Life Coaching, Observations, Reflections, Things that make you go hmmmmm
I came across a short learning modality questionnaire, “The VARK”.
I also did a second short questionnaire on, “Teachers and Trainers. My personal result and teaching style result don’t surprise me as I already knew I am of multimodality.
The way in which each of us learn best.
What I find interesting in my returns is that my learning method is different than my teaching method.
For me learning is “read/do” and teaching is “see/do”. This makes sense to me. I was in a trade where see/do is significant for the learning apprentice.
We are not always going to have what are learning delivered to us in the style we like it best. When that happens, is we have to pay closer attention to the material we are learning.
Do the questionnaire and find out what your modality is. Do it with your kids and discover what works best for them and where you’ll have to give or get help.
Temet Nosce, is Latin for “Know Thy Self”. Knowing what works best for you and doesn’t aint a bad thing at all.
G.R. Hambley ©
April 29, 2018
The time is March 04, 2018 and in in one of those favoured coffee spots I had a brief conversation with a couple of young women who are students in higher education. They were studying and doing schoolwork. They are articulate, concerned and conduct themselves well. Nice kids.
Yes, some of them kids are alright and other kids are perfect shits. This is about a couple of alright ones. Nothing different in that analysis as compared to my generation at that age.
Everybody was minding their own business and one of the girls lamented a lack of money. Having been a student and knowing what it’s like to be a financially depressed student, I can appreciate their laments.
We talked for a few minutes about school, getting the higher education and getting a job after graduation. These two women are cognizant of the fact that you don’t get big money when you start out. We talked about starting out and the current state of business and what you could well encounter in today’s business climate.
I was interested in hearing what they had to say. We can call that observational writing and professional development with me being both a writer and a teacher.
I did reveal to these 2 young ones of peoplekind* that I am a teacher and when asked by one of them, I copped to my field being English.
One of the young ladies emphatically stated I look like an English Teacher** and the other quickly agreed. As a point of information and I didn’t share it with the young ladies, my official title is, “Curmudgeonly Philosopher Poet”.
I thanked them and noted it must be my pony tail; we laughed.
I did not get in to the rest of my skill set, mostly. Starting out in a trade was spoken of but the Life Coach and Writer were left in the wings.
We talked about what they’re encountering with education. I did not go in to the higher education indoctrination as it wasn’t the place for it. One of the young ladies did state with some frustration and tone of resignation in her expression about the shoving of there being “one way and one way only” at them.
Yeah, I wanted to drop the indoctrination piece on them and didn’t do it. These two are already cognizant and aware.
I did show them the poster for an event promoted by George Brown College where they take the position of anti-trump and do not support him.
These two kids agreed that George Brown had no business interjecting their beliefs on a foreign election.
I would like to say that the frustration is from something other than higher education’s social sciences but I believe I would be wrong to say that and, well unlike the seats of higher learning, I’m never wrong.
We talked about what their generation is facing in the job quest as compared to what my generation encountered when starting out on the after school adult life. The two young women figured my generation had it tougher than theirs does starting out.
I believe their generation has a more difficult time than mine did and we talked about why from both our perspectives.
This would be a good time to identify the conversationalists. We have me, a Caucasian male who’ll be 60 in a few weeks. One young woman, whom if you were going to categorize based on her features and complexion, you would probably say Middle Eastern. The 2nd young woman, based on features, East Indian.
All of us with an above average vocabulary and the ability to convey our thoughts.
Whether they are first gen Canadian or not is irrelevant. What is relevant are the concerns and values.
Everyone the age of these women, male and female alike consider themselves to be so grown up. These 2 from my brief experience are on the right path but they are still kids. No, no I didn’t use the “Well you’re a kid and….” approach. That condescending and dismissive behaviour pissed me off when I was their age so why would I lay that trip on them?
At their age I was an apprentice and the 3 of us talked about the trades. Both of them related the “Stigma” of the trades. Both spoke on how (paraphrasing) the trades are manual labour and seen as being beneath so many other jobs.
I told them it was a trade I started in and yes, the trades are demanding and dirty. We touched a little on the fact that you can’t be stupid and be a good tradesman.
I can move my mouth, my hands and my mind on different things all at the same time.
The women agreed there just aren’t many who are working and or looking to be employed in the “White Collar Sector” can do what I and other tradesmen learned how to do.
I’m not going to have the pronoun gender debate either. If you make it you’re a mechanic or journeyman or as in my case, a Smithy.
