Internet and self confidence

After I came home today (read here where I went to) I sat down and needed a break.
With just a bit of music, a sandwich with cheese, I started surfing a bit and landed on a very inspiring site.

Because I need to do a project with a group children at school I decided on something that is not directly related to schoolsubjects.
These children, all girsl, all have learning difficulties and they need a boost in self confidence.

Bella McBride has a wonderful blog and it gave me lots of ideas.
I'm sure the girls will love to make something and maybe they'll even get enough inspiration to design something themselves.

Oh, I'm so looking forward to the lessons!!

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assisting at gymnastics

Assisting at gymnastics is a real job.
You need to have ears and eyes everywhere, or you need to subject the children to military training.

We didn't do anything dangerous, but even then it was a 100% concentration job.
The inhibit the enthousiastic without taking their enthousiasm away, and to motivate inhibited children is very important.

When parents would understand that they would value teachers more.
I'm sure of that.




Graphic made with scrapkit from Kittz Kreationz

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again extreme weather

Again the weather is extreme.
Temperatures of minus 15.5 celcius have been measured and it's not even the coldest time of the night.

Like last time the wind sounds strange, like coming from above instead of coming from closer to earth.

I've had a nice day at the school.

Today I was allowed to assist with gymnastics.
Not because it will be my job, but because it's good to see the children in a different environment.

Some children open up completely, while others get withdrawn and insecure.

A great day.

Don't forget to visit my new blog.




Graphic made with scrapkit from Kittz Kreationz

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experience with children

At work all went well.
I enjoy being at work with the children who need remedial teaching.

It won't be my future job, but I like the experience, because I need to have to find a way to get in contact with all sorts of children.

Dealing with children of the family is different than dealing with unknown children.

I'm busy with my new site.

Almost all the snow has melted the last days and I really miss that wonderful white world.

Have a great day tomorrow!

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at the new school

Soon I'll be working at a school to finish the last part of my studies.

I was invited for a cup of coffee during the lunchbreak at the new school to meet a few collegues.

Didn't expect to be nervous, but I was.

Ofcourse they were very nice to me.
I got a tour around school, was shown where the equipment is for monday evening, in case it was forgotten to put it in the main hall, and I took a walk over the playground before the children went in again.

Great fun to see the kids poke their elbows around to get attantion and then whisper something about me.
Well, I won't be completely new next monday. That's good.

have a great weekend!

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money and 2010

Tomorrow the christmastime ends here too. Now the year is well on it's way, reality is taking over a bit.

This afternoon I had a long talk with some uncles and others about the rising cost of living.

One of the difficulties of studying is that I have to deal with unexpected expenses.
Even though we've asked at university that teachers provide and list of what we need, these lists are subject to all sorts of changes and sometimes we're nearly freaked out by the costs of books or other sudden things we need.

That way I can't make any long term plans and can't say how much I'm able to spend freely each month.

I see that quite some things have become more expensive and even though I have a job, I would like to be able to know now whether I can devote my time on the last months of my studies or whether I need to keep on working.

I try to keep out of debt.

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training

Studying involves books, but also learning with other people.

This week we had to practice therapeutical skills on one another.

I don't like to have someone inexperienced dig into my feelings, so I was very happy that I found my name on the list for behavioral therapy.
It's one of the areas one can easily fake a problem.

So I told I wanted to get rid of my smoking habit.

I've never smoked, but I know it's very difficult to stop without falling into the trap of eating too much.

The guy who had to play my therapist smelled badly. It was like the smoke was coming out of his coat at all sides. So I got a few coughing attacks.
He didn't even put two and two together.

Purpose of the course is to make a treatment plan and use it.

He made a plan that forced me to diminish smoking day by day.
He didn't realize new problems can be expected.

So we're in for a lot of fun.


My client had bad eating habits, so I've send her to the doc to get a check up to see if there are any deficiencies, and after that to the dietitian to get a good advice.

So the next meeting is after that.

The supervisor had a good laugh about it, but he agreed completely.
Her problem is sincere and any physical problems need to be excluded, and when she really wants to change her habits she'd better have a good dietplan to stick to.

He kindly extended the coursetime with the extra time needed, so that gives me a bit of room to study extra for a few subjects I took on last week.

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spanking to potty train a child

Yes, you'rer reading that title well: spanking to potty train a child.

I blogged about a something I found on internet.

A child was exposed on internet, on the potty, and the mother blogged about spanking to get her child develop to a potty trained little boy.

Because we had to bring in a case to the course of developmental psychology I took the subject and put in forced potty training as a case study.

Is it good to force a child into a developmental stage in which development is directed by physical development and sensitivity to bodily triggers?

The subject was welcomed in different ways, but all positive.

We discussed the subject from our experiences, which was very interesting.
Some didn't remember anything from that time, other remembered the gift they got in the end and some the terrible experience when they had an accident some years later.

All in all, it's the reaction of the parent that makes an emotional difference that can be of importance through life.

