#maybe ive just had the pleasure of having really good teachers/professors but like

[lord-squiggletits]

Between TF and my other fandoms like BG3 and TES, I keep finding myself making OCs that have some element of "battle hardened hero who is actually good and righteous, but so traumatized by the toll of war that even after the war ends they feel empty/wrecked and can't enjoy the fruits of victory" and I'm not sure if it's bc I gravitate to a certain type of media where such OCs fit in best, or bc I have a specific character archetype I like and gravitate towards media that contains those things.

[lurkingteapot]

9 People You’d Like to Know More

Tagged by @shouldiusemyname and @recentadultburnout

Last song: Kenji Kawai - Utai IV Reawakening (Steve Aoki Remix), because I was watching this Street Dance of China performance:

Currently reading: I'm working my way through a thing I'm translating for a job, if that counts as reading? If we're just talking reading for pleasure: I just finished Yellowfever by R.F. Kuang and highly, highly recommend it. Content warnings out the wazoo (the narrator is an AWFUL person who doesn't come anywhere near realising how bad she is); I still couldn't put it down until I was finished. Next up is probably a few chapters of Queer Transfigurations and a whole lot of fanfic until Shelley Parker-Chan's He Who Drowned The World is released on the 24th.

Currently watching: Laws of Attraction, Be My Favorite, Tokyo in April is …, Not Me (re-watch for class purposes), SOTUS, Good Omens S2, and technically also 10 Years Ticket but I'm stalled on it

Next in line on my watchlist: I don't have a watch list as such, but I'd like to finish one of the shows I started but stalled on – other than 10 Years Ticket, maybe The Warp Effect?

Starting soon: Only Friends

Current obsession: gonna take a page out of @shouldiusemyname's book and try to narrow it down to just three:

in concrete fannish/fandom things, this is still Bad Buddy. I've watched and enjoyed other shows, but I keep coming back – to read fic, to analyse and speculate with friends and strangers, sometimes to write … and sometimes I go back and work through an episode or two in relation to 2.) or 3.).

slightly removed, there's Thai language and everything it connects to– I've dropped the ball on it a little for brickspace reasons, but I want to get back into it. Right now, the extent of my Thai practice is watching LoA without subs every week, preparing for and attending a class focussed around Not Me, and one 1-on-1 conversation class that's technically weekly but teacher and I have both been having life things happen, so it's not really been weekly for a while now. I wish I had the brainspace to challenge myself more, especially to speak. Feels hard to believe I had the spoons to do language exchange stuff daily and have regular convo classes for a while (u_u) I miss it.

and going into a slightly different direction again, BL academia/scholarship – I was fairly interested in this even back in university, but unfortunately it wasn't something I could pursue with the professors I had at the time, so I had to content myself with the classes and papers on gender studies, queer studies, and Japanese pop culture of the 20th century I could get, and reading whatever papers about BL "proper" I could get my hands on in my spare time. I'm glad to be getting back into it now, if a bit wistful.

I have no idea who has and hasn't done this because I've been pretty awol from tumblr for a while, but as an attempt: @dimplesandfierceeyes, @ephemeral-hiraeth, @fanonplussed, @galauvant, @isaksbestpillow, @liyazaki, @loveongsa, @plantsarepeopletoo, and @sixohsixoheightfourtwo, (if you already did this and I missed it, I'm sorry and will be happy for a pointer that way!) Obviously no pressure to do this at all :D

[writingmyanxietyaway]

Confessions | El Profesor

Requested by anon:  can i request a lcdp imagine where the reader likes the professor and she confesses nights before the heist but he wants to stay true to his relationship rule so she is heartbroken so she doesn’t want to talk to him and when the heist comes she doesn’t eat and sleep and he gets really worried about her so he expresses his true feelings to her

Word count: 1.8k

Warning: mention of a gun, not eating/drinking, angst

Note: takes place in the first season! Hope you like it, enjoy! xx

------------

You were in a difficult position. On one hand you wanted to wait until everything was over. On the other hand you were unsure if you would make it out alive. You knew about his rule not to engage any relationships of any kind and he took it very seriously, but the thing was you absolutely him to death and you were willing to take that risk. So here you were, about to confess your feelings for him.

