You can find previous Brain Dumps here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21. Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41.
... and that finishes my second year of the Masters. Now, if I was studying full time, then that would have been the completion of the degree and I would be ready to move into braving the hellfire of obligations and mixed interests that seems to be the teaching profession! But... I'm studying part-time and doing that pretty half-heartedly as well.
I just got back the results from my last assignment and I was pretty dubious about what I had handed in... but for some reason, the marker thought it was great and I ended up getting a really good mark out of it. Story of this degree... I submit what I think to be borderline poop... and I get good marks for it. I'm more inclined to think that this is a serious indictment of how lame academic culture is rather than some unrealised quality on my behalf. Or perhaps, just ignoring the restrictive framework of a nonsensical and bare comprehensible assignment guideline is the way to go... and just write and talk about what I want to, regardless of how tangentially related it all is.
Now, I'm up to my third year and hitting the placement problem... the rules for completion of these placements is that you need to do a 4 and then 6 week BLOCK of teaching. Well, you can see how that is going to be a bit difficult if you plan on doing anything else... like working or juggling family. To make matters worse, it seems like you need to complete the blocks within certain designated times... which for this coming year, are smack bang clashing in the middle of touring and other performance work. Sigh... so, it looks like I'm going to have to try and figure a way out of this... or just keep deferring until there is a clear block during which I'm free. Although, if I am not working for a month and a half, well...that would indicate some serious other problems! Eeeeeeep...
To add to the mess and confusion, there appears to be a labyrinth of certificates, tests, and qualifications that I need to do before I can even think about seeking placement... and then seeking placement is also stupidly confusing. Messed up jargon, useless websites, and nothing is clear... pretty much par of the course for Australia and the digital/communication landscape here. People talk and write in meaningless corporate/academic jargon... and I think it is mistaken for being wise and smart... it is just confusing and opaque. But woe to the person who asks for clarification and help... just read the @#$#@%$^% website! The one with broken links, and non-existent or out of date information with no contact details.
Bah... in some ways, if I don't complete this degree... it won't be the worst thing, but my pride sort of demands that I finish it. I hate starting something and then not completing it... even if I don't want to be a teacher! But all of this experience behind negotiating the placement process is a nightmare... and it is the teacher experience in a nutshell. Overly complex, confusing, and a mindless waste of time to get to somewhere that could be much much much simpler... sadly, we are teaching our students to do the same thing, that being opaque and mindless is the outward representation of "intelligence". The less others understand... the better you must be....when in fact, the MORE that people understand... well, that is actually the true trick to understanding and communicating that intelligence! But yay... for academics and business people... mediocrity posing as something grander. Fodder for Linked-in...
I can also be found cross-posting at:
Hive
Steem
Publish0x
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