Fall 2009 Done!

I finished my finals on Wednesday evening. I submitted the last paper (a curriculm module which I titled, "Trust falls, the Theory of Unrest") on Wednesday evening to my professor's office even though its due date was on Thursday. I just didn't want to make another trip to the school campus on Thursday especially when these days have been so cold.

So, I have completed the 2nd semester, and the Spring 2010 semester will be my last one! I am very excited and truly enjoyed my studies, despite how tough it could be sometimes. I have to admit I pour my soul into each assignment. I don't do things half-ass (half-hazard). That's not me. I don't think I am a perfectionist at all. And, i don't have a Type A personality because I am very laid-back and easy going. I am only stringent on myself, and not on others. The bottomline is I just want to do justice for my work, for the reader and for the role I choose to be in my life which is a teacher. The kind of expectations I set for myself is almost the same bar I set for my students.

I'm starting to change my motto a little. It is that it's not good enough to TRY, instead it is DOING that gets us to where we want to be. Trust me, going back to school in my late 30's is the most challenging thing I have done so far in my life. I think it is because the memory box in my brain is definitely not as 'strong' or 'receptive' as when I was in my 20's. I take notes during lectures, but on top of that, I also take side notes, so that I won't forget important announcements, and information. My cognitive ability is overall fine, but I can see how it can diminish with age. It is a natural process. Therefore, I'm glad that I have written those 10-15 page papers for my classes because I always believe that writing is a thinking process and will strengthen our cognition.

I finally received my creative work back from Professor Hemphill in the Culture & Cognition Class which I submitted on November 10. My grade was an 'A+'. This was the paper about my father's narrative which I wrote as a short story written in my father's voice and point of view. I also submitted a photo CD to accompany the creative work. It was an unforgettable moment. Hemphill's comments on my paper moved me deeply. I cried. Of course I did not cry in front of him nor in class. I just wept when I got into my car parked at the parking lot. Hemphill wrote that he seldom gives 'A+' and announced to the class that two individuals in the class received that grade. It was an incredible moment that I will always remember as part of my graduate studies for many years to come. For that creative work, I wanted to exemplify that narratives are learning tools, and they are part of the socio-cultural forces that facilitate learning. I quoted the author and peace activist Elie Wiesel who said that 'To not transmit an experience is to betray it.' That encapsulated the purpose of my creative work. It was truly unforgettable, and a labor of love.

I am very happy to have completed this 2nd semester! I have my Thesis paper and 2 classes in the Spring 2010 and will be finished by May 2010. Then, the CELEBRATIONS begin! May we always be life-long learners and continue to push ourselves to reach personal and professional goals. And, give your heart and your soul to the work you have, and believe that something that is true to you, give it your all. I promise you there will be no regrets! Keep on going!