The (Substitute) Teacher (Day 13): The Truth

As I do more and more teaching, I discover not only fitting into the role better, but that this might just be the right job for me (full-time teaching, that is). I mention this right now, therefore: I am an introvert. My voice doesn't carry that loudly and I prefer to keep it a low profile. So it is kinda funny I'm considering teaching at all: you have to maintain order in the classroom as you teach your subject to your students. If you're perceived as soft or too easy going, kids will eat you alive.

So, teaching Physical Education means you have to keep on your guard. Through promotion of healthy bodies, students seem to consider a substitute as a rare opportunity to do whatever they want to do. As this happened to be the second time I subbed at this particular school and therefore recognized certain students, I knew what to expect. I felt I was more assertive this time around compared to my first time, yet I still maintained a sense of ease: I want to exhibit a sense that I'm easy going and approachable for a talk. This method worked out just fine for most of the periods I taught, as the kids went through their daily stretches and runs.

The final period proved to be the troublesome one. They seemed to prefer anarchy with their regular teacher out for the day. This period was where I got more forceful, shouting out at the students for misbehaving or not following instructions; to be frank, it was a bit draining to have been forced to do that due to their wild streak. This period was meant to be used for students to get a jump start on homework or ask for assistance on problems they had; instead, students preferred playing with their pens enacting five finger fillet, talking, or being downright disruptive.

In any case, the period was survived and the rest of the day went comfortably. Near the end of the school day, I was looking back at it and reflected that I did a better job in asserting myself than my past jobs. However, honesty is found in even the young, as I found out this day. A student from one of my earlier classes, who happened to be in this period too, approached me at the end of the day, thanked me for subbing, and was good enough to impart the following critique:

"You're a nice sub, but you need to be more forceful."

After subbing for a good amount of days and getting positive feedback from administrations of those schools, it was humbling to be reminded that the students ultimately get the final say in a teacher's performance. The good student wants to learn and therefore wants to avoid the distraction other students may present. The bad student doesn't want to be there and the job falls on the teacher to show the reasons the student needs to be there. If I can't be assertive enough and juggle the right amount of easiness and friendliness, I really have no business teaching.

I thanked the student for her honesty and told her I would work on it. We'll see how it works out the next time I sub.

The (Substitute) Teacher (Day 11): Spanish Teacher

Nope, you haven't missed the previous ten days; I just decided the time was right to jump in and say about the experience! In any case, you've probably read a bit about my uncertainty regarding what is my next step. Well, I've been fortunate enough to acquire an emergency substitute permit and have been subsequently hired by a local school district as a substitute teacher. I figure, if teaching is the way to go, better to get my feet wet before even attempting to dive into a teaching credential program.

So far, it's been working good. My first gig resulted in working with special education and it served as a foundation for learning exactly how different teaching methods must be used for all variety of students. This, along with my second gig, showed me that middle school is an unpredictable stage to teach; at this age, students are growing and are becoming independent, becoming more liberal in their expressions while drowning out the teacher. To all you full-time teachers in middle school reading this (and to those that taught me during my 6th-8th grade years), my condolences and thanks, for what you deal with and for the strength you have in taking it.

The last two subbing gigs happened to be at the high school level. From what I've learned (and remember!), students at this grade level are starting to focus on the studies long-term; that, or they ride athletics and high school tropes to success. In any case, I never much liked high school, for reasons I may share later on, but I can say I screwed myself those four years. How ironic that I would consider high school my entry level into full-time teaching then. 

To preserve confidentiality, I won't be naming anyone or giving away where I work. What I can tell you is that this second high school job sprung up at midnight. The listing stated it was for a high school Spanish class. Raised by two native speakers of the language, my tongue has devolved slightly since my younger years, but I proudly state that my Spanish is proficient in communication and comprehension. I figured I hadn't worked since Monday, it was at the high school level (which as I mentioned is where I'm highly considering starting a teaching career), and it was a subject I'm well versed with, so who cared if I had to wake up 5 hours later just to get there at 6:30 in the morning?

Upon arriving to the classroom, I noticed the professor didn't leave a lesson plan to follow. From my experience with the previous subbing jobs, teachers have left their lesson plan in their inbox, which the front office provides in a folder. Or, the substitute leaves special instructions through a system in which the substitute accesses to hear said instructions. In this job's case, it was stated there were special instructions, but no recording was left. Fortunately, a nearby professor helped figure out a basic lesson plan I could follow, so that helped out. 

