“A reader lives a
thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only
one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
42 days to go...So I'm currently sat
highlighting, post-it-ing and attempting to absorb my first uni suggested
textbook. Most of you reading this are probably thinking 'why is she doing it
so early?' The truth is, I like to be prepared... Probably the control-freak
part of me.
The book is actually somewhat insightful.
I'm only a fifth of the way through and it has already encouraged me to
question what I already know. I caught snippets of classroom culture during my
time as a Teaching Assistant, but I never really examined it properly. Starters
had the students hooked from the word go, activities seemed to flow seamlessly
into each other and plenaries were succinct and perfectly polished to evaluate
the learning of the lesson. The question I find myself grasping at now is...
How on earth did they do it?
You see, dear reader I have a tendency to
get a little overexcited when I'm talking about or showing something I'm
particularly interested in. Though in a one-on-one situation, I can generally
tell when the other person wants me to shut up, when I'm teaching something and
the other person/people are actually engaged, I tend to lose track of time.
Before I know it, the bell has gone and my time is up.
I suppose this will be all down to
practice makes perfect... planning and preparation will be my friend in this
instance. But what if I over/underestimate my students? What if I plan too
much? What if they don't have a clue what on earth I'm going on about?
So, as I sit highlighters in hand, trying
to comprehend half of what I'm reading (which to be honest is becoming rather
difficult at half past eleven at night) these questions are floating around in
my head and I'm sure many others will form too.
The final hope that I have, is that after I have finished this
textbook (and the other that follows it) I will be able to look at what I'm
really looking forward to:
The novels, poems and plays.
I love to read... though you may not think so after reading my
above comments, but reading is my passion. The ability of a story to transport
you to a place you have never been, experience a culture that is unfamiliar to
you, push you to consider a thought that otherwise may not have crossed your
mind. If I could spend my life curled up with hot chocolate and a mountain of
books... I'd happily do it.
Poems I just find interesting. The rhythm and language authors
achieve fascinate me. Messages and opinions spoken in a way that does not force
the writers view upon you, but merely asks you politely to consider their point
of view and to think about your own life in relation to it.
And well really, let's be honest... Who doesn't love a good play?
(Cue a number of hands going up)
These books, poems and plays will be my reward for wading through
the technical terminology and complex contents I am currently going through.
I just hope I can get there before the summer ends.