You waited until everyone had left the classroom and took a deep breath. You had clammy hands and you were lightly trembling. 

‘I- uhm.. Can I talk to you for a minute?’ you asked the Professor. He turned around, away from his chalkboard with raised eyebrows. His glasses had slipped down his nose a little, so he pushed them up. You found it adorable. Just like how he scrunched his nose whenever you talked to him.

‘Sure. Did I talk too fast or was I not clear about something?’ he stuttered. He instantly started doubting himself if he had indeed missed anything he was supposed to explain.

‘No, no. You were great. I just, uhm.. I kind of have something to tell you..’ you trailed off, ‘something personal.’

‘Bali, you know how I feel about sharing personal information. I specifically told you,’ he stated. Suddenly you felt incredible stupid. How did you think this was going to work when he clearly said he didn’t want any personal information shared?

‘I know.. I just want you to know something in case things go south. It doesn’t have to get in the way of your whole plan. If you don’t feel the same, we can just pretend it never happened.’ You waved your hand around, not really knowing what to do with your hands. ‘I just wanted you to know that I really like you. More than a friend or teacher, or whatever you are to me. I think you’re really handsome and nice. So, yeah..’ you spoke.

You couldn’t read his face. You saw somewhat of shock flash across his face, but you couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

‘Well..? Am I just embarrassing myself or do you maybe feel the same? It doesn’t have to be a long answer. Just a yes or no is fine,’ you rambled. 

He looked at you, fumbled with his glasses and turned back to the chalkboard.

‘I’d rather had you hadn’t shared this. This makes it all a lot more complicated,’ he sighed and grabbed a piece of chalk. ‘Can I still trust you to complete your tasks?’

You frowned, feeling not only rejected but also very used at the same time.

‘I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m just asking if you might feel the same.. You don’t have to be so rude,’ your voice cracked. Sergio mentally slapped himself in the face for hurting you, but he had to.

‘You knew the rules. I told you not to share anything personal. Relationships make this all a lot more difficult. I cannot allow this to fail. I made those rules for a reason,’ he said. It was like a slap in the face. He didn’t even have the respect to tell you a) if he did or did not feel the same, but also b) to look you in the eye.

‘Yeah, you mentioned that, twice, but the least I deserve is an answer to my face. I guess that answers my question. Just forget I said anything.’

Obviously, that was impossible for the both of you. The next few days were awkward and very uncomfortable. You tried listening to everything The Professor was saying, but you couldn’t look at him. You did notice him staring at you once every while, making Berlin tease you and Denver tease him. You found it all very embarrassing and couldn’t wait until you were inside the bank to escape his face.

-

Everything went according to plan. You got in, locked everyone out and had now been inside for almost 2 days. You loved every part of it. The tension with Berlin got out of hand for a while, but soon after the storm blew over and you were back in the game.

‘Are you okay? You haven’t eaten since yesterday..’ Nairobi asked you, genuine concern written over her face. It was true. You weren’t hungry or thirsty so you hadn’t eaten. Usually you had a great appetite, but you couldn’t bring yourself to eat. Everyone noticed, though. Including Sergio. He noticed you were always wandering around the halls, not even sleeping. He was incredibly worried and felt like an idiot for behaving the way he did. He sat behind his computers, fidgeting with his hands, wanting to do something.

‘Yeah, fine. Just got a lot on my mind, is all,’ you nodded at her. She didn’t look convinced in the slightest, so she grabbed a sandwich and handed it to you.

‘I want this eaten in an hour. If you’ve not eaten it I will push it down your throat,’ she sternly told you. You chuckled.

‘Yes, mother.’

As soon as she left, you threw it back in the fridge. When you heard yelling in the hallway, you grabbed your weapon and braced yourself for what you would find. Berlin was obviously yelling loudly again, threatening to shoot Arturo. Same shit different day.

