Classes Have Begun

T.O: Monday July 26th, 7:55am / AUS: Mon July 26th, 9:55pm


When I was little, my Papa would call me every labour day weekend to sing me my back to school song: school days school days dear old golden rule days, reading and writing, arithmatic...
I thought of him today as I entered my first class at USC.
I don't know what I was thinking when I enrolled for classes this semester, this is what my Monday looks like:
8-10am - EDU 342 Lecture: Primary Curriculum
12 - 4pm - EDU 641 Workshop: Maths
4 - 6pm - EDU 101 Lecture: Learning About Learning
6 - 8pm - EDU 101 Tutorial: Learning About Learning

Needless to say, it was the longest day back to school, EVER!
They're introducing it to us slowly, gently allowing the semester ahead sink in... and in two weeks time, the first of many assignments for each class are due.
One repetative theme I see in all classes is: Reflect. Reflect on the readings, reflect on the lectures/tutorials, reflect on your self-awareness, reflect reflect reflect. Always reflecting and then reflecting some more. And don't fall behind on your readings or you will not catch up. I believe them.
I am home from my 12hr day on campus and after a quick dinner I have completed my weekly reflection for edu 101 and I am reading for edu 610 - Workplace Learning, the class that will prep me for my prac that will begin in just 10 short weeks. That's the scariest part of all.

Some random Australian learnings:

*'How you going?' does not mean 'where are you going' it essentially means 'how are you doing?'. why they use going instead of doing, I can't figure out.
*vegemite is disgusting.
*if you open a bank account they mail you your bank card about a week later, and then the next day they mail you your pin number - which you are instructed to destroy any evidence of, so that no one can steal it from you. It is all very 'this message will self destruct...' and I had a James Bond moment.
*when Aussie's try to imitate the Canadian/American accent they sound like hillbilly's - I can only hope that's not what we really sound like to the rest of the world.
*I went on a tour of the rainforest with promise of a waterfall, growing up near Niagara Falls my expectations of what a waterfall is, are apparently too high. I stand by the fact that a trickle of water down a rockface, is not a waterfall.
*winter in Australia is COLD!
*TimTam's are so amazing I cannot explain them. I will let you know that they are cookies and are enhanced if you eat them with hot chocolate. you need to do this alone, as it gets quite messy and embarassing as you shove a whole cookie soaked with hot chocolate all in your mouth.
*if you buy a 4L box of white wine for $10 and it is bright yellow, you cannot be surprised when it doesn't taste very good.
*textbooks are just as heavy and as expensive here as they are in Canada.
*t.v. is a couple of months behind, for some shows. ie: Days of Our Lives... Sammy's daughter Grace has just died, except that I already know they all find out Nicole switched Mia and Sammy's babies and stole Sammy's baby for herself, goes to jail, gets out and begins plotting new attempts to get back with Brady. I feel like I'm from the future.
*movie theatres have assigned seating. very strange. p.s. Inception was an Amazing movie!
*enrique iglasias has made a massive comeback down under. I am curious to know if this is happening across the globe, or just here.

Time to finish reading my chapter for the week, my bed calls to me but I need to get it finished. The Integrated Model of Classroom Management... something to keep me wide awake I'm sure.