Does the expression, “Less chatter more clatter” mean anything to anyone reading this tale? If yes, were you on the receiving or delivery end?
I asked the young ladies what they figured a union mechanic in my trade makes an hour. They missed it on the low side by about 50%.
Lets use the person who cuts, styles, blows your hair. This is a trade and if you’ve never thought about it, that person is most probably talking to you about something that isn’t hair related while they work on you. If their hands aren’t moving and their mouth is, that person needs to stop talking and just do the work. I chose a hair care because of the interaction that usually takes place between the parties in that industry.
We talked about starting out and the different dynamics for them now and for me then.
When I started out there was still quite a bit of “Find that one secure company”, get a job and put in your 40 years. A couple people I went to High school with went on to work for “Bell Canada”, the phone company.
The one company until you’re done days are long gone and I don’t see them coming back. These days if you spend more than about 10 years with any company your personal motivation is questioned.
Me and the kids talked about some of the factors that affect how business gets done these days and the conversation went to outsourcing which led in to taking care of your own first.
We agreed that there is far too much outsourcing.
For these kids, and they know it, working in the industry where their degree is may not happen. When I came out of my last session of trade school, those that went on to colleges and universities were finishing up their studies and looking to join the work force.
I’m certain some Free Range Globalist will object to what I relate now because it smacks of “POPULISM”. GASP!
Canadian values have been in and out of the social media spotlight.
Me and the women talked about values and they feel like I feel. You take care of your own first and then if you have extra, you can help others.
We have issues and infrastructures that must take precedent. Canadians without clean water and adequate housing take precedent over others in other countries.
People like to say charity starts at home. Taking care of our issues and matters is not charity and it is the correct thing to do.
Most Canadians feel this way. The number is probably right around 66%.
Them kids and me, we also agreed that the people must be more diligent with removing the old bad politicians for new good ones.
Canadian values are fine and being relayed to the kids. I was lucky enough to encounter a couple of good ones.
G.R. Hambley ©
March 20, 2018
*PEOPLEKIND
This is what we call a joke. Should someone care to pass it along to Canada’s Prime Minister, “Gerald Butts” and the Clown Prince, “Justin Trudeau”, please do.
** “Ray Barnes of the purple granny glasses, my grade 9 English Teacher would be so proud.
I’ve played my “English Teacher” card a few times and I like it!
I too, officially, can be a grammar snob and a giant keeper of the word PITA, pain in the ass. I was that way prior to getting the English Teacher Designation and higher education made it official.
If I say it, I’m correct, you’re just not, so stop it! Great fun!
Shortly after I passed the assessment that gave me the, “I’m a teacher” designation a good friend who is not a native speaker of English showed me the assignment their child was given. I told my friend I really liked the kid’s thought process on one of the questions and I knew where the smartass on that answer originated.
Nice parenting indeed! That was an honest statement and not a facetious one. A little clowning with humour aint a bad thing at all. I enjoy it, in small doses.
What really got my attention was the error in one of the questions. The assignment is a “Cloze”, fill in the blanks.
That 4.2 was shown to a couple friends who went, “What, that isn’t right” but didn’t peg the error in the moment. English is a strange thing.
Question 4.2 was shown to the parent who did return me a correct response and I trust will for ever more realize their ESL is just fine.
Playing the “English Teacher” card on that little exchange was satisfying!
I have been asked to chime in from my exalted position on several occasions as well. One of them was just identifying the word being sought and the word needed, “Voracious” was already in my vocabulary before my anointment
What isn’t satisfying is when the card plays me. I’m not sure I care for this behaviour even though it’s my own damn fault for getting the edumucation. Not a typo.
I haven’t had the same “Sarcaustic” feel to some of my opinionated pieces. I and “Good Friend” were disappointed to find that my new word was already on “Urban Dictionary” when I unleashed it. Damn! GSTA I suppose. Great Smartasses Think Alike.
All said and done, this old cunning linguist is more so and loves it!
G.R. Hambley ©
January 22, 2018
At 9:31 am on Wednesday November 22, 2017 I clicked “Complete” on an exam. From that moment on and forever more, I am a Teacher of English.
I was a poet before I became a Coach and I remained a poet. In the journey to this point I had a moment where I knew, I’m a writer. The poet still burns brightly within me. Now I am “Officially” a Teacher and the heart of the poet continues to beat madly.
