5am, we hardly knew ye
Sep. 27th, 2011 05:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fadagaskiMy sleep cycle is apparently so used to being cut short now that I woke up at 4.45am without prompting. I am putting the extra time to good use by watching Ice Age and reading porn.
Uni is going super-duper well. I'm really enjoying the intellectual challenge of, like, everything. Seriously, 3 years out of academia has rusted more than a few brain cells, so it's fantastic to flex those muscles again.
Like, okay, yesterday my English group got a behind-the-scenes tour of Durham Cathedral for our project, which is to explore ways of bringing our locale (ie. Durham) into our subject (ie. English). The cathedral has been used in a few movies - including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Elizabeth so we've been brainstorming ways and came up with, like, an entire scheme of work spanning independent and group work as well as English, Media and Drama, and runs the full gamut of descriptive writing to script to writing for purpose and audience to context to ... well. We tick a lot of curriculum boxes. It's been AMAZING.
Also, our lectures are totally cool. Well, mostly. This being Durham, and these being teachers, there're some attitudes I've come across in the past couple of days that horrify me. For example, yesterday's lecturer - who has an adopted son - implied that a non-nuclear family was inferior to a nuclear family. And this was in our 'Safeguarding Children' class. She also refused to even contemplate the idea that organised violent sports (like MMA, Judo, etc) were constructive outlets for kids who would otherwise becoming social problems. Okay, the cagefighting is a bit extreme IMO too, but her whole attitude to the concept of redirecting negative energy in problem children was just so derogatory. Bah.
And today we have two different classes. The first is on our rights as teachers, and covers such fun topics as "What to do when a child accuses you of sexual harassment". Vital lessons, but also scary. Our second lecture is going to cover Diversity in Schools. Pre-reading includes one (1) pamphlet on racism in the classroom, and about eight (8) from Stonewall on tackling entrenched homophobia. Those eight? Make me SO ANGRY. I can't even describe. My horror at the quotes - actual quotes, from actual practicing teachers - fills me to the brim. The number of teachers at PRIMARY LEVEL who let slide terms like "poof" and "fag" because the boys using those words don't associate them with homosexuality. The number of teachers - actual practicing teachers - who claim homosexuality is morally reprehensible and would advise kids against pursuing it.
And let's not even get started on the fact that Durham have filed those pamphlets under 'LGB'. Not LGBTTIQQ2SA. Not even LGBT. Even the pamphlets themselves, from an organisation seeking to demolish homophobia at grass level, include an anecdote about a Primary school boy who liked to cross-dress and don't point it out as being Trans or Genderqueer and not [just] 'gay'.
I'm really worried that today's lecture is going to be a study in ignorance, because not only are trans/gender issues swept under the carpet, but this is DURHAM. This is TEACHER TRAINING in DURHAM. Even if the RE student teachers don't pipe up with something offensive, that still leaves about 180 other trainees from the upper middle class tax bracket with alarmingly little exposure to even the most basic of gay issues.
If my worst thoughts are realised, and new levels of douchebaggery are reached in class, I will stand up and speak for gay rights, and queer rights, and trans rights. Because when I'm an English teacher, I want my classroom to be a safe space to discuss those issues. I want to normalise Otherness for kids. I want to provide somewhere for discussion, for confidence. I will not tolerate any homophobia in my vicinity. That's the kind of teacher I want to be; less about my subject knowledge (though that is important, obviously), but more involved in broadening minds, pastoral care, BEING THERE for kids who need a neutral adult to talk to.
Sunday shift reminded me why barwork can be the best. It's definitely all about the customers. This one particular one, let us call him Eton because I'm fairly sure that's where he went to school judging by his accent, was at the bar. I asked him what he wanted. He stared into space. His friend nudged him. Eton blinked and said, in the poshest accent imaginable, "Oh! So sorry for being a space cadet!"
I managed to hold back hysterics until he was gone, and then I laughed so hard for so long I couldn't stand up, and my abs hurt. And then the other guys on shift kept saying and I kept dissolving again.
Then I went and danced in the kitchen for five minutes, if by 'dancing' you mean 'flailing around like a moron' - and I do.
Then the manager tried to feed me a wedge of coffee grinds (as a joke) but it exploded in his hand and went all down my shirt. So I had to go strip off in the bathroom to wash COFFEE GRINDS out of my BELLYBUTTON.
