Have badge, will travel
Dec. 1st, 2008 07:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spacealien_vampLast week we studied what to do if someone brings in seeds or plants for propagation. The process is complicated because we have to check in up to four different manuals to come up with the proper answer. The matter is further confused because one of the books was revised just before it was given to us, and they hadn't had time to update the workbooks to reflect this, so our workbooks kept referring to pages that didn't exist anymore. Plus, one of the manuals has a completely different name on the cover from what our workbooks call it.
The one annoying part of the week was the non-propagative materials test. The questions on the test were vague, incomplete, or even misleading. We were all constantly raising our hands throughout the test to ask the instructor for clarification. Just as one example, on a question whose answer depends on weight, the problem only tells us how many bags of the item there are, not how much the bags weigh. We all complained afterward, but the instructors felt that since everyone passed, the test must be fine. It frustrated me as an educator to hear that because the fact that we all passed had not so much to do with the test but rather more to do with how well we were able to wrangle additional information out of the instructor.
Aside from that, things were okay. We had Thursday off, and Friday was a "training holiday," meaning that we had to show up, but there were no classes. I spent half the day in the ladies' restroom playing with my hair. One of the things we did get to do was check our badges and credentials to make sure everything is spelled correctly. The fact that they have a badge for me means that my background check is complete. I had been worried about that, because I hadn't heard anything since my interview in California.
This weekend I baked some apple turnovers. The apple filling turned out great...the pastry crust not so much. It was nice and flaky, but it tasted too much of flour. I don't know whether that's due to the recipe or my handling of the dough. Not that it prevents me from eating them, of course...
The one annoying part of the week was the non-propagative materials test. The questions on the test were vague, incomplete, or even misleading. We were all constantly raising our hands throughout the test to ask the instructor for clarification. Just as one example, on a question whose answer depends on weight, the problem only tells us how many bags of the item there are, not how much the bags weigh. We all complained afterward, but the instructors felt that since everyone passed, the test must be fine. It frustrated me as an educator to hear that because the fact that we all passed had not so much to do with the test but rather more to do with how well we were able to wrangle additional information out of the instructor.
Aside from that, things were okay. We had Thursday off, and Friday was a "training holiday," meaning that we had to show up, but there were no classes. I spent half the day in the ladies' restroom playing with my hair. One of the things we did get to do was check our badges and credentials to make sure everything is spelled correctly. The fact that they have a badge for me means that my background check is complete. I had been worried about that, because I hadn't heard anything since my interview in California.
This weekend I baked some apple turnovers. The apple filling turned out great...the pastry crust not so much. It was nice and flaky, but it tasted too much of flour. I don't know whether that's due to the recipe or my handling of the dough. Not that it prevents me from eating them, of course...
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 02:43 am (UTC)I wish I could have seen all the possibilities for the hair styles. Were several of you working on them, or just you? I know you have to keep the hair up, right?
The apple turnovers sound yummy. Apples and cinnamon can't be beat to warm the spirit. I've never been delighted with any crust I've made. If I use whole wheat flour and some kind of a healthier choice of oil, it always seems a bit heavy. Sometimes I just skip the crust altogether and go for the guilt-free fruit cobbler-type with oatmeal and spices sprinkled on top.
It's hard to be a part of something during a transition time, like the revision of the book. That whole process sounds very confusing.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-02 11:11 am (UTC)Just me. Mainly I tried putting buns in different places, like the Chinese dumpling style or the Princess Leia style.
I know you have to keep the hair up, right?
It can't be any lower than the lowest edge of the shirt collar.