The rest of Christmas was really nice; Justin and Cheng flew back to San Francisco stupid early Sunday morning, and Chris and I drove back in the very early afternoon; Anne, Bill, and Ciara also drove back home on Sunday so it was rather Exodus-like. I can't think of anything much we did - we wandered around downtown Bethlehem and had lunch at a Thai place in honor of Cheng's birthday; and then went on over to the Promenade - and then went out to dinner at Gregory's Steakhouse for dinner on Saturday evening. We hadn't made any particular plans in terms of when to leave the Lehigh Valley but I'm really glad we stayed until Sunday. Plus, it gave me a chance to play with video editing (I didn't take as many pictures this year):
Tomorrow, of course, is New Year's Eve. I'm always a bit sorry I don't have a crowd of people over, but there's simply no room, and all the friends I'd really like to see are simply too spread out up and down the Eastern Seaboard. However, all is not lost; I'm just planning on cooking dinner for Chris and myself tomorrow evening, and I procured a bottle of sparkling apple cider (hardcore drinkers that we are).
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas!
Last night was busy indeed. I made hot sausage stuffing; Mom and Dad and Justin and Cheng went shopping; everyone was ensconced in very much gift wrapping for hours yesterday. We decorated the tree and broke out the Johnny Mathis (because this is the tradition - we listen to one of Dad's Johnny Mathis Christmas CDs while we decorate). Mom and I got gussied up and went to Midnight Mass at St. Ann's (Mom's church), came home, and broke out the fancy china and had tea and cookies and divinity and candied orange peel.
This morning we eventually pulled everyone out of bed, and dug into our stockings (Jars of clotted cream! Farmer's Almanac! Cucumber melon hand lotion!), and then dug into our big piles of presents that were laying beneath the tree. I did extremely well: A canvas back bag from L.L. Bean; a watch; a fancy bluetooth headseat; a Barefoot Contessa cookbook; Oates' The Gravedigger's Daughter; Wilder's Tales from the Teachers' Lounge; Shachtman's Rumspringa; Irish Folktales; and an autographed copy of Pattison's Bone Rattler. It's so nice to have books to read for fun.
Anne, Bill, and Ciara are on their way down from upstate New York, so there's more to come.
This morning we eventually pulled everyone out of bed, and dug into our stockings (Jars of clotted cream! Farmer's Almanac! Cucumber melon hand lotion!), and then dug into our big piles of presents that were laying beneath the tree. I did extremely well: A canvas back bag from L.L. Bean; a watch; a fancy bluetooth headseat; a Barefoot Contessa cookbook; Oates' The Gravedigger's Daughter; Wilder's Tales from the Teachers' Lounge; Shachtman's Rumspringa; Irish Folktales; and an autographed copy of Pattison's Bone Rattler. It's so nice to have books to read for fun.
Anne, Bill, and Ciara are on their way down from upstate New York, so there's more to come.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Travelin' Gal
Last week was a busy week, so this week is, in fact, a welcome reprieve. I finished my grades (note tht I still don't have all of my grades from my professors) and went to a holiday party - a really good one too: Much food was brought in and consumed; a gift exchange was done; much silliness ensued.
Chris and I are visiting Mom and Dad this week; Chris took the week off from work, so we'll probably be in the Lehigh Valley at least until Friday, and (I think) visiting his parents the following weekend. Justin and his girlfriend Cheng are staying until Friday, too, I believe. It'll still be a busy week, though: Mom is baking tomorrow; Justin (and possibly Cheng) are shopping; I'd like to see the Christmas decorations in downtown Bethlehem; Justin, Chris, and I are likely to take Cheng to admire the wonder that is Wegmans; I'm going to attempt to meet Laura to drop off some of my Virginia Woolf books I read that she'll be reading for her classes next semester. And! The tree! We have to decorate the tree!
Chris and I are visiting Mom and Dad this week; Chris took the week off from work, so we'll probably be in the Lehigh Valley at least until Friday, and (I think) visiting his parents the following weekend. Justin and his girlfriend Cheng are staying until Friday, too, I believe. It'll still be a busy week, though: Mom is baking tomorrow; Justin (and possibly Cheng) are shopping; I'd like to see the Christmas decorations in downtown Bethlehem; Justin, Chris, and I are likely to take Cheng to admire the wonder that is Wegmans; I'm going to attempt to meet Laura to drop off some of my Virginia Woolf books I read that she'll be reading for her classes next semester. And! The tree! We have to decorate the tree!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Doctoral Programs & Finality
Friday marks the last day of the fall semester, although for me the semester ends tomorrow: I've finished my last paper, which I'll be handing in tomorrow, and my students will be handing in their portfolios. I finished my paper earlier this evening, and it may be terrible, and it may be all right, but I'm done as far as that's concerned. I'll be grading my students' last papers and their portfolios next week.
