Today, I was abruptly awakened at 10:48am to a phone call from an unknown number. It was one of my students. Apparently this state degree meeting is an all day thing -- that started at 10. Awesome. And I hadn't showered in days. Also awesome. So I panicked (might have stopped mid-getting dressed to jump up and down, screaming out of frustration) and got ready as fast as I could.

I pretty much just helped the students work on their degree paperwork all day. It was slightly frustrating, and probably mostly annoying paperwork at that.

Some of the students kept saying that I was in a bad mood. This is frustrating. So I tried to be more positive. I think the problem is that I'm not accustomed to the weather here just yet. It's basically a freezer. I'm also not a huge fan of music within the country genre. I'm also used to hanging out with college students and doing whatever with them and having the freedom to do whatever whenever. Not so anymore.

Hence: frustration station.

In other news: the system for kids to assemble their record books and paperwork for their state/american degrees is completely ridiculous. It's all written in accounting language that even I had a hard time ciphering. And I'm a graduate student. These were high school juniors trying to figure out what in the world things were saying... I felt bad. But also realized that the record keeping section that I will be presenting to the class in another week is going to be difficult. Much more difficult than I had originally anticipated because I don't really know what I'm presenting information on, and I don't really know what I'm doing in general, plus, it's ridiculously hard for me to understand, so how in the world am I going to be able to present it in a way that they can understand it? ulgh.... it's like learning how to translate while still not even knowing the language.

Might be meeting up with my CT on sunday to go over things I'll be teaching in the next... week/term.

weird.

Some school is good. Quite useful, in fact.

However, it is NOT good when you realize you have been at school, doing school, or away from the people you regularly hang out with - or people at all for that matter, in literally months, if not over a year.

Insanity? I think so.

I realized tonight that I have been either stressed and overwhelmed by my education or out of the state or mentally gone for well over a year now.

Why? Because I was so socially awkward tonight. Granted, there were those of which I did not really want to talk with indepth because I did not want them to get the wrong ideas about me... or just get ideas in general.

But all the same, i kinda continued to feel left out of normal social conversations because I've been so consumed by my education - which includes me being out of state all summer.

Going from school stress to another state to state fair to student teaching to mega school stress to student teaching stress is not a good thing to do in the span of one year. No wonder I got shingles this summer. It's no wonder that they haven't reoccurred for cereal again since. I mean, srsly.

I will have to say that it was wonderful to see the people I love again, and to know that other people appreciated seeing me tonight. I really need to plan on getting out and hanging with people my age much more often, and especially with the oncoming student teaching. aaahh! it all hits in tomorrow.

no me gusta.

pdx sbx

I'm wasting time in a pdx sbx before I head off to a get-together that some old friends of mine are having in sw pdx. I'm both nervous and excited. Probably the same as I am about teaching this next term. I really need to keep up with this blog while I'm teaching. Posting anything and everything about the goings on of my grad school program.

I have to keep reminding myself of that: I am a graduate school student. Grad school.

weird.

In other news, I start teaching next monday. MONDAY. one week from today. So insane to think about.

I have to rework all of my currently put-together lesson plans. All 10 of the ones I put together so far. Meaning I have to assemble 20 within the next week or so.

However, I have ready access to all the resources I will need at HRV starting tomorrow. and I'll be the only one in the shops, so I can readily do whatever I need to do without worrying about how long I am spending at the desk.

The real question is: Do I want to continue formulating my lessons in the exact order that Schmidt is suggesting, or should I try a way that I find to be better? based on my current [non]understanding of the material? The other question is: what will I teach during my animal science section? Should I present a Companion Animal section, ending in a trip to the animal hospital, or should I focus more on canines? i can't decide... it's super frustrating. I mean, I could plan a trip to the Rose City Dog Show, but it's in January, and quite a long stretch of time before I would be presenting my information, I am sure. So... not so much. Plus the expense of the trip... not so much.

I guess the question I am trying to get is: what, after presenting the material for 2 weeks, do I want my students to have learned, or take away from the material? What do I want them to learn? What should I teach them? What is important information? What about the world of companion animals is important? Are canines that important that I need to teach them a different part of it/them at every lesson? What should I present? aaaahh...

Part of me is leaning more towards companion animals as a whole, as is is much more relevant in the grand scheme of things, as it is simply a more relevant topi c.... yeah, I just said that like, twice. AWESOME...

I can't believe fall term is almost over. I mean, it is. I just have two more days of final assignments to finish and turn in  (aka: start, finish, and turn in). But still... in less than a month, I will be back at the high school, teaching away.

Weird.

The other thing that will be interesting is that my whole take on the operation is totally different. And I... at least I feel like I'm more confident about the whole thing.

It's going to be really different going back. Really different....

I wonder if I should get some things for my desk. Such as files for my classes - what classes am I teaching anyway? I can't remember.... hmm. Something to look into for sure.