Day 132

Long but good day today.


It started off with... waking up.  Yes, it appears that may day started in that fashion.  It began fairly normally, except for one tiny deviation.  Around 7:15 Erica called me.  She wanted fashion advice.  This is a new occurrence for me.  I know less about fashion than I do about Middle Eastern geography.  And my knowledge of Middle Eastern geography is embarrassingly elementary.  So the fact that someone would call me asking for fashion advice was quite amusing at the time.  Actually it still is.  I believe it was based on a time before the job fair when I was helping people dress professionally.  That I can do.  I know how suits and business attire is supposed to look.  But actually daily fashion?  Not my area.  Anyhow, I gave it my best shot.  I told her that it's not too early to wear knee high boots.  I hope I was right...


I'm realizing something about class on Fridays.  You actually have to pay attention during Friday classes at grad school.  During undergrad I never really did.  Friday was always that day when no one wanted to be there... it was a lighter day.  But not in grad school.  No, it's just as intense as every other day. So I'm trying to adapt to that.  I also got my finance test back and did better than I thought I had.  So that was exciting.


In between classes I had a meeting with the other math GA instructors and Dr. Fischer.  I was in charge of leading the group discussion.  Apparently I don't know how to lead discussion.  I'm good at presenting... but leading discussion is not my strong suit.  But Dr. Fisher was helpful.  I talked about how I make a good teaching environment and cultivate a student-teacher relationship.  So I explained how I try to find a place between being their friend (because they don't need another friend... they have plenty) and being a cold administrative figure (they have plenty of those as well).  So I've tried to find a common ground as a student, but also prove myself as an authority figure who can handle the classroom and is in control.  So far it's gone really well.  I think my students respect and trust me, but I like to think it's because I first respected and trusted them.  The second day of class I took 15 minutes discussing how I could best teach.  And then again after the test I did the same thing.  And I think that it shows my students that I do care about them as students.  It just creates a very open and trusting dynamic, one that I found to work very well.


After life contingencies I went to the barber and got a hair cut.  He had the sweetest set of clippers.  It had a vacuum tube attached so it automatically sucked the hair right after it was clipped.  So cool.


Then I came home and hid some left over Chinese for lunch.  I avoided homework successfully for quite some time.  I played some Team Fortress, cleaned my room, did some dishes, texted some people, sat in my chair and listened to music.  Very productive things, for sure.


I tried to pay my bill online today.  Apparently the office closed at noon today (instead of at 6).  But I guess there is a $15 convenience fee for paying online.  So I went down to the office and dropped a check in the deposit box.


Jessie and Richard came to pick me up around 5:30.  We stopped at Arby's then it was off to Findlay.  It was a pretty uneventful trip.  I read some life contingencies.  Talked with Jessie about her job.  Read some more.  We got to Findlay around...8:30?  We had to take a small detour because of a closed road.  I found out that the navigation feature on my phone includes a small "do not enter sign" where a road is closed.  That's pretty neat.


We got home a little before mom and dad.  But when they got here we just sound around and talked.  And ate angel food cake.  It was tasty.  Then Kimmy and I went bowling with friends Becky and James and some of their friends and things.  It was alright.  I don't like bowling so much and it was way way expensive.  But we had fun.


And now I'm super tired.  So I'm going to bed!  Night!