My First Subversive Act of 2017

One of my two Cal Poly profs for Winter 2017 (I have two classes for four units) sent us (Cal Poly Single Subject Teaching Credential Cohort 2016-2017) a link via email to her class syllabus. Her class syllabus shows the class starting on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Her syllabus also shows we had a reading and writing homework assignment due last night at 11:59 p.m. Clearly there is some confusion there because the class has not yet started so how can homework be expected to be done during OUR vacation time when the class is still technically not yet started? For this reason I deliberately did not do it tonight, consequences be damned. Yeah that's right, I'm really sticking it to the man! Subvert the dominant paradigm. I bet fellow cohortee, Dr. Cameron Jones, wussed out and turned it in on time.

Scripture of the Day - David & Paul

Today, as I observed in my school placement classroom and assisted my cooperating teacher to the degree possible given the nature of today's lesson plan, two passages of Scripture kept ringing in my head over and over and over, to wit, "Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (Ps. 2:11) and ".... my strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Cor. 12:9)

I soon recognized what the Lord was communicating to me as I have been stressed for months about how I will deal with being in front of a classroom full of high school sophomores and my cooperating teacher and at times other adult monitors who are grading me either for my credential program or whom I have invited in to watch me so I can get a letter of recommendation from them. Part of my problem has been losing my mojo over the course of a rough quarter at Cal Poly and part of my problem has my inability heretofore to self-actualize the persona of my being a teacher.... that is until the past several days. Talking to my history mentor Dennis Judd on Sunday I shared with him some of my concerns and he told me he never entirely lost the sense of being uncomfortable teaching in front of a community college class and felt that was a good thing as it kept a teacher honest and humble and being more careful about their teaching. I really took that sage counsel to heart. Then today's passages of Scripture reminded me that I am a servant serving my loving Creator who created me to be a teacher as everybody around me for years has observed. God's power is perfected through human imperfection and weakness as the chaff and the dross of human brokenness is purged out in such situations and all that remains is God stuff.

Scripture of the Day - Paul (Phil. 4:13)

This past week was finals week at Cal Poly and I barely survived it for a variety of reasons. These reasons included the fact I came into the week a bit behind and had to get caught up AND also actually complete my finals. These finals were all project-based and, to varying degrees and in differing ways, difficult. It seems many/most of the members of my teaching credential cohort struggled to varying degrees under both the quantity of assignments and the sometimes difficult-to-grasp expectations of the instructors.

I also was dealing with my continued recovery from the mental-emotional-psychological-spiritual damage I incurred earlier in the quarter with some family stuff which saw me being able to be strong during the crisis but then experience a bit of a mental-emotional collapse after things stabilized. Then there was my annual onset of S.A.D.

Then there is the fact this time of year features the death anniversaries of the two primary male figures in my life who died when I was in high school, one my freshman year and the other my senior year. Nary a year passes I do not think and reflect upon these anniversaries. If you have been following this blog you know these deaths had a profound and abiding impact on my life to which I am still sorting out and trying to recover and onward move.

Then there is the deepest level of causation and that has been the spiritual attack I have endured as the Enemy has attempted to distract and discourage me. Indeed, I have repeatedly felt like I was in over my head in this adventure and contemplated dropping out of the course. Yet, God's grace abounds and abides and I passed all my classes despite barely surviving one of them. One of the several passages of Scripture that got me through the past week and became one of my mantras was the verse below:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~ (Philippians 4:13 [KJV])

Picture of the Day - Busy Cal Poly Sunset Scene

I captured this image with my iPhone4 at the bus stop next to Kennedy Library on the campus of Cal Poly early this evening. This image has a lot going on in it. The cumulus clouds presage an approaching storm. The light fixture features the mission bell design. The radio tower for KCPR, the campus radio station is visible just to the left of center and to the right of it is iconic Bishop Peak. At left is Kennedy Library and at right is Bonderson Engineering Project Center. The road at center is North Perimeter. The light to the right of the road is flashing overheard lights to a Cal Poly PD unit parked at the aforementioned building for some emergency. The headlights on the road are those of my approaching RTA 9Express bus I take home after class on Wednesdays this quarter. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

My 11/20/16 SITREP

Today I learned some things. Church was good. I got a decent sermon out of New Day Church pastor Brad Alford whose church now shares my church's building (North County Christian Fellowship Church) here in Paso Robles, CA. Today was held a joint service of both churches. Pastor Alford discussed reconciliation which I need to make with myself still it seems as I was reminded this morning.