Within the past couple weeks I'd officially decided not to apply to doctoral programs next year but it wasn't until tonight I passed on the news to two friends in particular who were extremely encouraging of my applying. It was a difficult decision, and I really waffled back and forth for the longest time. The people I'd talked to who were already enrolled in doctoral programs, and various professors with whom I've spoken, were very encouraging and thought I should apply, to not let Chris stop me from applying - or, to put it more aptly, to "not let a man stop me from pursuing my education." And for a long time I really was hung up on that argument because I know Chris wouldn't try to stop me from applying to doctoral programs; he didn't say a word when I applied to go back to school six years ago; he didn't say a word about my applying to graduate programs two years ago. And he also didn't say I shouldn't apply to doctoral programs down the line. The arguments that I shouldn't let anyone stop me from pursuing that which I really want is, actually correct; but I had not ever let anyone stop me from doing what I really felt was right and necessary. I finally realized the issue: I can think of many reasons why I should not apply, and really only one reason why I want to apply, and that one reason isn't really a good enough reason, but it's very tempting.
When I get my M.A. I'll have a basic level of education I need to teach. Whether or not I teach at the secondary level permanently remains to be seen, but I need to try teaching at that level first for at least five years, in order not only to get my permanent NYS teaching certification but, and not only to see if I like teaching at the level, but if I have any aptitude for that age range. I realize that much will depend on the culture of the particular school where I teach, but I can't necessarily be...
I was really having difficulty coming to terms with this because I can see that at some point down the line I may want to pursue advanced graduate studies, but now is not the time. I need a mental break mostly, but I need a financial break too. If I were to continue with more graduate school I would continue to learn theoretical approaches to teaching, while what I want right now is the chance to do the practical, to put into practice all the theoretical and pedagogical I've learned.
I think it says something that I enjoyed teaching Freshman Composition as much as I did; I enjoyed teaching so much more than my own classes as a student this semester. I love that transitional age of high school to college; I love talking to new college kids who are unsure and need someone to talk to because I remember being that age and being desperate for someone to talk to but not having the vocabulary for it, and not even knowing what I needed and wanted to be talking about. I could be extremely, extremely happy teaching basic writing and new undergrads. I think I would like to come back to that someday, and there would be nothing stopping me from doing so. I just need to try a few other things first. A small part of me is still unsure that I'm making the right decision, but that's it, now that I've written about it, I can be decisive.
I'm still surprised I graduated from high school; I certainly flunked out of Temple University in a truly spectacular manner. Aside from not being ready for college at the time, I was burned out from school and needed to be working. So many people complain about how taxing work is, but when it's a job I love - and I do love teaching, and tutoring - it doesn't wear me out like school does. School just wears me out; I'm worn out. And now it's time for a break.
Within the past couple weeks I'd officially decided not to apply to doctoral programs next year but it wasn't until tonight I passed on the news to two friends in particular who were extremely encouraging of my applying. It was a difficult decision, and I really waffled back and forth for the longest time. The people I'd talked to who were already enrolled in doctoral programs, and various professors with whom I've spoken, were very encouraging and thought I should apply, to not let Chris stop me from applying - or, to put it more aptly, to "not let a man stop me from pursuing my education." And for a long time I really was hung up on that argument because I know Chris wouldn't try to stop me from applying to doctoral programs; he didn't say a word when I applied to go back to school six years ago; he didn't say a word about my applying to graduate programs two years ago. And he also didn't say I shouldn't apply to doctoral programs down the line. The arguments that I shouldn't let anyone stop me from pursuing that which I really want is, actually correct; but I had not ever let anyone stop me from doing what I really felt was right and necessary. I finally realized the issue: I can think of many reasons why I should not apply, and really only one reason why I want to apply, and that one reason isn't really a good enough reason, but it's very tempting.
When I get my M.A. I'll have a basic level of education I need to teach. Whether or not I teach at the secondary level permanently remains to be seen, but I need to try teaching at that level first for at least five years, in order not only to get my permanent NYS teaching certification but, and not only to see if I like teaching at the level, but if I have any aptitude for that age range. I realize that much will depend on the culture of the particular school where I teach, but I can't necessarily be...
I was really having difficulty coming to terms with this because I can see that at some point down the line I may want to pursue advanced graduate studies, but now is not the time. I need a mental break mostly, but I need a financial break too. If I were to continue with more graduate school I would continue to learn theoretical approaches to teaching, while what I want right now is the chance to do the practical, to put into practice all the theoretical and pedagogical I've learned.
I think it says something that I enjoyed teaching Freshman Composition as much as I did; I enjoyed teaching so much more than my own classes as a student this semester. I love that transitional age of high school to college; I love talking to new college kids who are unsure and need someone to talk to because I remember being that age and being desperate for someone to talk to but not having the vocabulary for it, and not even knowing what I needed and wanted to be talking about. I could be extremely, extremely happy teaching basic writing and new undergrads. I think I would like to come back to that someday, and there would be nothing stopping me from doing so. I just need to try a few other things first. A small part of me is still unsure that I'm making the right decision, but that's it, now that I've written about it, I can be decisive.
I'm still surprised I graduated from high school; I certainly flunked out of Temple University in a truly spectacular manner. Aside from not being ready for college at the time, I was burned out from school and needed to be working. So many people complain about how taxing work is, but when it's a job I love - and I do love teaching, and tutoring - it doesn't wear me out like school does. School just wears me out; I'm worn out. And now it's time for a break.
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