I need to decide on a topic – a “Research Question” – if you will.

There are several ideas floating around in my head at the moment, some of which are clearly more viable than others.

Maybe a list would help:

1. Choose a topic in the LC chemistry syllabus, and design a few classes in the “inquiry” based style.
2. Write a JC science textbook “as Gaeilge”.
3. Develop an IT-related something, maybe a website, for either JC science, or LC chemistry.
4. Create a DVD of the LC chemistry experiments.
5. Translate one of the LC chemistry books into Irish.

So, I think that is all the ideas I had.

Clearly, numbers 2 and 5 are out – I might get a chapter or two done of each, which doesn’t seem like an awful lot. Unless I looked into writing a chapter or two in irish, in an enquiry-based method. Hmmm…

Number 4 is definitely out – there is already one of these floating about somewhere.

Numbers 1 and 3 are therefore the likely runners.

1. It would be interesting to look at one or two smaller topics in the LC chemistry curriculum, develop a series of maybe 6 classes based on the “Physics by Inquiry” method, and try them out in one or two schools over the next few weeks. A bit of thought is needed when it comes to the actual topic, but that bridge can be crossed when we come to it.

3. I really like the idea of doing something IT related. Perhaps making a website, or learning how to use Moodle properly, and setting up a Moodle site. I’m not really sure how this would work when it comes to actually being used in a classroom setting – it is definitely not something that most teachers would feel comfortable in using themselves.
I think that it would really come into it’s own if it was being used for distance education, for those students who are being home-schooled, that kind of area, as well as for students who are trying to do homework, and need a bit of extra help.

What do I do?

So, there are the two ideas I have narrowed it down to.

I need to go to the library tomorrow and get some books – and pay the fine I owe.

The oul’ nerves finally decided to kick in – about an hour before the exam! At that stage, being nervous is useless; there is little point in starting to worry about an exam when you have no time left to do anything about it!

As it turns out, the exam didn’t go wonderfully well. I had prepared, and prepared, and prepared some more, so I was actually pretty well prepared. Based on the exams from the past few years, that is. Which, in fairness to me, and my classmates, were very similar every year.

Until this year, that is. For some unknown reason, the lecturers in question had decided, whether jointly or otherwise, that it was time to shake things up a bit.

And, so, of the seven of us in my class, there were not too many happy faces at the end of those two hours. Which is an awful shame, when you think of it. After three and a half years of hard (and I use that word with a grain of salt) work, it is disappointing when the first of your final exams doesn’t go well.

All in all, having gone into the exam thinking I would do pretty well, I am a bit disappointed. To be honest, though, I don’t think I did too badly. I will be happy with 70, 60, perhaps even as low as 50%. Anything lower would be devastating.

In any case, we didn’t have much time to sit around crying over spilt milk, as they say. The next exam is at 9:30 tomorrow morning, and there is plenty of preparation to do.

That is why I am sitting here, writing this. I’ve hit some kind of barrier. I’m back at the stage where I feel no motivation to work any more tonight. So, after posting this, I will make up my mind. Do another hour, and maybe get something done, or head to bed, and start again early in the morning? Decisions, decisions…

On a lighter note, I have been recently listening to a lot of Bach. Namely the Bach toccatas, as played by Angela Hewitt. Which are lovely. It would be great if I could get to that stage of proficiency in my playing. Although her playing is far, far beyond proficient.

So, that’s about all I have to say for the moment. Slán go fóill.

I generally find it difficult enough to motivate myself, until the last few days before the exams, when I really get a serious amount of work done.

This year, for some reason, it hasn’t worked like that. I did a fair amount of work in the first week of study break, and then seemed to slack off a bit in the second week.

I don’t understand why, but I haven’t felt the pressure of a looming exam, and somehow, I’ve just managed to coast through the past few days, doing a little bit of work here and there, but really not as much as I should have been doing.

They are half of my final exams, in ainm Dé!

In any case, I have had enough revising for one day, regardless of how much I have actually managed to cover. Thankfully, tomorrow’s exam isn’t until 2pm, so there is time in the morning for some last minute cramming.

Hopefully by then I will begin to feel some nerves, maybe a few butterflies in my stomach.

What a lovely image….

I had a lovely time at home over the christmas holidays. Two weeks of actual holidays, followed by two weeks of studying. Not my favourite way of passing the time, especially at home, but it has to be done, I guess.

I do love being at home, though, even if I am studying. There is something to be said for waking up in your own bed, wandering around in your pyjamas, having your meals cooked for you.

Nothing beats Mom’s cooking.

In any case, the countdown is coming to an end. Tomorrow is the last day of the study break, and then the exams begin on Monday.

Woop!

It’s not even that I have too busy to post.

Call it what you will, I have realised this evening that it is 8 months (months! yes! eight of them!) since I last posted here.

I don’t do new year’s resolutions, but if I did, blogging more would be one of them.

On the basis that they are not new years resolutions, here is a list of things I would like to do this year, or do more often. And do them well. At least, to the best of my abilities, and that is all anyone can hope for, isn’t it?

