The Education of Nicole Cram

Sitting in the Davies Center at UWEC is an unacceptable way to spend my time. I've decided this. I get unbelievable irratated at the people sitting around me, today the main source of irratation comes from a guy a couple of tables over who is talking so loudly I must assume that his table companions are deaf. Everyone in the place is shooting him irratated looks, to which he is completely oblivious. Thanks to this conversation, I am learning more than I ever wanted to about movies that I will never watch. I can't help but resent the tution money that has been paid so I can sit here.

Thankfully, on most Tuesdays, I have a field placement at Chippewa Falls High School (Chi-Hi, a great school nickname, I must say). However, this week the kiddos are on their mid-winter break, giving me six hours to kill between classes. (bless my procrastinating heart that put off the stupid computer class until the last possible minute, creating the six hour gap between classes) But back to the newest placement,this is my first placement outside of an elementary school and I am loving it. I'm working with mainly CD students, and they are great. I'm in their tech. ed. class, where they have a little business making wooden frames, signs, and stuff with laser engraving. The guys have a great time designing the stuff on the computer and its great to watch. Then I go to a job skills class in one of the computer labs (those who are wondering Chi Hi, much nicer than the Tomah High of my memories). The job skills class nicely fits in with my experience, as I'm currently in a transition skills class at the university. I then spend my last hour tutoring students with LD in one of the resource rooms. This combination works great as I am getting placement experience for three classes, Transition and Career Services, Methods for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities and Methods for Secondary Students with Mild Disabilities. The teacher that I am working with is great, which restores my faith in cooperating teachers after last semester.

However, four (or is it five) weeks into the semester, and the stress is beginning to get to me. I have night classes three days a week, and usually close at the store at least one additional night per week. This gives me limited evenings at home. Of course, I have the added benefit of not leaving home until 2 on Mondays and Wednesday, but it still feels like I am getting nothing done at home.

The lack of home achievements is especially distrubing when I consider the vast amount of baby blankets that I have left to knit. I am about halfway done with both Silas and Petra's blankets, with only eight and four weeks left until their respective due dates. I am beginning to get concerned that I will never finish either blanket. On the other had, I would love to be done with those two blankets so I can knit something that I want. I only had a breif break after my Christmas knitting, which I used to make my llama hat. (quite possibly the greatest thing that I have ever created)See, it is pretty cool, isn't it? I'm so impressed with my ability to master colorwork so well. Anyway, of course, this has me dying to work on more projects for myself, which I cannot do until the baby blankets are finished. (except for the obligatory pair of socks that I have on the needles, the diagonal rib socks from Interweave knits)