Poetry is my gift. I can just do it and do it well. Poetry is important in language. The educators stress the importance of bringing poetry to the classroom. I know the learners I get will leave with an understanding of the importance of poetry that other learners won’t get because they don’t have me.
I have a teaching philosophy and you can read it.
The Word. I love “The Word”.
I hope to infect others with love of “The Word”.
Gary Hambley, Teacher of English.
Doesn’t matter what the endeavour is, we all have influences that are part of our developed style. This presumes you have a style and if you don’t, maybe someday, if you work at it, often, you’ll have a style too.
There are two parts to language and they are “Cognitive Academic” and “Basic Interpersonal”. If you prefer, the two parts are what you write and what you talk.
As directed in the “Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)” course, I was reading a paper where I hit a line and a bit from “Carlin on Language” immediately appeared vociferously at full volume in my brain.
This is how it went when I told “Good Friend” about the incident.
They hurt my head. I was reading and then OW! Fortunately for me, George Carlin went off in my brain and then it was okay.
Front-loading EL
Purpose Ensure access to content instruction taught in English by “preteaching” for upcoming language demands
Content Determined by language purposes. Teaches sentence structures and vocabulary needed to engage in content skills or concepts
Preteach. no such thing! It’s teaching. Carlin, “Preboarding”, it’s not “Preboarding” and is “Boarding”. Mutter mutter mutter!
I swear some of this shit jargon is designed to make you go, “What the hell is this bullshit”.
I’m a big fan of George Carlin and have been for a long, long time. That I vehemently disagree with his take on Golf Courses and Voting,
it doesn’t change that the man was brilliant and I love his stuff. I even got to see him perform once, yeah, it was great and I smiggle just thinking about it. “Smiggle” is my own word and It is derived from a combined smirk and giggle.
I had Carlin’s AM FM Album when I was a teenager. It was when I was a mid twenties adult that I saw George.
I’m not completely on board with what Carlin blames as the creator of PC Language. I have some clearly defined ideas of my own on whom to blame for the PC Language. I do agree with the Madison Avenue reference George uses.
Influence without realization to a degree. The two types of language, blending the “Cognitive Academic” with the “Basic interpersonal” in his delivery. It hit me as I was doing course work just how much more brilliant Carlin was then I ever realized.
Carlin blended those two aspects of the language so well where I only do it well. I checked in with “Good Friend” on this matter of blending the academic information with interpersonal delivery. “Good Friend” said yes, I do that blending well.
Our mediums are different but not. Do you not think Carlin wrote everything down and worked out the pieces before delivering them to an audience? Of course he did, simple stuff.
I do the same as I write to be read by you good people. Could I do a stand-up thing, yeah I could but it would be something I developed that isn’t comedy as such and I will not be a Carlin clone. There was only one, he’s it!
Blending language and I have a couple papers to write. I have leeway on topic. Just perhaps I should give the powers that be insight in to that blending of the “Cognitive Academic” and the “Basic Interpersonal” when there is a Construction Oops.
The topic, I hear there’s a crane in Toronto they can’t get down. I know exactly how the language in that conversation is going to go!
G.R. Hambley ©
October 03, 2017
No, I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone.
The title of this piece, “You Don’t Hate Me” is from an individual who asked me if I like them. That after I had said “No” to being asked by that individual if I liked them. I don’t dislike the individual either.
There are a vast number of people I neither like, or dislike. This possibility didn’t figure in to the individual’s equation.
There are a great many people who don’t put all the factors in to their equations.
All those people I’m in indifferent to, I hope they’re having nice lives and are basically happy. People who are having basically happy lives probably aren’t up to stupid shit. I detest stupid shit.
I got a whole lot of healthy indifference for pretty much everyone on the planet. You and me, we’re all the same. You got a whole lot of indifference too. I’m not much for telling people what they should do but in this case, that worldly indifference, so you should.
I’ve also got an interest in meeting and talking to people and not just foreign ones.
I also have a pretty intense dislike for a handful of people walking this rock too. They earned it.
You hate me! I’m good with that and you know what else, I don’t care. I don’t care and you can just carry that hatred load as long as you desire. Hatred is a wasted emotion. Hating only demeans the self.
G.R. Hambley
July 04, 2017
I shot the Ibis a long time ago and you’re welcome to use the meme.
