I love you, Lego...

This is acceptable.

~Mr.T

Teacher, teacher, can you teach me?

A few weeks ago, my principal knocked on my door and asked if I would be willing to have one of the new education students from the Medicine Hat College come to my class to do some observations.  Without much in the way of hesitation, I quickly said yes, and made my way back to my desk feeling just a little more confident than I was 17 seconds before.  Surely, after nearly 8 years of teaching it was time to be able to pass on a little more of the sage wisdom I had accumulated to one in a rising generation of eager educators.  This would be interesting.

And then I woke up this morning, and realized that I had no idea what I was going to say.  I panicked a little.  Well... maybe more than a little.

I spent most of the morning thinking about my own experiences as a student-teacher, both failures and successes.  I remembered the feeling of hopelessness and rejection during my IPT (Introductory Professional Term) as my first mentor teacher essentially locked me away in an office after teaching my first class of the day for nearly 4 weeks straight.  Apparently my German wasn't good enough and she felt it would be best for me to plan for most of the day instead of being in the class.  While I passed the practicum, I was so turned off by the experience that I was certain I no longer even wanted to be a teacher.  I set my sights on a permanent position with a landscaping contractor and figured that I would at least finish my degree and be done with it.

On the other hand, I also remember my APT (Advanced Professional Term) and the relief at being able to work with two mentors who let me experiment and figure things out for myself.  I was allowed to form relationships with staff and students and given the freedom to play with the curriculum instead of feeling limited by my own weaknesses.  Rather than hide me away, they let me own my time at the school.  I won't make the claim that I was an amazing student, but I will say that my passion for teaching was rekindled.  It was that feeling that I left home with the desire to recreate.

After meeting my student and giving her a quick tour, she got to work writing detailed notes over our routine for the morning.  I would try to touch base during the classes but I also wanted her to come to her own conclusions about what went well and what didn't work.  Before she left for the day, I sat down with her and said that I was not a perfect teacher and that I made mistakes all the time.  As a student-teacher, I remembered feeling overwhelmed with the desire to do what my mentors wanted me to do.  That was what I mainly felt would be the path to success.  As I look back on that, I realize how wrong I was, and that's what I told my student.  I said that she shouldn't hesitate to find her own groove and inject her own personality, talents, and perspective into her approach.  After all, if she couldn't be herself as a teacher, then what is she ultimately hoping to accomplish?  There is no one mold for being a successful educator.  At the core of this profession is a passion for learning: in creating that feeling in others and maintaining it for yourself.

CHHS eSports: Our Humble Beginning

When we had our first meeting back in January, the top game request with nearly 50% of all votes cast was Smash Brothers for WiiU.  So, naturally, that's what we're going to start with.  I managed to secure a copy of the game along with a brand new WiiU Mario Kart Bundle.

I'll be the first to admit that Nintendo is not always to first choice among hardcore gamers who craze somethine more intense or realistic.  However, I maintain that no other game company can create the kind of universal and downright fun like Nintendo can.  Perhaps that's one reason why I still like their games so much: it's about keeping it approachable and accessible for everyone.  I can come home from work, help my own kids with their chores, and all of us can run downstairs, grab a controller, and have a blast!  That's not always something easily done with their competitors in an age of gritty photo-realism, stylized violence, and toxic online communities.

It's my hope that as people see our small group grow, it will lead to great things.

Well, what if there's no tomorrow?  There wasn't one today.

Groundhog Day remains one of my all-time favorite films.  Too many classic moments.  I've written about this before so I won't overdo it.  I will, however, share this little gem.  The world needs more Ned Ryerson.  Bing!!!

~Mr. T

Shout-out to my Fitbit!

So... I'm kind of a big guy.  I certainly wasn't always that way but I certainly fell out of the good habits that I had while growing up.  And I ate way too much junk.  Probably still do, if I'm being honest.  

About a year-and-a-half ago, I got a Fitbit for my birthday.  I had heard about them from some friends and colleagues and, though I thought the gift 'cool,' I wasn't initially sure just what kind of an impact it would have on my personal fitness.  I certainly wasn't expecting miracles and I was wary of being just one more bandwagon cheerleader who would temporarily espouse the virtues of said product-of-the-day.  So I tried it, quickly getting used to the feel of around my wrist and enjoying how much fun my boys had figuring out whether or not I had reached my daily step goals.