-

It was now two days later and you had eaten a little bit more than one sandwich since Nairobi basically forced you to eat. You looked a lot more tired, your energy level had dropped to -4 and you were phisically and mentally exhausted. You looked like shit, to say it lightly. Sergio had grown more and more worried, telling the others to keep an even closer eye on you.

‘Drop the gun,’ you told Berlin, who had his gun pointed at Denver. He only smirked. ‘Denver, you too. I’m not fucking around. We need each other. We can’t just keep shooting at one another just because we’re stressed. Think for once, damn it.’ You raised your voice gradually as you spoke.

Berlin raised his eyebrows at you. His eyes flickered from your gun to Denver, who was about to burst with anger. As you held out your gun, the strength in your arms weakened. You tried your best holding up the gun, but when you focussed on your arms, your vision got blurry. When you tried focussing your vision again, your arms started trembling.

‘Berlin, please,’ you sighed. Your mouth got incredibly dry all of a sudden and your speech turned more into slurs. You felt yourself getting weaker by the second and this child’s play cost too much of the little energy you had left. Denver quickly lowered his gun when he saw you sway back and forth.

‘Bali? Bali!’ You saw him rushing to you, just like Berlin before your vision turned completely black and you fell to the floor.

-

‘We told her to eat! It’s not our damn fault. She’s too stubborn to listen.’ 

Your hearing slowly came back before you could open your eyes. You felt someone hold your hand while someone else was on the phone.

‘No, of course not... Yes, we did that already. Shouldn’t be too long before she wakes up,’ the voice came closer, ‘I think she’s waking up, hold on.. Bali, honey, can you hear me?’ 

You nodded lightly before slowly opening your eyes. Moskú held the phone while Rio held your hand. You were in the office, laying on one of the couches. You had an IV in your arm and a bag of liquid hung next to the window. You waved to the camera in the corner, letting The Professor know you were in fact alive.

‘He wants to talk to you.. We’ll give you some privacy while you two talk. When you’re done, just give us a call,’ he smiled and handed you the phone.

‘Thank you, guys. For everything,’ you tried smiling, but you were still too weak. They gave you a kiss on the head and left to the hallway.

‘Starving yourself? Really?’ Was the first thing you heard when you held the phone to your ear. You groaned loudly.

‘No, I just wasn’t hungry. Adrenaline, probably,’ you muttered. ‘Why do you care anyway? It’s not like I’m any good use compared to the others.’

‘Are you serious? You and Berlin are the leaders of this entire plan, Bali. How could you be so stupid?! We need you and we need you alive. Too many people have died already, I can’t loose you too,’ he stuttered. You heard his jagged breath.

‘Are you done?’ you asked, not wanting to deal with his whining anymore.

‘I’m sorry..’ he sighed, ‘You scared me. I thought I was going to loose you, Y/N.’

Your breathing stopped for a second and you sat up. He never called anyone by their actual names. You didn’t even know he knew yours.

‘Why did you call me that?’ you asked, heart beating loudly in your chest. ‘You said no personal details or any information.’

‘I know.. I just had to know your name. God, I want to know everything about you. Your favourite breakfast, your favourite country, what your goals in life are.. I want to know it all. And that scares me. I’ve never had this urge to get to know someone as much as you. You’re perfect in every way and I almost lost you,’ he confessed. Your felt your heart flutter and you turned your head to look into the camera.

‘What are you saying?’ you asked him, hoping to finally hear want you’ve wanted to hear for the past two weeks.

‘I.. I like you. A lot. And I was too scared to tell you because I’ve never felt anything like this before for anyone. I was so rude to you and you don’t deserve that. Please forgive me?’ he asked hopefully. You couldn’t help the smile that grew on your lips.

‘Waffles with strawberries, kiwi’s and mango,’ you answered.

‘What?’ he asked, completely confused by your answer.

