Well, after nine months at Teachers College, or as it is most recently known, the College of Education, the Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning is complete. All straight A grades so far. There is one outstanding grade for Education Studies but I doubt that will give me the A+ grade I was aiming for. The aim was to end with at least one overall A+ grade so, failing that, I guess the A's will have to do! Oh dear . . . lol.
The last week was very pleasant. I met the science technician who I wish very much I had met much sooner. He lived in the same town as my brother-in-law in Italy which was an amazing coincidence. I wish I'd had more time to get to know him as I think my better half would have liked him too. See, you just never know who you are going to meet in a days march.
My last two assignments were handed in during the last week. The first of the two being a chemistry practical demonstration which I was over prepared for but on the feedback form had comments along the lines of not having explained the equations or reactions in full which was entirely warranted as a critisism, but I think I engaged everyone successfully and I think entertained the class sufficiently, especially pretending that my doggie had donated his pee for the class to write secret messages. Of course I did not supply doggie urine for a practical but for some time the class believed that to be so - it was in fact onion juice! I made myself laugh. For the first time, my experiment making invisible or disappearing ink actually worked first time and worked even better considering a colleague kindly filled her fountain pen with the mixture and wrote with it. Yep! It worked - relieved. My saving grace for the final grade was not so much my chemistry knowledge or explanation of acid-base reactions but rather the entertainment value I think. I am much more a biologist than a chemist.
My last two assignments were handed in during the last week. The first of the two being a chemistry practical demonstration which I was over prepared for but on the feedback form had comments along the lines of not having explained the equations or reactions in full which was entirely warranted as a critisism, but I think I engaged everyone successfully and I think entertained the class sufficiently, especially pretending that my doggie had donated his pee for the class to write secret messages. Of course I did not supply doggie urine for a practical but for some time the class believed that to be so - it was in fact onion juice! I made myself laugh. For the first time, my experiment making invisible or disappearing ink actually worked first time and worked even better considering a colleague kindly filled her fountain pen with the mixture and wrote with it. Yep! It worked - relieved. My saving grace for the final grade was not so much my chemistry knowledge or explanation of acid-base reactions but rather the entertainment value I think. I am much more a biologist than a chemist.
The second was a final essay I wrote with a colleague and in which we managed, to my surprise, to connect the Industrial Revolution in England to early Maori Education in New Zealand. Worryingly we were well over the word limit and I dread that this will get me the lowest grade I have had all year, in fact for quite a few years. The subject matter was so engaging and interesting that it was exceedingly difficult to keep within the word limit and in the end I gave up even I could have really chopped out 3 pages mid essay. Hindsight, is a wonderful thing. Maybe the lecturer will be flattered we were so engaged and not mark us down for being over, but one never can tell. We will see. Needless to say, it may be the blemish on my straight A grades this year. Yet, there has to be an exception to prove the rule, so I keep trying to convince myself to feel better. hahaha. Regardless, I enjoyed writing the essay and I learnt a lot about subjects I would otherwise not have investigated.
Since applying for jobs I have received an all time record of 56 job rejections - wow! I never would've thunk it! Fifty six rejections and counting by the day. Still, I am ever optimistic. I really would like the vacancy at St Bede's - that would be so awesome, but failing that there is a back up plan to teach in the UK for 6 months or possibly Morocco in what looks like quite a modern, efficient and student focused school. How ironic if that happens with the other half being Moroccan and he not being the one working there. It would be quite funny, but an excellent experience for me, and pleasant considering I know Fes quite well.
What I really want is a permanent part-time science position at St Andrews College, or St Thomas of Canterbury or St Bedes. In reality I would be over the moon with any science position and the family decision is that once I have a permanent position that will be it and I'll make it work for the next 10-20 years. I've never been one for job hopping but finding that permanent position is proving somewhat illusive.
What else . . . I think thats about it for now. Heading down to WINZ tomorrow to sign on the unemployment benefit for the first time in my life EVER! Not looking forward to having to deal with those monkeys (excuse the insult, but quite honestly, I sometimes wonder, if Government advertise for employees with no people skills, customer service skills or any logical thinking abilities at all). Well, till next time . . . chau
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