The first period I taught in was relatively quiet, but a bit excited about a substitute. This class was composed of freshmen and sophomores, an age group transitioning away from the wildness of middle school; surprisingly, there was little to no outstanding behavior. They behaved...like mature adults. They seemed to be on task with the assignments I presented, but...I don't recall the cell phone being a part of the required supplies for learning. The cell phone was in its infancy during my high school years, with the smartphones slowly popping up. Nowadays, you're guaranteed to see an iPhone in at least one person's hand. Regardless, most people understood that cell phones are a big no-no in my class, except for one person, who kept using her phone as both a makeshift mirror to curl her eyelashes and to check her messages.

Then...things got interesting during the second period of class.

I should point out that between the first and second class, the school had a pep-rally assembly, to prepare for the homecoming game that evening. With spirits and morale high, the students were eager for the weekend to start, but seeing a substitute, they figured it would be an easy day. This class was composed of primarily juniors, so I guess they figured a sub they hadn't met before would be slim pickings. Not so fast...The Spanish tongue helped show the first period I knew what I was doing, so when presented to this second period, they began to listen.

However, this may have also been attributed to a little bartering. I'm not one who possesses a strong voice or exhibits a commanding presence (even if I may look it), but the distractions from the pep-rally and this substitute were enough for this second period to go off on a tangent, stating that they had already completed most of the assignments the professor had left. Instead, they decided to ask Mr. Sub the most random and sometimes personal questions. I can smell bull a mile away (after all, high school wasn't that far back!), so to try to get them to work, I offered to talk a bit about myself near the end of class. It worked out decently, but in order to gauge if they were really learning the material and practicing it, I requested that the final activity be shared among the whole class: a spoken dialogue meant to be shared with two people was therefore expanded to the whole room.

With their part fulfilled, I decided it was fair to entertain them for a little bit. The following are some of the more random, ridiculous, intriguing, and hilarious questions and statements I've received that the students decided to share.

"What school (college) did you attend?" "You look too young to be a sub. How old are you?"

-Ah, both questions went hand in hand. At the start of the class, quite a few of the students kept asking that, with me trying to dismiss it as "It doesn't matter, let's focus on the activity!" This then led to wild speculations.

"You're a fun teacher. Too bad our teacher doesn't like fun; looks like you won't teach in this room again!"

-Well, something along those lines, but still, the important takeaway from this is that they found me amusing. If there's one thing I learned as a student, the best teachers are the ones who know the subject they're teaching and are entertaining. Nobody enjoys dull lectures.

"You're already the best Spanish sub we've had. Most of the subs we've had for Spanish don't even know what to do, since they don't speak it."

-Understandable. You can't expect all subs to know the subject-matter. That's why we depend on lesson plans (from my experience). Still, I was happy to be able to sub for a subject I clearly understood.

"Do you have Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?"

-I don't think a student should care. Do you? *Takes precaution with appropriate accounts*

And the number one hilarious question:

"How's your love life?"

-Uh...class dismissed?

I still have a ways to go with appreciating and perfecting teaching. As a student, it was mostly easy for me to pay attention to the teacher's instructions. Now, as the teacher (albeit a substitute), I have to command respect while juggling both subject-matter competency and a personal preference in providing an enjoyable learning experience. As I gain more experience, I hope to reach the right balance. At least the administration at this particular school was happy with my work ethic; they've suggested that they know at least one new sub who knows the subject of Spanish and that they can count on this guy to teach it!

October Goodies

Now normally, I'd have to wait for Halloween to get goodies (shh...adults trick-or-treating isn't creepy...right? Right?) But October provides me with some gaming goodies indeed. First:

You knew I had to get it.

Wind Waker HD. Yes, number one Zelda fan must have collectors edition. Of course, there is the Zelda Wii U bundle, but I'm happy with a Ganondorf figure (sweet!) and a launch Wii U (yes, bought it at launch). As for my plans with replaying this charming but shocking (no spoilers here!) Zelda game, I think I'll give it the Twilight Princess treatment and do a play through. How does 3 Heart Challenge in Hero Mode sound? Oh and Director's Cuts too (don't worry, still got some for Twilight Princess, but hope you're watching the videos uploaded)!

Wind Waker HD launches October 4th, in physical copies while digitally, it launches September 20th. If you can't wait, download it! Anyways, a week after the physical copies of WW HD release, we get...

