AMA Aislabie, Part Two

[CerealKiller]

Yeah, pretty much. I've long had an on-again-off-again relationship with my own mental health, and the grind of utterly sterile online teaching, then continuing to sit in my studio flat while I try to put together thousands of words on prescribed topics while all the libraries are shut... it was not a good option to carry on with.

It was extremely anxiety-inducing trying to structure my life around writing the c. 35,000 words I had left to write - constantly being distracted both with and then also from from other valuable activities that would have made my life more balanced.

I don't miss it at all!

Good for you.

If I look to pursue a proper Career™ then it'd be teaching, and my undergrad is plenty enough to get on that course. If not then I'll be reasonably content to just do whatever for a while.

Do you feel teachers are the most underpaid profession in the world?

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

What would you rather do in a situation where you feel nothing is going your way inspite of taking efforts? Should you just lower your efforts a bit, calm down and sit and figure out possible alternatives or keep on hitting yourself with it until you get a result?

 

[Aislabie]

Do you feel teachers are the most underpaid profession in the world?

They are an underpaid profession, but everything is relative. Australia's firefighters are often entirely unpaid; same with coastguards. Compared to that, teachers have it pretty easy. It's almost like capitalism is a problem.

What would you rather do in a situation where you feel nothing is going your way inspite of taking efforts? Should you just lower your efforts a bit, calm down and sit and figure out possible alternatives or keep on hitting yourself with it until you get a result?

I would seek, if possible, to change the situation.

With my postgrad, the problem was that I had got into a hugely counterproductive cycle, and there were only really two ways out: do the work, no matter how long it takes to write through writer's block, keep applying for extensions, and then eventually I'll either get it done or they'll stop giving me extensions (basically, just carry on), or remove myself from the situation and accept that it didn't work and that I should try something new now.

It's not always that simple, but on that occasion it was (and still took me months to make the decision)

 

[ddrap14]

If you've done any work experience in terms of teaching, would you mind sharing what you found to be good and bad about it?

If you don't feel comfortable or can't, don't worry. I'm considering teaching as a career path too and want to know as much about it as possible before I commit

 

[Aislabie]

If you've done any work experience in terms of teaching, would you mind sharing what you found to be good and bad about it?

Sure; I did a year working primarily with autistic and disadvantaged kids, and I found it to be the most varied and rewarding work I've ever done. You're making a huge difference if you do your job well, and it's a unique privilege to introduce something new that young people didn't understand before and now do.

However, there are obvious difficulties: a reasonable portion of the national curriculum is trash, but more than that you are exposed to children who have experienced/are experiencing genuinely horrible shit, and all you really want to do is (in the least creepy way possible) take them home and show them the care they don't get usually. Of course you can't - it'd be illegal, and that is obviously the right thing from a safeguarding perspective. But it's incredibly difficult to know that you can only help with this tiny fraction of someone's time, and that the rest of their time is horrible and that absolutely takes its toll emotionally.

 

[Loubs]

Do you follow football and what team do you support?

 

[Aislabie]

Do you follow football and what team do you support?

I'm afraid I do not; I never really managed to get into it as a kid. The closest I get to supporting a football team is quite liking how Leicester go about their business on the rare occasions that I watch them

 

[ddrap14]

Sure; I did a year working primarily with autistic and disadvantaged kids, and I found it to be the most varied and rewarding work I've ever done. You're making a huge difference if you do your job well, and it's a unique privilege to introduce something new that young people didn't understand before and now do.

However, there are obvious difficulties: a reasonable portion of the national curriculum is trash, but more than that you are exposed to children who have experienced/are experiencing genuinely horrible shit, and all you really want to do is (in the least creepy way possible) take them home and show them the care they don't get usually. Of course you can't - it'd be illegal, and that is obviously the right thing from a safeguarding perspective. But it's incredibly difficult to know that you can only help with this tiny fraction of someone's time, and that the rest of their time is horrible and that absolutely takes its toll emotionally.

Thanks for sharing. Also, as someone on the spectrum myself, big respect to you for doing that; not a lot of people really have the patience (or desire) to help people like me, and when they do it makes a massive difference in our lives.

 

[Loubs]

I'm afraid I do not; I never really managed to get into it as a kid. The closest I get to supporting a football team is quite liking how Leicester go about their business on the rare occasions that I watch them

I see, maybe I could influence you in following the goons?

We must improve soon and be back at the top.

 

[Aislabie]

I see, maybe I could influence you in following the goons?

We must improve soon and be back at the top.

I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll be okay. I'm already quite sported-out with cricket, snooker, motorsports and a little bit of baseball, NFL and rugby league on my radar. As it is I have to prioritise!

 

[CerealKiller]

baseball, NFL

How can you leave out the NBA then

 

[Aislabie]

How can you leave out the NBA then

Because I find basketball incredibly dull to watch - and not in the baseball way where I can tune in and have it on in the background like a podcast

Baseball and NFL are also definitely my two most passively-followed sports

Baseball

• Quite like the Phillies and Angels, not enough to call myself a fan
• Watch the YouTube game of the week every week
• Watch lots of Jomboy and Baseball Bits content

NFL

• Make sure to catch highlights of Ravens games
• Watch Superbowl

By comparison, I make sure to watch every MLW game, so make of that what you will.

 

[CerealKiller]

Because I find basketball incredibly dull to watch

Just naturally, or something specific about the structure of the game?

MLW

Googling that brings me to a wrestling promotion?

 

[Aislabie]

Just naturally, or something specific about the structure of the game?

It's all offense and no defence; tactics have been streamlined to the point where it's essentially just two groups of very tall people taking it in turns to lob a ball at a hoop. Sometimes they miss, and then the other team gets to go again; sometimes they drop the ball and the other team gets to go again. That's about it as far as I can tell

Googling that brings me to a wrestling promotion?

 

[Satan666]

What are some of your duties as a moderator on this site?

How have you contributed in terms of being a member of staff at PC?

Any desires to admin someday?

Having known my posting style for years (more than anyone that are active on PC) would you reccommed me for a moderator post, if yes, then why?

Relationship with your parents, how you’d describe it?

Favourite Asian dish, or Asian inspired dish.