On Thursday I met Mike Plautz, my observing teacher for my 300 field experience. It was nice to be in a school environment again; anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoyed my 200 field experience. I will say, though, that Hellgate Middle School is the most maze-like center of education I have ever been through. I'm sure I'll decipher the layout in time, but for now it's a little bit intimidating. Anyhow, enough architecture.
I don't feel like I was able to get a good feel for Mr. Plautz's classroom in the time I spent there. It was an early out day, and the classroom activities consisted only of announcements and finishing up the rest of a documentary the class was watching. I got to introduce myself to each of the classes and observe Mr. Plautz as he reviewed the previous section of the video everybody was watching, which dealt with the last mass extinction event about 13000 years ago.
I could see that Mr. Plautz is an effective teacher, and knows what he is doing. His students were all very well-behaved, but when they became distracted by side conversations, Mr. Plautz was able to refocus them (with a short verbal warning, usually just saying the offending student's name) without his lesson being derailed. As for his teaching style itself, though I haven't had much of a chance to get a full picture, it seems fairly effective. He tends to ask a lot of questions and promotes class discussion.
One part of the day that struck me was when a child asked if the meteor that possibly caused the extinction burnt off all the hair of the mammoths and if that was where elephants come from. Instead of just saying "no," Mr. Plautz took the time to follow the child's train of thought and help him reach a more correct conclusion. To answer the question, he asked in turn if two parents with tattoos had babies with tattoos, and the kid answered no. He then said we'd discuss that particular topic later in the year, and we moved on to the movie. I definately look forward to observing Mr. Plautz, because I feel that there is a lot he can show me that will help me improve as a teacher.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Journal Entry #3 (C&I 426-01): The 5 E's
The purpose of this entry is to write down an original class activity that utilizes the 5 E's: Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation.
Lesson subject: Mitosis
Required Student Knowledge:
The first step is to create interest and curiosity in students, start the class off with a question to challenge them and incite discussion. This also gives the teacher a picture of the studens' prior knowledge of the subject. For mitosis, specifically, it it may be good to ask, "Do you think you have the same amount of cells now as you did when you were born?" and "Where do cells come from?"
Exploration:
Have the students swab the inside of their mouths, fix a slide, and stain the sample. In an active class, students should already have experience with these things, but if that is not the case, this activity doubles as a great introduction to basic microscopy. Have students draw what they see cells doing. Since oral epithelial cells divide often, there should be good examples of cells in all phases of mitosis.
Explaination:
Tell student about the phases of mitosis, and have them group their pictures according to which phase that particular cell is in.
Elaboration:
Have students look at cells on prepared slides in specific phases of mitosis so that they can get a clearer picture with ideal specimens. Have them also look at a cross section of an onion root tip to show that mitosis also occurs in plants. Introduce terms (Mitosis, Anaphase, Telophase, etc.) Now is when students can get into the big ideas of Cell Theory, that all cells come from other cells, and such. Ask them what they think it means that all cells come from other cells. This exercise can lead well into meiosis, genetics, and evolution.
Evaluation:
Students should be able to identify all of the phases of mitosis and put them in order. An evaluation where they have to alternately draw a cell in a specific phase OR identify the phase a shown cell is in. Ask students why cells cells divide in the first place, and ask them what they think the purpose of a chromosome is. Using this picture of prior knowledge, the teacher can more easily construct an effective lesson on genetics or a continuation of cell theory.
Lesson subject: Mitosis
Required Student Knowledge:
- Basic cell anatomy (rudimentary organelle structure and function)
- Cell Theory (life forms are made up of cells, all cells come from other cells)
- Phases of Cell Division
The first step is to create interest and curiosity in students, start the class off with a question to challenge them and incite discussion. This also gives the teacher a picture of the studens' prior knowledge of the subject. For mitosis, specifically, it it may be good to ask, "Do you think you have the same amount of cells now as you did when you were born?" and "Where do cells come from?"
