I woke up early today. Meaning I got up at 7:00am, and then really got up at 7:10, ate breakfast, got dressed, and somehow got out of the house on time, and caught my bus to Tenleytown.
I got to the school with time to spare, as it was the first day of the second semester, there were still students running around everywhere trying to get their schedules or find out where they were going to their next class. There was also a ten minute delay from the normal class time period, and so because I arrived at 9:15, I waited about thirty minutes for the next period to actually start. I didn't actually know where I was going, so I wondered over to the vice principal's office and looked at the grid of names and room numbers and periods, but I couldn't locate Colman's name, so I asked the vice principal, and she sent me in the right direction. Then I stood outside of room 215 for the next twenty minutes, reading my book, and watching the people who walked by. There was a locker that was heavily decorated for someone's five month anniversary... it was quite a spectacle, and I thought it was sweet, but embarrassing, (especially if it were me.) Another person meandered around the entrance of the same room as I did, and I started a conversation with her about the locker. We kept talking, and it turned out that she was coming from American University to see if she could help out with the classes, but she had to run, so I took down her information and told her I'd tell Colman, and send her on her way.
Colman got there on time, so it was probably 9:40 (although that would be late if it were a normal class day), then we surveyed the TV options (as Colman shows many movie clips in his class. Sounds a little like Mr. Judd, although Mr. Judd didn't really announce that his class was a discussion class. Or that papers were the main source of points in the class.) Then we went to class. I went and sat down in the second row with the students, and learned the names of the row on my left--Brandon, Denver, Lauren, and Miguel. Because classes at Wilson are ninety minutes long, subjects ranged from people in prison (types of prisons--there are four--minimum, medium, maximum, and supermaximum), Buddhism, and the afterlife (there is a student in this class that is a Buddhist), depression and suicide (one of the students put on the questionaire one thing that he'd done to make someone's life more peaceful was to be more nice to them because they were depressed, and then Colman started talking about how out of some ten thousand of his students five had committed suicide. It was really sad to hear the stories that he told, and I thought it was quite an interesting way to start the semester.), and other opportunities that Colman had to teach Peace Studies. He listed several universities and also this elementary school after-school program. I was excited about the after-school program and I asked him about it--and instead of contacting the person who was in charge of it, he told me to just go to the school and go see him, and then start working with him. I'm just curious as to what they do. I don't know yet. I got to speak to the teacher in the classroom that Colman is using this semester, and when she was showing us how to use the TV in the classroom, I asked her what her name was, and she said "Julia". This happened earlier--the Vice Principal told me her name was "MaryBeth". This is when I realized, and I'm very thankful, that I am not a high school anymore. The teachers aren't just here to teach, they are here to be your friend, but it does take the change in age, the diploma of maturity to receive the first name basis. Just saying.
After class was over, I took the bus home, and saw Christa on my walk back to the house.
I ate some good food for lunch, and then just hung out all afternoon. I worked on some housing applications for an apartment for Anna and me at EMU next year. As of now, I'm planning on going back and finishing my Liberal Arts Degree, and graduating in 2011. Emily also set up my work-study--all I need to do is get Colman to sign the forms. Which I have been putting off. Which I will do so no more, because I'll be earning money!
Corrie and I made supper--chicken thighs with Cajun seasoning, couscous in chicken broth with carrots, almonds, and raisins, and kale with olive oil and garlic. Corrie decided that we should make No-Bakes, but we didn't have oatmeal, so we took a mini field trip to the Yes! Organic! food store, and bought some oats, for cheap. Then we drove back to the house, made them with chunky instead of creamy peanut butter, and served supper, adding homemade bread and dumpster brie to the table as well, making for one delicious meal.
Now the feeling of digestion is doing it's work, the house has quieted down besides the whurring of the dishwasher, and I'm thinking about taking a shower and going to bed, because I'm leaving the house even earlier than today. But you never know. I may just come home more exhausted then today..
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