This semester ...
First, my classes. I'm taking ELEM 4525 (Classroom Management), EDUC 4400 (Educational Psychology), EXSS 1000 (Bowling), MATE 3060 (Math in the elementary schools, grades 3-5), READ 3205 and 3206 (the last classes required for my concentration / certificate in teaching Reading), COAD 2001 (the RA class), and my internship. My outlook calendar looks like a rainbow with all of the color-coded assignment due dates. ELEM 4525 and EDUC 4400, between the two of them, have about 40 projects. READ 3205 requires a lesson plan every week. Plus I have to make my unit for Senior II (science with a focus on language arts, bleh).
I also got my placement, FINALLY. I was stressing out about not having it and now I wish I still didn't have it. I got Greenville, which is good and bad - good because it saves me on gas and I don't have to get up at o-dark-thirty to make it there, but bad because they told me they don't hire RAs for only one semester so I likely won't be able to stay on campus over the summer and next fall (well, I could stay in the dorm and just pay for it, but I'd really prefer to do that only if they are paying ME to do it). There is the smallest of possibilities that I might be able to talk them into making an exception for me - we will see. But they won't let me be a summer RA unless I'm coming back in the fall, so if they don't let me come back in the fall, I have to find somewhere to live for the summer ANYWAY ... I have some options. I could go back to Charleston and live with my dad. I could go live with my mom in Wilmington. Niether of those options are particularly appealing to me for reasons I may discuss or may not. We'll see. I just have a lot of thinking to do.
Another thing about my placement - I spoke to the teacher today and he has the EC class - the exceptional children/inclusion class. This is going to be way harder than a regular class because I have to adapt my lessons to meet the needs of a variety of children with disabilities or exceptionalities - which I will have to do always, of course, but I was hoping for a little less stress during my internship. What was I thinking? Less stress? HAH. I am going to try to look at this as an honor - as them saying, "We know Jenny can handle this and excel." But there's a small part of me that is thinking, "Why can't just one thing this semester be easy?"
I guess I'm paying for how easy it's been up to this point. This semester is in no way easy and I am going to have to work for every A - which is exactly what I kept saying I wanted. Be careful what you wish for, kiddies. Sometimes you get it, all at once.
Let's see ... what else? I took some of my refund money and bought a professional wardrobe. I went to Catherine's, which specializes in my size clothing, and I got REALLY nice stuff that looks good, fits well, and makes me feel good. :) So I am, at least, going to look awesome while teaching. It was pricey, but it was all stuff I needed and will last, so I'm not going to fret over how much I spent. I mean, when each shirt costs between $45 and $55, you can't get a whole wardrobe without spending some money. The good news is that the stuff all fits so well and feels so comfortable that I am no longer opposed to dressing up, and since my clothes look so good and my hair looks so good I put on makeup every day and generally feel pretty good about myself physically. :)
As for the RA duties ... in the beginning I had a goal of getting into Hall of Fame this semester (which means that you do twice the required number of programs) but I have had to relax that a bit since seeing all of the work I have to do in my classes. I will not be disappointed if I don't make it. I'll be happy to do the required number of programs. :) I already have a few great ideas in the works - James and I are co-hosting a Texas Hold'em Tournament, and I'm doing a program called "Random Acts of Kindness" where people get a secret buddy for whom they do nice things throughout the semester. I'm also setting up a "How to Interview" seminar and a tour of the Rec center (with the 10th floor RA).
What else is going on ... I kind of made a resolution this year to stop focusing so much on how lonely I am and realize that I need to get out of college before I'm going to find a good relationship. That's somewhat easier said than done. I barely have time to think, much less focus on being lonely, but I still /feel/ it. I keep hoping that with as busy as I am it will stop being such a big deal. If anybody has any tips on how to stop wanting something, let me know. :)
And that's about it in my corner. I am going to try to blog more just as a way of working through some of my stress - I'm going to pat myself on the back for my accomplishments and try to understand my failures through the written word since I find that I don't have many people I can talk to about stuff like that around here. So hopefully you'll be hearing a lot more from me.

