Misrule - Judy Ridge—Girl Reporter!

The People You Meet

nospam@example.com (Judith Ridge) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:49:16 +1000

That's one of the great things about this job--meeting fantastic new people and catching up with old friends.

I met this remarkable young man two weeks ago. He won the SMH Plain Speaking Award and his school's team won the Premier's Debate Challenge/Hume Barbour trophy. Keep an eye out for Daniel—I anticipate great things for him.

At a conference I attended today I met up with my old head teacher from my teaching days at Westfields High (it wasn't Sports High then). Tony, who is now a school principal, was a wonderful mentor to me and a great friend, and he was the first person I've spoken to who immediately got why I was disappointed at missing out on an HD for my thesis. Thanks, Tony!

On the way home, I bumped into Margo Lanagan on Town Hall Station. It's two days until the announcement of the CBCA awards, for which Margo is shortlisted for Red Spikes. I have too many friends and favourites shortlisted to comment, but good luck Margo! And congratulations are in order—Margo has finished her new novel. I for one can't wait.

Speaking of new novels, Pamela Freeman has in her hands advanced copies of Blood Ties. It's got some excellent advance reviews Yay!

Back to the conference—I attended a terrific session about Storypaths, a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning that implements narrative structure to deliver cross-curricula programs. It's based on three levels of engagement—cognitive, affective and operative. Such fun, and so practical and successful in engaging kids in learning—and story. Yay! And we got to do craft, which was cool.

I also attended the student program, where student leaders learned how to create podcasts using the Garageband application on the Mac. (It wasn't just about learning the program, it was about giving students the opportunity to express their ideas about their schools, and how they are dealing with "intersections of disadvantage". Good stuff—good kids.) Anyway, the session got me wondering if I could use Garageband to create podcasts of my recorded interviews. Watch This Space.

Filed!

nospam@example.com (Judith Ridge) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:39:20 +1000

My first story, that is! I'm a Real Journalist! (albeit one with heaps to learn...)

It's been a great week at the new job. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful and friendly—did I say that already?—and I am finding my way into a new routine. Producing a newspaper involves very different approaches and procedures and schedules than a magazine. It's far less orderly, I suppose you would say, but also far more varied and, in different ways, challenging. I'm learning the different types of stories—news; features; briefs etc—and the different writing techniques for each. I'm learning how to juggle a dozen or so stories on the go—phone calls in and out; taking notes (without shorthand); keeping track of which contact belongs to which story; developing a weather-eye for an angle and a lead-in and a workable quote. I'm trying to figure out a good filing system and how to manage the damn idiosyncrasities of bloody Windows!

Speaking of "weather"—the universe had a good old laugh at me this week. I've been so perversely pleased to be back commuting on the trains (more walking, more reading time) that I forgot what it's like to be a commuter in the kind of torrential winter weather we've been experiencing the past two days. Of course, that's partly because we've been in drought for so long I forgot weather could be like this! And I forgot how Sydney streets can become total wind tunnels. Walking up Young Street this morning, I felt like Marcel Marceau—"woman walking against the wind". Kind of scarey, actually, and it turned out today that it was better to get soaked than to battle an umbrella against such strong, high winds.

Anyway—my first story. Stories for the newspaper come from all sorts of sources—our own contacts; the media unit; and increasingly, from direct contacts from schools. I'd been advised by my new editor, and it's becoming increasingly obvious to me, that an apparently simple, straightforward story can reveal all sorts of interesting depths and tangents once you start researching and talking to people. A school's individual pilot project turns out to be a first for the state. A syllabus-based activity reveals itself to be deeply entrenched in, and a marker of, values education and personal development for the students involved.

As an ex-teacher, I am so enjoying talking to fellow "schoolies" and getting back in touch with the fantastic, challenging and satisfying work being done out there on the coalface. Today I talked, on speakerphone, to some wonderful Year 9 design and tech students about a project they are involved with, developing needs-based technology for spinal injury patients. (Yup, this is the first story I've filed!) I also interviewed their (very passionate and committed) teacher and the school's DP. It's so cheering, so invigorating to talk to these folk! I don't mean to get all chardonnay-swilling-lefty-sentimental (OK, maybe I do...), but it's really enforced my long-standing belief in the great good that is public education at its best.

And speaking of the weather...

It's pelting down. And it's Friday night, so I am about to settle in with a large glass of merlot and a few episodes of Bleak House. Shake me up, Judy!

Reading on the train:

My fellow commuters have been reading Dan Brown, Mary Higgins Clark, a big fat book about the Yorkshire Ripper, romance novels, chicklit and various university guides. Me, I'm still on the (totally brilliant) Brockmeier and a thesis-related paper about foot-binding.

First Day on the Job!

nospam@example.com (Judith Ridge) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:36:12 +1000

Yes, today was my first day at Side by Side, the NSW Department of Education and Training's staff newspaper. There I was, back on the trains, wearing my brand new-topcoat, my brand-new commuter-shoes, my brand-new jumper and my brand-new Girl Reporter satchel. (I spent a LOT of money last week!) My train was reasonably uncrowded, and the lads from Newington lightened things up by telling very silly and (mercifully) very clean jokes. I get off at Circular Quay and have a short walk up the hill (after buying my breakfast fruit at a stall where I soon hope to be a Known Regular) to the beautiful old sandstone DET building in Bridge St.

Everyone was very helpful and welcoming, and it turns out I know many people in common with some of my new colleagues. I already have three or four stories lined up for me to write—I think I'm really going to enjoy this job. And I love working in the city! I've got a nice, roomy workspace and a decent chair. My email account was transferred over before lunchtime. Tearoom's a bit dodgy, so I will have to sort out a new lunch regime—I am NOT buying city priced sandwiches every day. Problem solved tomorrow—we're going out for lunch as there are three June birthdays in the team.

The only draw-back? I'm back on a PC. Waah! I miss my Mac already. And I'm already getting my keyboard shortcuts confused.

From time to time I am going to log what people are reading on the train. Today was:

Penny Vincenti, An Absolute Scandal

Hugh Lunn, Vietnam

And me: Kevin Brockmeier's The Brief History of the Dead