Pokémon X/Y. As if catching 649 Pokémon wasn't enough (I vote we banish Johto Pokémon with very few exceptions), we're getting brand new ones, customization for characters (and Pokemon!), new gender differences for Pokemon, a revamped type chart (yay, Electric-types cannot get paralyzed and uh...Steel-types lose two resistances (Dark, Ghost) while gaining Super Effective coverage and resistance to another (Fairy), and Mega Evolutions! Of course, this Mega Evo made me happy when revealed:

Mega Blaziken. Obviously the second best starter ever (Pikachu is number 1), the original Fire/Fighting-type showing up the weaklings in Infernape and Emboar and the somewhat overhyped Charizard (who also got a Mega Evolution, but looks like Flygon's distant cousin) with a Mega Evolution, waiting to crack some Poke-skulls with Speed Boost, Flare Blitz, and Hi Jump Kick.

Would have been happy with that, but then Game Freak decided to make me the happiest Pokemon breeder ever...by giving my favorite Pokemon a Mega Evolution too!

Mega Garchomp. Your argument is invalid. Your Charizard was always weak. Your Scizor was nothing to begin with. Your Metagross was stupid to even think it could win. Your Infernape would rather eat its own droppings than battle this. Your Keldeo pretends to be a "My Little Pony" when this thing comes out. Garchomp was already the greatest Pokemon ever and now with a Mega Evolution, well...infinity can't contain its greatness.

...Uh...ahem, Pokémon X/Y comes out October 12th (worldwide) for Nintendo 3DS (yes, 2DS is a 3DS). Something tells me this game is going to be big...Anyways, maybe we'll catch each other online!

Just hit the run button, though. Cheers!

Director's Cut: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Double Feature)

I want to analyze two videos this time. So, let's get cracking!

Flying up the river
-Shame it only lasts a 1:38 (though you get to redo the part with Shadow Bugs). But if you've already seen the video on YouTube, you know how I've gushed all over this part of the game. The music is just so mysterious and enjoyable, a frenetic pace as you fly on a Shadow Kargaroc up a dry river infested with Shadow Bulblins trying to shoot you down. WIth no water around, the river's cavernous route reverberates the sounds of bows twocking, Bomb Arrows smacking hanging stalactites, and the destroyed rocks serving as obstacles as they fall.

The first time I played this (back in 2006), I admit to my confusion to the controls. With this game being ported from the GameCube and adapted to use the Wiimote, the developers wanted to test some techniques. Having both GCN and Wii version, pointer controls to pilot the Shadow Kargaroc is surprisingly responsive. However, it proves to stink when attempting a sharp turn, as evident at 1:20.

Frozen Zora
-Reaching the throne room and looking down the ice to see dozens of frozen Zoras was a bit creepy. Learning of what happened here from Queen Rutella was also disturbing. Imagine having to witness your queen executed in front of you and then frozen in place, awaiting someone to notice something is wrong or dying a slow, cold death...

Twilight Princess is likened to another dark title in the Zelda-series: Majora's Mask. Both games have disturbing backgrounds they base on set pieces. The aforementioned Zora scene is just one; the next video describes one of the more bizarre and disturbing scenes to witness in a Zelda game.

The Story of the Fused Shadow
-Ok, ignore the giant Shadow Bug at the start; we've been hinted on that the Fused Shadow were a dark power that could take on the powers of Twilight. Here, we get told the origins. As expected, greedy people want unimaginable power. Friends turn on each other and chase the powers of gods. Another group emerges using dark magic to start riots until the spirits seal their magic and banish them. The dark magic, as it happens to be, is the Fused Shadow. These dark interlopers wanted to establish control over the Sacred Realm but were stopped by the Goddess' order to the Light Spirits.

This motif is one of the more darker ones in Nintendo history. Using Link and Ilia to represent the peaceful Hylians before they betrayed each other is quite symbolic of the troubles that happen not only in this game but in actual life. People in history have proven to be traitors if it means a benefit to them. At this point, we don't know who the dark interlopers are, but suffice to say, a band of misfits, when tempted by power, will crush anyone in their way. What deals this allure of power is the intoxicated look Link has before snapping out of it when Lanayru finishes giving its caution. His sinking to the ground in defeat signals shame the hero feels at being tempted.

Director's Cut: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) (Part 21): vs. Fyrus, Twilit Igniter

Another Director's Cut? Sure, let's analyze one of the more infamous battles in Twilight Princess!

