The Montreal Gazette opens my eyes

There was an article today in the Montreal Gazette, the first of a 3-part monthly series, about boredom. Specifically about boredom in schools. It's interesting stuff and I recommend it.

It's been about two and a half years since the last time I taught an English-second-language course, and I finally realize why I hated teaching them so much. It's because they were insanely boring. Oh, don't get me wrong. I didn't try to be boring. But I was inexperienced and consequently following the textbook, and the textbooks really aren't very interesting at all. Let's face it: all my students were adults, many of them with advanced university degrees, many of them from other countries with a wide range of experiences. They were smart, capable, and motivated. So what did we talk about? Grammar. Oh, sometimes I brought in a Dave Barry column or something (though I wasn't technically supposed to), just to shake things up. But I think, looking back, I probably would have been bored in my classes. I was certainly bored when I tried to take French-second-language classes back in January. That lasted all of two weeks.

I love teaching. I love giving workshops at Pennsic, instructing karate, and working as a one-on-one writing tutor where I can give individualized feedback. But spending an hour working on the present perfect progressive? Or discussing topics that treat educated adults like seven-year-olds? No wonder I was bored. And if I was bored, I can only imagine what my students felt like.

Life lessons from the dojo

First karate class today. I watched the yellow-and-orange class, and then the green-and-blue class, and then I participated in two white-belt classes, one for super-beginner white belts and one for "advanced" white belts. All told, I enjoyed myself. I didn't think I'd get much of a workout, but I did. My legs hate me now, but I knew that was going to happen. Will I continue at this dojo? I'll think it over tonight, but probably yes.

Back when I was doing karate at my last dojo, I started an occasional series called "life lessons from the dojo," wherein I tried to draw lessons from stuff that happened to me during my karate classes. I think I'll continue that series now, and you're welcome to read it or not, as you desire.

( Life lesson #1: 'Advanced' is a relative term )

( Life lesson #2: It's the little things that trip you up )

( Life lesson #3: Sometimes the mind is strong but the body is weak )

( Life lesson #4: With age and experience comes privilege )

( Life lesson #5: Good pain is still pain )

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll have more the next time I return to the dojo. Until then, I shall nurse my sore, unhappy legs and not take too many stairs.