When all is said and done.

Well, the due date for the blog is up, and now this is just for me. A reflection of my journey through this crazy process we call life.

It has been a wild roller coaster ride these past couple of months. I have learned a lot. A lot about theorists, class room management, and even the stars and planets lol! Most importantly, I have had the pleasure to have been exposed to a mixture of teachers ranging from good to extraordinary; exposure to them have helped me build my own personal teaching beliefs and values.

I belief that everyone is responsible for their own learning. But what happens when the system over loads you so much that real learning stops and it spins you into a fight or flight mode?

I have to take responsibility for my own actions, time management, and setting up support systems to help with my academic learning. But as I going through this process I am left wondering if I were a teacher would I do this to my students? Does this type of "just put your head down and get through it" and learn it later on, on you own time mentality align with my own personal values and beliefs? Don't get me wrong. I truly believe in refreshing the knowledge you have learned in the past. Myself I am excited to reread my Teaching From the Inside Out book by Jim Parsons. The key word is refreshing, not just learning the concepts after the course is done because you found your self in a corner and had to choose to spend your time on another project and had to give up your Jim Parson reading assignments in order to get just get by.

Here is a real life concept. When you start a new job they "chuck" your learning. What that means is that they take everything that you need to know in order to be successful at your job and they break down into little sections at a time. They know if they overload you with too much work and information your not going to obtain what you need to know. Also there is a some give and take, so that if you are sick, which it happens; that missing those couple of days have not put you so far behind that you are constantly playing catch up.

Why does it feel like there is such a disconnect between the real world and college life. I thought as teachers we are suppose to use real life concepts in order to get our students prepared for the real world.

In all honesty this is the views and opinions of a stressed out and tired college student in the midst of exams. After exams are all done, and I am rested, I am sure upon further reflection I will have new positive insights and perspectives of my first year college experience. Someimes I wish college was like a job where it does not consume all of your time and energy. I miss that balance between work and pleasure.