This morning I finally recognized that my heart has been being grieved throughout this quarter by some of the curriculum I'm being taught in the Education Department at my university. Some of these ideas come straight from Hell. I recognized this from Day One, but did not realize until today that it has been adversely affecting me. It is one thing to teach unconditionally treating people with decency and respect and sensitivity whom live in ways that are strange to us or with whom we disagree. That is right and just and decent and Christian. Concerning that I can agree with it wholeheartedly. However, where they are indoctrinating us to change how we think about certain foundational things into new ways of thinking of those things such as are contrary to sound doctrine and natural law, I cannot accept. Then there is all the political correctness I am required to endure this quarter in particular parts of the curriculum.

Then there is the matter of the structure and content of my classes which thus far leave something to be desired. We are being swamped with too much coursework that aside from the useful stuff of which there is admittedly much, there is in some other cases information and coursework that is at best useless or worse, damnable. My heart has been grieved all quarter long and it has affected my performance. Now I fully recognize why and it is a relief to my soul and mind.

This is on top of the disruption to my life caused by the struggles of Loved One. That person is in a Renaissance of sorts now for over 40 days. However, much damage is now already done to me. I have had the mental-emotional pins knocked out from under me. I am learning to trust again. I seek to find rest in my heart while regaining my mojo.

On top of all that, I'm dealing with the annual appearance of my mild S.A.D. as Autumn deepens towards Winter. Only just this past week did I recognize that this has returned and consequently I can now manage it.

Unfortunately, I'm now behind in several assignments and getting some zeroes on things. I am concerned I will not pass this quarter in all my classes and flunk out of the teaching credential program. God, please help me!

Tomorrow I plan to work my ass off at home getting caught up while I also recover from a mild cold I picked up late last week. Whatever happens, God is with me, even if I do flunk out. He will still love me and have use for me. I will focus on the things I can control and not worry about what I cannot control. This is my choice, this is my power, such as it is, with all its limitations.

College Course Count

I recently noticed somebody on Linkedin included all their college courses completed. I am doing the same as I treat my Linkedin account as a sort of resume. Here is what I came up for my college career collectively at both Cuesta College (97 units completed) and Cal Poly (91 units completed with 19 being taken currently). It is worth noting that some of the Cuesta College classes listed were taken back in academic year 1989-1990 such as Art, Chem, and Journalism.
*Italics for classes in which I'm currently enrolled.
**Last updated 12/20/16

Cal Poly Classes Completed or Currently Being Taken:

AERO 310 (Air & Space)
DEV 10 (Subject Early School Start)
EDUC 300 (Historical, Philosophical, & Social Foundations of Public Education)
EDUC 412 (Access to Learning in a Pluralistic Society)
EDUC 414 (Curriculum & Inquiry in Public Schools)
EDUC 416 (Literacy, Language, and Culture in Content Area Classrooms)
EDUC 418 (Culturally Responsive Teaching in Diverse Classrooms)
EDUC 447 (Secondary Field Experience in General and/or Special Education)
EDUC 469 (Part-time Student Teaching)
ENGL 339 (Introduction to Shakespeare)
GEOG 150 (Introduction to Cultural Geography)
GEOG 301 (Geography of Resource Utilization)
GEOG 308 (Global Geography)
HIST 100 (Introduction to the Study of History)
HIST 214 (Political Economy of Latin America & the Middle East)
HIST 303 (Research & Writing Seminar in History)
HIST 304 (Historiography)
HIST 317 (Lure of the Sea)
HIST 322 (Modern America)
HIST 336 (Britain at War: The British, the Americans & the Struggle for Freedom)
HIST 350 (The Scientific Revolution) 
HIST 354 (History of Network Technology)
HIST 421 (History of Prostitution)
HIST 424 (Organizing & Teaching History)
HIST 425 (Social Sciences Teaching Practicum)
HIST 433 (History of the American West, the Southwest Borderlands, & California)
HIST 442 (Topics and Issues in Latin American History)
HIST 460 (Senior Project I)
HIST 461 (Senior Project II)
NR 308 (Fire & Society)
SCM 335 (Nuclear Science & Society)
SPAN 103 (Elementary Spanish III)
SPAN 201 (Intermediate Spanish I)

Cuesta Classes Completed:

