So I saw the above at Goodwill and thought it was a good idea. Currently, my shoes are all laid out in my closet, on some plastic bags so as not to dirty the carpet below. And at $9, it wasn't too expensive. I don't know what it originally retailed for, but it definitely should have been a lot more than $9.
After an hour, that's ONE hour, I got something like this. Hands were aching... I know all that advice about not using your hands as tools, but what tool could you possibly use to shove pieces of plastic together?? But never mind, that's done...
...and then I realized I should have worked on the planning a bit more, because unlike most other women, I don't have small pumps, I prefer boots... And I have size 9/10 feet... So a bit of knocking about and breaking apart of the structure to re-arrange bonds and another hour later, I got the above end result. And my shoes didn't all fit into the cubby nicely; one cubby is too small for both shoes.But at least my shoes are organized now.
5 comments:
I haven't had time to read your blog. Been busy with my graduating class. The deadline was today and they all finished much to my amazement. I'm dead tired though. A lot of chasing was involved just to get them to do their work. Mike will know what I'm talking about. Recently, been thinking about teaching in a school where the kids have a little more mental capacity for higher-level thinking. Sigh! Or at least more independent learning. I'm tired of pushing and shoving from the bottom. I'd like to let someone else take over what I've started.
You guys seem to be having fun doing lots of "nothing". Of course you have work but I think I'm near collapse from exhaustion right now.
By the way, I sent your care pack last week. At $1 per 100g, the 3 notebooks and pen refills weighed 750g. So don't you dare move for the next 6 to 10 weeks cuz apparently, the ship doesn't said every week and you've just gotta wait that long.
Love Jess
Well, i think it is extremely hard, and you're probably going to be up against a lot of factors out of your control (e.g. centralized curriculum making agencies, school administration and policies), but I'd advise you to not think of kids as if there is a gradient of 'mental ability'. Well, in all reality, it could look like there is, but the reasons behind why this comes about should be clear - that it is not solely something that is intrinsic about them.
guess what i am trying to say is that we in society, and especially schooling, are quite culpable in the labeling and sorting that we do (the self fulfilling prophecy thing), and in the social interaction that happens in the classroom - teachers can only concentrate on about 5 out of 30 in the classroom, and guess who teacher's going to favor? (the cultural capital thing).
Not that I am saying that I do not feel sorry for your exhaustion. Just that, for many other teachers I've known, they do so mindlessly, repeat the process annually, and at the end of decades of work, they suddenly realize that they are old, and don't know what happened in the intervening years.
Now that you've been teaching for some years, I think it'd be good to get out and study about your job - education is one of those things where theories cannot be appreciated without some practical grounding; I think at least for me, it was an eye opening experience to be able to connect the problems and issues I'd been having with larger social movements and trends in education that people have been talking about, and have been devising solutions for, for some time now.
and oh yeah, fun doing nothing?
not offended at all, but i think what could be giving you the impression is the choice of material that we blog about. It'd hardly be worth reading if all we ever said was "ugh! assignment due next day!" or "stress! tutorial sessions are so demanding!".
:)
hang in there, school year is closing. :)
I know where you're coming from. It's not that I haven't tried. In fact, I think part of the tiredness is that I just expect these kids to do stuff that's probably "beyond" them most of the time. I know that these kids aren't lower in mental capacity compared to others. Perhaps you misunderstand. I just think that because they belive that they're more stupid so they don't try. Perhaps, it's like they believe they're more talented in other things besides school like tattooing, video gaming, chasing boys, etc. That they don't need to learn to think or be a responsible human being because...well I don't really know. They can achieve what i "think" is relatively simple. It's just that they need to be given lots of help, rather pushed to do it. Perhaps it's mostly attitude also. Mostly, they just "don't feel like it". By "it", I mean studying or striving for their best. Most of them believe that obstacles are NOT meant to be moved and mediocre is the honourable ideal. Of course I know all about cultural capital and societal structured bias (majored in sociology). I'm a product of society, just like everyone else is. Let's just say I've already dealt with a lot of my biasness and I'm still dealing with them. It's just that I'm tired that's all. Tired of pushing, chasing, nagging, threatening...baby-sitting. It's time for someone else to all of the above. In the first place, I've never felt like I really belonged in this sch but the minute I walk into a convent I feel like I'm home. Don't suppose Serene would understand this?
Of course you're right, it's good to take a break and reflect. I guess I do need that. Of course I know you guys don't do "nothing". Just that YOUR mundane sounds like fun compared to mine. No? The mossie thing was totally funny BTW. It's much more exiting than my life at the moment. Sincerely.
i think the problem is with a society that defines success in such narrow terms (9A1s, 5Cs), and that schooling is used as a discriminatory device to select the 'elites' from the 'bums'.
I'd agree with you that they need all the advantage they can get, but whatever little i've seen of classrooms like those you describe, I've seen that there is a distinct apathy from the kids. It's like they know that they are going to be screwed over by the system, and so they are already electing to not play the game, hence their attitudes.
Oh, just so you'd know, I am not being critical of your position. I am in full sympathy of the difficulty in your position, and I'd say that it would not be a place I would like to be.
Go teach at the convent? :)
You need a change of scenery. :) go for that holiday at the end of the year. You sound like you deserve it!
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