I didn't get home until 1.30am, and I was up at 5.50am, but when shifts are like that? It's totally worth it.
Uni is going super-duper well. I'm really enjoying the intellectual challenge of, like, everything. Seriously, 3 years out of academia has rusted more than a few brain cells, so it's fantastic to flex those muscles again.
Like, okay, yesterday my English group got a behind-the-scenes tour of Durham Cathedral for our project, which is to explore ways of bringing our locale (ie. Durham) into our subject (ie. English). The cathedral has been used in a few movies - including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Elizabeth so we've been brainstorming ways and came up with, like, an entire scheme of work spanning independent and group work as well as English, Media and Drama, and runs the full gamut of descriptive writing to script to writing for purpose and audience to context to ... well. We tick a lot of curriculum boxes. It's been AMAZING.
Also, our lectures are totally cool. Well, mostly. This being Durham, and these being teachers, there're some attitudes I've come across in the past couple of days that horrify me. For example, yesterday's lecturer - who has an adopted son - implied that a non-nuclear family was inferior to a nuclear family. And this was in our 'Safeguarding Children' class. She also refused to even contemplate the idea that organised violent sports (like MMA, Judo, etc) were constructive outlets for kids who would otherwise becoming social problems. Okay, the cagefighting is a bit extreme IMO too, but her whole attitude to the concept of redirecting negative energy in problem children was just so derogatory. Bah.
And today we have two different classes. The first is on our rights as teachers, and covers such fun topics as "What to do when a child accuses you of sexual harassment". Vital lessons, but also scary. Our second lecture is going to cover Diversity in Schools. Pre-reading includes one (1) pamphlet on racism in the classroom, and about eight (8) from Stonewall on tackling entrenched homophobia. Those eight? Make me SO ANGRY. I can't even describe. My horror at the quotes - actual quotes, from actual practicing teachers - fills me to the brim. The number of teachers at PRIMARY LEVEL who let slide terms like "poof" and "fag" because the boys using those words don't associate them with homosexuality. The number of teachers - actual practicing teachers - who claim homosexuality is morally reprehensible and would advise kids against pursuing it.
And let's not even get started on the fact that Durham have filed those pamphlets under 'LGB'. Not LGBTTIQQ2SA. Not even LGBT. Even the pamphlets themselves, from an organisation seeking to demolish homophobia at grass level, include an anecdote about a Primary school boy who liked to cross-dress and don't point it out as being Trans or Genderqueer and not [just] 'gay'.
I'm really worried that today's lecture is going to be a study in ignorance, because not only are trans/gender issues swept under the carpet, but this is DURHAM. This is TEACHER TRAINING in DURHAM. Even if the RE student teachers don't pipe up with something offensive, that still leaves about 180 other trainees from the upper middle class tax bracket with alarmingly little exposure to even the most basic of gay issues.
If my worst thoughts are realised, and new levels of douchebaggery are reached in class, I will stand up and speak for gay rights, and queer rights, and trans rights. Because when I'm an English teacher, I want my classroom to be a safe space to discuss those issues. I want to normalise Otherness for kids. I want to provide somewhere for discussion, for confidence. I will not tolerate any homophobia in my vicinity. That's the kind of teacher I want to be; less about my subject knowledge (though that is important, obviously), but more involved in broadening minds, pastoral care, BEING THERE for kids who need a neutral adult to talk to.
Sunday shift reminded me why barwork can be the best. It's definitely all about the customers. This one particular one, let us call him Eton because I'm fairly sure that's where he went to school judging by his accent, was at the bar. I asked him what he wanted. He stared into space. His friend nudged him. Eton blinked and said, in the poshest accent imaginable, "Oh! So sorry for being a space cadet!"
I managed to hold back hysterics until he was gone, and then I laughed so hard for so long I couldn't stand up, and my abs hurt. And then the other guys on shift kept saying and I kept dissolving again.
Then I went and danced in the kitchen for five minutes, if by 'dancing' you mean 'flailing around like a moron' - and I do.
Then the manager tried to feed me a wedge of coffee grinds (as a joke) but it exploded in his hand and went all down my shirt. So I had to go strip off in the bathroom to wash COFFEE GRINDS out of my BELLYBUTTON.
I didn't get home until 1.30am, and I was up at 5.50am, but when shifts are like that? It's totally worth it.