A Lady’s Dignity
I’ve been meaning to write this up for a long while. This is a how to on getting in to the back seat of a car on a busy street when accompanied by a woman who’s wearing a short skirt or dress.
Let’s be real clear about me; I aint no gentleman. Never have been and never will be a gentleman. I am considerate and understanding. I have definitive ideas about how to look out for a woman I’m with and I said so in, “Escorting A Lady Through A Door”.
Guys if it’s your first date, you’re going to score big points with the lady you’re with by doing this. Hell, even if she aint wearing a short thing do this and you’ll still score big points with the girl!
I have just been outside one of my coffee spots. I’ve seen this take place so many times where the guy didn’t know how to do it and the woman wasn’t pleased. The woman wasn’t pleased to have been sliding across the back seat. It’s a journey for the woman of making sure there is no discovery of Treasure Island.
The tell tale duality that is the look of disgust and discomfort that only a woman can convey.
Guys, we too can do that look; just not anywhere near as good as the ladies! A thing of true amusement as long as that look isn’t directed at you. Unfortunately for the lady in the current event, the guy was sky gazing and didn’t see the look she was giving. From the look on the woman’s face, she knew the right way to go about this adventure and the guy was going to hear about it.
I can’t even feel for sorry my fellow man in this case. Well I did have a tiny bit of empathy for him as I was thinking, “you poor bastard, you’re gonna be hearing about this”! That was probably more of an autonomic guy response than real empathy cuz I was smiggling* at the time. Smiggling, someone has to make up words and I’m good at it!
The Uber had pulled up and our not such a hero opens the back door. He points for the woman to get in. She looks at him for a second and then does so. The lady has to turn sideways so her back is to the other door and then slide along the seat while trying to keep her dress from riding up and giving the driver a nice rear view mirror peep show. Our hero gets in, closes the door and off they go.
This is the correct way on a busy street where you can’t walk around to the other side of the car after seating the lady and closing her door.
When the car pulls up you get in first. Go about mid way across the seat so you can reach the door to close it after the woman gets in. If there is dust and dirt on the seat, it’s now on you and not on her pretty dress or skirt.
When the lady seats herself you lean across her and close the door.
There are a few benefits from doing it this way you may not have considered. If you put the arm not closing the door up on the back of the seat around the woman for balance, you can just leave your arm there after closing the door. You could put that free hand on the ladies thigh for balance and if you’re closer in acquaintance, give that thigh a little squeeze. Let her know you like! If nothing else you’ve presented your cheek for a kiss for being so gallant!
You’ve also protected the lady’s dignity and I happen to think that deserves a kiss!
If the lady hasn’t recognized what you have done for her, In the interest of equality you good Sir are now free to tell her about it!
And what did I see of our heroine in this little adventure I’ve related? If I told you what I saw, just what kind of a protector would I be? The answer is always nothing. I saw nothing but her face.
Try this if you need a smile in the moment.
G.R. Hambley ©
July 02, 2016
*Smiggle is my own word – combined smirk and giggle
*Smiggling – combined smirking and giggling
It has been an absolutely shitty year for death in the music industry and it’s just mid March.
The latest, a couple days ago was Keith Emerson of ELP. Yeah sure, you can call them Emerson, Lake and Palmer if you like but not many people I know do.
I’m not going to get in to naming names as I’d surely miss a couple and someone would take great delight in telling me about it. I’m not going to get in to the contributions to the art of those that have passed either.
To all those that went away, they mattered to each and every one of us in our own way. That is enough for us and I believe knowing they touched us is enough for them too.
The icons we grew with that have been such an important part of our lives all the way along the path of life and now in to the backside of our own lives are falling. We miss them and we remember the pieces of ourselves and our lives that they were part of. No, they didn’t for the most part know first personal of each of us but they damn well knew what they meant to us.
Keith Emerson’s passing has a far different feel for us because it was suicide. The range of emotions is greater and rawer within us when death is self inflicted. The things people say are rawer when death is brought on by our own hand.
Some say heartless and hurtful statements. I disagree to a point. The point is there are those who look to be hurtful and thankfully the hurtful ones are few.
So very many that make what others call heartless and hurtful are in reality expressing how they feel suffering their own loss. I can see the statements as thoughtless but not heartless. I can see those hurtful statements as striking back because what you did hurt me.
What I’ve heard and read about Keith Emerson’s physical being, degenerative arthritis where he’d already lost the use of 2 fingers and for certain was going to lose the use of all his fingers. Could he have written? I’m sure he could have written. I’m just as sure no one would be able to play just from the written music the way Emerson heard it.
