Kevin Becomes a Teacher for $25/hour!!!
I started watching a television series called "Six Feet Under" the other day, and I really enjoy it. My housemate Paul got the whole first season on DVD for his birthday back in October. I've watched 6 episodes in the last 2 days - it's great. It's kinda dark, but has these incredibly funny moments.
On Friday I got a phone call from a guy in charge Guidance Services at Ridgemont High School (where I volunteer) offering me a job to teach a class for $25/hour... it was totally out of the blue. I didn't apply for this job, and I didn't even know that it existed so I was totally surprised. I went into the school later that day to find out more and because I has set up a time to do some tutoring with some kids. The job is just two hours a week and I will be teaching "Remedial Literacy" which is basically a course for kids who don't have very good reading and writing skills. The course is voluntary, but already has 33 kids registered. I said that I didnt have any formal experience teaching and I thought the work load outside of class time (marking and preparing) might be too much for 33 kids while I'm at university. Fortunaly guidance dude (D.) had a great idea... he hired another Carleton students who volunteers in the school to divide up the workload. We'll each teach for 2 hours a week at the same time but in different classes so that class sizes will be smaller. I'm really excited about this, but at the same time really scared. I guess that I am scared because of the responsibility I have to these kids when I have no real teaching experience. I'm sure it will turn out fine... it's just that new things are often scary when you haven't done them before.
On a sad note my Great Grandma died last week. She was 102 years old and ready to go. In the last few weeks leading up to her death she knew it was her time and just wanted to go. She's oulived all her friends, and so much of her family, I know that that bothered her. Her passing didn't bother too much, of course it was sad, but I was also happy for her that at last she could have some peace. At the funeral I was a pallbearer (I have no idea how you spell that word) along with the rest of the great grandchildren. I was scared that I would drop her or something, but of course that didn't happen.
I started to think about how strange this custom of barrying people in the ground is. In geography we learn about how the Earth is a series of systems where energy and elements and such move throughout all of Earth's processes. To me it's important that when I die that I get back to that process as quicly as possible. Apparantly now, when you are burried you get placed into a concrete tomb in the ground along with your coffin... that doesn't seem like a very quick way to get back to earth. I think I'd rather b cremated and have my ashes spread in a meaningful place to restart a process. One thing that bothered me though is that my Great Gradma's wedding ring and engagement ring become my Grandma's. I wouldn't want to have these important things given to someone else... if I wore it everyday (just like my watch) that means it's there for a reason. I'm not sure how I would take some piece of meaningful jewlery with me... perhaps my mind will change about this though. I guess those things only represent promises and important connections... they aren't what make those connections.
Sorry for the long rant on death... just thinking. Anyways, I'll update my journal after I start teaching to let interested skevbo LJ readers know how things went.
On Friday I got a phone call from a guy in charge Guidance Services at Ridgemont High School (where I volunteer) offering me a job to teach a class for $25/hour... it was totally out of the blue. I didn't apply for this job, and I didn't even know that it existed so I was totally surprised. I went into the school later that day to find out more and because I has set up a time to do some tutoring with some kids. The job is just two hours a week and I will be teaching "Remedial Literacy" which is basically a course for kids who don't have very good reading and writing skills. The course is voluntary, but already has 33 kids registered. I said that I didnt have any formal experience teaching and I thought the work load outside of class time (marking and preparing) might be too much for 33 kids while I'm at university. Fortunaly guidance dude (D.) had a great idea... he hired another Carleton students who volunteers in the school to divide up the workload. We'll each teach for 2 hours a week at the same time but in different classes so that class sizes will be smaller. I'm really excited about this, but at the same time really scared. I guess that I am scared because of the responsibility I have to these kids when I have no real teaching experience. I'm sure it will turn out fine... it's just that new things are often scary when you haven't done them before.
On a sad note my Great Grandma died last week. She was 102 years old and ready to go. In the last few weeks leading up to her death she knew it was her time and just wanted to go. She's oulived all her friends, and so much of her family, I know that that bothered her. Her passing didn't bother too much, of course it was sad, but I was also happy for her that at last she could have some peace. At the funeral I was a pallbearer (I have no idea how you spell that word) along with the rest of the great grandchildren. I was scared that I would drop her or something, but of course that didn't happen.
I started to think about how strange this custom of barrying people in the ground is. In geography we learn about how the Earth is a series of systems where energy and elements and such move throughout all of Earth's processes. To me it's important that when I die that I get back to that process as quicly as possible. Apparantly now, when you are burried you get placed into a concrete tomb in the ground along with your coffin... that doesn't seem like a very quick way to get back to earth. I think I'd rather b cremated and have my ashes spread in a meaningful place to restart a process. One thing that bothered me though is that my Great Gradma's wedding ring and engagement ring become my Grandma's. I wouldn't want to have these important things given to someone else... if I wore it everyday (just like my watch) that means it's there for a reason. I'm not sure how I would take some piece of meaningful jewlery with me... perhaps my mind will change about this though. I guess those things only represent promises and important connections... they aren't what make those connections.
Sorry for the long rant on death... just thinking. Anyways, I'll update my journal after I start teaching to let interested skevbo LJ readers know how things went.