Chinese Day.

Today's the day.

In the past 18 months I've travelled to China twice on study tours of their education system. Today my Chinese colleagues arrive for a study tour of ours.  They will also bring a number of students with them to spend a week in our classes, interacting with our students, and doing a bit of sightseeing. Yes, yes, you will see koalas.

It will be wonderful to see Hunter again. We became pretty good friends on the first visit, consolidated that friendship on the second, and this time he'll be on my turf.  Which means I can now control the game.  Mwah, ha, ha, ha.

Lot's of work to do to ensure their comfort and 'optimisation' of study. Plenty of time for socialising. Far too short a visit.

I hope you all have a fantastic time here in Australia.

Writing Lots...

...but not what I choose to be writing.

I'm only a month or so from completing a University course, and I'm behind in my assignments. I had one due recently that I just wasn't going to get submitted on time, mostly due to the two week study tour of China I undertook a month ago. As such I asked for an extension, which was granted, and so I've spent a lot of time catching up on my reading for my studies.

Now this is an area of studies that I'm interested in, and will definitely help my career. Unfortunately the main text book we use is quite theoretical and heavy going. Also, I'm an old fashioned learner - I like to be in a classroom, face to face with a teacher and other students and learning as much from the discussion as I do from the readings. Forums, online readings and posts don't quite do it for me, and I'm finding this much harder going than I anticipated.

And so much of my weekend has been taken up with some reading and writing my assignments. Still, the pain is only for another month and then I'll (hopefully) be free of this kind of learning and I'll be able to devote my writing time to the kind of writing I like.

Until next time, that is.

Ooooh, And The Storm Is Threatening...

Last night I watched storms race across our night sky.  For several hours lightning lit the clouds - about once every thirty seconds.  It was beautiful.

My dogs had a bit of a bark every time the thunder rolled.  One of them because she doesn't like thunder, the other because the first one barked. They kept this up for an hour or two, even after I went to bed.  Fortunately I was so tired that it really didn't matter.

You see, last night the real storm that was brewing was at work.  We had parent-teacher interviews, and although I managed to miss the really bad weather, I went into it wearing all the waterproof gear I could.  I certainly expected a downfall from a couple of parents.

Some of my colleagues were hit full on.  Apparently these days it's the teacher's fault if the student decides not to do any work in class. The child is no longer responsible for his/her own actions (or inactions).  The teacher, however, is fully to blame if the kid fails.

It's interesting how karma always comes around to bite you on the bum.

I teach English - a more interpretive kind of a subject.  I mean, with maths and so on there is usually a right or a wrong answer.  With English, it's more about stating a contention and then having to prove it.

But here's a little clue for you all. There's a science to English that can be expressed in a simple formula.

Not paying attention in class + doing no work = fail.

Hmmm - now that wasn't so hard, was it?

You want to pass - then do the work.  And stop blaming others for your lack of effort.

When I Grew Up And Went To School...

Motivation is a curious thing.  We say we want to do things, but make all the excuses as to why we can't. Of course I'm as guilty of this as the next person, but there are some who take it to new levels.

I see it often in my students - young adults who tell me of their hopes and dreams and plans for the future.  They tell me of how much they want to do these things.  Usually these plans require some kind of goal, a particular score on final exams in order to enter an establishment of further study and I always advise these students of how they can reach those goals.

But what I don't see anywhere near as often is the corresponding effort.

As with most things it's easier to talk about it than to actually do the work.

Once again I'd like to point out that this is something I'm guilty of also, although I'm definitely improving and writing more and more often. But unlike these guys I don't have an exam at the end of the year that gives me a result that sees whether I get into university or not. I don't have the sorts of goals that require a pass in English. And I already have a job.

It's easy to see things differently with experience and age, and we can never put old heads on young shoulders.  They are, after all, teenagers.  Also there's only so much I can do. I can't force them to learn and to work if they don't have the motivation.

But I do my job to the best of my ability, teach the course content well and pass on my sage advice and wisdom - along with the occasional kick up the backside when they need it.

And now and again students turn themselves around and actually surprises me.

Now those are the moments.

Could We Have A Bit More Volume On This One, Charlie. It's Gonna Need It...

I've finally bought myself a small stereo unit for the study.

I've been meaning to get one for ages, but have just always prioritised other expenditures as more important.  Last week, however, I decided it was time, and with my trusty and faithful friend by my side we went and checked out all the Hi-Fi supermarkets and electrical retailers.

With our combined four ears we listened as salesmen played us demo discs and gave us facts and figures - most of which we ignored because I had a fair idea of size and sound I expected for my price range.

I don't need iPod docks, and MP3 players, or multidisc stackers, or flashing lights.  I do want some kind of tone controls, three ways speakers for a bit of dynamic range, and something that doesn't look like it was designed by the same people who design teenagers' sports shoes.

I finally found something I was happy with - a compact Panasonic with bass and treble controls and a great little sound for the unit.  This is just a small unit for my study - I'll save the big money for the bigger, better unit for the living room.

And so as I type this I have some music playing here at last, and my wife is happy too.

She doesn't have to listen to my 'crappy' music anymore.