Exploration:
Have the students swab the inside of their mouths, fix a slide, and stain the sample. In an active class, students should already have experience with these things, but if that is not the case, this activity doubles as a great introduction to basic microscopy. Have students draw what they see cells doing. Since oral epithelial cells divide often, there should be good examples of cells in all phases of mitosis.
Explaination:
Tell student about the phases of mitosis, and have them group their pictures according to which phase that particular cell is in.
Elaboration:
Have students look at cells on prepared slides in specific phases of mitosis so that they can get a clearer picture with ideal specimens. Have them also look at a cross section of an onion root tip to show that mitosis also occurs in plants. Introduce terms (Mitosis, Anaphase, Telophase, etc.) Now is when students can get into the big ideas of Cell Theory, that all cells come from other cells, and such. Ask them what they think it means that all cells come from other cells. This exercise can lead well into meiosis, genetics, and evolution.
Evaluation:
Students should be able to identify all of the phases of mitosis and put them in order. An evaluation where they have to alternately draw a cell in a specific phase OR identify the phase a shown cell is in. Ask students why cells cells divide in the first place, and ask them what they think the purpose of a chromosome is. Using this picture of prior knowledge, the teacher can more easily construct an effective lesson on genetics or a continuation of cell theory.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Journal Entry #2 (C&I 426-01): Reprise
On Tuesday, I attended the Watershed Education Network (WEN) volunteer training. Oddly enough, I soon found out, my biology teacher in High School, Mr. Pedersen, did the same thing with my class once on a field trip. We tested the water for dissolved oxygen and measured it's pH, identified indicator species and macroinvertibrates, and judged physical characteristics of the stream. I believe that Mr. Pedersen must have attended a few of these WEN training sessions.
All in all, I had a great time of it. More importantly, I am now able to volunteer with the program and get experience teaching kids in the outdoors. I still remember things about identification of caddisflies, mayflies, and stoneflies and how that indicates the health of the stream. I also still remember testing stream pH and dissolved oxygen content. It makes sense that I remember these things; hands on experiences with science are always the most memorable, and contribute most to learning. Or, at least, that's what they've been telling me.
All in all, I had a great time of it. More importantly, I am now able to volunteer with the program and get experience teaching kids in the outdoors. I still remember things about identification of caddisflies, mayflies, and stoneflies and how that indicates the health of the stream. I also still remember testing stream pH and dissolved oxygen content. It makes sense that I remember these things; hands on experiences with science are always the most memorable, and contribute most to learning. Or, at least, that's what they've been telling me.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Journal Entry #2 (C&I 426-01)
I was reading "Scientific Knowledge: It's Construction and Development" today, and did the activity in it called The Pattern of Knowledge Construction. First, I had to look in the mirror and write my name so that I could read it while looking in the mirror. It was much harder than I anticipated; in fact, I was halfway through writing my name before I even realized it was backwards in the mirror. Next I was asked to trace a four images, and then copy eight as best as I could.
Though it was hard in the beginning, I found myself getting better at it the further along in the activity I went. Also, stabilizing the paper against my chest and my elbow against my side helped me maintain control of the pen while making it perform these new actions. My hand, however, remained shaky, and any fine motor skills I had developed over the past twenty two years went out the window. The response questions suggested that I try to do it with my eyes closed, or with my left hand. The left hand was even worse than the right, but it was a bit easier with my eyes closed. All in all, it was a fairly frustrating exercise.
I enjoyed the article's discussion on where our initial mental structures come from. The process of self-regulation, that mental structures are built up by the interaction of an organism and its environment, and the production of the state of disequilibrium is an interesting throwback to educational psychology. Most of the article was, I found, an enhancement of the material we have been discussing in class, specifically, the construction of accurate understanding of science through direct interaction and experience with situations relevant to subject matter.
