but they haven't been discovered.

so it looks like i've already got slack, and i won't blame the one-week break for it. it doesn't seem to matter how early i begin essays, i always end up sleeping at 2 or 3am on the day they are due, typing away in the dark.
receiving our first assessments back was good - at least now i have a rough feel of the kind of thing they are expecting. it is odd not to get a mark. while i feel 'competent', it really doesn't indicate how i stand compared to the rest of the class, nor how much work i need to put it to pull me up to achieving their highest expectations. i suppose its something to get used to. finally, it feels like leaving school - but thats what i get for never having held a standards-based competitive sort of job.

curriculum for secondary starts next week which will be interesting. ive begun reading (kudos to me) and its made me a little apprehensive because even these textbooks are pretty vague about specifics. understanding a little more of what goes on behind construction of curriculum has been edifying - i remember working to dotpoints in high school and we always had the feeling that it didn't matter how well-intentioned our teachers were (and we were pretty lucky to have a lot of good ones), there was barely ever enough time to cover assessable material without having to worry about interesting us or developing us personally. there is so bloody much to get through!

reading the society and environment textbooks has been interesting. it seems from their writings and the debates in the field, that this subject was always meant to promote civics and understanding of peoples' place in the world. it is in contrast to the experiences of my cohort going through high school geography. my sister barely understands the governmental set-up in australia and she is nearly a uni graduate. trying to explain question time to her was amusing. knowing that she is voting with absolutely no idea of how the whole things works is quite disturbing.

doctor who tomorrow, woo!