First Week of Schoolage
*smiles* Welcome!!! I've gotten through a complete week of school and thought I would comment on it. So, here I go!!!
As far as classes go, we're still in that "Honeymoon" phase and the ball has yet to go careening over the edge to certain doom on Aljayville. Seeing free advertising for fencing on the school paper (Daria and I "dueling") was a wonderful pick-me-up yesterday. Perhaps it was the summer without a great deal of mental stimulation, but I am happy to be in class and learning new things. I've seemed to have caught that Love of Learning bit, but I'm not sure how long it will last. Will I quench this thirst for knowledge in the near future and be stuck with, "DAMN IT!!! I have to study now . . ." We'll see, but for now, I enjoy going to class even with my nose all runny (thank you whatever virus infected my system . . . GO IMMUNOGLOBULIN; I choose you!!!).
I also had the time to talk with my Sociology TA after the group discussion today, and we went on about what Sociology was. He doesn't seem like a sociology expert (i.e. a prof. or a grad student), but he knows his stuff. He majored in it as an undergrad and is a law student now, factor in a few years in between graduation and the start of law. I'm sure it will all come back to him eventually, and it will make for interesting discussion with all the freshies.
I don't quite look forward to the 1 hour of teaching little kids how to fence and then actually teaching them. We're in that "comfortable" period now. In the beginning, I spoke and my words were thunder in their ears, FEAR the lightning if you misbehaved! Perhaps it is time to start cracking the whip and bringing forth the aura of authority. I did a couple of things to hold a child responsible for her actions. When she was misbehaving, not stopping after I called a very audible HALT, she pretended like nothing happened. So, I turn to the class, "Did you all hear it?" The class responded with a resounding "yes." Awww, what happened to the strength of her attitude? Where o' where did it run off to? *gasps* I CRUSHED IT!!! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!!!
It IS worth it to ride my way through that first class and enjoy my second group. Ugh, it's a wonderful feeling of pride when I am able to watch my students execute perfect, fencing techniques that I taught them. The exchange of "attack, parry 4, disengage, circle 4" was amazing, utterly amazing. All that was heard was the chiming of a perfect parry and the thunk as the point of the foil went into the attacker. They amaze me. I mean here were kids (13-16 yrs old) that knew nothing about fencing only a few short weeks ago, and they were able to perform with such precision and speed. Sure, they had their newbie mistakes and things that could use correction, but in my opinion, their progress outshines such small "blemishes."
I was filled with indescribable pride (much akin to the pride described above) and joy when I walked into the fencing salle here at UCD and saw so many people on Tuesday and Thursday. I just had to take a moment and marvel at the changes that the club has undergone since I was a freshman. There was a large group of people with a passion for fencing who were enjoying themselves. I love seeing new people come into our club and testing the waters of fencing. One of the goals I set for myself as VP was to be the go-to person for anyone in the club. I try to present myself as being an approchable person, someone who's quick to laugh and slow to anger. Someone that's not going to laugh at your faults and hold you up for ridicule (*smiles* doesn't mean I won't smack down an attitude *winks*). I told this much to Paul when we were talking last night after In-and-Out and over AIM, and he told me I was doing well in this endeavor. I hope I am. I told Trisha, one of the noobs that was struggling with the lunge and the "advance-lunge," that I would be willing to work on it with her afterwards. I did, and eventually she got the gist of it, while drawing some of the other noobs to try to practice it too. I think it's the satisfaction one gets in watching students succeed that makes teaching anything worth the effort (and shreded vocals from yelling over the masses *winks* . . . though I'm sure my flu/cold/whatever the hell it is in my throat that has a greater influence on th vocals).
All in all, this quarter is going to require a tremendous amount of work on my part in school as well as at the fencing club, but I have a good feeling about it. Of course, to be the realist, ask me what it's like in Aljayville come MTs.
As far as classes go, we're still in that "Honeymoon" phase and the ball has yet to go careening over the edge to certain doom on Aljayville. Seeing free advertising for fencing on the school paper (Daria and I "dueling") was a wonderful pick-me-up yesterday. Perhaps it was the summer without a great deal of mental stimulation, but I am happy to be in class and learning new things. I've seemed to have caught that Love of Learning bit, but I'm not sure how long it will last. Will I quench this thirst for knowledge in the near future and be stuck with, "DAMN IT!!! I have to study now . . ." We'll see, but for now, I enjoy going to class even with my nose all runny (thank you whatever virus infected my system . . . GO IMMUNOGLOBULIN; I choose you!!!).
I also had the time to talk with my Sociology TA after the group discussion today, and we went on about what Sociology was. He doesn't seem like a sociology expert (i.e. a prof. or a grad student), but he knows his stuff. He majored in it as an undergrad and is a law student now, factor in a few years in between graduation and the start of law. I'm sure it will all come back to him eventually, and it will make for interesting discussion with all the freshies.
I don't quite look forward to the 1 hour of teaching little kids how to fence and then actually teaching them. We're in that "comfortable" period now. In the beginning, I spoke and my words were thunder in their ears, FEAR the lightning if you misbehaved! Perhaps it is time to start cracking the whip and bringing forth the aura of authority. I did a couple of things to hold a child responsible for her actions. When she was misbehaving, not stopping after I called a very audible HALT, she pretended like nothing happened. So, I turn to the class, "Did you all hear it?" The class responded with a resounding "yes." Awww, what happened to the strength of her attitude? Where o' where did it run off to? *gasps* I CRUSHED IT!!! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!!!
It IS worth it to ride my way through that first class and enjoy my second group. Ugh, it's a wonderful feeling of pride when I am able to watch my students execute perfect, fencing techniques that I taught them. The exchange of "attack, parry 4, disengage, circle 4" was amazing, utterly amazing. All that was heard was the chiming of a perfect parry and the thunk as the point of the foil went into the attacker. They amaze me. I mean here were kids (13-16 yrs old) that knew nothing about fencing only a few short weeks ago, and they were able to perform with such precision and speed. Sure, they had their newbie mistakes and things that could use correction, but in my opinion, their progress outshines such small "blemishes."
I was filled with indescribable pride (much akin to the pride described above) and joy when I walked into the fencing salle here at UCD and saw so many people on Tuesday and Thursday. I just had to take a moment and marvel at the changes that the club has undergone since I was a freshman. There was a large group of people with a passion for fencing who were enjoying themselves. I love seeing new people come into our club and testing the waters of fencing. One of the goals I set for myself as VP was to be the go-to person for anyone in the club. I try to present myself as being an approchable person, someone who's quick to laugh and slow to anger. Someone that's not going to laugh at your faults and hold you up for ridicule (*smiles* doesn't mean I won't smack down an attitude *winks*). I told this much to Paul when we were talking last night after In-and-Out and over AIM, and he told me I was doing well in this endeavor. I hope I am. I told Trisha, one of the noobs that was struggling with the lunge and the "advance-lunge," that I would be willing to work on it with her afterwards. I did, and eventually she got the gist of it, while drawing some of the other noobs to try to practice it too. I think it's the satisfaction one gets in watching students succeed that makes teaching anything worth the effort (and shreded vocals from yelling over the masses *winks* . . . though I'm sure my flu/cold/whatever the hell it is in my throat that has a greater influence on th vocals).
All in all, this quarter is going to require a tremendous amount of work on my part in school as well as at the fencing club, but I have a good feeling about it. Of course, to be the realist, ask me what it's like in Aljayville come MTs.