Mid semester

This past week I had 2 midterms. One midterm went beautifully and the other felt like a scary disaster. Taking 3 classes in my undergrad felt like a breeze, midterms were never particularly hard and life was so much different. Taking 3 classes in Grad school is a bigger undertaking than I ever expected!

Following midterms, the bulk of my major assignments are due. We have a lesson plan to write, present to a group of students, record on video said presentation and write a report on the lesson plan experience as a whole. On top of that, we had to conduct an extensive reading assessment on an emergent reader and write a report on that interview. Aside from these assignments, we have to write weekly journals based on the readings (100+ pages sometimes) each week. The journals take about 5 hours to complete, no exageration. These are just for one class!

For my other classes, I have to write 3 more lesson plans and take 2 finals. The other classes are less intense, but still need attention.

There was a time when I was really feeling spread too thin. I was subsitute teaching and working at Target, pulling doubles across the 2 jobs. Studying for midterms and preparing for papers. Taking piano lessons. Trying to plan a wedding. Trying to spend time with my fiance. Trying to fall asleep at night after long, mentally and physically exhausting days and feeling unsure as to whether I would be able to keep my head above the water.

Things have calmed down quite a bit, mostly because I was about to break. I bought a planner and got organized, cut back on substitute teaching only on days when I don't also have to work at Target, my last piano lesson is on Tuesday (sad), and I'm taking the wedding planning in manageable chunks. A little organization goes a long way! Of course, I am always behind on the laundry and the apartment is in a constant state of disarry. We always have clean underwear and food to eat, so something must be going right!

Mid semester means I am running down the homstretch. I can't allow the homework and busy schedule become a mountain that I am afraid to climb. One week at a time, keeping a weather eye on what's coming up, but celebrating the little gains. I can do this without losing it.