1. Blog more.
2. Understand how to make nice websites. Ones that look nice, and work well.
3. Use the knowledge from number 2 above to make some websites. Nice websites, that work well. I think we’ve covered this.

When it comes to non-internet-related things, which I guess are somewhat more important than those in the first list above, there are a small number of fairly specific goals I would like to meet, along with a few more general…. let’s call them… hopes:

1. Most important thing I absolutely, positively must do this year is pass my finals. It’s been a long, hard slog so far, and it would be a shame to fall at the final hurdle, so to speak. And I don’t mean scrape through with 45 or 50%. Without meaning to sound like I am blowing my own trumpet, I have been top of the class every year so far, getting a first each year, and I don’t mean this year to be any different. I refuse!
2. Contingent on passing my exams, but nonetheless important, would have to be finding a job once the summer arrives, if I haven’t one lined up already. What kind of job, I hear you, my readers (if I have any), ask? Well, given that the qualification I am currently studying for is a B.Sc. in Science Education, in DCU, the logical course of action after four years of teacher training would be to find a job teaching. So, that’s what I’m planning at the moment.
3. Once I have fulfilled the first two goals, anything and everything else this year will be a bonus. These include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• • Building a model rail layout (more on this anon)
  • Learning a new language (possible but unlikely, given number 1 above)
  • Travelling more (quite possible, more on this at a later date)

So, I guess that’s enough for now. I know there is some theory about how writing down your goals helps you achieve them. Then, I recently heard an opposing theory that sharing your ideas with other people, and hearing their praise for having such good ideas, provides enough self-affirmation that most people go no further with their grand plans. I have experienced the latter, but I’m still hopeful that writing down what I hope to do in the next year or so will be motivation enough to give it a go.

Referring back to the beginning of this post, I think that may have been what was lacking in the last few months.

Motivation.

Tomorrow is my first day of teaching practice. I am trying to get a lesson plan done for my double class with the first years. A nice little topic – Separating Mixtures.

Problem is, the teacher has done all the teaching, and all I have to do is to revise the chapter tomorrow. Grand, says you, what is the problem there?

Well, I don’t know if the entire thing has been covered. I don’t know how well the students understand the topic. I don’t know if I do a really quick run through, because they know it all, or if I should spread it out over more than just tomorrow’s lessons.

I do know that you should always underestimate your students when teaching. It’s better to go through it slowly and make sure they all understand, rather than trying to cram too much into a lesson.

I guess I should take it easy. Plan for a certain amount, but don’t expect if you don’t get it covered.

Anyway, I can always ask the teacher in the morning, and revise my lesson plan. Roll on half past two! I’m dying to get started.

I was struck by something Sean Connery’s character just said:

A bittery disappointed teacher can be either very effective, or very dangerous.

He was referring to a teacher who wrote a novel, which was rejected, and then instead turned to teaching english.

It reminds me of that saying

Those who can, do.

Those who cannot, teach.

I don’t like that saying. It infers that those of us who decide on teaching as a profession couldn’t make it in the ‘real world’. We failed at having a proper job, and so decided to teach in that subject area instead.

This is unfair. I never wanted to work in a laboratory for the rest of my working life. I wanted to actually do something worthwhile with my life. So, I chose to be a teacher.

I had an interview last week for my teaching practice placement, and one of the first questions the principal asked me was why I wanted to be a teacher. Yes, the obvious answer of “June, July and August” sprang to mind, but that isn’t really the whole story.

I had a few good teachers in school, and have had the opportunity to see a few others in action, as well as to see the effect a good teacher has on the students. Especially those who lack motivation, or are otherwise disengaged.

I want to be one of those teachers. I want to have a positive influence on the kids I teach.

And, when I graduate, that’s what I plan on doing.

I’m back at home again, in West Kerry. So, no broadband again.

I’m spending the two weeks at home trying to update Dad’s business site www.saildingle.com. I’m learning how to do stuff properly with Dreamweaver. It’s ‘fun’. Well, actually, it’s alright.

So, that’s it. I know I pretty much dropped off the face of the earth over the Christmas period, so if any of you are following my Twitter stream, sorry.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

It’s exam time again, and I had my first one today. After two weeks of feeling completely complacent, I had a little twinge of panic this morning. If only the nerves came earlier, I would work harder!

In any case, it was fine. In fact, it was probably better than fine. There was really only one or two parts of questions that I couldn’t answer, so I’m guessing it will be around the 70-80% mark. Which is nice.

What annoys me about those one or two parts, well, one in particular, is that they came up several times in the past few years, but I still didn’t learn them. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Still, one down, two to go!

We have a test tomorrow morning, and once that’s finished, it’s Holiday Time!

Woohoo!

I’m going to dinner with some friends tomorrow evening, and then most likely a few drinks. I’ll head down to Kerry on Saturday. Hopefully, I won’t overdo it tomorrow night, and the head will be fine for the drive.

Holidays! I’m so excited…