‘My favourite breakfast,’ you winked into the camera. You heard him let out a laugh on the other end of the line, making you smile as well.

‘So, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?’ you whispered.

‘Sergio. Sergio Marquina.’

‘Nice to meet you Sergio. Now, get me out of here. I want to go to the beach.’

[athena29stone]

Brent Johnson: My student’s views on learning and teaching

Brent Johnson on episode 193 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Brent Johnson is a senior at Westwood Schools. He has taken my classes for the last four years. We have a frank conversation about technology and a win in the National 4H Competition as a result of some apps he made in my class. Brent has come a long way! I hope you find this conversation inspiring.

FlexPath – only at Capella University – lets teachers work at their own pace to earn their MEd in a competency-based learning format. This subscription-based tuition model doesn’t limit the number of courses you can complete during each 12-week period, enrolling in up to two courses at once, for one flat tuition rate. Go to coolcatteacher.com/flexpath to get your free FlexPath guide and see if Capella’s FlexPath option is right for you.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

Below is an enhanced transcript, modified for your reading pleasure. For guests and hyperlinks to resources, scroll down.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Brent Johnson: My student’s views on learning and teaching

Shownotes: www.coolcatteacher.com/e193

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Vicki: This week on the 10-Minute Teacher, we’re talking with some people who I’m very thankful for in my life.

Today I wanted to bring one of my students – I have so many students I love, so many students that I admire throughout the years – but Brent is one of my students who has recently won an award for something he did in my class. He actually won this at 4-H.

How some app projects helped Brent win some awards from 4-H

Tell us about your 4-H project that has earned you the trip to the National Conference.

Brent: Well, I’ve been in 4-H for the past seven years, and I’ve actually been doing district project achievements for the last four.

In my District Project Achievement speech, I speak on the apps that I’ve made in Ms. Vicki’s classroom. I’ve made two apps, and those two apps have brought me so far. I’ve competed in district last fall. I placed first there. Then I went to state congress, and then I also placed first there. Now I get to go to national congress, which is a little bit later this year.

Using Humor to Hook Students into Learning

Vicki: But these apps… Some people could say, “Oh, all apps have to be serious.” But tell us about the topic for your apps. I’ll put the links in the Shownotes. One of them is just hilarious.

Brent: Well, funny enough, my first app was made a joke, really. It was just me and my friends just wanting to mess around. We made a recipe app for nachos, of all things that we could have made a recipe for. I mean, we could literally have done chicken, steak… But no. Nachos.

Vicki: And you have the funniest film shoot I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Brent: Yes…

Vicki: Tell us about it.

Brent: Well, we got a kiddie pool, about 20 bags of tortilla chips… And we took a bath in nachos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FkqFW-QSLo&t=4s

Vicki: (laughs) I literally was hurting so badly. My face was hurting. My ribs were hurting. I could hardly even breathe.

Brent: I was getting salt out of my pants for weeks.

Vicki: OK, that’s a little TMI. (laughs) I might take that one out.

I think the point is here. The first app was literally a joke.

Brent: A joke, yes.

How to Hook Students (without them knowing it – unless you tell them)

Vicki: Yeah, but OK. Let’s just travel through the mind of Ms. Vicki, and this is a part Brent has never seen. So I’m always looking for a hook. OK, I see these brilliant kids, really smart kids. And they might not be ready to save the world. They might just be ready to have a laugh, right?

So what you have to do is you have to say, “OK, what is going to interest them?” And I’m like, “What is it going to take?”

Brent and his friends are pretty smart. But in 9th grade? They weren’t ready to change the world.

Brent: No. (laughs)

Vicki: They weren’t ready to be serious about anything, were you?

Brent: No. (laughs) Definitely not. Not yet.

Vicki: And it was hilarious. And we laughed a lot.

Brent: Yes.

Vicki: But, you went on the next year, and what’s the app you made?