In any case, I am very much looking forward to starting up my field observation. Student teaching is fairly intimidating, and I feel that I need all the experience I can get.
Though it was hard in the beginning, I found myself getting better at it the further along in the activity I went. Also, stabilizing the paper against my chest and my elbow against my side helped me maintain control of the pen while making it perform these new actions. My hand, however, remained shaky, and any fine motor skills I had developed over the past twenty two years went out the window. The response questions suggested that I try to do it with my eyes closed, or with my left hand. The left hand was even worse than the right, but it was a bit easier with my eyes closed. All in all, it was a fairly frustrating exercise.
I enjoyed the article's discussion on where our initial mental structures come from. The process of self-regulation, that mental structures are built up by the interaction of an organism and its environment, and the production of the state of disequilibrium is an interesting throwback to educational psychology. Most of the article was, I found, an enhancement of the material we have been discussing in class, specifically, the construction of accurate understanding of science through direct interaction and experience with situations relevant to subject matter.
In any case, I am very much looking forward to starting up my field observation. Student teaching is fairly intimidating, and I feel that I need all the experience I can get.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Journal Entry #1 (C&I 426-01)
I can remember the first time I was interested in science, but I cannot remember how old I was. At the time, I was living in New Jersey, and my parents decided to enroll me in an after school program at a place called "The Nature Center." I was pretty young, and so I don't remember much about the lessons or the class itself. I do, however, remember doing an activity centered on the anatomy of a shark; it was dissection based, and then we fried up the shark and ate it. It was wonderfully barbaric and fun. Since then, science has always been something of interest to me. I love being presented with a challenge and subsequently figuring things out. What brought me to teaching, I couldn't say for sure. Before I committed to becoming a teacher by actively seeking acceptance into the school of education, I was at a loss when it came to what I wanted to do with my life. I suppose, in the end, it was my initial love of science, particularly that which deals with living things, my desire to share that interest, which made me want to teach. Now that I am in the school of education and learning exactly what it means to be a teacher, I'm realizing how much of a challenge that actually is, and am excited that I'm moving toward that goal.
As I was reading through Chapter 1 in the text for C&I 426 (the class that this journal entry is for) and going over the rubric for how I would rate my teaching skills, I thought that my answer to most of the questions would be unclear until I had some experience teaching. Theoretically, I have wonderful class management skills, but until I put them into practice and learn how I really act in classroom situations, I will not be able to accurately assess myself. I am confident, but still inexperienced. In areas like Course Content Knowledge, however, I am surprised to find that I am slightly unsure of myself. I've studied some type of Biology almost every year of my high school and college experiences and received a 4/5 on the AP biology exam, but it is hard to say whether or not I have the thorough, deep understanding needed to break things down and systematically teach them to people who have never seen the material before. I feel as if I would be willing to do just as much studying as my students my first couple years to make sure that I'm clear on the material and concepts.
I was assigned to ask several friends where they believed the mass in trees came from. Right off the bat, almost everybody said that it came from the soil. One said that it came from the sunlight; I asked him how sunlight could turn into plant material, and he replied that it was through photosynthesis. I asked him questions trying to steer him in the direction and get him to figure it out. I find it strange that so many people don't understand the concept, but then again, I didn't figure it out completely until I took Plant Physiology last year. I believe that helping students tie big picture concepts together is one thing I'll want to focus on as a science teacher.
As I was reading through Chapter 1 in the text for C&I 426 (the class that this journal entry is for) and going over the rubric for how I would rate my teaching skills, I thought that my answer to most of the questions would be unclear until I had some experience teaching. Theoretically, I have wonderful class management skills, but until I put them into practice and learn how I really act in classroom situations, I will not be able to accurately assess myself. I am confident, but still inexperienced. In areas like Course Content Knowledge, however, I am surprised to find that I am slightly unsure of myself. I've studied some type of Biology almost every year of my high school and college experiences and received a 4/5 on the AP biology exam, but it is hard to say whether or not I have the thorough, deep understanding needed to break things down and systematically teach them to people who have never seen the material before. I feel as if I would be willing to do just as much studying as my students my first couple years to make sure that I'm clear on the material and concepts.
