1+1= 1, Isolate for A
A B

Algebra:

I had my chapter test in Algebra on Friday and when I finished it, my teacher graded it on the spot and then tallied my semester grade…I had 106.15 points! I knew I wouldn’t need to take the finals, but I hadn’t kept up with how many points I had for the class, so I was surprised with my final tally. I’m not one of those who keeps track with the idea of how many points I need on each test to pass, as I have listened to others who do this. I figured that “whatsoever, my hand finds to do, do it with all your might!” right? Anyway, I actually like algebra – not enough to change my major, but enough to say that I enjoy the class. My teacher has been wonderful, so patient and she loves having non-traditional students. I’ll be taking the next level of algebra with the same teacher for the spring semester and then…I will be taking the last class of algebra for my college career next fall. As my son would say, “woohoo!”

Literature and Composition:

Love this class!! I enjoyed my English classes while I was in high-school, but not like I do now. I know it has a lot to do with finding my voice (both verbalized and written); however, I do believe it has more to do with the Professor. This is my second semester with the same Professor and won’t be my last. His style of teaching supports my learning and personal style, boundaries with lots of creative freedom. We also have a lot of similar personality traits which has helped when working together as a team on behalf of the class. I’ve been his unofficial teacher’s assistant this semester which has been really beneficial for him while he is working on his doctorate. I have enjoyed the position since I love to help/teach/mother, and the students come to me anyway. Hopefully, I’ll be this professor’s official TA for next semester since we do work well together and it’ll be his first semester teaching British Literature while working on his doctorate on top of the other classes he teaches. I don’t know my final grade for this class, but should find out next week when finals are officially over. Our last paper counts as our finals and is sent via computer with a dead-line of Sunday at midnight. I don’t know the last count of students he has to grade for, but it’ll be a lot of reading he has to get through before everyone gets their grade.

Speech:

Lastly, my s p e e c h class. Actually, this was my first class each day, but it gets mentioned last for a myriad of reasons. I loved speech in high-school, have spoken in several places across Texas and don’t have too much difficulty with speaking in front of a group. However, it didn’t take more than 3 days before I knew the teacher was going to be difficult. I’m not talking about a hard teacher who expects a higher level of anything; I’m talking about a teacher who isn’t emotionally stable. I watched this person (hard to call her a teacher when she didn’t teach us anything academically) have emotional “melt-downs” in class, get flustered, lose her self control and have no consistent standards by which to grade or critique. Ever the optimist, I kept hoping for the next day or next week or maybe, just maybe, the next month of this semester to see a change for the better, but it never came. It took the 10th week for me to finally do something about it after I intercepted several complaints by my classmates (three who dropped the class during this week). The short of it, I sent a four page, objectively detailed account of what I witnessed and sent it to the Dean and department head. After I took this action, any complaints I heard from the other students, I bluntly told them to write a letter of grievance and send it to the Dean. The last count of those who sent their letters in, 7 out of 17, but the count may go up now that the semester is over. I don’t wish this designated “teacher” ill will, but I do hope she takes a break or gets some help before she is back in the classroom. I could conclude this account by saying that I did learn something, indirectly from her…I practiced my voice and stood my grounds on several issues and then followed through by reporting the injustice. The other lesson I learned after I realized that I was in a position as a hub or central point of contact for the other students, was to balance being a student while I’m also leading.

This whole year has felt like a fast paced, advanced learning course. What I have learned academically has been encouraging (you’re never too old to learn), but I think I have learned more about myself, and that has built my confidence. I’m going to enjoy my time off before next semester starts, but I’m anticipating next semester to see what the Lord has planned for me as I continue this journey.

A Woman Endued with Power

As much as I love to write, I just haven’t had the time during these past few weeks to write for fun. However, that time is over! Finals are next week and the only one I have to take is a written test for speech.

I just finished my essay paper for Literature and Composition, (all ten pages) titled, “A Woman Endued with Power.” I wrote about Kate Chopin and her short story, The Story of an Hour. I read a lot of essays and other information about her while doing my research, and I can understand how others perceive her as a feminist. However, I don’t think that is all Chopin is about. No where did I come across anything that said she was out to usurp men’s authority. I likened her to the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. Anyway, what I realized about myself as I was writing this paper is that my paper is about myself and what I have learned this year. Here is my conclusion:

The moment a woman knows her place, without being defined by labels, is the moment she will be able to embrace herself as a woman who has the power to speak from her heart, and recognizes her own ability for independent intellect; she is a woman that is able to pursue the desires of her heart. It is this woman, who will be the one who recognizes this awakening within herself, even if no others do, who can say “what did it matter!” for she is now, a woman endued with power.

I have become that woman! I discovered my voice and have practiced using it all year until my confidence caught up with it. I can say that I have been noticed, by my peers, other students and academically. As for pursuing and getting my desires met, I’m in college and this has been one of my biggest desires to pursue and fulfill. This in turn has spilled over into other areas in my personal life where I don’t stop at meeting the needs of others, I am also getting my needs met.

Monday is my last day for this semester. I feel that I have grown academically, but most importantly, I have grown personally. I have four weeks off to catch up on all of the projects I have had to put on the back burner while I worked on school assignments. Maybe, I’ll even get my house decorated for Christmas with enough time to enjoy it before I have to take it all back down. I know this is only the season I am in and it too will pass, only to be exchanged for another. In the meantime, I plan on enjoying every minute of my season.