Jesus H Christ.
An utterly murderous week. And an utterly brilliant week. So anyone still reading this will forgive me the use of a tired old cliche - an emotional rollercoaster.
Today I passed my second crit. University tutor sitting in on my lesson, watching my every move; dissecting my lesson plan; watching each and every pupil for signs of disengagement not being picked up on by yours truly. My third year class were reasonably well engaged for the first three quarters of the lesson - and bored titless for the last 10 minutes - so I managed to pass the crit on the bigger part of the lesson. Parallel resistors ? It kinda bores me titless too.
Am I happy ? Well, yes, but not for passing the crit. Yesterday I took a second year class through a chemistry lesson on producing some compounds - specifically iron chloride and copper chloride. A class that - one week previously - had brought me to my knees and made me question my entire future, had given me my most enjoyable lesson so far. Two-way questioning, experimental work, laughs, and successful learning. Pikey 13/14 year olds engaging in chemistry and demonstrating clearly that they had enjoyed my lesson - 55 minutes of life-affirming activity that sent me home with the biggest grin I've ever had with my clothes on.
So in the space of a week, careerwise I've been the most unsettled I've ever been - and I've been the most exhilarated I've ever been.
In "Parenthood" one of Steve Martin's downward-spiral films (which probably started with the last 10 minutes of Planes, Trains & Automobiles) his mother-in-law describes her fondness for a particular type of fairground ride - some rollercoaster or other - in preference to the more sedate type of ride.
It feels like I'm currently on Sheikra - the world's mentalest rollercoaster.
6 comments:
Well done that man!
Thank you. Sorry about the absence of line breaks. I wrote all that with a couple of beers in me.
Ah yes, beer, the destroyer of text layout...
Chemistry is much more interesting that physics...!
Oops - I mean "than". No beer or wine involved.
Yer kidding. Chemistry is second only to biology in the Zzzzzzzzzzz stakes. "Today children, we're going to test yet another leaf for starch..."
Cue riot.
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