I was assigned to ask several friends where they believed the mass in trees came from. Right off the bat, almost everybody said that it came from the soil. One said that it came from the sunlight; I asked him how sunlight could turn into plant material, and he replied that it was through photosynthesis. I asked him questions trying to steer him in the direction and get him to figure it out. I find it strange that so many people don't understand the concept, but then again, I didn't figure it out completely until I took Plant Physiology last year. I believe that helping students tie big picture concepts together is one thing I'll want to focus on as a science teacher.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
...About That
Exams are one of the most stressful aspects of college life. It can be even more stressful, however, when the professor has no concept of how to teach. Now, this may just be me being bitter, and the truth may very well be that I have no concept of how to be a good student. I think the truth may lie somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, or be a combination of the two.
It would be beneficial psychologically speaking to view challenges like tests as opportunities to learn what I know. That would be following the mastery goal orientation mindset and would lead me to a much more enriching educational experience. However, when my future and career is riding on my completion of this course, the professor gives only two exams and a final, has no concept of material organization, doesn't clearly state student objectives or his expectations of us aside from "know everything," and doesn't give study guides, it's hard to not approach a test completely stressed out.
I don't want to blame all of this on my professor. Of course, some fault rests on my shoulders; I could have studied over spring break instead of going to Moab, I could have kept up on reading more thoroughly, and I could have listened to old lectures on the internet. However, I honestly don't think it is feasible to cover the entirety of two months of material in preparation for an hour long exam that could contain ANY of it.
Oh well...I suppose most people fail Developmental Biology first go through. If I do, I'll just try again until I get it and take this professor as an example of how not to teach my students when I'm working. Okay. Time to study for the Plant Physiology exam tomorrow. I'll put up pictures from Moab when I have free time (what a joke).
It would be beneficial psychologically speaking to view challenges like tests as opportunities to learn what I know. That would be following the mastery goal orientation mindset and would lead me to a much more enriching educational experience. However, when my future and career is riding on my completion of this course, the professor gives only two exams and a final, has no concept of material organization, doesn't clearly state student objectives or his expectations of us aside from "know everything," and doesn't give study guides, it's hard to not approach a test completely stressed out.
I don't want to blame all of this on my professor. Of course, some fault rests on my shoulders; I could have studied over spring break instead of going to Moab, I could have kept up on reading more thoroughly, and I could have listened to old lectures on the internet. However, I honestly don't think it is feasible to cover the entirety of two months of material in preparation for an hour long exam that could contain ANY of it.
Oh well...I suppose most people fail Developmental Biology first go through. If I do, I'll just try again until I get it and take this professor as an example of how not to teach my students when I'm working. Okay. Time to study for the Plant Physiology exam tomorrow. I'll put up pictures from Moab when I have free time (what a joke).
Monday, March 16, 2009
Andrew Jackson Jihad Radio and Ed Psych
I just finished the first of ten articles for my annotated bibliography for Educational Psychology. On the surface, the class appears to be a bit of a throw-away; most of our class time is filled with discussions about the subject of the day (which usually go off topic the point of being frustrating), Professor Stolle seems as laid-back as a human Quaalude, and there are are no "real" due dates for the assignments we are given. However, after looking into it a bit further, and getting into the tempeh of the course, the class is ridiculously in depth. If you've ever read a peer-reviewed psychology article, you know the kind of murk I'm referring to. Here's a bit of what I'm talking about.
