Deskwarming - some people love it, some hate it. I am experiencing it as I write. So which direction am I leaning towards - love or hate? Let me quickly explain why there are only two real options.
In order to understand deskwarming, you need to know what it involves. It involves sitting at your desk all day. The degree of deskwarming that you might be asked to do depends on your school and on the situation. For example, during my school's 'festival', most of my time was spent deskwarming, but some of it was spent walking around outside and watching the sporting events, even participating in one of them and just generally wandering around. Though I technically didn't have a class and the other non-homeroom teachers were discouraged from participating, I was encouraged to have a good time and the other teachers weren't too concerned about what I was doing - I could sit at my desk or walk around as I liked. This weeks deskwarming has been different. The students are writing exams, and I am expected to stay at my desk. I should not walk around (I even feel awkward leaving the staffroom to go to the bathroom) and the place that I get to wander to is the cafeteria for lunch.
What are you expected to do at the desk all day? Well, you are expected to work. But this is not always possible. I have lesson plans to do and things to make for my winter camp, don't get me wrong, but not all of this can be done at my small desk and I would feel a great deal more comfortable doing it in my own time during the two weeks of vacation that I will be getting before the winter camp starts. The most I can do at the moment is write lesson plans and make worksheets, which I have done. So, now what? I am not supposed to watch any form of series, I am not supposed to play games, I am supposed to look busy all the time, so reading a book is not really an option. Which means that boredom is the tone of the week.
Now, for some people, this time off from classes means a time to relax, to do what you want, to catch up with facebook and friends. For me, who is already caught up, I would rather be teaching my classes and interacting with my students than sitting around doing nothing all day. I admit that I sometimes complain about the number of classes that I have, but for the most part, I have fallen into a routine with my teaching and am rather fond of my girls classes (the boys being a different story) and would prefer doing something over doing nothing.
So, today is Thursday and I have now been deskwarming for four days. What have I been doing? Well, I have been going against the school's wishes and have been watching series and playing games. In return, I have been receiving glares from the other teachers who have work to get on with, invidulating to do and papers to mark and resent my lack of work-ethic. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and awkward, but what else can I do when my work is done?
Today's plan is to work on the lesson plan for one of my winter school classes, but I doubt that the teachers around me are going to see it as work - I am going to be watching Fantasia and writing worksheets and reviews about the movie. Wish me luck!
In order to understand deskwarming, you need to know what it involves. It involves sitting at your desk all day. The degree of deskwarming that you might be asked to do depends on your school and on the situation. For example, during my school's 'festival', most of my time was spent deskwarming, but some of it was spent walking around outside and watching the sporting events, even participating in one of them and just generally wandering around. Though I technically didn't have a class and the other non-homeroom teachers were discouraged from participating, I was encouraged to have a good time and the other teachers weren't too concerned about what I was doing - I could sit at my desk or walk around as I liked. This weeks deskwarming has been different. The students are writing exams, and I am expected to stay at my desk. I should not walk around (I even feel awkward leaving the staffroom to go to the bathroom) and the place that I get to wander to is the cafeteria for lunch.
What are you expected to do at the desk all day? Well, you are expected to work. But this is not always possible. I have lesson plans to do and things to make for my winter camp, don't get me wrong, but not all of this can be done at my small desk and I would feel a great deal more comfortable doing it in my own time during the two weeks of vacation that I will be getting before the winter camp starts. The most I can do at the moment is write lesson plans and make worksheets, which I have done. So, now what? I am not supposed to watch any form of series, I am not supposed to play games, I am supposed to look busy all the time, so reading a book is not really an option. Which means that boredom is the tone of the week.
Now, for some people, this time off from classes means a time to relax, to do what you want, to catch up with facebook and friends. For me, who is already caught up, I would rather be teaching my classes and interacting with my students than sitting around doing nothing all day. I admit that I sometimes complain about the number of classes that I have, but for the most part, I have fallen into a routine with my teaching and am rather fond of my girls classes (the boys being a different story) and would prefer doing something over doing nothing.
So, today is Thursday and I have now been deskwarming for four days. What have I been doing? Well, I have been going against the school's wishes and have been watching series and playing games. In return, I have been receiving glares from the other teachers who have work to get on with, invidulating to do and papers to mark and resent my lack of work-ethic. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and awkward, but what else can I do when my work is done?
Today's plan is to work on the lesson plan for one of my winter school classes, but I doubt that the teachers around me are going to see it as work - I am going to be watching Fantasia and writing worksheets and reviews about the movie. Wish me luck!
Do what I do... download an ebook and either read it online or print it out. Shuffle through it every once in while or, my signature move, highlight random sentences with a thoughful glance and then rummage through something else for a moment. Looks like important work, but... nope, it isn't. Another tip, when watching a series you like- take notes. Just watch as you normally would and keep it in a small box next to an open document file that looks like a handout. Type every few minutes (I do emails to my mom) and also have a notepad handy on the the desk in front of you where you jot things down by hand as well. You'll look super busy. Stay tuned for other fun tips from a slacker pro. -J