Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Reading at a cafe


Yesterday a student who takes one-to-one lessons cancelled our appointment, so I had two "free" hours between taking the kids to school and starting teaching... Those who have ever been working mothers of young kids will probably understand how much that can mean!

So you know what I did? I took 70 pages of my thesis, printed them and sat at a cafe near school (something I'd not done for ages) and went over my final draft once again (though for some sections it was the first time I'd put it in black and white, used as I am to working on the screen by now...). It was a great feeling! Funny, but reading myself at the cafe I felt as though I was reading somebody else, some authority, one of the many authors whose publications I've been reading for years. I would say that is another step towards joining my "discourse community" of ELL academics... I could almost hear Sharon's voice by me "You're the expert, Gladys, you ARE the expert!"

The final editing was so minor that I've decided not to work on it today. Instead, I'll keep on working on the missing sections, to see if I can soon sit at a cafe again, reading the whole thesis!
note: The image in this entry is a Picasso, called Glass of Absinthe. Click here to read more about it.

3 comments:

Sharon said...

Just in case you haven't heard it enough Gladys, "You are the expert, Gladys!"

LAB,

Sharon

Cheryloakes50 said...

This is great Gladys, you are my hero. I forget what it was like when my 3 boys were little. Now they range in ages 17-22. They still require lots of attention but in more concentrated doses. I"ll be checking this blog a lot.
Cheryl, Maine, USA webhead

Gladys Baya said...

Thanks for the encouragement, Cheryl! I've leraned to look up to you during BAW06, as it's clear you're knowledgeable and ready to support others in their learning, which I feel are two essential features of a great teacher...
I feel quite embarrased about how long it's taking me to get my thesis submitted... Word like yours help me remind myself there's nothing actually "wrong" with me, and give me the strength to carry on... Soon I should be reaching the top of my mountain!
Let's keep in touch!

Gladys