Getting educated in the Faculty of Education

It is not yet noon and my brain is already fried. I open up my locker and stare into it, immobile. I know I have to do my assignments one at a time, but which of the three readings that are due tomorrow should I start with?

My professors are not entirely to blame for the intensity of my schedule: many of my time commitments have been self-imposed. I have never been so intellectually stimulated by formal education as I am here. I sat in my morning class and trembled with excitement while we discussed Rousseau's Emile.

The things that we discuss in class only touch the surface of what I want to know. One of our assignments is to design the ideal classroom. I draw diagram after diagram of desk placement, but I'm also interested in how lighting affects learning, whether or not it would be a good idea to give my students stress balls, if 11-year olds can and should meditate, and something called rocking chair therapy (which apparently can be helpful to persons with ADHD). One of my profs uses a rain stick to get our attention. I would like to use a tibetan singing bowl, but would it be loud enough?

I want to research alternative/experimental schools. I don't know if I can find the time. I am reading a book of Short Creative Nonfiction (called In Fact, it is selected submissions from the first ten years of the journal Creative Nonfiction.). I can really only seem to find time to read it while I'm eating. All my other time gets consumed.

Other blogs I read

Maybe I should just start blogging about the crazy word usage of another blogger that I know. You can read his blog here:
http://consweatman.wordpress.com/

Last week, I learned the word panopticon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon
Amazing. How did this word escape me for 22 years?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXav-PljwtE
"Do you know what this is, son? This is the panopticon". I heard that song for the first time 5 years ago.

Today I started to read Con's blog and only got as far as "multifariously".

I read other blogs too, I think there's a section on my blog that shows which ones I follow. I really enjoy "Smother Goose" which is someone blogging about twisted children's tales. I also read my friend Sandy's blog. She's a journalist who likes to blog about cats.

Plugging my other blog

I would like to refer you all to my new blog:
http://meinmysmallcorner.blogspot.com/
The new one is about the Bible. I have no idea how many posts it will inspire, but people generally have a lot to say about the Bible so maybe I will too.

I will continue to post in this blog about everything else.

What am I modeling?

Here I am, living in Fredericton. I had my first day of orientation for my Education degree yesterday. One of the topics that stuck in my craw was "dress code". I know some of the other Ed students are struggling with this as well -- after 4 years as university students, we now have to put together a "professional wardrobe".

The thing is, with all this talk about us becoming role models, I am thinking very carefully about which values I want to model for the students. If I go out and buy a bunch of new clothes to wear during my practicum, I would consider that to be modeling consumerism and materialism. 

I was telling some of my fellow students about how I had scrounged in my mom's closet and had some vintage blouses from the '70s to wear. Did I detect a couple of strange looks? 

My practicum placement is in a middle school (grades 6-8). Students at that age are desperate to fit in and "be cool" (I remember this because I used to be that age and I wanted Roxy t shirts SO MUCH). I want to be the kind of role model that shows that confidence and self-respect have nothing to do with wearing the latest fashions. I want my dress-sense to express my sense of humour about myself and the world around me, and my desire to avoid conformity when it compromises my values. So while I will have to respect the dress codes rules and keep a kempt and modest appearance, I want to respect my own values as well. 

My landlady is taking me on a shopping trip to Value Village this weekend. Apparently the VV here is awesome. And thank goodness I bought so many cute pairs of shoes before I got so concerned with personal integrity. 

Resuming my wandering ways

So here I am using the free wi-fi at the Toronto airport. I'm about halfway to my destination: Fredericton. I am increasingly disillusioned with travelling and I long to settle somewhere and build something real. I had to take 7 pounds of clothing out of my suitcase at the airport, at the last minute (I was overweight).

I tried to watch movies on the plane but I am starting to feel like pop culture (in this case, Hollywood) contaminates me when I engage with it. I don't want to fall out of touch with the things that normal people do, but   I've been finding it hard to stomach. I watched five minutes of Red Riding Hood before I deemed it intolerable. Then I spent the rest of the time watching Never Let Me Go, which was extremely depressing. I guess it was maybe trying to make some points about medical science and ethics, but I feel like everyone who watches it will be like, I emotionally engaged for an hour an a half with the issue of medical ethics while I drank a soda and ate buttered popcorn.

I stopped by the bookstore in the airport. I always love seeing which books are being sold in airports, because it is a specific sort of demographic that they cater to (wealthier people who fly a lot) and I think the books reflect that. Some of the titles that jumped out at me: Learn Just Enough to Get Laid, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, The Power of Positive Thinking, Outliers, How the West Was Lost, and Becoming Enlightened by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If only I could get enlightened on a plane. Sigh.

There was also a book about making friends, and turning online friends into real friends. I considered this book, because I don't know anyone in Fredericton and I don't want to spend too much time alone because my mind is a scary place. When I am alone I can either: a) be really reflective and self-examining, or b) watch tv online (especially Coronation Street -- it's like candy for my soul).

I am seriously contemplating getting my boots polished while I am here. They need it.

untitled

Googling how to spell spontaneity.

Gertrude Stein

I think I like Gertrude Stein she said she is much better to read if you haven't listened to too many opinions of her beforehand.