Update!

Since my last blog post, which was mandated by the university, I have quite a bit of news to relate! Due to my massive belly and ankles, I was given a dispensation to complete my Graduate Internship on November 3, 2009. Successful completion of that internship made me a graduate of the GDLT program and a certified teacher in the state of Queensland! Huzzah!

Eight days later, I gave birth to my marvelous, clever, funny, agile and cute-as-hell little girl, Sara, by elective C-section. Don't fear, my readers and future c-section-havers! I loved her straight away. The C-section was recommended by my OB due to be blood being nearly solid (190/110) and Sara being up in my ribcage, making induction risky. As a planner, I was relieved. I simply went out to the receptionist who asked me "Is Wednesday at 10 OK?" As a badass, I was a little disappointed, since I had been ready to give labor a go. As a rational person, and a c-section baby myself, there was no agonizing or gnashing of teeth. That was just the way it was.

For those who consider c-section a cop-out, I merely have a scornful snort. Major abdominal surgery is no joke. I recovered, enough said about that, and by the way- my friend had 71 stitches in her vagina and perineum after her natural birth. Natural birth can be no joke either. as long as everyone comes out OK, it's a wash in my book.

Since then I have heard everything in the mommy dialogues. One friend required weeks of Bowen therapy to recover from grief due to the death of her childbirth dream by emergency c-section. A dear friend nearly threw up from PTSD when we visited a friend in hospital, and overheard another woman in labor. Another friend's second birth was so smooth and fast that her body went into shock at the lack of preparation.

Now I am a mom, I pack lunches, go to swimming lessons and decode toddler lingo. I am a science teacher, dusting off the old brain cells to go back to work a bit. I am an American living in Australia. And I am a passionate reader or moderate voices on childbirth, parenting and education issues.

So let's talk about it, let's be real, and let's be nice to each other!

Week 6

Welcome to week 6. I am teaching 3 doubles in the next two days, including a prac I wrote myself. The prac uses the Pascoe sensor data gathering system. The school just updated the software for their sensors and has streamlined things considerably. The girls will be using the sensor with a colorimeter to detect concetrations of a solution. I think it should be a success!

Halfway Through Prac #1

It's official, I have passed the halfway point. Yesterday was day 16 of my prac and today is day 17. Huzzah! I am really enjoying it, and I have learned a ton, particularly about teaching the senior subjects. For me the answer is to BE PREPARED. I have had a great deal of anxiety, particularly about my grade 11 Physics class. I am finding that the content knowledge required is taking more effort to refresh than in Biology, Chemistry or General Science. Using OHTs, handouts and pracs has broken up the anxiety about teaching content in 100 minute blocks. What's terrifying is that the term has flown by and my senior classes only have four more content lessons each before exam week. I can understand how teachers (or learning managers) can feel under the gun when the terms move so quickly!

The semester is heating up

So I had a look at my planner and the next few weeks are going to be a bit hectic. I am really enjoying my student teaching, but I regret that it is not getting all of the attention it deserves. Keeping up with the uni work is taking its toll on my nights and weekends. I try to keep Ken's words of wisdom about balance and relaxation in mind, but it is a challenge. The upshot is that I feel like I am being hazed, not educated.

Mahara, my nemesis

I hate Mahara

Phew!

I have just completed an assessment for Literacy and Numeracy (EDED 20458). It was a series of questions designed to uncover how we feel about our own literacy and to heighten our awareness of the need to bring literacy and numeracy in the classroom. It was interesting for me, as a student who has always been confident with literacy and numeracy, to consider how difficult life wold be if I had difficulty in these areas. I hope I can design ideas to make the students more comfortable with these skills in context.

Happy News!

I have finished assessment item #1 for my ICTs course. . . all nine quizzes. Phew! It was a slog, and a few had results less stellar than I would have liked, but I can now turn my attention to my next assessment item for Literacy and Numeracy. I'd like to have it done when class meets on Monday and save myself a trip to Rocky. It is an interesting assignment and has made me think about how to make science writing tasks more engaging.

Stay posted!