A teaching career in brief
Chapters
1. My life in brief. Boils down to why I think I have any knowledge to impart to budding teachers. Emphasise being particularly bad at it initially so How I overcame ineptness is relevant to tyro teachers.
2. Skills now versus skills old. Using internet now versus no help at all in my initial year.
Danger I was with HF whereas today if he could buy it a teacher would have seen the enormous danger it represents online.
Knew HF etched glass so put wax on glass prisms to mark them MBHS and then put acid with a brush on etched wax. Hence breathed in fumes. Glenn Scherell and Alan Thomas as well as me would have been affected. I suffered on Friday afternoons going down to the pub after school and finding enormous pain in my side after a couple of drinks. Did not realise until years later that the HF was damaging my kidneys.
Need a list of all these.
Solar eclipse over Denmark and not being able to get much information. Taking a truck load of students down there but not knowing what was possible with an eclipse except what not to do so they did not get as much benefit as they might have.
3. The dangers of becoming a teacher. Story of Natalie getting rid of my career. Grateful at first. Story of Bob Cross persecution.
Symptoms of stress with nurse who then disappeared.
Malcolm Crosbie report. Effect it had recently when I reread my response and had to go to hospital because blood pressure was 196.
ASHS. Lying daughter of politician who claimed I had hit her while on duty.
Kuwait and the completely out of control students. Test with no talking but they did and got zero. Told to leave. Classroom not a science room and as far from the equipment as was possible. Classroom with no lock/key, projector not working, had to find computer chap on my own. Other schools worse according to the computer teacher. Mainly South African teachers.
Security chap at BIS and girl who claimed money taken because he insisted she did not spread her stuff over 3 lockers. David believed her.
Making books at ASHS and Max McDonald not having a clue about it.
Money from making books was good for ASHS but meant I would not repeat work at SFSHS because Ron Turner was obviously out for Ron and not the school. He had not paid for a small TV he had taken home that had been used as a computer screen the year before.
Teaching computing in 1985 at Melville SHS where they used Commodore 64s and not having any exercises left by the previous teacher. Describe my method of teaching computing and consequently needing a computer at home. Bought one for me with a printer, floppy disc drive, modem, all for around $2,200 which was a lot in those days. Look up wages in 1985. School refused to help. ($24,187 from spreadsheet 1985_wages_tabn075)
4. Experience as in charge of the Adult Education Centre at Mount Barker.
Sue McLeod and the home help at the Reserve. Going there with her and Rotary working on a building while the residents all sat around watching, not being invited to participate.
Arthur Braden from next door who worked at the abattoir cutting up sides of different types of animals.
Photography class.
What other classes?
The Head of the primary school and the class with the aboriginals and others from the prison. Numeracy and literacy.
5. My year as Deputy
Enter my office and be caned. Solved the problem of new teachers with classroom discipline. Jim Krakouer crying first time and then not holding out hand second time. 2Two students caned for running on verandah outside science room Tom Spencer decrying the action and then having two ribs broken by a student running on the verandah.
Making a new timetable each term I.E.3x with the difficulty of Options meaning needed their numbers to make timetable.
Not caning student from Hazel Greenslade.
Stress of last minute changes.
6. Nigeria 01
BIS
Phys ed teachers
First Year a Canadian liar
Second year an Australian who was not very bright. Ukrainian wife to be. 70 countries but did not note that Korea had an alphabet.
Female science teacher to replace Chris Smith who left mid year. She was from the USA. See my comments elsewhere.
7. Lugbe
New design for science labs.
Zena not having a clue about science labs.
Zena sending me to London for the sales pitch and then not reimbursing my money
Alade being difficult
Walter and me working on library design
Walter getting sack and then dying
Peter and Jimo being good maths teachers but as results were bad were sacked
Lack of security for staff, Frances left
Getting cancer. Initial doctor, boil. Mrs Olatunde Biology agreeing not
Next doctor it had gone
BKK ultrasound, 4 lumps, biopsy 4 days too long
Abuja National Hospital surgery
Finally after VP sent me to doctor as school took a month to not get medical sorted
Dr Ogbe wanted more data
Thailand changed diagnosis
10. South Korea 01
Incheon
Six lies by Fred
Apartment near school Pointed to one down road but not the one
USA got 1,800,000 won. Me 1,700,000 won. He was a young drunk.
Taxi one 2,000 won to station. Taxi two 4,000 won on scenic route.
Corner store charging too much the first time. Finger on balance.
Efficient bachelor apartment. Describe the apartment with a drawing attached.
Furniture left on sidewalk when people moved. Computer desk and chair.
School owners cleaning USA room when he was coming whereas in Thailand someone would have been employed to do it.
Fat Canadian USA fucked. Just friends.
Apartment not suitable hence needed new school.
Guri
Finding the apartment. Three with degrees but only after three tries. Set theory for finding a house. Internet workers in truck coming along street as I walked out and guessed they were for me.
Ice on road causing bus to be 11/2 hours late. Standing on ice waiting.
Walking over to the Wat and on second walk finding a tank depot for the army.
Meeting the textile firm owner and going with him to his horse riding, out for dinner (dog)
On bus to home and bad smell half way due to shit from septic being used on crops.
Dog hind quarter hanging up in Market at Guri.
Dogs in kennels as we drove around/ for dinner
Myra or whatever her name was from one of the XXXBeks
Husband had gear for horse riding
No one spoke English
Prepared exercises with the aid of a dictionary
At two schools. Second insisted on a bought text book in second year. Parrot fashion talking not reading.
In second year they were to do without me except I was set up to join English teachers school near school two.
After tests off to dinner with raw fish/ Japanese style thought to be good.
11. South Korea 02
Gwangju
With Linda to where dinosaur eggs had been found. Have some photos.
To island where seaweed sold. Have photos. Good to add or could have on BEST EDUCATION TOURS website for them to look at after they read the book.
To autumn leaves park
Cherry blossom on trees at fairground down road from school Have photos of the trees and students.
Aquarium with a praying mantis that I fed with moths to show wildlife at work.
Getting a science storeroom built.
12. China
No equipment
Coke bottles for mass
Need to buy a set of scales
Balloons
Donkey
Builders Measuring tape
Phone has a stopwatch hence three at least in a class
Set of steps
Leave on arrival apartment so bad. No one could speak adequate English
Length of day 7.30 – 5.00 pm
Fog stop buses, no way
Bakery with good bread gone next day
Haircut 15 yuan
Riverdance
Lewis telling students what expt was about, both IGCSE and A Level
Michael Gare and Beijing
Chemistry class being shown what to expect when I walked in
Second year Wallace bought equipment
No science rooms but equipment in leaky storeroom - exoffice
Downstairs store implemented without consultation
Trolleys made by Linda plus equipment ordered after Lewis made into Chinese and Linda looked up the equivalent of eBay
Exams to Cambridge standard