Brent: It’s called Overty. It’s a charity referral app, and it was a much more serious approach than the nacho app was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB9GryRVdeI&feature=youtu.be

We went in and we found trusted charities that we had pre-researched. Not all charities are good charities, so we pre-vetted the ones that are good, and we put them in our app. We gave statistics, and we gave links to those websites, and it was overall a much more professional process than Nacho app ever was.

Vicki: Yeah. But of course you took the things you learned on the Nacho app to the Overty app.

Brent: Of course, of course.

How is Technology Changing Schools?

Vicki: Both of them ended up in the finals, so neither one was a laughing matter in the end.

OK, so there’s a piece of the 4-H presentation you did, where you talk about what you think education should be. Could you share some of that – what you remember – with us?

Brent: Well, the way I see it, education is definitely changing every day. Nothing’s the same as it was ten years ago, five years ago, maybe even two years ago.

Vicki: Yeah. You think that making apps should be part of what people learn, right?

Brent: Of course, of course.

Vicki: Why?

Brent: Well, I’ve learned a lot more through making apps than I have through some of my other classes, considering that with the app-making process you have to coordinate with people. And a big part of being in the workplace later in life is working with people.

You have to come together and make this big project using technology, work together as a group and make something that is successful. That’s not something that can just be taught in a classroom. That’s something that has to be done through experience.

Vicki: Right. So, as you think about… you know, it could be my class, it could be whatever, because as you know I don’t like to ever fish for compliments, that’s just not me. What do you think are the things that have taught you the most in your high school career?

Brent: Oh, that’s a hard one.

Collective hardships is probably the single most thing that has taught me more than anything else.

You make a really bad grade in a class for the first quarter, and then the second quarter you have to dig deep and find that side of you didn’t think was there before. You have to work much harder, stay up later at night, and that’s definitely one of the things that I’ve learned.

Vicki: And you’re a runner, too. So you know what it’s like to be running behind.

Brent: I am a runner. Definitely perseverance. That’s a good one. I’m actually in all honors classes and I’m in one AP class. I’m taking the hardest rigor at the school.

I was not always the best student, but my dreams of becoming a doctor have really pushed the initiative to work harder in school. And that’s another one with perseverance, too.

How he found his dream

Vicki: How did you find that dream?

Brent: I had a hernia operation about two years ago, and my cousin, who is actually a P.A. was there through all of it. And I saw the way that he deals with people, and the way that he has the drive for the medical field.

And I talked to him about it, because you know, you’re stuck in that room for about four hours before they actually put you on the table. We had long conversation about the medical field and how he likes it.

I just decided that that’s for me. I’m a people person, and I like helping people. That’s something that I’m really interested in.

Vicki: Brent is a great example to all you listeners of someone who really has taken the most out of my class. You know, some students come to class and they get SOME. And some students take advantage of a lot more than others. So I like sharing those students with the world, so you can kind of see, “OK, this is what the student turns out like.” And I can’t take all the credit for Brent, because he’s had many great teachers.

But Brent, what would you say – let’s just focus on computer science for a minute – are the things that you learned in computer science that you think you’ll take with you?

What will you take with you from Computer Science?

Brent: Graphic design is one really big thing for me. Like, just projects in high school and for some of my college classes have taken a lot of graphic design. And Ms. Vicki taught us graphic design in computer science.

Another big one would be just learning the ins and outs of computer programs. In general, just knowing how to use a program can save you a lot of time later.

Vicki: Now, you take a lot of online classes. Do you think our class – we use a blended classroom, where we have PowerSchool Learning as our LMS (Learning Management System). Do you think that that helps prepare you for these online classes that you take?

Brent: Oh, 100%. The operating system is almost the same through the way that we learned in Ms. Vicki’s class to the way that online college is set up.

So, in Ms. Vicki’s class, we would have all of our assignments on one pane, where to go to the assignment, how to turn in the assignment, and all that.

College – it’s not like Ms. Vicki’s class where if you’re stuck or something, you can go to Ms. Vicki. College professors aren’t the same way. They don’t have as much compassion for you, and if you mess up, they can — and will — fail you.

