Let me point out that gray hair runs in my family. Almost everybody on my mother’s side gets gray hair at an early age despite living a stress-free lifestyle. Notice that I said “stress-free”. I used to live a stress-free life before going down the path of pedagogy. Don’t get me wrong. It is a well-rewarded path but – oh, my God – it sped up my graying process.
life
I’m not feeling so hot. I’m feeling drained. It’s like I’m running on fumes. This rarely happens to me and it’s a little unsettling. Luckily, I’m writing nearing the day’s end – on a Friday – so I can finally get some rest. Maybe I’m just exhausted. Either way, I’m going to keep this short so I can rest.
I’m typing from my office because we all have to work on Sunday because of the upcoming National Holiday. It’s a Chinese thing. If the students are going on holiday, they have to “make up’ those days on the weekends. So, here I am…trying to keep busy. It’s not bad, though. “Keeping busy” actually comes easy to me.
This is my first year teaching eleventh-grade English, and I’m already doing well. English III has always been American Literature in the States. The best example of history affecting literature and vice versa. I made a promise to my students that I would be as objective as I possibly could. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be, but the promise was still there, and my students appreciated that. Or, at least, I think they were. Again, they are teenagers, so it’s a toss-up. Now, for the debut week of school…
I have a lot to prepare for my students. Lesson plans. Loads of PPTs. Story-gathering. Worksheet creations. You get the gist, so I’ll be quick.
Let’s just get it out of the way now. New Zealand was amazing and I have the pictures to prove it. Haha! The people were so friendly and accommodating. The food was hearty and amazing. And the Maori were just as strong, sexy, and welcoming as I imagined. Plus, my first rugby game was a great success as it was as eye-opening as I was told. I need to read up on it so I can watch more games. Oh! I have a new tattoo. A tribunal panther tattoo on my chest. I would regale all my experiences, but I think it would be better if you go to my Instagram and see for yourself.
Now! I must get back to work. Please don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads) on my web page’s right side. Also, I love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and Fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2024. Even though I’ve just completed my challenge for this year, I’m obviously not stopping. Right now, I’m at 157 and I start work soon so…
Just one more week and I’ll be in another city. Another few cities, actually. I will have my assignments written and downloaded onto my tablet. I’m also making it a rule I’ll make for myself the most obvious—no working on holiday. Well…of course, threaded discussion. Okay. Okay. An hour a day for my final course project but – other than that – NO REAL WORK!! Now, what will I be doing in Zealand?
So, right now, I have to edit all my short stories from my 2020 Short Story Project for my 2025 short story collection. I have to say…it has been a humbling experience to know that my stories were decent but needed much improvement. I have to thank experience and higher education for that. I’ve always been told that 20% of creative writing is taught while the other 80% is improved through experience. So? Why am I saying the obvious? Well…I’m back in school.
I have a month and a half left of school and then my students will be able to enjoy the fine relaxation of the summer holiday. Sure, I’m contractually obligated to do the summer camps, but I’m looking at the prize at the end of it all: New Zealand. That’s right. I’m planning my trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud. Or would “Middle Earth” sound better. Either way, I am beyond excited to go as it has been on my list of places to travel to.
A writer is someone who has taught his mind to misbehave.” – Oscar Wilde
Yes, indeed, that is a fact. Being a writer has allowed me to forgo the rules, break from the norms, and challenge the minds. In this day and age, it’s practically a requirement. A writer must be able to understand the rules of life to represent it in their writing. More importantly, they must understand life’s rules to point out societal problems.
Just finished one of my major projects for my Linguistic Class and a thought occurred to me. In November 2022, I started my side-quest of getting my Master’s. Initially, it was supposed to be an MFA but my past laziness came back to haunt me. No worries, I’ll just get to it when I move to Spain – maybe I can learn at the same university I’ll teach at. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. I’m looking at my calendar and…I’m five classes and a final course away from finishing my Master’s!