An Eye-Opening Experience – Thrice

I had the pleasure of chaperoning some of my wife’s students on a field trip to Canada’s Wonderland yesterday. It was a fantastic trip. I learned a few things about myself on that trip, and also gained an appreciation for how overworked teachers can really become.

First let me say that I was thoroughly impressed by Jenn’s students. In total we took approximately 65 high school kids to a place which encourages yelling and screaming…you would think that we would have our hands full – but quite the opposite occurred. The kids on this field trip were extremely well behaved, even the ones that are part of a “K” class, those students who many find difficult to deal with. Everyone seemed to have a great time, no one was kicked out of the park, and I think that I enjoyed talking to each and every student.

There were a few students which I had met on past outings, like the one to see “We Will Rock You” in Toronto, but for the most part, I met a whole new group of kids, and like I said, I was impressed.

What did I learn about myself?

I learned that I am no “spring chicken” any more. Whilst the students ran to each ride, and seemed to be filled with endless energy, I found myself appreciative of the fact that I would be sitting on the rides (with the exception of the stand-up coaster, of course).

I also confirmed that I am, at my most basal level, a tech geek. Instead of just being thrilled by the rides, I found myself dissecting them, looking at the track, the parts, how they put together. I found myself calculating how much computing power it must take to keep these rides moving, and not falling apart, and I appreciated all of the nuances that most may overlook – how technology was being implemented not only in the ride, but the extras the park uses to enhance your experiences. For instance, the cameras that snap shots of your horror-stricken faces as you roar past them at 125 km/h – LONG LIVE THE BEHEMOTH, the video taken of you as you barrel-roll your way to the end of the track, and the sounds system which keeps you entertained whilst waiting endlessly in those god-forsaken lines. I know that this appreciation of technology helped me enjoy the amusement park on many levels.

I am still a kid a heart – thank god! I found myself giggling with excitement on each and every ride – from the mind-bending drop of The Behemoth to the feeling of nostalgia I get riding the wooden coaster – I embraced every single moment, and I couldn’t be happier to share these moments with my wife. Thank you, Jenn for inviting me along.

With respect to teachers:

Although the kids were wonderfully behaved, they are just that – kids. They require your attention ALL the time, and are willing and able to shout as loud as needed, or do just about anything to get it and keep it. I really admire teachers for having the patience and understanding to deal with this on a daily basis. It must be taxing at the best of times.

Overtime – what is overtime? Although we got to have a great time at Wonderland with the students, and my wife got paid for the day, consider this:

1. Leave the house at 6:15 am to arrive at school – Jenn’s day begins at 5:15 to get ready
2. Watch over and entertain 42 kids for the 2.5 hours it takes to get to the park.
3. Make our rounds of the park, chatting with the students, checking in constantly.
4. Find straggler students and ensure that everyone is on the bus prior to departure. Two students decide to catch a ride home with one of the mothers who was chaperoning the trip. They only tell one of the “K” kids – not the best way to inform the teacher.
5. Take the bus home another 2.5 hours, with very excited, very loud students.
6. We finally arrive back at the high school at about 8:30 pm. Jenn and still have a 45 minute drive home. We haven’t eaten dinner yet, so we have to stop on the way home.
7. We arrive home at about 11:00 pm.

I think that everyone can agree, an 18 hour day is a long one…add to that the fact that she didn’t make any more money than a usual 9 hour day, and I think you may start to appreciate teachers more than you did before. Obviously not every day is as long as this one was, and teachers do get some considerable time off in the summer, but let me ask, if you had 45 teenagers under your care for 18 hours, how much money would need to be paid? I how many holidays would you need to stay sane?

It seems that Wonderland opened my eyes to a number of things – who knew the amusement park could do that?

Well, I think I have chosen a base theme for my site, but I guess only time will tell. The layout looks good, and the colors are a good start, so I will start there.

It starts…after many, many MANY revisions, I have finally decided that I should remove all my old blog entries, move to the WordPress platform, and redesign this entire site from the ground up.

Why, you ask?

Simple…I have reached a cross-roads in my career, and I feel that a clean slate is not only warranted, but needed as well. I have been working in the IT field for a few years now, but most of my employment has been on the customer side of things. I have been a technical support representative, a webmaster, and a systems administrator – all of these roles have left me feeling unfulfilled, and after a very short time, lacking a challenge. I have decided that although focusing on others and helping them with their technology needs has its benefits, it is time to move on to the greater challenge of creating the software that is to be supported, rather than actually doing the supporting.

It feels to me like a large bridge which needs to be crossed, and I am definitely looking forward to taking on new challenges as they present themselves. I could not have come to this decision without the help and support of my wife and best friend, Jenn. She has been so supportive over the last year as I have prepared myself for this journey. I hope that I can make her (and of course myself) proud.

…and that is what this website has come to be all about…my journey as I finish upgrading my skills and venture out into a new workplace.

I hope that you enjoy reading about journey as much as I am sure that I will enjoy the journey itself.

I will be posting programming code, tips, tricks, life lessons, and general ramblings on this site. My goal is write every day in an effort to be as thorough as possible.

Thank you for visiting, and I do welcome all feedback, as long as it is constructive.

-Tim Dietrich