absolutwillie

Tag: teaching

  • bullet list madness

    it’s one of those saturdays: my brain is running spirals through 4 dimensions and neither of my twins – nor my subconscious archer – have anything remotely resembling a grasp on the horse’s reins…

    just a taste of what’s buzzing upstairs:

    tiramisu requires:

    • Mascarpone cheese
    • raw eggs
    • sugar
    • espresso coffee
    • ladyfingers
    • liquor (substitute)
    • cocoa
    • heavy cream (should never be merely optional).

    5 experiences i’d like:

    stages of learning:

    • acquisition
    • fluency
    • generalizaton
    • adaptation

    or:

    • unconscious incompetence
    • conscious incompetence
    • conscious competence
    • unconscious competence

    for apartment:

    • mirrors
    • crockery
    • frames for art
    • art
    • comfortable couch
    • heaps of old books (hardcover-ish)
    • mop (cleaning service?)
    • fix the washing machine
    • drawing board
    • magnets (idea board, fridge etc)
    • lighting solutions
    • air conditioner
    • sound system (O.Cat speakers?)

    check the lease – maybe a smaller apartment is the answer?

    freelance income supplements:

    • copy writing
    • magazine work
    • apparel design (graphic tee trend set to grow before it finally blows over)
    • creative studio (too soon)
    • resurrect life-stylist concept

    aaaaaarrrgghhh – go to sleep!

  • … a job that lets me travel


    last night’s 8th graders’ conversation class got me thinking (again).

    the topic of our class was: “I want a job that lets me travel”. i asked each student to name the top 3 identifiers of their dream jobs, which i listed on the white-board. afterwards, we discussed each student’s answers, their personalities and what we know of them and “chose” their ideal occupation. it looked pretty much as follows:

    Andy:
    1) help people
    2) lets me play
    3) not 9 to 5

    Peter:
    1) easy
    2) lots of money
    3) nice office

    Tom:
    1) work from home
    2) lots of free time
    3) creative

    i was astounded – as by the end of the evening i realized that i had:
    1 philanthropic, professional basketball player,
    1 writer and
    1 arms dealer in my class!

    it got me thinking though… i’m probably not going to be TEFL for the rest of my life – so what would my list look like?

    i’ve come up with the following identifiers (in no particular order) – what would you suggest?

    • work at my own pace
    • creative in various disciplines
    • mix with people
    • non-prescriptive client base (minimal stressful interaction)
    • lets me travel
    • lets me breathe
    • conceptualization (start projects rather than finish them)
    • social impact
    • financial freedom
    • celebrity

    i’m such a gemini, aren’t i.

  • new adventures in teaching

    when the aim of the game is to talk about following instructions – most 8th graders’ eyes glaze over and your “conversation class” turns into a Shakespearean hell of monologues and asides.

    but lo and behold! pose the question: “how do you skin a cat?” and they rush you for your white-board markers!


    PETA might not be proud – but i had the most interactive class with these kids to date!