It is more than a month since I joined IIITMK. How do I feel about it ? The first few days of course went in discovering this lovely sea side city. It was also an experience getting used to a new work place, new colleagues, new culture. Once the euphoria has died down, it is time to take stock and look ahead.

I noticed that in this one month I did not pick up a quarrel with anybody. I did not have to scream at anybody or bang the desk in pent up anger. Which speaks a lot about how I feel here, and about this place itself. This place is not without flaws. But these are flaws which people are sincerely trying to correct. This is such a great contrast to the four years of torture I faced in our JNTU colleges back home. How can one set of people be so methodical and professional, and another set of people be so incompetent and foolish ? How do these JNTU colleges survive and make money, in spite of all the chaos which they create and nurture, and all the dumb people they have recruited ?

I hope this feel-good mood will last for the rest of my stay here. I hope I will never have to show the other face of 'dynamite" Partha to these people. Keep your fingers crossed and taped.

partha

Poetry Challenge has started up again through the great initiative of my friend featherdawn who has kindly offered to do it on her blog.  She showed some photos of the beach, with logs strewn around, and asked us to use these as our theme.  This is what I came up with.  I hope it is presentable.  Please feel free to offer any comments or help as to how it can be improved upon.  Thank you in advance.

WISDOM

 

As grains of sand wend their way through my toes

And breezes cool my sun-parched skin

I am reminded of how swiftly life has flown.

 

Memories take over, reminiscences grow

And I wonder if the best that life has to offer

Has come and I am doomed to dwell in the past.

 

Then I recall how oft much accomplished

Has taken place by individuals matured and

Weathered by the winds of adversity.

 

Having walked through thick, smoldering flames

Of coal, and on ice so thin I’ve delved to the depths,

Experience has taught me well.

 

I arise from the sand, dive into the swell of the

Waters soothing my psyche, feeling awash with a

Renewed wonder at my own creativity.

Bonniegirl July 2008

 

 

 

 

I thought it's been a while since i updated my dedicated readers (i've learned recently there are at least a couple!) on my life... as opposed to the more usual news stories that i find most interesting and share-worthy.  So, here it is:
I've been watching a lot of movies on DVD or online on Netflix, it's much more value for your money now that you can also watch a lot of them online from their Site.  Unfortunately, to do so, i have to use "the Borg's" [Star Trek reference] Internet Explorer instead of Mozilla Firefox which is what i prefer to use the rest of the time.  I also got caught up on The Office (season 2 & 3 via Netflix and season 4 via NBC's Website).  The Office (USA version) has an actor who is a Baha'i, by the name of Rainn Wilson, in case you didn't know.  He also had a supporting role in The Last Mimzy (love it!) and Juno, which i'm hoping to finally see this week, as it's playing at the Olympia Film Society's Theater this week. And on Lost, from the ABC website.
And in brief:
Had a stye on my left eyelid last week, didn't go to a doctor since i don't have medical insurance yet (but will soon-- see job news below) but managed to treat it with hot certified organic green tea bags over a few days (green tea has some anti-bacterial properties)-- and prayer    0;^) .
Almost finished studying Arising to Serve (Ruhi book 2) and looking forward to soon doing the practice for it.  Also, i'm currently facilitating a Twin Manifestations-- Ruhi book 4 study circle on Monday evenings, which is also very enjoyable.
On Saturday morning i observed the Bell Misogi and Aikido class at Olympia's fairly new Aikido dojo-- it's only been around for about a year and a half.  This Saturday or by next week i'm planning to start training there, even though my Gi is currently lost (i still hope it'll be found though), but they said i can train in street clothes for now, so i'm glad about that!
I recently finished reading The Kite Runner and will soon finish Khaled Hosseini's next book A Thousand Splendid Suns.  They're both great books!  Well worth reading.
And, i finally got hired for a full time job as an assistant teacher at a "Head Start" preschool.  I filled out the paperwork on Monday, lots of it :^p  And and got a clean bill of health from the doctor.  It's called "Roger's Head Start" and is on the same grounds as an elementary school and/or kindergarten in N.E. Olympia-- that's one of the great things about it: that it's in Olympia (as opposed to one of the many nearby towns)!  It's a full time job. (but not during the summer).  I'm very happy about it, i think i'll enjoy it much more than some of the other options that i looked at/applied for.  Together with the part time theater work i'll be able to get through the summer financially, now, even if i don't get a summer job, but i'm probably going to try to get one, anyway.
I'll be minding the kids on their bus rides and also assist in the classroom for the afternoon class so it'll still be a 40 hour week.  And i'll be able to get full Benefits through it (i.e. health insurance).  It pays $9.25/hr. Which is not all that much but good enough for now, since, importantly, it leaves my evenings and weekends free for Theater work and Baha'i activities.  I will be one of the follow-spot operators for The Rocky Horror Show in June and July which will be very fun, i'm really looking forward to it!

myclette has just told us that it is National Poetry month, and environgirl asked her to write a poem each day this month.  I thought this was just what I needed to get my butt into gear and do some fun writing again.  I may just keep them light; this one certainly is, and I hope you all enjoy....please feel free to write poems as well...I would love to see what all of you friends can do...I challenge you!

 

I will do day two and three tomorrow, so that I will be up to date.

Here goes; enjoy!

 

APRIL FOOL

 

I recall on this day, the one time when I

Was a substitute teacher, and oh, my, my, my!

The littlest tyke, in third grade was she

Pulled the wool o’er my eyes, beautifully!

 

She entered the room, had one leg well bound

She’d sprained her ankle and fallen aground

When she’d played in the park the previous day

I had no doubt that it had happened that way.

 

An hour went by and then we were called

For the library hour, ‘twas way down the hall

Down a flight of stairs was the way to the room

To walk all the way would surely be doom

 

That little miss hobbled so slowly

That I decided to help would be holy

I picked up the darling and took her downstairs

Depositing her at the desk with her wares

 

I wondered at first why she’d said she was fine

With the bandaged leg, and the dragging in line

I even carried her back up the steps

Just to discover that tradition she’d kept

 

“April Fool” she said, with cheeks that were red

She yanked off the bandage; that’s all that she said

Almost went skipping back down to class

So happy that she’d made of the teacher an…. ass!

 

Bonniegirl April 2008

 

 

This is officially my very first blog. I'll have to be honest, I was a little nervous about putting my thoughts out there for everyone to view. I am looking for anyone who would like to comment on becoming a middle school teacher. My plans are to teach 7th or 8th grade Social Studies. Do you think there is still a need to teach Social Studies? My thought...more than ever! I believe it's very important for students' to understand the world around them because we are becoming more of "one" world. The United States does more now than ever with other countries.

 

I am currently a second year college student working towards my Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education. I'd love to hear from anyone who has any advice for me. What do you wish someone had told you before becoming a teacher? What is the best part about being a teacher? What is the worst part?

 

For one of my assignment’s I was asked to create a blog about my class and if I would use “blogging” in my classroom. I’ve heard that student’s tend to be a little more honest when asked to write something online. This could be a bad thing, but I think I would actually enjoy reading comments by my students. This would be perfect for those who don’t like to speak up in class, but at the same time I could get them to share their feelings about a subject.

 

For example, if we are learning about China I would ask them to blog each other on what they’ve learned about China and their thoughts. I think I could get a real sense of how the students feel about the subject matter. I could treat it like a discussion board students complete for online courses.