I meant to type a short update, but...

[impudent_twilek]

Last night at FNW, I almost got dropped during a dip. I'll admit that I'm new at dipping, but I feel like I've gotten pretty good at it. I made sure that my body was like a board, like you're supposed to. Anyways, when I started to drop, my partner grabbed my ribcage in an attempt to prevent me from falling. Unfortunately, the rib that he

Comments

[impudent_twilek]

First three paragraphs: Christophe should teach him. He should have gone to that class we went to. I found it very helpful.

Art- what I've seen so far is interesting, but I haven't looked into it too much. I was interested in that book you were reading at the book store in SF last Friday, but I was busy with my awesome book on Joseph Cornell. I'll have to look at more stuff, but not now as I'm pretending to do my homework and I want to keep up the illusion.

Self pity. Blah to it.

Ah, you hadn't told me who was your Excel contact. I might have to add a new friend... :) (I'm not terribly fond of it either, but it has it's uses.)

The reading test is very specific. According to them, there is a right way to do things and I really don't know it. I should have paid better attention, but there were other things going on that seemed more important at the time. Basically, I need to read up on things before I take the test so I don't waste my money and I can still teach next year.

...gaspable? What are you talking about? Oh, you misspelled it... I see! (teasing you...) I'm totally the black sheep again in my family. It's nice to be back in my old place once again.

[brookswift]

I learned how to read from the McGuffey reader, which is the Victorian way to teach kids to read. It's far superior to the hooked on phonics they use nowadays (mainly because, well, WE DON'T HAVE A PHONETIC LANGUAGE).

I think part of the problem is that there IS a "right way" to teach things. Everyone learns differently. When I teach stuff, I try to explain a bunch of different ways of thinking about it.

I didn't know that he-who-shall-not-be-named hurt your ribs. I'll show you how to not get dipped tonight. It was a big part of my first dips class a while back.

[impudent_twilek]

I don't mean that there is only one way to teach reading. The approach that's coming into vogue right now basically takes phonics and whole language and combines them. I think it's actually pretty cool, because the kids are getting both sides of a coin, whereas I only got one- whole language. (I still don't understand rules of language, phonics, or spelling rules to this day. But I love reading!) It's very structured for the teacher and there are specific things that I need to know how to do that I have never actually done. If I had been an elementary school teacher, I would know how to do them very easily, because I would have been doing them for 2 years. I'm glad I wasn't, but it would be helpful at this point to have those skills.

I would love to learn how not to dip. I did the best I could with the situation as it was, but it was startling and I hated having to grab onto him for support. Stupid instincts. My ribs are feeling much better now. :)

[brookswift]

I'll have to show you the readers next time you're around, and remind me to show you anti dip techniques.

I was just snarking a bit about reading and the education system in general :-p