Summer, where did you go?!

With the end of summer, there have been a new round of changes. Freedom schools is finished, I had my last Toastmasters meeting (finishing the competent communicator's series), my last show with The Flash Alchemy (a Charlotte band I play with), and I've moved from the Wright's home (a family that put me up over the summer).

Each morning at Freedom Schools, we started the day with breakfast, singing, dancing, and a read aloud guest. The point was to create an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement. It's called Harambee (Huh-Rahm-Bay). The day continued with reading and activities. With a group of ten middle schoolers, we finished a book each week. In many of the books, the characters encountered issues that come with being an adolescent in the inner city. Working optimally with each individual was a learning process for me. For some students, a little quiet reminder of how great they usually do was enough to stop a behavior from developing. For a few others, it seemed like all the consequences, incentives, and praise available to me were not enough. If I have gained one belief from this experience, it's that teachers and students have huge challenges in front of them and deserve all the support we can offer. After seven weeks of reading and being creative with behavior management, Freedom Schools is done and I'm on the cusp of my first semester at NUSL.

We've already been assigned a lot of reading. It's exciting, although I feel a little overwhelmed. In addition to reading a few cases in the orientation material, my professors have assigned anywhere from 15 pages to 137 pages for each class. Fortunately, I'm not alone.

I've been able to connect with some really great classmates over facebook and our school's social networking site. They feel the excitement and weight all at once as well. I've gained quite a few tips and resources from many of my future classmates already. I can't wait to meet them in person. Move in day is the 28th and orientation begins on the 30th.