Bleh.
My eyes are burning from my now bright monitor. It's 4:40am, and I've been tossing and turning for 40 minutes with no sign of sleep. Classical music is quietly playing and thoughts are racing through my head. Mostly my personal life. Friend is leaving to Alberta while another is coming home from there. I wrote them each a poem today and made them smile. It was a good day. Money situation, however, is gonna be rough here come January, and I will need poker to come through in fine fashion. Renovations went well, only shocked myself twice while moving the outlet for my dryer. I now have more personal space, which I am sure I will need come internship.
Speaking of internship, I have thought about it a lot in the last few days. By that, I mean thought about it while I was on the golf course, while I was watching television, while I am doing renovations, while I am up at 4:45am, while I am chatting on MSN, and most importantly, while I am doing nothing at all. I know I am a procrastinator, but this is serious. However, I was told last semester that procrastination is a sign of intelligence. Think about it: can a dumb person really procrastinate and still succeed? It's nearly impossible. Still, what have I been doing while I've been thinking about internship without lifting a pencil or paper? Well...
1) My first and foremost concern is establishing a good rapport and mutual respect with the students in my first class, CCH (Computers, Careers, and Health). I am only teaching them keyboarding, but apparently touch-keyboarding is an issue with grade 9's, and most are indignant to the fact that it is so much more than just a requirement made my teachers for no reason, it will help them SO much in the rest of their years at school and in life. It's all about efficiency. I like to think I have an advantage here because I am a model of what I am trying them to teach. I can key at around 80wpm, maxing at 110wpm or so. I know that is what inspired me to key so fast is watching my receptionist-mother key so fast it made my head spin. Now, second is respect. I am young, but so are they. They will know that I am an intern, and that I am new, but hopefully the closeness in age will garner a respect because they know that I am "hip" to their concerns and what is going on in their lives. My humour will be more at their level, as well as my life experiences will be the same. For anyone reading this from EBUS, might I throw out "cohort group"? ;)
2) I've thought about my extracurriculars at Martin. I want to coach hockey, but what else? I am sure there is lots that I can get involved in. I know that the Skills Canada is not until February, but perhaps I can fast track some of my IP class to be involved in that. I think I would be an excellent guide, given the time. I am finding more and more that I start to do volunteer things less and less because I think they will look good in a portfolio, and more and more because I really feel they would be rewarding for me somehow in life. Kinda like giving back for all I've taken as a selfish kid. Coaching, for instance. Anyways, change of thought pattern here --
3) I have pondered (and am scared to HELL over) discipline in my classes. One of my friends said "I can see you as a teacher; I bet you'd be really strict". And I thought about it. Would I? Am I going to yell when students are talking when I am? Am I going to do my patented 'go dead silent until they all shut up' move. I know that works well for me, but it all depends on the class. Hopefully, it will just come naturally, but it's still best to think about these things beforehand. I think that my professor Lyle Benko said that. I should talk to him before internship. *notes to self* Along the lines of discipline is school rules (i just keyed 'rools'. God it's late), class rules, and class outlines. I am going to have to give the class an outline that reads, "Mr. Benesh's Rules and Expectations". EEEP! I have also heard it is best to let the class help make the rules, as then they are more likely to follow them. Then my mind wanders to things like drink, food, candy, etc... I know how IIIIII feel about it, but there are school rules that supercede my own, sooo I have to wait to talk to Randy. So much of my planning hinges on him, and he is in Mexico right now. I know he will help me even more when he gets back because of this, so I am not worried. But for anyone wondering why it seems I am putting off planning, it is related to that. It is also that I have to wait to see what's going on with my Digital Internship Team. There seems to be a lack of cohesion, and I'm expecting something very soon. In case any of you who know me are wondering, no, I am not playing poker either! I was forced to play one night when a friend of mine passed out at his computer desk from excessive alcohol consumption, and I had to log in from my computer and play the tournament for him. Of course, I won. But hey, who's counting?
Those are the three biggest thoughts on my mind. There are now 5 complete days until the start of my internship seminar. I am giving up a beeeeeeeeeautifully fun trip to Edmonton/Calgary/Sylvan Lake because I do plan on planning something concrete over the next few days, at least to say, "Hey. This is what I feel about my classroom rules. This is what I believe. This is what I want. If this differs from your school's policies, so be it." I also want to be able to say "This is what I understand about your Accounting simulations. This is what I do not. Teach me, grade me, help me!". Lastly, I want to say (and feel), "I am ready for this" and not be scared at the same time.
