Practicum = apprenticeship

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . September 30, 2009 . 1:05PM

Part of me longs for the “good ole days.” The other part of me, the part that loves her migraine meds and air conditioning wants to smack that longing part in the face. However, there is something about the way things used to work that appealed to me. Old school courtship rituals, propriety (of which I have an utter lack) and learning skills by apprenticeship are all things that intrigue me.

Often, usually when I’m most fed up with my education and the book-learnin’ aspect of getting a doctorate, I feel the longing inside me for a simpler time. I’ve discussed this repeatedly with my supervisor at my office. I often wish that I could just observe her and soak up her knowledge like a sponge. The woman is a genius.

I feel the same about my practicum supervisor. I see how she works with children and how she draws them to her. She has them complete tasks, like a wizard of achievement testing, and I’m in awe. These people are in their element and they are good at what they do. I know why I need to be in school, but I’d much rather watch these people, full-time, and learn from them.

My education is important to me. When I’m not learning something, I grow moody (no comments from the peanut gallery) and I will start grabbing anything I can get my hands on to learn. If I’m out of school for too long, I start feeling worthless. I have things to work on in regards to how I relate my education to my feelings of self.

But I’d rather just watch and learn hands on. I think I’m just being pulled in too many directions this semester, and several of my classmates have expressed the same. Fall break can’t come soon enough.

Maybe I should have been a shoe cobbler?

My dogs smoked the doobie.

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . September 29, 2009 . 12:24PM

No, my dogs aren’t druggies. I don’t give my dogs drugs. Get off my back animal activists, it’s just a title to draw you in and it worked, didn’t it?

What my title MEANT to say was that my dogs have impaired memory, but how many of you would have showed up for that particular party? Yeah, I thought so. Sometimes, it’s necessary for me to trick you to get you to show up. It’s like telling you I’m having a drinking party and then really having a dinner party with grandma. Sorry, it has to be done. I don’t want to sit at dinner alone.

Now, let me let you in on the goods. My dogs have no memory. Yours don’t either. You know they don’t. You can go to the bathroom and they think you’ve been gone for an hour and a half. Some of you may very well have been gone that long, but most of us haven’t and the dogs are thrilled! THANK GOODNESS YOU’VE RETURNED! I NEVER THOUGHT I’D SEE YOU AGAIN!

Times this happens to me:

When I get the mail.
When I go to the bathroom.
When I go upstairs.
When I get books from my car.
When I leave the room to make a phone call.
When I go outside to get the other dogs.
When I go to the gas station down the street and come back.

NO concept of time or memory that I was just there. In other words, they have some long-term memory (sit, stand, shake, hugs), but no short term.

This was made more clear to me last weekend. We had several men to our house. Every time the dogs would come into the room, they would bark at our friend, BS. Then they would promptly sniff him and decide “OH, I KNOW HIM” and jump on his lap and give him kisses and hugs.

Smokin’ the doobie. I’m just thankful they don’t have the munchies.

The Pot Spider

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . September 28, 2009 . 4:41PM

Today, I need a nap. Some days you are the Pot spider…hopefully none of you are the crack spider. I’m not implying that I do drugs or that any of you do, either. I’m just saying, enjoy the video.