Blog #1:
Hallo,
I am Nick. I live in Reseda and I spend my time playing, recording, and producing music. I love many types of music including but not limited to Country, Ska-punk, Metal, Rock, and anything else that has more guitars than synthesizers. I play the guitar and sax and I dabble in bass and drums. Also I train and work with horses. I am about to graduate college, get married and start my career as a teacher; hopefully in that order.
I am very afraid that something will not work out this year with school, or whatever credentialing program I decide to go with and that I will not be able to begin working and stop being a "starving college student." That used to be a title I liked, but now its getting very old. My hope, then, is to get a job this summer and begin teaching in September. That leads to a whole new level of anxiety: how will I deal with students? how will I structure my class? how will I grade papers? Do I even know how to grade papers? Do I know how to teach effectively? will anybody care? etc...
I have always enjoyed learning and being in school in general. Teaching therefore, will allow me to never have to venture into the "real world."
I'm not sure about technology, it will depend on what is available where I'm going to teach. Hopefully that will be somewhere in the boonies where there won't really be a lot of technology. I imagine that I will use movies and perhaps the internet to add more material to the class however. I tend to be a year or two behind technology, also fashion.
4 comments:
Hey Nick,
I too worry that something will go terribly wrong this, my last, semester. Don't worry about how you will deal with students and grading etc. That's what grad school is for. First we earn the subject, then we learn to teach. Gee, didn't I just make that sound simple and easy? I hope so. I have always loved learning. I still have a bad case of "I want tom learn everything." I can still remember learning to read, and I regard that as the best thing that has ever happened to me. I cannot express how thankful I am that I can read. I think I also got my love of learning from my love of being at school. School, to me, was always a safe place where my parents, and to a great degree, my brother could not hurt me. I wish more students these days felt safe at school. What the heck is happening to America's schools? There have always been bullies and troubled kids, but I think I'd rather be a postal employee than a high-school student these days. Wow, I didn't mean to go off on a rant there. My advice on technology: make it your friend.
Nick,
I understand your fears and anxieties all too well, as they are some of my own. I'm struggling right now with a solution to the credential program's 'You can't really have a job with student teaching' because I gots bills to pay. Hopefully I'll win the lotto and be able to just quit my job and have not a care in the world! Car payment? No problem! Student loans? No problem! We'll see how it all pans out!
After having you in a couple of my classes, I have no doubt that you'll be a great teacher, and once you're there a lot of your fears will prove unfounded. You're very personable, and have a charm that students will love. Bring your guitar in and make them sing along to Shakespeare and you'll win them over in an instant! I'm sure if my high school teacher had done that, a lot more of the students would have understood the bard.
Also, I looked at your favorite movies, and I just have to say:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3khTntOxX-k
Enjoy!
Nick,
I agree with Maureen, you will be a great teacher and I love the teaching Shakespeare with your guitar thing. I had a teacher who did that. His name was Dennis O'Rourke and he was my Social Studies teacher in 8th grade. He and Dee O'Brien, the English teacher, put together a show called Scenes From Shakespeare at Hommocks Junior High in Larchmont, New York. It was great fun and all the kids loved it. Mr. O'Rourke wrote a funny song and put it to music and I sang it in the show with my fellow classmate Kevin Dillon. I wish I could remeber all the words because it was a great song. Anyway, it was definitely a great way to get teenagers to appreciate the Bard! Good memories too! I can totally see you doing that when you teach. By the way, I'd love for you to come hear my husband play sometime!
It should be noted that for 42 (not that age matters, there, Shakespeare), Jill is pretty hot.
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