Monday, January 16, 2012

Second Full Semester

Hi everyone.  Sorry it's been so long since I last blogged.  A lot has been going on these past few weeks.  I took a job at school as a Supplemental Instruction Leader.  It's for a developmental English class.  We're supposed to help facilitate learning, but we aren't allowed to call ourselves teachers or tutors, but really, that is what we're expected to do.  I'm supposed to give an hour of supplemental instruction before the three hour class starts.  It only meets once a week in the evening which is why it's 3 hours long.  I am to take the class with the students and act as the model student.  My first session did not go well at all.  I was ready to quit after it.  The teacher who teaches the class, after I give an hour of supplemental instruction, encouraged me.  I felt like a total failure.  And I was given next to no training for this job.  What exactly am I supposed to do for an hour with students?  Fortunately, some people have helped to give me ideas about what I can do to help teach writing and grammar to these students.  If any of you have any good ideas, I'm open to hear them.

Other than that, a new semester has started for me.  I feel now as I did at the beginning of last semester--overwhelmed and stressed.  I'm hoping that feeling will calm down as I get more accustomed to this new routine.  I'm taking American National Government, Intermediate Algebra, Elementary Spanish II, and English Composition 100.  I'll probably post final drafts of my English 100 papers as I finish them.  Spanish is going to be hard this semester.  My Spanish teacher does not allow students to make up missed tests.  He seems really harsh.

Well, I've finally applied to the University of Pennsylvania.  It will be several weeks until I find out a decision.  I've put everything I have into it.  I sincerely hope I am accepted.  I would be pretty devastated if I wasn't.  It's especially important that I be accepted now so that when I apply for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship, I can tell them that I definitely have an educational home to go to should they give me the scholarship.  This is what my life is now--working toward winning this scholarship.  It's so important, though, as it will allow me to get a bachelor's degree.