Learning

I found teaching to be more of a learning experience than anything else I've ever done. I hope I did some teaching as well.
This term I taught 7/8 year olds. So much cuter than teenagers. Here are some thoughts after teaching them for 2 months:
Thoughts on teaching children -

1. Stickers are like money
2. Children are like regular people, but without the inhibitions that come with age. So if he's quarrelsome, if she's got a flare for drama, you get it in its purest form. - A friend made an excellent point that working with so many people is not easy: with adults you deal with different personalities; with children, you deal with different personalities in the same child (so true!!).
3. Positive attention can be just as effective as negative attention - actually more affective because it's not as stressful to the giver.
4. Dealing with the staff (esp heads of staff) can be more trying than dealing with the children.
5. Ditto #8 previous entry.

teacher Tulip

On to our story

So I'm realising how little I've blogged since I got here. And your suspicions are not unfounded - there has been a lot of beach going on.. but the main reason is my really slow internet connection (we have dial up at my house) - it's slow enough to make me cry sometimes.
anyways - onto our story.

Currently I'm teaching.
Last term I taught at a secondary school
- TEENAGERS - ARE - STRESS.
Here are some thoughts I wrote -


In just one week of teaching I have learned (developed) an immediate understanding/sympathy ->empathy->respect for all of my past teachers: the good, the bad and the badly dressed.

1. Finding decent, inoffensive, inexpensive (breathable, washable) clothes is a lot harder than you think
2. I am not neat by nature - have never been in my life - don't expect my hair to change after 24 years of that.
3. Students are SO critical. of everything.
4. if you give an inch, they'll take a mile and quarrel, argue, reason and cajole for two more.
5. marks are like money.
6. teachers have to be SUPER organised.
7. You are not my only class/task/responsibility: I did not correct your work yet!
8. 'Dem chilren would really mek yuh feel like yuh going mad' (bajan for - those kids make you question your sanity)

Tulip

Hurricane Hunters

How cool is that???!!!!!
Check it out here (unfortunately, their website - hurricanehunters.com seems to be down).
Yesterday I got to see the inside of a plane used for Hurricane Hunting! It was the plane of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and I got to meet some of the men that fly in it. And I even got to see pics taken from the inside of the storm - the stadium effect.
Can you imagine - these are people that don't just see a storm - they fly into it! How I think of it:
"Oh look thunder, lightning, hurricane force winds and high pressures - let's fly into it"
These men must be (insert your word here)(my word is crazy!!!extreme!! cool!!).
In storms they can experience drops of 1000's of feet in seconds - any of you ever experience turbulence - you know a sudden drop of a few feet causes your stomach to get a little funny feeling and you feel a bit shaken - now imagine 1000's of feet. CRAZY!! they said it's like a roller coaster and everything and everyone is strapped down.
I'm getting such a rush thinking of it (can you tell??). For the first time ever I wanted to learn how to fly a plane (though, not necessarily fly it into a hurricane).
wooohoooo!

LOL

lol. so, apparently it's been soooo long since I last blogged that I actually forgot - not only my password - but my gmail account address.... lol
anywho - I've managed to recover it - and voila! I'm back on blogger. I am currently inspired to write because -
1*Shopgirl* is currently on fire and I'm reading quite freqently and now feel like writing
2 I'm on vacation (ah the joys of teaching - my favourite part so far)
3 I have lots of fun teaching stories

so I'll be back soon.
heart tulip

Dreams like water

"dreams like water is to do with hope - she is like a camel and stores dreams like water. She can live on almost nothing but dreams." (Tulip)


This sums up much of 2007 for me. Dreams and memories have been my food. Here's hoping for 2008 to be a year of action: acting on new dreams.

I hope to write a "Staying connected 2007" very soon (thanks so much Sappho for starting, and upholding the tradition!) but today, all I wish to say is
HAPPY, HEALTHY 2008 to all you readers!!
I love you! (spart, sappho, C, shopgirl, hun, N, tulip, sweets, molly!)(person that I suspect I forgot)

heart,
tulip