Reflections 2009 #1
This week in my studies I gave a quokka a head rub and attended a presentation on the frontline teachers’ perspective of the education reform that has been going on in Hong Kong schools.
The first lesson of the zoo and the the first Community of Scholars meeting I attended had little in common apart from the fact that I rode my scooter to both.
At the zoo we discussed the changing role of modern zoos and zookeepers, we petted an echidna, analysed the nocturnal house, saw where they did the food prep with the bags of vacuum packed mice, and I gave an inquisitive quokka a head and chin rub for awhile.
At the first CoS meetings, I listened to an interesting presentation on the reform of the HK educational system which began just after I left HK mid 2000. Has been a challenging time for teachers there and now with populations dropping they will begin to experience unemployment too as up to 30% of schools are closed.
I also experienced a positive and negative feeling:
- The positive one was the feeling that I am now part of a new community, the research community particularly in the education faculty, at UTS. I am now a member of this group, I can see all sorts of opportunities for interesting academic discourses and although there are things I do not like about the world of academia (perhaps more on that at another time) I am attracted to this world and stimulated by participation in it.
- The negative emotion was envy. A number of doctoral students and lecturers were in attendance and some two years along, some 4, some more, and here I am day 1 of the PhD studies with a very long path ahead of me. So yes, definitely felt jealous of those who are already a fair way along the path and in particular past the first year where there is so much unknown.