Pierson's (2008) study of mathematics teachers' "responsiveness," which she defined as "the extent to which teachers 'take up' students' thinking and focus on student ideas in their moment-to-moment interactions" (p. 25), provided evidence of its importance. She distinguished two forms of "high" responsiveness. "High I" responsiveness puts the "teacher reasoning on display": The teacher responds to the student reasoning to help bring it into alignment with the target ideas, for example to correct a misconception. "High II" responsiveness puts the "student reasoning on display": The teacher focuses on the students' meaning and logic, for the immediate purpose of understanding it on its own terms. With data from 13 teachers, Pierson found a strong, significant correlation between High II responsiveness and student
learning.
Whew! To be honest, though, I feel pretty good about the fact that I can understand and internalize what the article is saying. I believe that teaching is headed in an interesting direction; most of what I remember from high school had to do with teachers reciting information and the students regurgitating it. For instance, one of my English teachers taught her class by beginning a class discussion and steering it toward her desired end by evaluating the "correctness" of the answers given by the class. I used to believe that though this would be a detrimental practice in an English classroom (where any interpretations of the material are valid if they can be reasonably justified), it would work fine in a Biology classroom. Steering students in a certain direction by asking questions and evaluating their responses to get them to a conclusion based on empirical research and facts just seems the logical thing to do. However, part of this article has brought to my attention that past research has shown that students learn more when the teacher has them evaluate and explain their own processes of thinking.
I don't know...I feel like I'm beginning to wrap my head around it, but it seems like the deeper I go, the deeper it gets. Teaching seriously scares me; there is so much to think about, so many methods and philosophies. It seems like all that is being presented to me makes sense, but some of it is conflicting. Throw in that I'm going to be responsible for scores of students each year; much of their success is going to depend, to a certain extent, on ME. Having that real and tangible effect on so many other human beings is a responsibility I don't think I'll ever be able to take lightly. I'll have to get used to being in a position of power while maintaining good working relationships with TEENAGERS...while trying to engage them and get them interested in science.
Holy Crap. I think I'm opening the floodgates here. Writing all this out just scares me more. But it also excites me. I feel like it would be a huge shame to pass up the chance to positively influence so many young people...get them involved, get them THINKING. In any case...I'm not even student-teaching yet. Woo!
Monday, March 9, 2009
As Montana Laughs in the Face of March
Good morning y'all. This is my frustrated face...
I've had a bit of a gnarly weekend; not all terrible, just a bit hectic and stressful. It started on Friday morning as I got back my first Developmental Biology midterm. Honestly, I didn't realize I could do that poorly on a test...ever. Funny how I was fairly confident in my abilities during and after the exam. Oh well. The only thing to do about it now I suppose is buckle down even more, study, and such. No more hours of WoW, Spider Solitaire, or Pabst.
On second thought, Pabst can stay.
The rest of the weekend went by not too terribly. Friday night was work at Carino's, as all Friday nights are. Who would want to go on a lovely downtown art walk when you could wait tables at a chain Italian restaurant? Crazy hippies, that's who. Probably the type that wear brown corduroy pants. In any case, the night went well financially, so I went to dance at the Union Hall after an invite from Kaity. I got through one drink and 10 minutes before the tired kicked in, so I went home, fed my cat (who was a bit annoyed at my continued prolonged absence), and promptly passed out.
Saturday was the lunch shift; less lucrative than Friday evening, but still nice. Afterwards I headed to Dan's place for a little unwinding. After a while, I got a call from Sid, who's visiting Missoula for a spell before he gets deployed to Iraq. I hung out with him for a while, ordered a pizza (and consumed most of it), said goodbye, went to Kaity's place, and promptly passed out.
Sid leaving really worries me. I understand that soldiers in Iraq have lower death rates than college students sateside. However, that doesn't change the fact that my crazy, fun-loving friend is going to be shot at by people who have every intention of killing him. I'm afraid that when he comes back, he won't be Sid anymore. I'm afraid that he won't come back at all.