The teacher thought the subject interesting enough to plan it again for next week, and he wants to invite the professor in to give more theoretical background.

When I started it all: "inspired by a blog", they laughed about me, but when my fellow students behaved quite different.

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Problems and a decision

I've decided: I'll do the projects myself and report straight to the supervisor.
It's a lot more work, I know that, but I can keep in pace with my other activities that way and I get the credit I deserve.

The others have to reconsider their options and they will be given at least one point off because they were hindering other people in their studies.

The board will be meeting next month over issues like these.
(People working on the same project and not keeping appointments).
I think it's time they formulate some opinions and rules about these issues.
They are not new at all, and not always matters are solved without someone paying with delays in their studies.

Last friday I had a meeting with the supervisor and we talked more through in half an hour than with that group in a whole week.

So I feel happy about it all, and I also feel free to move forward and work hard.

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my exams

Self reflection is needed at times.

Working and exams isn't a good combination.
I'm very tired and I've got the feeling I'm underachieving.

So I talked with one of the lecturers and as planned, he agreed to an oral examination.
I'm better that way, anyway, because those written examinations, especially multiple choice, drive me nuts.

I spend more time studying, because I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
So I know all the exceptions on the rules, and most multiple choice questions don't want the exceptions.
But when do they and when not? No idea.

When I can talk my way through an exam, I can explain what I mean, and get the answer right.

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a happymothersday

We're not living at our parent's house anymore.

Yesterday evening we had dinner with my family.
We decided to celebrate mothersday that way, because some of us are sport fanatics and play in competitions. On motherday too.

The food was excellent, my mom felt happy, and the rest of the family was OK.It was nice to catch up.

Today I intended to study and so I did.
Next week I have two exams.
I took my books and went to the part nearby. The wind was really needed to make the temperature bearable.

Just when I was almost ready with the last chapter a friend arrived.

She went to italy for two weeks and was very brown and relaxed.

It was interesting to hear her tell about the friendly people, spaghetti and pizza and the way boys treat girls.

She bought a lovely bag and promised to buy me one when she goes back.

Don't worry, she will.
She met a nice guy.....

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childcare and wrong decisions

Studying special subjects means visiting other universities too.

Today I had to go to another university for some lectures about childabuse, a special subject I've taken.

It was very informative, but I got the impression these people of childcare are completely fixed on saving the child, without caring for the effects on the long run.

One of the casus they presented was about a little girl that was abused by the friend of the mother.
The child was taken away from the home, placed in temporary foster care.

One of the students asked if they gave the mother psychological support.
The woman who gave the lecture was very uncomfortable with the question.
She didn't give a clear answer.

Another student asked why the other 2 children were not taken into care.
According to the lecturer they weren't harmed and they didn't expect to be harmed.

I asked why there wasn't a court order to get the friend of the mother out of the house. He could be detained.
She answered that they didn't have full proof it was him.

I don't understand...the mother had gone for help because the friend was abusing the child. That should be proof enough to get that friend out of the home and leave the girls with her family.

Then she said they were afraid the mother might take the loss of her friend against the child.

Well, I told her I considered her answer as a statement that they didn't really care what harm they do by taking a child from the family.

It will also be bad publicity when this comes in the media, because it means that other women will think twice when they report a friend or spouse.

She answered it was an old case.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the train back we were still discussing her attitude and forgot to look around to see the wonderful blossoming trees.

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exam

Oh, those exams!!

Had to take time to study hard for an exam.
It went well, so I think I can leave that one behind too.

We had to be there at 10, and then there was no one to hand out the papers.
So frustrating!
I got very nervous. Stupid, but true.

After the exam most of the group came to the restaurant and started compairing answers.
I just took a coffee and went.
I'll hear the results soon enough.

The group outside, in the sun, was growing and then someone suggested going to one of the tenniscourts and so we did.

Now my neck, forehead and nose are sunburned...

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Spring celebration

Marvellous it was!
Oh what a day!

I can't believe what nature is doing!
When going to university this morning I had to get rid of my coat, it was simply too hot.

Yesterday I could see through the trees and shrubs, today it was all green and I couldn't see what's happening behind them anymore.

We all went to the toplevel of our building and had a look at the town... beautiful!
It's a real spring celebration.

It was less fun when we came down. The tutor had a bad mood and he couldn't appreciate us being a few minutes late.
I'm not sure if he planned to teach about the theories of the beginning of last century, but he bored us to death.

It's nice to know history, but it's absolutely of no use for therapeutic treatment at all.
When he left we all were silent and then started a yawnconcerto.

We were finished early today so most of us went to town to sit at the river and have a beer.
It felt like being on vacation.

We're about to watch a video now.
Today the choice was made by the guys, so I'm afraid we're in for an action movie.

Well, I have only limited time at the computer today.
It's still sharingtime.

I'll install the manual buzzfuse widget for another time.
Thanks for commenting!!
I'll visit you when it's quiet here and none is calling for me.

Bye.

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