Please, can we slow down time?

I know, I know, by mid-terms I will be screaming for a break and in December I will be coming up, gasping for air. But right now, today, I want to slow down the days. I know that April will make excellent Interpreters out of us. It is what we want so strongly and what she is so skilled at doing. Somehow I have an irrational fear that we won't have enough time to learn all we will need to know and that there will be gaps in our skill base. Yet I know, deep down, that she will indeed give us the tools to be the best Interpreters and it is up to us to utilize these tools and grow our own skills. And deep down I know we will be kick-ass Interpreters. Without fear we have less impetus, right? Confident is good; fear - used properly - can be a powerful ally, an empowering force to be reckoned with.

I do know I have the ability to be an excellent interpreter. And while the lessons seem daunting, I know that they are just that: lessons. Tools. Stepping stones to teach us how to think on our feet. And for that I am grateful. For the lessons, for my classmates, for April, and for Ruby.

Aho.

Yep, one-quarter of the way through this semester

I am not sure how I feel about that! There is so much to practice and so much to learn. April is a great at presenting the information in a sensible manner and overall I don't think the class has been overwhelmed even with all of the protests. ;-) We know that we must go through these processes in order to learn to become an interpreter. As she said, "Many people to know to sign. Interpreting is another whole [animal]."

Utilizing paraphrasing has been so vital. I listen to strangers, the news or sports casters, whoever I can for the purpose of context. Funny thing I realized - this is simply a great listening tool, without taking it to the next step of interpreting the information.

My video for ASL V was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it had many production errors. However, one thing which pleased me regarding that exercise is that I did not script my story. It was done in the midst of classroom distractions and was mine. As with any of my videos, I consider it rather painful to watch.

The class dynamics continue to become stronger. We are having fun and supporting each other.

Third week down.

Cannot believe how this goes by so quickly!! Some times it still feels like week one.

I have yet to watch the video I turned in to Ruby for Chapter 18. I did not script this one and that felt pretty good. I practiced it several times and had to restart even more times because of simple distractions in class or signing mistakes as when I said the house was 1,000 years old. And I keep on moving on.

A four day week can seem longer than a five day week as it is easy to get discombobulated in my time sense. But it is fun. In enjoy April's no nonsense and experienced teaching style. I appreciate the way that both she and Ruby adapt to our class and are constantly thinking of new ways to teach the material so every year gets better. That paraphrasing has been a great example of this. Thinking of another way to present the material in English makes us more flexible in our thinking in ASL.

I have been looking for a part-time job on campus and I am excited about an opportunity to become a tutor. This is a good blend of my natural ability and inclination to assist people with their confusion and make some money doing it. Good stuff all around.

Today I am numb. Next step, focus on getting enough sleep every night!

Second Week - Wow how time flies!

To be perfectly honest, I am selfishly glad that we had a long weekend after our second week. It has been fun and my brain gets numb at the end of every day - so I am happy for the extra rest.
It is amazing how quickly these days go by. I keep telling myself that this is indeed possible - after all, that is why the program exists - to teach us how to be excellent interpreters. It seems to be a matter of mental fortitude and hard work over fear.
Remembering our roadblocks last year I have stopped in and talked to the ASL group a few times, just to try and assuage their own fears. Elisha and I have decided it is a sort of "pay it forward" concept. Next year, they can help the new students. Half of the battles are in dealing with FSU/PCTC's technology - the Blackboard is the nemesis of many!
I am silently wishing for opportunities to immerse myself in with the Deaf, even if just periodically for a day or so. I fantasized about flying to Cambodia to spend part of winter break with Tashi (my Deaf friend) yet know that the cost is prohibitive. I long for something because I know this can only benefit me and vastly improve my skills.
As Tashi says: onward and upward!