A newfound appreciation

And this newfound appreciation is, of course, for coffee.  I suppose I've never really NEEDED it before, but now I know and can really experience it's magic powers.  Almost drug-like, I'd say.  I don't even care where it's from, as long as it's black and cheap-ish.

This past week was most definitely my week of hell... everyday I got home at around 7:30 pm and then had at least one paper due everyday.  On Friday, we had a workshop about crisis intervention, which was interesting, but I was not happy to wake up at 6 am on a Friday.

Then on Saturday I had to take two important teaching tests.  I HAVE to pass them in order to become a teacher, and this was basically the last opportunity to do so.  But I think they went ok... I don't want to be too overconfident but I feel very good about how I did. 

Other things in life are going really well... after those tests on Saturday I had a great night out with friends (new and old... like two worlds colliding) and then on Sunday I went out to a great German restaurant in the East Village for a friends birthday.  So overall, despite the whole "hell week" and "super-important-must-pass test" parts, it was a pretty social weekend.

The class I'm working with is still very enjoyable.  Although I'm not getting as much traditional experience as NYCTF is saying we should be getting (i.e. teaching an actual lesson), I'm getting a ton of one on one instruction time and really learning more about autism and how to best communicate with these kids.  Which, in my opinion, is what I need the most experience in anyways.  

It's kind of funny... I have a lot of friends who went into field training saying "oh yeah, I wanna work with kids with autism... without a doubt, I could never do ED (code for emotionally disturbed), etc etc."  And now, after working with ED kids in their summer placement, it seems like so many are switching over to wanting to work with ED.  Which I find VERY interesting.  Probably just because ED scares the hell out of me, especially at the middle school level.  I'd be very happy with my sweet, loving, autistic students.  

Anyways, while I was shopping this past weekend I got two great cards from Quotable Cards (which I am obsessed with).  And they pretty much sum up why I'm teaching and why I'm putting myself through all of this.  So I leave you with a little inspiration (which are hanging on my door to see every time I open it):

"Risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible." -Cadet Maxim

"Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.  Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it." -Wilferd Peterson