Yesterday, I got my first summary for the full year, which I've posted below:

It's worth noting that I am still not what would be considered a fitness buff.  Let's just say that I'm still not at the point where I would be eager to take up competitive swimming anytime soon (Speedo!).  However, what my Fitbit has done for me perhaps more than anything else is to give me a better idea about how much, or how little, I'm actually doing.  There are many days when I go to work and I feel like it's non-stop from the moment I arrive until the moment I pack up to leave.  And then I check my Fitbit.  More often than not, I will feel the need to press pause on my departure and tell myself that I can do little bit more before heading home.  Or, if I'm not quite at that point where my daily goals are done, it might affect the choices that I make later in the day.  I might be more willing to realize that if I couldn't be bothered to head into the fitness centre and do my run I probably should dive into that bag of chips or simply park myself onto the couch.  It's for that and other reasons that I continue to wear mine with pride, as long as plastic on the bracelet holds up.

So, here's to you, Fitbit.  One more example of how knowledge can be power.

Semester Break

As a teacher, I have come to appreciate and value to role of structure and routine.  However, there are times when I sit at my desk and I realize that I'm going to be spending a lot more time in my classroom teaching, answering many of the same questions, and working around a lot of the same material without too much variation.  That can be a little overwhelming and maybe even a bit disheartening, hence the push to keep things as fresh as possible and avoid falling into a rut or becoming complacent.

I do look forward to the semester break at our school because it gives me an opportunity to shake things up with some new faces and a new classroom dynamic that can be difficult to achieve in a year-long course, like my Grade 8 Humanities courses.  Now, this isn't to say that I prefer one course or grade level over the others.  I am merely pointing out that something as simple as a class change can be a good way to get a much needed shot in the arm that helps to push me forward for at least the next few weeks.  It's like when my wife is gone for a few days and I'll rearrange some of the furniture for her.  It isn't anything too groundbreaking but it's enough of a change to bring in some enthusiasm.

I'm Starting an eSports Club!

Just before Christmas Break, I organized a meeting for those students who were interested in setting up and running an eSports Club.  Those not necessarily versed in gamer-speak are usually a little confused by the term so I dug up this little video which might explain the concept a little bit more.

When I met with my principal to explain the concept, he shared a couple of what I felt to be pretty valid concerns, mainly focused on the fact that there are many teachers and parents who feel that kids don't need more time playing games.  I told him that I understood and for that reason, the focus of the Club would be to promote friendly competition amongst a demographic that has not always been typically included or targeted in extracurricular activities.  Furthermore, our eSports Club would promote socialization and peer building through gaming that can't happen when students are by themselves.

I had over 30 students across all grades show up at this meeting and it was awesome!  There was an energy and an excitement that I hadn't fully anticipated and I couldn't have been happier with the response.  The challenge, now, is to build everything from the ground up.  While I've already been able to secure a few resources that will allow us to have something that we can call our own, we'll have a lot of work to do if we want this to become something truly memorable.

I'll report on our progress here, including our first intended event which will be a Smash Brothers tournament.  If there's anyone who has questions, feedback, or other suggestions, please send an email to chhs.esports@gmail.com.

Further resources worth looking into, especially from a parent perspective and the issue of students and gaming, can be found here.

~Mr.T

Here We Go Again...

Well.  Not much to say here that hasn't already been said.  So... here's a picture!

If I'm being honest, and I really should be here, I think that I'm more occupied with trying to come up with something insightful or entertaining to impress other people with instead of just writing.  This is a blog that not many people will see, and more especially when I'm not even working on it.  I need to practice what I preach to my students and just get into the habit of reflecting and getting my thoughts out there.  I won't promise that they'll be in any logical significance or order, but if the goal is to write then I will have at least achieved that.  

What's Your Star Wars Number?

I can't really begin to describe just how absolutely psyched I was to see Star Wars Episode VII.  From the moment they first announced the project in 2012, I was thrilled to be able to see a new, updated effort to revive a franchise that I have loved since I was very young.  I have vague memories of seeing bits and pieces of Episode IV as kid when Super Channel was more of a thing.  It just stuck with me and I grew up loving those movies, and ultimately felt the disappointment that many other fans experienced with the Prequel Trilogy.  I enjoyed them, but not in the same way, and Episode VII represented a chance to rekindle that feeling of wonder and amazement that I remember feeling as a kid.  And boy... did it live up to the hype.  