On Sunday, I went for a drive in a possible "new" car. A 2003 Forrester would definately be a ginormous improvement over my old pile of a Chevy. I went South through the Bitterroot valley, watching patches of snowstorms and fog roll through the granite canyons. Kaity read Sabriel as I got aquainted with the car and the area...all in all, a nice sunday drive. I thought all was well, until of course got home and my computer wouldn't stop freezing. I had to download some new antivirus software, which is a pain when your computer doesn't really work. O well, at least those 15 viruses are gone now (holy crap).
This morning, I remembered a meeting I should have attended on Friday, but didn't because I was too distracted by my poor test score. First thing, before it was even alarm time. I couldn't get back to sleep. Thank God for coffee. Oh yeah, and it's ridiculously cold outside. AARG.
This is my frustrated face.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
To cast away stones or to gather stones together?
I am a little bit confused as to the direction I want this blog to head in. I've been looking at other blogs to see how it's done; ya see, the only blog I ever really kept was an old livejournal. That was way back in high school, and the lj was just a way for me to pour out my brains for my friends to see. Other blogs, at least all of those that last and have followers, have a common thread through all their posts, be it pictures of rock climbing trips, vegan recipes, or album reviews. I would really like to see some sort of theme develop in my own writing, instead of just wasting cyberspace with my brain vomit; that's what paper journals are for. I want a blog with direction, a purpose, something to drive me to keep up with it.
But then again, I already have a title that implies a theme. I suppose I could use it as an outlet for all the anxieties and joys I experience on my road to earning my secondary education certification. And there's no rule saying I can't use it to post the occasional photo of me climbing cliffs, a recipe I concocted, or a review of an album I just listened to. Teachers do have lives outside of teaching, after all. I suppose that it's just hard to start when one can go in any direction...infinite possibility is a fantastic thing, but it's also intimidating.
In any case, I think the only conclusion I can come to today is that there is a lot to talk about...so much so, in fact, that I thoroughly doubt that this little corner of cyberspace that I'm going to call my own will give you a decent picture of who I am. Then again, it will probably develop the more time I put into it. I hope I keep up with this one.
But then again, I already have a title that implies a theme. I suppose I could use it as an outlet for all the anxieties and joys I experience on my road to earning my secondary education certification. And there's no rule saying I can't use it to post the occasional photo of me climbing cliffs, a recipe I concocted, or a review of an album I just listened to. Teachers do have lives outside of teaching, after all. I suppose that it's just hard to start when one can go in any direction...infinite possibility is a fantastic thing, but it's also intimidating.
In any case, I think the only conclusion I can come to today is that there is a lot to talk about...so much so, in fact, that I thoroughly doubt that this little corner of cyberspace that I'm going to call my own will give you a decent picture of who I am. Then again, it will probably develop the more time I put into it. I hope I keep up with this one.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Musing!
I believe that yesterday is one of the best examples of the consequences of my caffeine addiction to date.
On Saturday I decided to give Missoula a miss and head to Discovery with Kate and her friends Justin and Anna and go snowboarding. I even bought myself a new cold-weather base-layer for the occasion; this is only the third time I've ever gone. After waking up at an ungodly 5:30, Kate and I hit up Ruby's cafe for some breakfast. Just as an interjection, I cannot stand half-crispy hash browns...nothing can ruin my morning faster than undercooked breakfast food, except maybe wet socks, a lack of good coffee, or a punch to the genitals. It was a good thing that my socks were dry, Ruby's had cream to cover up the bitter sludge they served us, and Kate was in a good mood. Otherwise I would have given up on the whole snowboarding thing altogether. But I digress.
