and to me, it seems like the profs expect us all to pull answers like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat: 1, 2, 3, abracadabra and there it is!  I'm at the Faculty of Education because I want to learn to be a teacher.  Isn't that a goal?  My goal is to learn all that I can about as much as I can.  They seem to want specific goals, but their question appear vague to me to begin with.

I really don't know if other people struggle with this as well, but for me, this is a difficult question--one I'm not sure how to approach at times, let alone answer.

What do I want to learn by the end of this year? 

What makes it more difficult is that a few of my classes structure our work around our learning goals.  Our assignments are meant to help accomplish these goals and as such are directed by what we want to learn.  Without a learning goal, I feel afloat in an ocean, the sky a thick blanket of clouds, void of stars needed to guide my way.  It's a bit of an overwhelming and scary feeling.  I'm so used to having a course plan and now I don't.

I'm sure that everything will work out in the end, but for now, it's frustrating and I'm wondering how to move forward besides the obvious--one step at a time.

Together Again

Me, Melanie, Candice, Joel

After a long summer apart, the four of us are together again.  Melanie, Candice, Joel and I all started our undergrad together four years ago.  Mostly strangers (except for Mel and Candice), we met through a combination of res, mutual friends and common classes and have been friends ever since.  At last done our undergrad, the four of us are starting Teacher's College today and reunited last night for cake.  Starting off the year with cake is a good way to go, don't you think?

It's a little surreal to think that this is our last year together in "formal education."  A lot has happened in the four years that I've known these guys.  Some light fluff, and some heavy, thick mud--all mixed into the glue of our friendship.  In eight months, we'll be done and (supposedly) ready to start out into the world of teaching.  As teacher candidates, we can't ever really leave school.  We've set ourselves up to remain in that setting and that mentality.  But, we will at last be moving on from student to teacher and that is a big step.  We'll also most likely be moving away from each other as we go off for our own teaching adventures.

I'm both excited for the coming year, but also nervous that it's almost done.  However, despite where we may end up years down the road, with great friends like these and others, I know I'm better prepared for come what may.  These are the type of friends that whatever happens and wherever we go, when we are reunited, we can pick up where we left off.  Even if we end up living in different countries or provinces, I feel confident enough to say that I could reach out to any of them if ever I needed an ear and a friend, or maybe even a couch.

So as we head into this final year, I just want to say thanks to some of the best friends of my university career.  I'm glad that we're together again.