So learning all of the programs and the operating system – and getting my stuff done on time in Ms. Vicki’s class, on my own sometimes, has really taught me to do better in college.

Vicki: But I know that the hard part about it – and the reason that a lot of teachers say, “Oh, I don’t want to blend my classroom,” – is that there is some pushback. Because it is frustrating to learn that way, don’t you think?

Talking about Blending

Brent: Oh yeah. I guess some people don’t like the fact that there are videos that they have to sit through and watch. I guess they find those boring.

Vicki: But then they also don’t want a lecture, either.

Brent: Yeah. They just don’t like learning in general.

Vicki: Yeah! (laughs) You’ve got to pick, you know?

Brent: Some people would rather sit at home. You have to take the good with the bad, under some circumstances. Honestly, I learned a lot better through the system that we had in Ms. Vicki’s class, compared to just sitting there through lectures.

I feel the stimuli in your brain work better when you’re getting… I mean, Ms. Vicki does do lectures. She has hands-on work, online work. There’s everything. You really don’t miss a thing in Ms. Vicki’s class.

Vicki: Well. You’re sweet, but…

So, is there any advice that you have for teachers to be better teachers?

Brent: Compassion. Compassion is something that’s infectious, I would say, between teachers and students. If you walk into a classroom, and you don’t get a good vibe from the class, you definitely don’t learn as well then.

If you walk in there, and a teacher gives you a smile and a “How’s your day going?” then you are definitely going to feel a lot better. You’re definitely going to pay more attention in that class. You’re not going to want to fall asleep.

Another thing? Another big thing? Being interesting. Being an interesting person, in general, is a big thing. If you’re a bland person, as a teacher and you don’t care as much about the students, then it’s a little bit harder… definitely a lot harder for students to learn in your classroom.

Vicki: That’s a great thought about teachers.

Now, I do have a question about, like, to quote your generation. And we don’t generation bash, because every generation has its weaknesses. But you talk to a lot of friends who go to other schools and other places, right?

Brent: Yes, Ma’am.

Vicki: As we finish up, could you give us a 30-second pep talk on how to actually reach your generation, for teachers who may be struggling.

Brent: I have one word that I believe that totally encompasses it… and it’s ‘Positivity.”

I feel my generation has been stereotyped, from the get-go. I’ve always heard that my generation doesn’t pay as much attention, is more unruly, and has more stuck their heads in their phones than anything. But honestly, if you look at it, you could say the same for every generation before that.

I mean, there’s always been books, newspapers, and other forms of entertainment that have always been around. I think that’s something that is just done. It’s always going to be there.

But definitely positivity toward our generation is something that is huge.

Like the negativity that is thrown at our generation is wild. There’s way too much of it. If more people could just be more positive, it would make the world a better place in general, I believe.

Vicki: What do you think the stereotypes about your generation are that people say that you think are not true?

Brent: Well, I know that one of them is that… We live in our phones.

Vicki: (laughs) You’re all taking selfies? You’re all divas?

Brent: Oh, that’s definitely not true.

The people that aren’t always in their phones don’t really get noticed as much, I guess. They’re picking one person out of a crowd that they see as a diva, and then they’re totally characterizing our entire generation by that one person.

A lot of the people are actually not that crazy about being a diva. You always see all these people on YouTube that are just wild. But in reality, that’s less than 1% of our population.

Vicki: Yeah.

Well, OK.

Well, thank you for listening. I hope you’ve pulled some things out of what Brent has shared with us.

And I am thankful for my students.

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted

Brent Johnson is a senior at Westwood Schools. He recently won his state 4H Congress and is going to nationals. Brent is hoping to attend the University of Georgia with a major in pre-med. After that, he plans to attend medical school. He has spent time his senior year shadowing in emergency rooms. He is a member of the National Honor Society and directed the class movie in last year’s film class.

The picture below was taking on a location shoot during the 2016-2017 digital filmmaking class where Brent served as director.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.) This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Brent Johnson: My student’s views on learning and teaching appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e193/