the hidden curriculum of your life

Its cold, it's cold, it's COLD! ... But thanks, God for the rain!

To escape this cold weather, I am getting right outta the state. Monday, I am going home. And I'm kind of happy, because I hate Bendigo right now. Perhaps going to somewhere with 'a little less civilisation' will make me feel a whole heap better.

My fish is dead.

I'm waiting the day when I'll be normal, when I can quit being cynical, when I can shake off the feelings that seem to hit my mind. "Oh but Sammy, you're just being discerning!"

It has now been a week since I finished prac. When I first got off it, I thought I'd be a mess, but I'm surprised as to how well I've adapted back into uni life. It certainly has been better having less contact-hours, although, I've been up at 6 nearly every morning anyway to try and get assignments done (I'm a morning person).

Although I've done well getting back into it, today was exceptionally hard. I went back to kids4life much, and to tell you the truth, I struggled to get through the doors. This along with a heap of crankiness caused by stress and no sleep didn't help. The whole time all I could think was about my kids on prac, how you just knew that kids were hurting there. It breaks my heart, and I feel guilty about it.

I felt as though that God was drifting a bit of my attention towards the window, where outside were all the kids that werent at the program (as it is up to the parents as to whether they can participate or not), that He cares about them too! There's so much hurt and hunger that these children are feeling that don't get the chance to be impacted by our program.

But with that I felt that God was telling me that I have a remarkable position as a teacher - I can reach the unreachable. Just because I am not under an official mission or because I am in a public rather than private school, this does not mean I am not doing God's work. Now don't think my life goal now is to go into schools and corrupt students, let me introduce you to a term I have learnt about this semester: The Hidden Curriculum.

The hidden curriculum is basically the unplanned learning, the values that a teacher gives forth to ones students.

Although this is a teacher term, I've been thinking about it a lot lately in how this concept is applied in every day life. We have our curriculum - what we need to get done and achieve, people we need to see, things we need to do. But how we go about it is the important part. What values and 'unplanned learning' happens extended to what we already do? (I hope this makes sense)

These kids trapped in a struggle and
Don't know where they're heading, no
A head full of trouble is all they're getting
And nobody knows the suffering they go through
And you wouldn't believe 'em if they told you

- These kids, Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets

... and don't tell me off for posting music that isn't J-Pod, because this is reality.

Kids are hurting in the exact same ways I have, if not worse, and I don't think I'm doing enough to reach them...

hari dua

Yesterday... I got up at 6am, all ready for prac.. "Kachinnnga!"

Last night... a tired little Sammy, at roughly 10pm..

(that doesnt even look like the same person!)

Today was a good day. Have been getting to know the kids. They're not perfect, but they're a wonderful bunch with character! Steff, you will be pleased to know one of my kids were misbehaving by singing Grace Kelly today, although he didnt know the order of the lyrics, so it was a tad amusing, him standing on his chair with his terrible singing "why don't you like me!"

I sat in art with the kids a little while, which was a really great time to just sit and chat with the them. I ended up talking with my new Port Power friend, and he wanted to know all about my life in South Australia, and how many games I've been too and all that jazz. Then he asked if I had a boyfriend or if I was married... umm?

Its time to get into the real stuff: the planning. This is what teaching is all about. I've had it easy, but now it's time to get serious. (AHGH I just realised I need to do ENS too!) I have a lot to plan. Some PE lessons, Literacy, even a whole LOTE lesson without another LOTE teacher, as she is on leave. I got to work out what to teach them though, because VELS isn't very specific.

The girls in my class are pretty cool. Yesterday they complimented me on what I was wearing. When I was doing bus duty they all said "bye Miss Smedley!" When I was leaving the school, one of the parents came in and told me that their son had been talking about me, and that it was all good stuff. That was a real confidence booster.

I have a lot on my mind, but I'm really enjoying this round a lot. I'm very close to saying its my favorite so far, but I've only been here two days, so its too early to say.

"Sammys passionate about hurting children" ... that can be taken two ways :|