Wednesday, July 28, 2004

they read all the books, but they can't find the answers

Hello.  Today has been a little different.  During an average week, my class does not meet on Wednesdays, but today we did.  We went to the WATCH center to fulfill the observation clinical experience for the course.  I overslept, which is odd because I got to sleep two hours later than I usually do, but the change in schedule messed everything up.  But I was not late.  I just didn't get to do all the things I wanted to this morning before we met.  Anyway, the experience was quite entertaining and enlightening.

I just ordered another book from half.com.  I really should stop, but at least I'm buying useful and necessary texts.  Well, okay, part of the time.  I mean, I find value in them, or I wouldn't by buying them to begin with.  Recently, I have gotten The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis, Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, Jr.,  and The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, a book that most English students are required to buy early in their studies, but I somehow managed to not have to buy it.  And then today, I ordered The Penguin Dictionary of American Usage and Style.  I researched a long time before choosing it over The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style.  But after sifting through reviews, numbers of pages, list prices, and availability of hardback editions, I made my choice.  I'm aware this is boring you to death.  But oh, how I love it.  Thank you to half.com, I'm eventually going to have an extensive and essential linguistic and literary library.  But that would have to include the nearly-$1,000 twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary.  So maybe I'll just stick to a couple cheap books.

I am about disability-movied out.  Last night, I completed my triad of films with The Other Sister.  Good movie, but I believe I Am Sam is far superior.  For the past four weeks, I have been submersed into the world of all sorts of disabilities, and I can say that I've learned many valuable lessons.  I have learned how to accommodate for these students and how to make each student in the classroom successful.  Students with disabilities are not the sole responsibility of the special education teachers in a school system.  Of course, all of this is easier said than done.  But I have learned that it takes a very uncommon individual to understand and work with these people on a constant, everyday basis.  I do not know that I could do it.  Kudos to those who do.

The monsters that have been growing in my kitchen sink are about to attack, so I better go take care of those.  And homework, homework, homework, kind of like Marcia.  But soon enough I'll get a little break before classes and such start again.  During that free time, I absolutely need to brust up on my Spanish.  Mi espanol es muy mal.

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