This is where my heart belongs.
It's been an odd week.
Long, and awkward, really -- it's the start of a new term, and of course classes haven't been solidified, nor have have class lists. This makes for interesting day plans, seeing as things shift every single day and you have no idea if your attendance records are accurate at all. You do your best though, and you try and teach. Not much else you can do.
Favourite course so far? I might argue Textiles 12. I was saddled with it, and yet got my wish: I get to team teach it with the teacher I've come to think of as a good friend. The theoretical stuff that I get to work with is fascinating, and is so very, very relevant to my interests. I've got plans for students to select clothing brands, and researching/presenting about their products, image, and aesthetic. After that, we may even be able to do some examination of haute couture, and fashion history. It's really frigging exciting. I never thought I'd be so interested in doing something like this. Shows what I know.
I'm also loving my Social Studies classes. In one, we're studying Ancient Greece. I was kind of conned in to planning a trip to Greece. Kind of. After showing students pictures and doing some basic background, the kids fell in love and desperately want to visit it. I said I'd love to take them. You should have seen the look on their faces. I followed this up with some caveats: show me you can behave yourselves, recognize that the trip will likely not take place this year, work on organizing the fundraising, and if you want to discuss it you have to do it on your own time as opposed to during class. The determined look on their faces after this was thrilling. Who knows. This might happen.
In the other class, we're looking at the Renaissance, and doing some major comparison of the Renaissance culture with that of the modern technological/cultural revolution around us. The kids are really in to it -- one of my most difficult to reach students was ridiculously in to discussion of the analogous nature of Renaissance theatre to its modern counterpart of TV and film.
Their faces when I explained that Shakespeare was insanely fond of sex jokes and gave them some examples were priceless. They will never look at Shakespeare the same way again and I am totally okay with this.
So basically, weird, but all is well.
On a completely different, non-work related note...
1) Been watching Canucks games religiously thanks to online streams.
(I don't have any TV channels; whatever I want to watch I either download or stream.)
I have no idea why, but the more games I watch, the happier it makes me. The 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames last night was rather satisfying. Never saw myself as ever being a hockey fan to be honest. Here we are though.
2) As if I weren't neurologically screwed up enough, I'd been having some headaches. Then, I had one that lasted two days without stopping and got steadily worse. We're talking having to turn the lights off in my classroom to function bad.
This was my cue to go to the doctor seeing as I was in some serious pain.
Apparently, migraines.
(Did you know that some people who suffer from migraines successfully ward them off using either caffeine pills or crazy-strong cups of coffee? I didn't. Bless the doctor for opening my eyes to something I can get on board with very easily.)
So yes. Epilepsy. Now migraines. At least I now have both an explanation and a prescription.
3) I've been listening to copious amounts of 90s pop, and will now inflict it upon you. You get no apologies. I will be busy dancing and failing at hiding my shame. And yes. I am very much aware these are all boybands. I fail to care.
"Back Here", BB Mak -- Britpop at quite possibly its finest.
"I Want You", Savage Garden -- Oh, Daniel. Everyone loved Darren so much, but you will always have a place in my heart.
"If Ya Gettin' Down", Five (alternately known as 5ive) -- Barely makes the cut for the 90s, but omigod. Hockey pads, badass long coats, pretensions at hardcore-ness, and lots and lots and lots of black. Yes. Please.
"As Long As You Love Me", Backstreet Boys -- I lovingly refer to this one as 'the serial killer love song'. Oh, come on. With lyrics like "I don't care what you did" as well as "what you did and where you're coming from I don't care" and then throwing in "it doesn't really matter if you're on the run it seems like we're meant to be" you can't tell me I'm wrong It was a tossup between this and "I Want It That Way". You know what? Screw it. Have both. Because Backstreet Boys, that's why. So shut it.
Long, and awkward, really -- it's the start of a new term, and of course classes haven't been solidified, nor have have class lists. This makes for interesting day plans, seeing as things shift every single day and you have no idea if your attendance records are accurate at all. You do your best though, and you try and teach. Not much else you can do.
Favourite course so far? I might argue Textiles 12. I was saddled with it, and yet got my wish: I get to team teach it with the teacher I've come to think of as a good friend. The theoretical stuff that I get to work with is fascinating, and is so very, very relevant to my interests. I've got plans for students to select clothing brands, and researching/presenting about their products, image, and aesthetic. After that, we may even be able to do some examination of haute couture, and fashion history. It's really frigging exciting. I never thought I'd be so interested in doing something like this. Shows what I know.
I'm also loving my Social Studies classes. In one, we're studying Ancient Greece. I was kind of conned in to planning a trip to Greece. Kind of. After showing students pictures and doing some basic background, the kids fell in love and desperately want to visit it. I said I'd love to take them. You should have seen the look on their faces. I followed this up with some caveats: show me you can behave yourselves, recognize that the trip will likely not take place this year, work on organizing the fundraising, and if you want to discuss it you have to do it on your own time as opposed to during class. The determined look on their faces after this was thrilling. Who knows. This might happen.
In the other class, we're looking at the Renaissance, and doing some major comparison of the Renaissance culture with that of the modern technological/cultural revolution around us. The kids are really in to it -- one of my most difficult to reach students was ridiculously in to discussion of the analogous nature of Renaissance theatre to its modern counterpart of TV and film.
Their faces when I explained that Shakespeare was insanely fond of sex jokes and gave them some examples were priceless. They will never look at Shakespeare the same way again and I am totally okay with this.
So basically, weird, but all is well.
On a completely different, non-work related note...
1) Been watching Canucks games religiously thanks to online streams.
(I don't have any TV channels; whatever I want to watch I either download or stream.)
I have no idea why, but the more games I watch, the happier it makes me. The 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames last night was rather satisfying. Never saw myself as ever being a hockey fan to be honest. Here we are though.
2) As if I weren't neurologically screwed up enough, I'd been having some headaches. Then, I had one that lasted two days without stopping and got steadily worse. We're talking having to turn the lights off in my classroom to function bad.
This was my cue to go to the doctor seeing as I was in some serious pain.
Apparently, migraines.
(Did you know that some people who suffer from migraines successfully ward them off using either caffeine pills or crazy-strong cups of coffee? I didn't. Bless the doctor for opening my eyes to something I can get on board with very easily.)
So yes. Epilepsy. Now migraines. At least I now have both an explanation and a prescription.
3) I've been listening to copious amounts of 90s pop, and will now inflict it upon you. You get no apologies. I will be busy dancing and failing at hiding my shame. And yes. I am very much aware these are all boybands. I fail to care.
"Back Here", BB Mak -- Britpop at quite possibly its finest.
"I Want You", Savage Garden -- Oh, Daniel. Everyone loved Darren so much, but you will always have a place in my heart.
"If Ya Gettin' Down", Five (alternately known as 5ive) -- Barely makes the cut for the 90s, but omigod. Hockey pads, badass long coats, pretensions at hardcore-ness, and lots and lots and lots of black. Yes. Please.
"As Long As You Love Me", Backstreet Boys -- I lovingly refer to this one as 'the serial killer love song'. Oh, come on. With lyrics like "I don't care what you did" as well as "what you did and where you're coming from I don't care" and then throwing in "it doesn't really matter if you're on the run it seems like we're meant to be" you can't tell me I'm wrong It was a tossup between this and "I Want It That Way". You know what? Screw it. Have both. Because Backstreet Boys, that's why. So shut it.