After meeting Justin and Anna, we started off on the two hour drive to Disco, listening to music and chatting (and occasionally dozing off in my case). I went through the rental process, blah blah, and hit the slopes as best I could. My comrades told me I was getting the hang of it fairly well, but to be honest, I felt like a fish out of water in almost every sense of the word. By the end of the day I had almost gotten the hang of turning, but somehow never figured out how to keep the edges from catching the hard pack. It was interesting to go from the great rush of flying across the snow to the quick and painful realization that my mouth and jacket were full of snow and my head had twisted in a very awkward and painful manner. One would think that after the fifth or sixth time it would stop being a surprise. Even more embarrassing, however, was when I would lose all my speed and end up next to the tree line at a complete stop. In situations like this I could only unstrap one of my bindings and try to do a ridiculously awkward skateboard-esque shuffle towards the crest of the nearest hill. Only in hindsight do I realize it would have been much easier to just unstrap the whole board and walk. I guess my brain was just too tired and cold to work well.
But despite all the awkwardness, I had a lot of fun. There's always a learning curve, no matter what. I mean, hell, last year I could barely muscle my way up a 5.8, and I sent a 5.10b the other day. I've come a long way when it comes to climbing, and I'm sure if I put effor towards snowboarding I could make it a hobby of mine. Too bad I lack the funds...but anyway.
The next day was when I reaped the benefits of using all those never-used muscles. I thought I would be relatively okay since I slackline a lot, but I was sorely mistaken. Even my forearmes were stiff...when the hell did I use those? Oh yeah, catching myself every few minutes as I fell. Good thing I'm a restaurant worker and use my arms and legs for everything.
But here's the kicker; I went to the pantry and found that I was out of coffee. I had work, I was aching everywhere, and there was no caffeine. I ended up working until about 6. Needless to say, I was quite grumpy.
On Saturday I decided to give Missoula a miss and head to Discovery with Kate and her friends Justin and Anna and go snowboarding. I even bought myself a new cold-weather base-layer for the occasion; this is only the third time I've ever gone. After waking up at an ungodly 5:30, Kate and I hit up Ruby's cafe for some breakfast. Just as an interjection, I cannot stand half-crispy hash browns...nothing can ruin my morning faster than undercooked breakfast food, except maybe wet socks, a lack of good coffee, or a punch to the genitals. It was a good thing that my socks were dry, Ruby's had cream to cover up the bitter sludge they served us, and Kate was in a good mood. Otherwise I would have given up on the whole snowboarding thing altogether. But I digress.
After meeting Justin and Anna, we started off on the two hour drive to Disco, listening to music and chatting (and occasionally dozing off in my case). I went through the rental process, blah blah, and hit the slopes as best I could. My comrades told me I was getting the hang of it fairly well, but to be honest, I felt like a fish out of water in almost every sense of the word. By the end of the day I had almost gotten the hang of turning, but somehow never figured out how to keep the edges from catching the hard pack. It was interesting to go from the great rush of flying across the snow to the quick and painful realization that my mouth and jacket were full of snow and my head had twisted in a very awkward and painful manner. One would think that after the fifth or sixth time it would stop being a surprise. Even more embarrassing, however, was when I would lose all my speed and end up next to the tree line at a complete stop. In situations like this I could only unstrap one of my bindings and try to do a ridiculously awkward skateboard-esque shuffle towards the crest of the nearest hill. Only in hindsight do I realize it would have been much easier to just unstrap the whole board and walk. I guess my brain was just too tired and cold to work well.
But despite all the awkwardness, I had a lot of fun. There's always a learning curve, no matter what. I mean, hell, last year I could barely muscle my way up a 5.8, and I sent a 5.10b the other day. I've come a long way when it comes to climbing, and I'm sure if I put effor towards snowboarding I could make it a hobby of mine. Too bad I lack the funds...but anyway.
The next day was when I reaped the benefits of using all those never-used muscles. I thought I would be relatively okay since I slackline a lot, but I was sorely mistaken. Even my forearmes were stiff...when the hell did I use those? Oh yeah, catching myself every few minutes as I fell. Good thing I'm a restaurant worker and use my arms and legs for everything.
But here's the kicker; I went to the pantry and found that I was out of coffee. I had work, I was aching everywhere, and there was no caffeine. I ended up working until about 6. Needless to say, I was quite grumpy.
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