I and many know about chronic pain and degenerative. I know the pain and anguish. I know how useless I’d feel were I not able to write. I can understand completely being able to do something oh so very well and then not being able to do it anymore. I don’t think I could bear to lose the word my way.
A few comments I’d seen on the suicide said, “Selfish”.
I said this;
His life, like anyone else, to do with as they choose. You don’t get a vote. The emotionalism attached to any pain is 100% real.
A damn tragedy yes. Could it have been prevented? No one will ever know and have to believe because he didn’t reach out, no. No more than the breaking down of his body. I think he’d reached the point where he wasn’t asking himself why and was asking why not.
Why and why not? Many and I am one of them will tell you, when you find yourself asking yourself why take your own life you have a problem. When you stop asking “why” and start asking yourself, “why not” you are in much deeper trouble. I hope if you ever find yourself in that, “why not” place you find it somewhere within yourself to reach out for help.
I use a music service and have a few playlists. One of those playlists I named, “Soulful” and ELP’s “Lucky Man” is the first tune in the list. It is both tragedy and irony that Keith Emerson’s went as he did. The end of life mimicking his own art. A bullet found Keith Emerson well before the bullet from the gun did, “no money could save him, so he laid down and he died”.
G.R. Hambley ©
March 14, 2016
The brain is just a support mechanism for the mind. Nothing can be real outside of the mind if it is not first real inside the mind.
I saw a posted quote (below) and while it is correct and good I thought that the quote didn’t touch the mind enough.
A while back I was introduced to OBI, Ontario Brain Institute so I went and had a look at their site. When I landed the splash screen had a statement that space wasn’t the final frontier and the brain is.
When I saw that statement I immediately thought, “the brain is just a support mechanism for the mind”. I’ve bounced this off a few people in discussion and they agreed. Yes, the brain autonomously controls a vast array of bodily function.
Everything I create is real in my head before it becomes real in word or image. I can see it in my mind before it goes down. Inventors see their creation fully functional before their work is physically manifested. Of course there is trial and error and that does not change the reality of existence. The physical manifestation is the logical conclusion of the reality not a second creation.
G.R. Hambley
December 04, 2015
LinkedIn has managed to creep me out with their new Lookup app. They did a good job of ticking me off previously as I noted in a previous post.
My original thought was to spin this a little different. When I got the email and read through the announcing of LinkedIn Lookup my first response was a creepy kind of disbelieving laughter followed by the; “are you kidding me” kind of laughter.
This is how LinkedIn introduced Sarah and LinkedIn Lookup with pictures.
LinkedIn invited me to meet Sarah and I thought it be a good idea if I introduced Sarah to a good friend of mine. I had no idea they’d already met and neither knew that I knew them both, separately. Perfect recipe for disaster huh guys? You can be certain my ears will be burning because you know how women gossip when they get together.
When I introduced Sarah to my friend I said a few other things as well. I can even repeat some of them.
This is what my friend had to say about Sarah and I’m hoping with all my heart Sarah doesn’t find out because I wouldn’t want that dear, dear, misguided soul to think I was an unfeeling cad*.
There was one other thing my friend said, “Don’t keep Sarah late; it’s her turn to pay!”
I’m thinking Sarah will be paying large for this projects failure.
I’m thinking my friend is going to be hearing a lot of whining when they meet for cocktails.
I’m thinking there was more whining about the chipped nail than the missing minions.
I’m thinking my friend wasn’t really surprised when Sarah didn’t see the underlings as co-workers
I’m thinking the last pour will be on my friend and it’ll be Sarah in to a cab.
I’m proud of my friend for not leaving Sarah passed out in the lounge’s bathroom.
I hope the cocktail lounge had Sarah’s corporate credit card and my friend didn’t get stuck with the tab.
I’m especially happy my ears weren’t burning so thank you Sarah.
I am not a conspiracy theorist or a paranoid. Let me tell you though, something like another app such as LinkedIn’s Lookup that is designed to track you could get me going to that side of the conspiracy and paranoia fence right quick.
And wouldn’t you know it, as I’m working on this; another request has come in asking me to “participate” in access. This access request, it comes from … Microsoft.
G.R. Hambley – all rights reserved
October 16, 2015
*Cad is not gender specific.
transitionu 
Recent Comments