Bonnie's BlogSpot

Shock to the System

Yesterday morning I arrived at the college, only to be called into a big meeting. The health inspector had issued the order to cancel classes until the custodian strike is over due to "deteriorating conditions".

Students had to leave immediately. Staff were asked to work from home. I never dreamed it would happen so quickly - we had no notice.

So ..."the plan"

I have been teaching "virtually" since yesterday morning. I record my lectures and post them to a webspace that the students can download from.  I also post assignments for them.  I keep my instant messenger on most of the day to answer their questions.

I am exhausted. It is really hard trying to answer so many questions incoming all at once via instant messaging. Students don't realize that other students are messaging me.  In class, when a student asks a question everyone knows, and then they are more patient. Often, when one question is answered, it answers the question for several others also...but in the instant messaging world - I have to repeat myself more. 

It is far more work to teach this way...and I don't know if it will produce the same quality of results...I guess that remains to be seen.

When will it end?

The administration gave their last offer which CUPE rejected. Then they invited the union into binding arbitration...and the union rejected that too.  It is hard to know what will happen or how long this will last. There has been some rumour of a "back to work order".  All we can do is wait...and I will have to continue to do my best to continue teaching as best as I can.

Latest Update on the Situation

One campus closed on Monday, and two more campuses closed today.  Our campus is probably in the best shape of  all of the remaining campuses, but it is deteriorating rapidly. 

A college our size with our number of students simply cannot keep going without custodians forever.  My students are very worried, and I am finding it difficult to get the material coverd in our shorter days. We all want the strike to end. 

At least, both sides are back at the bargaining table again...that's something - right?

We are in week #3 of a strike by the custodians at the college where I teach. Here is a synopsis of what has gone on so far..

Week One

During week one, we were "business as usual" except night school was cancelled, the cafeteria was closed, and everyone (students and staff) was forbidden to bring food into the college. That was done to try to keep messes to a minimum.

Week Two

During week two we operated under "compressed days".  In other words, the college is closed at noon...and all classes for the whole day are taught in the mornings. This means that a one hour class is now a 30 minute class.  I had a hard time with the compressed classes.  The students get "mini lectures" and not so much hands on practice in class...that all has to be done on their own. 

Week Three

So far, week three has continued along as week two has, with compressed days.  The college is getting very dirty, and we had another snow storm today. The bathrooms are smelly, as is the overflowing trash spilling over the trash cans. I am finding it a challenge to get my normal curriculum done. 

What will happen next week?

Hopefully the strike will be resolved and things will get back to normal...however, if that doesn't happen I believe the college might actually be forced to close (that is just my opinion of course...I am not a decision maker in that respect).

I am currently taking steps in case that happens. I am making camtasia video tutorials for a number of my courses...and I have created an online repository for posting them and other notes for my students, and they will have password access to those items as downloads.  I will also be available to them via email and msn during certain hours of the day. My aim will be to try to keep as much of the learning going as is possible, so we won't have as much to make up when things go back to normal.

Four years ago a similar strike occurred, and it took four weeks to be resolved.  I wonder...will history repeat itself?

Well...

If I have to qualify myself as one thing...then I am an IT teacher. That's my "day job".  I teach web design and development, programming, OOAD, and a few other related courses at the college level. Believe it or not, in this day and age I am a blogging newbie (unless you count using Facebook and MySpace as blogging). 

I love what I do. I love going to work. I feel very fortunate, because not everyone can say that.

I get some opportunities to play around with technology, and I can implement some of those things in the curriculum at my college from time to time. 

I love to learn which is why I chose to teach, and to get into IT Education in particular.  Right now, I want to know more about current trends in programming and web development...and I want to know where we should be heading.  The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know all that much!  lol

I am always trying to ascertain where should I focus my energies to be the most help to my students to prepare them for the development world...

My "Other" Interests

So, I mentioned my day job already. I also am a fitness instructor. I teach Cyclefit (spinning) and step classes at the moment....although I have taught many other types of fitness classes over the years. I worked my way through university two ways: waitressing and working in fitness.