ART 200 (Art Appreciation)
BIO 220 (Environmental Biology)
CHEM 210 (Introduction to Chemistry)
COMM 201A (Public Address)
ECON 201A (Principles of Macroeconomics)
ENGL 57 (Writers Workshop)
ENGL 201A (English Composition)
ENGL 201B (Introduction to Literature/Critical Thinking)
ENGL 231 (Creative Writing)
GEOL 212 (Geologic Hazards, Man, & the Environment)
GEOL 210 (Physical Geology)
GEOL 220 (Geology of California)
HEED 202 (Health Education)
HEED 204 (Standard First Aid & CPR)
HEED 208 (Multicultural Health)
HIST 203A (History of World Civilizations - Antiquity to Early 16th Century)
HIST 203B (History of World Civilizations - Early 16th Century to Present)
HIST 204A (History of Western Civilization - Ancient Middle East through Renaissance)
HIST 204B (History of Western Civilization - 1603 to Present)
HIST 207A (History of U.S. - Colonial to 1865)
HIST 207B (History of U.S. - 1865 to Present)
HIST 210 (History of California)
JOUR 201A (News Writing & Reporting)
MATH 07 (Prealgebra)
MATH 123 (Elementary Algebra)
MATH 127 (Intermediate Algebra)
MATH 232 (College Algebra)
POLS 202 (U.S. Government & Politics)
POLS 206 (Comparative Government)
SOC 201A (Introduction to Sociology)
SPAN 201 (Elementary Spanish I)
SPAN 202 (Elementary Spanish II)

They're So Adorable!

Today during my History 424 class at Cal Poly we were interrupted by a tumult outside and paused class long enough to step outside and investigate. To our surprise we observed this overwrought demonstration of youthful, self-important, self-indulgent, ("hey, look at me, look at me") melodrama tinged with the contemporary campus political correctness and Millennial Safe Space mentality.

You crazy kids are really sticking it to the man.

I guess he's not your President if you don't agree with him and on a university campus you have a right to not have your safe space violated.

"Fill-in-the-Blank" Lives Matter has become so de rigueur and dreadfully passé.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Rainbow Over Bishop Peak

This morning when I arrived at 8 a.m. for classes at Cal Poly starting at 10 a.m. I was greeted with this beautiful scene of a rainbow embedded within a stormy sky looming over locally iconic Bishop Peak and the adjacent city of San Luis Obispo. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)

More On Swanton Pacific Ranch

For those of you who read yesterday's blog post you know I visited Swanton Pacific Ranch yesterday. During the tour of former owner Al Smith's home, Director Brian Dietterick encouraged tour guests to check out this video on Youtube for more information about the ranch. There are other such videos there but this one is the first option and for good reason as it is the most recent one. Some of the faces contained in this video are of people I encountered yesterday including the aforementioned director and the young lady at left below. To view yesterday's adventure here either scroll down or click HERE.

My Cal Poly Day

Today I had the honor of participating in the annual Cal Poly Day at Swanton Pacific Ranch near Davenport, CA, in coastal Santa Cruz County. My friend Ted Weber is the head architect at the site and invited our mutual friend Marty Self and myself to join him for the occasion. All three of us are graduates of Cal Poly SLO. The ranch here was bequeathed to Cal Poly by an alumni, Al Smith, who transformed Orchard Supply Hardware into what it has become before selling it to another company. He liked railroads and bought up all the various remaining parts of the Overfair Railroad that was created for the Pan-Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco. He then relocated it to the ranch and set up there on a new 1/3 scale railroad system which he christened the Swanton Pacific Railroad which we were able to ride on today. We also took a tour of Smith's simple yet functional home which our host Ted has designed the additions and enhancements to as well as other structures on the property either upgraded or built anew with more such projects here on the way.
*Note: this property and the surrounding area provided timber for lumber used to rebuild San Francisco and environs following the 1906 Earthquake & Fire.

Today was the first time I experienced any sort of sense of honor or privilege from being an alumni of Cal Poly and it was kinda cool.

A couple of Cal Poly coeds sawing competitively.

While we waited for our train ride there were things to watch or look at like this old jeep.....

.... and some old cars being looked at by two old men.

All aboard!

This was the turn-around point of the ride with the engine moving up to pull the train back to the station the other direction.

Marty gellin' like a felon.

Al Smith's residence (with Ted Weber-designed upgrades and additions).

I have a thing for curio cabinets and was immediately drawn to Smith's cabinets.

Ohlone Indian artifacts from the ranch and vicinity. 

More Ohlone Indian artifacts from the ranch and vicinity. 

I still remember the Lockheed Fire monitoring it from afar at the time but didn't realize it burned 1,100 acres of the ranch.

The burn area of the Lockheed Fire is still visible around the ranch as seen here from the area of the rail station. 

This beautfiul covered patio area is adjacent to the Smith House and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Our friend Ted Weber designed the structure. 

He also designed this beautiful barbecue structure. 

Marty pointed out this is a "Weber" grill in the truest sense. 

