T.O Wed Aug 4, 6:58am / AUS Wed Aug 4, 8:58am
I spent today at a day long seminar at the Innovation Center where the focus was to talk about the reality of teaching once we leave school. It was, as most things we've been exposed to, overwhelming.
The reality of teaching is that most don't make it through the first three years, driven away by an overload of work (lesson planning until 2am, up at 5:30am to be at school) and disruptive behaviours from students in class, as well as the constant illness from picking up germs. Take away message of Grad Dip Edu: It's not easy being a teacher. Ya sure we'll get summer's off but we will work our asses off for the rest of the year.
The upside (kind of) to the day was that we were given a lot of information regarding certification procedures. As a Canadian going to teachers college in Australia, the process is more extensive. I have to register with QCT (Queensland Teachers College) as well as OCT (Ontario Teachers College) both of which require a lot of paperwork and a lot of $$$. My understanding is that to apply to OCT and teach back home, I have to be certified in the region/territory of which I was taught, first. Mike from CanTeach came to give us all of the information needed as well as the timing of the process so that it goes as smoothly and as quickly as possible. Starting next Feb, when I begin my last semester at school I'm able to send in my application to OCT and begin the process even before I've graduated and have certification from Queensland. At the same time I can begin to collect the info I need for Queensland and get that underway so by the time I am certified here in Australia I am back home and half of the stuff I need for Ontario already submitted. Super nerd moment: I was kind of excited because this means that I get to make lists and organize what needs to go where - it's my happy place.
After walking away from the session, my head full of important dates and forms I need to remember to fill out and submit I remembered that I first have to complete my assignments due next week, pass my prac and then do it all again next semester. Must actually graduate to get certified or it's all for nothing!
Mike brought us all Reese Peanut Buttercups, as he now lives in New Zealand but is from Canada, and knows that we cannot get them here in Oz. I am saving mine for a day when I really miss home and need a chocolate fix.
Things are starting to get busy. I thought I had two assignments due next Monday - one doesn't actually have to be submitted until Friday by 5pm and the other we got a week extention (horray!) but then today I was assigned group work in a tutorial for next week. We have to come into the class and implement a classroom management strategy and facilitate the week's case study. The following week I have to give my presentation for the same tutorial.
That being said, if anyone has any ideas for a fun, interactive, engaging activity that I can teach the class - I am open to suggestions. The presentation can be about anything, for any age group, it is only 10 minutes long and we just have to teach the class something. I was going to teach them the art of folding origami but the instructor used that as an example in class today to which another student said: That's what I was going to do! Needless to say, that idea is off the table.
A couple of us have been talking about going down to Brisbane for a day or two, you can take the train for $4. I almost fell off my chair. It's so cheap! I'm not sure what there is to do in the city but it would be nice to get down there to walk around and see it. It's becoming evident that the next 16 weeks here are going to be hectic and if we want to make the trip we'll have to do it soon.
I've been looking into booking my flight from Feb - June. The travel agency was telling me about an incredible deal with United Airlines but when they sent me the itinery for the flights it had me arriving and departing from Melbourne, not Brisbane so I'm not sure what's going on with that and if I can get a flight to where I need to go for the sale price I was quoted - fingers crossed though! I tried to do a search myself tonight for tickets and they were upwards of $5,000 more than what I've paid/been told about - way too expensive!
To sum up the rest of my day...
- I had really delicious fish and chips for lunch
- I went to watch The Bachelorette at 8:30 just as it was ending b/c I got the time wrong
- One of the sports channels here follows all of the New York Yankee games and today they were playing Toronto, it was a glimpse of home.
- I just saw my one roommate for the second time since we've moved in (she's like another Cadine)
- No one told me just how awful my hair was today and wish that someone had so I could have at least tried to pull it up into a ponytail or something.
- My roommate just paid me a dollar for one of my juice boxes - I paid $1.99 for a pack of 6.
- The realization that I have to do laundry soon is becoming increasingly apparent - I'm almost out of underwear.
:)
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