Writing this post makes me want to grab those sheets right now and start reviewing them. But something tells me that as soon as I grab them, I will begin to get tired. As such, I'd rather grab my latest book "Teacher Man" (thanks Nicole) and begin reading. I'd be much happier falling asleep to Frank McCourt's life than to Posting Transactions in a Financial Ledger, and Bank Reconcili- *snore*
Till another day.
Danny
Speaking of internship, I have thought about it a lot in the last few days. By that, I mean thought about it while I was on the golf course, while I was watching television, while I am doing renovations, while I am up at 4:45am, while I am chatting on MSN, and most importantly, while I am doing nothing at all. I know I am a procrastinator, but this is serious. However, I was told last semester that procrastination is a sign of intelligence. Think about it: can a dumb person really procrastinate and still succeed? It's nearly impossible. Still, what have I been doing while I've been thinking about internship without lifting a pencil or paper? Well...
1) My first and foremost concern is establishing a good rapport and mutual respect with the students in my first class, CCH (Computers, Careers, and Health). I am only teaching them keyboarding, but apparently touch-keyboarding is an issue with grade 9's, and most are indignant to the fact that it is so much more than just a requirement made my teachers for no reason, it will help them SO much in the rest of their years at school and in life. It's all about efficiency. I like to think I have an advantage here because I am a model of what I am trying them to teach. I can key at around 80wpm, maxing at 110wpm or so. I know that is what inspired me to key so fast is watching my receptionist-mother key so fast it made my head spin. Now, second is respect. I am young, but so are they. They will know that I am an intern, and that I am new, but hopefully the closeness in age will garner a respect because they know that I am "hip" to their concerns and what is going on in their lives. My humour will be more at their level, as well as my life experiences will be the same. For anyone reading this from EBUS, might I throw out "cohort group"? ;)
2) I've thought about my extracurriculars at Martin. I want to coach hockey, but what else? I am sure there is lots that I can get involved in. I know that the Skills Canada is not until February, but perhaps I can fast track some of my IP class to be involved in that. I think I would be an excellent guide, given the time. I am finding more and more that I start to do volunteer things less and less because I think they will look good in a portfolio, and more and more because I really feel they would be rewarding for me somehow in life. Kinda like giving back for all I've taken as a selfish kid. Coaching, for instance. Anyways, change of thought pattern here --
3) I have pondered (and am scared to HELL over) discipline in my classes. One of my friends said "I can see you as a teacher; I bet you'd be really strict". And I thought about it. Would I? Am I going to yell when students are talking when I am? Am I going to do my patented 'go dead silent until they all shut up' move. I know that works well for me, but it all depends on the class. Hopefully, it will just come naturally, but it's still best to think about these things beforehand. I think that my professor Lyle Benko said that. I should talk to him before internship. *notes to self* Along the lines of discipline is school rules (i just keyed 'rools'. God it's late), class rules, and class outlines. I am going to have to give the class an outline that reads, "Mr. Benesh's Rules and Expectations". EEEP! I have also heard it is best to let the class help make the rules, as then they are more likely to follow them. Then my mind wanders to things like drink, food, candy, etc... I know how IIIIII feel about it, but there are school rules that supercede my own, sooo I have to wait to talk to Randy. So much of my planning hinges on him, and he is in Mexico right now. I know he will help me even more when he gets back because of this, so I am not worried. But for anyone wondering why it seems I am putting off planning, it is related to that. It is also that I have to wait to see what's going on with my Digital Internship Team. There seems to be a lack of cohesion, and I'm expecting something very soon. In case any of you who know me are wondering, no, I am not playing poker either! I was forced to play one night when a friend of mine passed out at his computer desk from excessive alcohol consumption, and I had to log in from my computer and play the tournament for him. Of course, I won. But hey, who's counting?
Those are the three biggest thoughts on my mind. There are now 5 complete days until the start of my internship seminar. I am giving up a beeeeeeeeeautifully fun trip to Edmonton/Calgary/Sylvan Lake because I do plan on planning something concrete over the next few days, at least to say, "Hey. This is what I feel about my classroom rules. This is what I believe. This is what I want. If this differs from your school's policies, so be it." I also want to be able to say "This is what I understand about your Accounting simulations. This is what I do not. Teach me, grade me, help me!". Lastly, I want to say (and feel), "I am ready for this" and not be scared at the same time.
Writing this post makes me want to grab those sheets right now and start reviewing them. But something tells me that as soon as I grab them, I will begin to get tired. As such, I'd rather grab my latest book "Teacher Man" (thanks Nicole) and begin reading. I'd be much happier falling asleep to Frank McCourt's life than to Posting Transactions in a Financial Ledger, and Bank Reconcili- *snore*
Till another day.
Danny
posted by danTML at 4:43 a.m.
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