So, apparently I was dropping the ball with my participation in this blog. While I could go into a long diatribe(I've always wanted to use this word. I wonder if I just used it correctly) about how all of these blogs are driving me bat-shit, I won't. Although, an argument could be made that I just did since I hinted at the idea that I want to. It's kind of like one of my favorite sayings, which is:
"I'm not saying.. but I'm just saying."
My wife hates this line. But I think it holds water.
Anyway, I don't really have much to say right now other than when everyone talks about what they are doing with their students, I am always left wondering why my kids are left in the dark. To be honest, it really pisses me off. My kids have broken computers. They have to be walked to and from lunch. They are told to write vocab words 20 times each. They are given bathrooms that reek of something unimaginable. Some of their textbooks are over 20 years old. And they are tested out the ass about things that aren't even covered. Worst of all, the temporary principal that is there sees all of this and is starting the wheels of change (he is a good man) but can't even guarantee that he will be there at the end of the school year.
Ugh.
Anyway, be happy about where you are and the tools that you have. My happiness comes from merely seeing my students show up in a system set up to crush them.
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ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to unpack why these blogs drive you "bat shit". Is it hard to articulate what you're learning? Do you have difficulty seeing their value? Are there other things that drive you "bat shit" or just this?
ReplyDeleteWhile I do understand how you could feel that these blogs are just one more thing, it is absolutely imperative that I have a grasp on the ways you are processing the material in this course and to be able to prove you are ready for the profession of teaching. If you can show me another way that won't take up class time and is as efficient as a blog, then I'm all ears. I truly want to do what's best for you but I'm stymied when you complain about the tools we use and offer no viable alternative.
ReplyDeleteSteve. Wow dude. I am super grateful for my kids. I tell them all the time that they have it great at CV when i hear them complaining.
ReplyDeleteHang in there! you are definitely making a difference!
Any little bit of reversal of their poor opinion of themselves that you can help them with is a success...
At the risk of sounding, I don't know, how I always end up sounding, I get it Steve. I get that you're frustrated and everything feels like an uphill battle. It feels that way for me sometimes, too, and I think I speak for everyone in that regard. We have all voiced opinions about the blogs at our tables and you actually said something about it. We do have a ton of blogs and a ton of work on top of the 20 hours a week most of us spend in the schools and our 5 classes. It's exhausting. I totally, fully understand. We all have something in these classes we forget about or just can't feasibly do by the due date (talk to your professors though, most have been really understanding of my situation) and I think you have to let that be okay to some degree. I haven't gotten the RPG's done yet, but I know I am working really hard at Manheim and so that's - well, not okay with me - but you know what I mean. It's a battles things. I get no sleep and I'm stressed and frustrated too (we all are, thank you for being honest)but I just want to encourage you to keep trucking. We all feel in over our heads, but it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteDo your best, keep the faith, and take time to breathe. It'll be fine - the things that frustrate us and scare us end up making us better (cliched as anything, but true all the same).
:)
ps. pick a day and do all the blogs at once - it helps me! And just think, if you don't do the blogs, you'll miss out on great comments like the one I'm typing you now! ;) Just kiddin'. Kinda :)
Would you be more likely to do the blogs without grumbling if you knew just how important they are??? If you're stressed out because you are spending more than 10 hours per week in your PDS class, then STOP! You will hurt yourself more in the end and it's not worth it. Balance is the key and if you are not able to write one paragraph a week, then you are too busy and you need to re-prioritize - simple as that. Yes, you CAN do this and you WILL. (BTW, I checked with your professors and you do not have a "ton" of blogs! Only one other one besides this class)
ReplyDeleteWow. Look what my venting did? Let me see if I can address each thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, to Tim's first post.... in regards to unpacking.
- At some point in time, everything will drive me batshit. Heck, sometimes just the process of declaring that something is driving me batshit is the solution. I have found that externally sharing my frustrations is better than bottling them up. There really isn't anything about this particular blog's responsibilities that is offensive. I think the point I was aiming for was if we could do things all on the same site.... although that argument most likely stems from laziness. I actually like "blogging". I think my gripe, if there is one strong enough to go beyond venting, would be that I think it is possible to put all of these thoughts in the same area. But since this is the first year for this program, perhaps patience is more necessary on my part. NEXT---
- I can definitely see the importance for you to understand what we are understanding and what we are not. I suppose I forget that we only meet once a week, so you don't have much else of a way of communicating with us and vice versa. NEXT----
- Now that I admitted my faults, let me simply state that i DO get a lot from these blogs. So please don't think that I hate the very existence of them. But I believe that blogging can sometimes allow the occasional venting, which is what this was. NEXT----
- Marybeth, thank you for your kind words. They are very much appreciated. And yes, our professors do a fine job of easing up on the gas pedal when we ask them to.
- Tim, as to your last post... I apologize if I gave you a negative vibe with my venting. In looking over what I wrote, I am not sure where the harsh tone came across. Maybe it was with the batshit comment. Since I do not believe in the concept of curse words, sometimes I forget the weight that they carry with others. If I offended you with my venting, I am sorry.
- With that, I am now done. Thank you all for putting up with my nonsense.
No offense taken, Steve -as long as your venting/ranting does not turn into a spirit of negativity for the class. I get weary of complaining students who do not see the benefits of the things we do in class. Your professors do not seek to torture you (you do that to yourself pretty well anyway). When you're overwhelmed with the stresses of your program, try to look at the BIG PICTURE.
ReplyDeleteWhether you realize it or not, they are here to help you develop into a thriving professional. A little rant is OK as long as it doesn't fester into an infection that spreads like cancer throughout the class. Put all of this in perspective and, if you need to back away from your PDS placement in order to keep up with your schoolwork, then do it.
Maintaining balance is not easy but it is so important for your survival in the teaching profession. Yes you ALL CAN do it. The question is whether you can do it without grumbling. :)