I felt like the odd man out not wearing a Hawaiian shirt today while hanging out with my church home group home boys which was all the more ironic given I have been an avid Hawaiian shirt aficionado for much of my adult life. 

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved). 

Picture of the Day - Another Cow Poly

Today I found another Cow Parade cow art piece on campus, this time near the Mustang Market next to Building 11. As you may recall I did parking at the Cow Parade event across town at the Madonna Inn a few weeks ago. Earlier this week I spotted another one of these on campus which I discussed HERE. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cal Poly Picture Day

Today was group picture day for the 2016-2017 Cal Poly Single Subject Teaching Credential Cohort. While waiting for the group to get settled into position for the image I shot this of my wingman Blake and I. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cow Poly

A few Sundays ago I worked parking at the Cow Parade event at Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Since that time I have seen two of the artistically-rendered cows within the county: one at Halter Ranch Winery and one at Cal Poly pictured above in front of Building 10 on the northwest corner. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cuesta Grade Stratus Blanket

This was the sight I beheld as I descended the Cuesta Grade into San Luis Obispo this morning en route to Cal Poly classes starting at 8 a.m. This stratus cloud bank blanket burned off by noon. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)

Picture of the day - Poly Fall Heatwave

This was the scene at Cal Poly's Dexter Lawn this hot fall morning in San Luis Obispo. This is the hottest I recall it being here since a particular heat wave in the Autumn of 2014. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Sir Ken Robinson Preaches It

Today, myself and three of four other members of one of my Cal Poly "Early Start" Single Subject Teaching Credential Cohort collaborative teams met at the Cal Poly Kennedy Library which we had nearly all to ourselves as classes start about a month from now. Anywho, we brainstormed about what we want to do in our upcoming class presentation regarding historical perspectives on education in America. One of my team-members shared with us this Sir Ken Robinson speech presented at some Royal Society of Arts event, the audio to which has been accompanied by a catchy animation suite. I have always liked this guy and agreed with most if not all his ideas. As a historian I like the historical aspects of American education presented here in all its flawed glory. 

My Own Atascadero High School PechaKucha

Today marked my real passage into being educator as I taught world history in front of a classroom full of fifteen year-olds for the first time in my life. My master teacher Ben Tomasini needed to be absent most of the day to coach a football game in Ventura so he handed me the reigns and I reigned. Because my substitute teacher packet is not yet completed I could not be given solo control of the classroom and be paid. For that reason I had a substitute teacher (Molly Morgan) in the classroom with me and she helped me at times but I ran the classroom. I'm glad she was there as the co-teaching model calls for a teacher candidate (me) to be gradually shifted into teaching but not dumped into the deep end. Had I been alone today even with a full substitute permit, I would have been diving in too quickly relative to what the co-teaching model prefers as this was only Week Two of the academic year. Hopefully, next away game I'll have my ducks in a row and be able to sub all to myself and get paid.

As part of the Cal Poly Early Start program for the 2016-2017 Single Subject Teaching Credential Cohort, I have been required to take Education 410 which features three collaborative presentations of varying sizes and configurations. One is a PechaKucha exercise and below are some of the images I captured on the campus of Atascadero High School for this PechaKucha project. Only about a quarter of these images will be selected for use with my three other project mates own images.

Note: initially I do not yet have 20 images but will add more until there are 20 images below at which point I shall delete this note. 

I had no idea until this week that the next graduating class after I left donated this monumental sign.

This Building B is going to be demolished by 2020. It holds bad memories for me. I was looking at this set of glass doors on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 26, 1985, when I espied a police car coming up towards the building. I immediately knew in my heart it was coming to get be and that something bad had happened. As it turned out, I was right: dad had died that day. For more on this read Losing A Father.

Woodpeckers have been getting an early start demo-ing the B Building in order to make storage compartments for their acorns.

The most famous octagon anywhere in Atascadero.

Building F at left is currently being remodeled while Building B at right is slated for destruction by 2020.

Ewing Gymnasium. I played junior varsity basketball here in 1986-87.

Westward view from east end of the football field. I have many fond memories in this space having played four years on this field.

Fancy new scoreboard and track (relative to when I was there and neither were as nice).

The refurbished seats in the home stand of the football stadium.

Lots of memories here: where players ascended and descended to and from the football stadium and varsity locker-room.

A lot of memories here: the walkway from the locker-room down to the practice field.

Practice field for the football program. Many memories here made in rain and shine.

A who's who of school football celebritydom.

No such thing as this existed back in my day here (I was class of 1989)

This is a closer view of the front of the newish "weight" room.

This is found between the senior parking lot and the F Building and honors the student who died in the swimming pool several years ago.