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Wednesday 10 August 2011

Mid Week Ramblings...

Kids have germs. These germs are passed to teachers who then pass them to me. This is a cycle of pure evilness coloured with a tinge of irony...

So, I'm halfway through my second week of teaching and I still have grip on the remnants of my sanity. Well, at least I haven't started pulling my hair out. It's an interesting job with a variety of challenges that I really did not expect. I'm constantly tired which, I'm told, is normal. I often find myself feeling sorry for some of my students - not in a pitying way just generally sorry for the environment that they have grown up in. And, I have been finding my students can be freaking hilarious when they are not trying my patience.

A perfect example was in one of my younger classes (I teach at high school level) where one student had moved from his desk and was making random animal noises. Even though it was annoying and I had to keep telling him to settle it was also hilarious. I would never have thought of something like that.

Unfortunately, I feel that the current education system does not do them any favours. This may sound harsh but I feel that the current system does not promote creativity, multiple intelligence or intelligence in general. But I won't go into any further detail regarding that.

Anyway, I shall leave you with a poem from one of my favourite poets. No, it's not Coleridge or Keats, though they are both great...instead it is Taylor Mali - a teacher from America who does a lot of performance poetry/slam poetry.







I hope you find inspiration from this like I have.


10 comments:

  1. i'd invest in some purel.

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  2. I'm almost thinking of investing in a hazmat suit.

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  3. Do kids take offense if you handle everything they touch with rubber gloves and an oxygen mask?

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  4. great poem! never have heard of it

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  5. This reminds me of an old episode of Monk (who is germophobic) where he's in a classroom of sneezing, coughing, germy kids and one kid looks up at him while picking his nose and then eats it. Monk freaks out on that one! Anyway, kids are germy. And teachers are still walking saints in my book!!

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  6. @A Beer for the Shower - I am willing to see what happens...actually I think they would probably throw things at me...

    @Diego Sousa - Taylor Mali is brilliant and hilarious. He used to be a teacher and now he's a full time poet.

    @Bouncin' Barb - I used to love Monk. Thankfully I haven't seen any of that yet but I'll let you know if I do.

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  7. I once had a teacher in middle school who insisted on leaving the window open during the window because she said we stunk.

    I was very offended at the time but looking back on it 12 year olds have terrible hygiene and I am sure a decent number of us did stink.

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  8. I don't think I could ever do that but that does sound rather funny. My year 13s (final year of high school) always complain about the year 9s stinking...I don't know what to tell them.

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  9. I completely agree. I don't think schools focus enough on the arts and they really should.

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