Fyrus, Twilit Igniter
-The opening of this battle is done in a good matter. Perhaps limitations with the GCN prevented developers from adding artistic design to the arena; with the backstory that the Gorons were forced to lock their patriarch up, I would have liked to have seen more wreckage because certainly, Fyrus would not have gone quietly.

But that's not my biggest gripe with this battle. As I mentioned, the opening sets up what is sure to be a fantastic battle. The music is simply superb, setting up for a clash of opposite spectrums, a sort of David and Goliath battle (come on, a Bow and Sword vs. Flaming Giant?). A giant, flaming Goron roaring fire your way and swinging around madly? Sign me up for a good battle!

Except it doesn't happen.

Fyrus is slooooow. That's not the big issue though; a hulking beast is what he's supposed to be after all. No, when I say slow, I mean he doesn't react fast enough. Look at 2:00, where I miss with the Hero's Bow. He just...stands there. His flaming wall attack takes forever to create. A beast of his size should also try to block those arrows at least. I feel that the player should have been challenged in this battle. With the Wiimote providing pinpoint accuracy dependent on the player, this battle could have been more challenging; make the player wait for an opening to aim for Fyrus and punish them for being frantic. After all, Link is wielder of the Triforce of Courage. If the designers would have worked on the enemy AI better for this battle, this boss would have been epic. As it stands, good cinematic and music, bad boss battle.

Still, the Ending Blow here is pretty wicked.

Oh, and I still don't like Malo. Little punk doesn't bow like he should!

Director's Cut: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) (Part 2): Thieving Cat.

And we're back!

0:44 - And here we have three more youngsters: Talo is too freaking loud, Beth is a gold digger, and Malo...well...I plain don't like Malo. Suffice to say, Malo in Spanish means bad. I hate Malo.
2:13 - Twilight Princess is notorious for forgetting most of the items and techniques you learn. The blade of grass is no different...which is a shame.
3:18 - Oh, how I wish this was Skyward Sword right now...climbing in Twilight Princess is slooooooooooooooow at climbing. The stamina bar in Skyward Sword meant you couldn't hang around all day, but for that limitation, you could climb faster by using up your stamina.
6:53 - Fado's a bad wrangler.
7:24 - Look very closely at Link's hands...he isn't holding that Cuckoo at all!
10:11 - Freaking cat thief. That was my lunch!
11:24 - Sure, Sera...tell yourself that...And ew! Backwash much?

Questions/comments/suggestions? Ask away in the comments!

Director's Cut: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) (Part 1): A Twilit Start

I've been thinking about doing this for a couple of weeks. Now with a bit of free time, I wanted to test out this experiment.

I've had a YouTube channel for a while now and I use it mostly for video game playthroughs and guides. The descriptions for many of these videos is enough to give one an idea of what they're watching. With this Director's Cut, I want to get a deeper look into the game, both on the story and design elements from the creator of the game and my own techniques. This will be indicated by timestamps. Hope you enjoy the video and my thoughts!

0:00 - Wow, surprised it still looks this nice after seven years. The HD capabilities of the Wii U help out!
1:03 - Twilight Princess is in the Majora's Mask cycle now. It has taken the "not bad" position owned by Wind Waker, with Skyward Sword getting the "it sucks" position. Meanwhile, Wind Waker is now in the "I love it!" post while Majora's Mask joins Ocarina of Time as the "Timeless Classic" spot. Zelda fans are so fickle...
1:42 - Let's get it out of the way...I'm not sure about voice acting in The Legend of Zelda. I definitely don't want Link to speak; the silent protagonist (battle cries notwithstanding) just fits him right in terms of you being Link, as Shigeru Miyamoto intended it. As for the other characters...it really depends on the voice actors they choose. We'll see if Zelda Wii U brings them along!
3:52 - One of the brats, Colin. I still can't tell if it's a girl or a boy (a boy apparently...).
4:09 - Horse Thief Ilia!
4:59 - There's going to be a lot of Skyward Sword references in these Director's Cut. I appreciate the infinite rolling more than the stamina bar rolling, for example. Still, Skyward Sword improved some of the mechanics that were stagnant by the time Twilight Princess came out.
5:29 - That long shirt makes the crush Ilia look like a midget.
7:20 - Let's be honest...does anyone in Ordon Village really need the shop to exist? You'd think a small community like this would share...Speaking of which...
8:40 - How much does Link get paid for cattle wrangling?

See anything you'd like me to discuss about the video? Post in the comments!