I bought my tickets for opening night a full two months before the release and had a countdown in my classroom where I eagerly ticked down every single day.  By the time opening night arrived, I couldn't stand the thought of having a terrible seat and waited with a few friends for over 2 hours outside the theatre (so worth it).  From the moment the lights dimmed until the credits began to roll, I couldn't help but feel like they had done what they set out to do.  I was excited and overwhelmed, in fact, that even though I got home quite late in the evening I couldn't fall asleep and just sat in my living room trying to process all the excitement, anticipation, and new questions that I had.  Two days later I saw it again.  And again.  And ultimately enough to tie my previous record for most theatrical viewings of a film, which remains at 5.

Excessive?  Perhaps.  Do I regret it, though?  I think you know the answer.  And only 321 days until Star Wars: Rogue One! (Yes... I have another countdown up...)

The Witness on PS4: I Want That!

With limited time and a more discerning eye, I'm often on the lookout for new gaming experiences that will be different from the standard fallbacks that so often dominate the industry (looking at you, CoD).  This is a new release that has really caught my eye, and I'm actually thinking about incorporating some of this into future blogging just for the heck of it.

Here's a trailer.

I can't say if it's necessarily featured in the game, but I'm also really liking the music.  Something about a good cello evokes a certain grandness that I've always enjoyed.  The song can be found here.

Project-Based Learning: I survived!

At the beginning of the school year, our middle school team was able to take advantage of a two-day session that gave us an introduction to Project-Based Learning, or PBL.  At the time, I wasn't 100% sure how I felt about it... I liked the idea of seeing kids take ownership over their own learning but I wondered how successful some would be with the lack of traditional structure.

A colleague and I came up with the idea of focusing on the Age of Exploration and having kids plan out their own voyage to the New World, based on the context of being in Europe/Spain shortly after the return of Columbus from his first journey to the Americas in 1492-1493.  We would supplement their traditional learning about what happened with story excerpts to help paint a clearer picture of what life at sea would have been like at the end of the 15th century, have students write their own journal entries documenting and describing the experience, and ultimately pitch their proposal the Catholic monarchs of Spain.

Having tried the idea and processed the successes and failures, I can at least say that I'm not a PBL noob.  I played around with a new approach and learned some things about how I need to approach this context in the future, as well as how I can more effectively foster that understanding within my classroom.  I suppose it's a good thing that I didn't feel like I was so done with it, and I've actually been thinking a fair amount about how I can improve the project moving forward.

I don't always take the chance to play in the classroom.  I still worry more than I should on whether or not I've sufficiently covered required content and just how much of a balance I can have between student and teacher-directed learning.  I'm glad, though, that I tried.

I Bought a New Minivan

Pretty self-explanatory, but it's the first brand new vehicle that I've ever owned.  It was definitely time to put our previous van, a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, out of it's misery.  After putting nearly 150,000 kms on it, the time felt right.

So I got me one of these bad boys...

In my defence, minivans are very different from when I was a kid.  They're cool now... right?

~Mr.T

Hobbies

As a way to get back into the writing, which I have been doing terribly at for the past few months, I will be doing the same posts along with my students.  I decided to keep today's topic pretty straightforward in the hopes that it wouldn't be too difficult to think of something to write.

Hobbies are something I don't always feel that I have the luxury to think about.  The demands of career, family, and other commitments often leave me feeling like I don't always have the time to invest in the distractions that I have regularly enjoyed in the past.  Occasionally, though, even with piles of marking to be done, there is a need to remove myself from what needs to be done and have some fun.

For years, despite the most well-intentioned efforts of an athletic father, I developed a passion for playing video games.  I would read about them in magazines (you know... before the Internet), and get together with friends to talk about and enjoy them.  My first foray into the world of gaming began after a family trip to Great Falls where my parents purchased the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Behold the 8-bit glory that was the essence of gaming for many children of the 1980s.  It won't be surprising to those of us who grew up during this time that most parents referred to all gaming as 'playing Nintendo.'  Whatever it was called, I quickly came to love it, although most games I had back then remained unbeaten... I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have not yet beat the original Super Mario Brothers.  I've found other digital successes, though, and this was before the era of excessive achievement sharing.  

While I don't game as much as I used to, which is something that my good wife is most appreciative of, I do get to play with my kids now.  To be able to race together on Mario Kart or crush one-another in Smash Brothers has been a incredible joy.  Contrary to what some critics have maintained about the hobby, it can be quite social when the right efforts are made.

Until next time.

~Mr.T