You did not desert me, my brothers in arms
I just got back from the INTERLINK potluck dinner. Once every term, all the teachers, staff and students from the program get together outside of class to share food and play games. This term we had the party at a park near my apartment. The weather had been shaky all day and we weren't sure it would play along, but it turned out to be a really nice evening. One of my students brought his family along. He has three little girls, all under the age of seven, and a little boy. His smallest girl, Sara, kept coming up to me and putting her arms up to be held. I'm not usually around a lot of kids and don't consider myself really good with them, but this girl was absolutely adorable, so I couldn't refuse. Every time I held her she kept putting her hands into my hair, running it through her fingers and playing with it. I melted. I just did. She would put her cheek on my shoulder and stroke my hair and I would feel her warm little breath on my neck. I think I carried her twice around the park and back before I returned her to her father. And his other little girl, Zahar, kept coming up to me and wrapping herself around my legs. At one point she tugged on the edge of my shirt to get my attention. I turned around and she pointed to my hand, which I showed to her, palm up. She then spit an ice cube into my open palm, giggled, and ran away. I'm not quite sure what kind of a cultural gesture that is, but I think it means we're best friends for life or something.
The latter half of this week was tough. By the time Thursday rolled around I felt like I had run out of steam. I had to really sit on some of my students today and that always makes me grouchy. We're really picking up speed on their research papers and it's especially difficult because many of them have never written anything like that before. I have to take them through the research process, the step-by-step outline and the citation process before they begin to write. A lot of things that I have taken for granted or committed to reflex memory -- like how to cite sources -- are completely new to them and it takes time to transfer that knowledge. Add to that the fact that our terms are only nine weeks and you really start to feel the crunch. I just need to pace myself and be available to answer questions when they have them. I also need to take this weekend to seriously decompress. I think the biggest thing I've got planned is going to see 'X-Men: First Class' (if it's still in theaters) and/or going to the library to apply for a library card. I'm ninety percent planned for Monday, so I can afford a little downtime.
I am also considering an X-Files series re-watch, starting this weekend. Who's with me?
The latter half of this week was tough. By the time Thursday rolled around I felt like I had run out of steam. I had to really sit on some of my students today and that always makes me grouchy. We're really picking up speed on their research papers and it's especially difficult because many of them have never written anything like that before. I have to take them through the research process, the step-by-step outline and the citation process before they begin to write. A lot of things that I have taken for granted or committed to reflex memory -- like how to cite sources -- are completely new to them and it takes time to transfer that knowledge. Add to that the fact that our terms are only nine weeks and you really start to feel the crunch. I just need to pace myself and be available to answer questions when they have them. I also need to take this weekend to seriously decompress. I think the biggest thing I've got planned is going to see 'X-Men: First Class' (if it's still in theaters) and/or going to the library to apply for a library card. I'm ninety percent planned for Monday, so I can afford a little downtime.
I am also considering an X-Files series re-watch, starting this weekend. Who's with me?