Our First Yoga Class

Today, we had our first yoga class. I have done yoga before, so it was not as new to me as it was to everyone else. I started doing yoga when I was little, like maybe first grade. My physical therapist gave me a deck of cards with different yoga poses on them, most of which were animal poses, such as the downward-facing dog, the cat, and the cobra. Other poses I learned were like the tree, or the hero/warrior. Anyway, the class lasted for 45 minutes. We did our first round of sun-salutations after listening to a long 5-minute lecture about yoga and its benefits. We then finished the class with an imagery exercise, and then I felt purely relaxed, and I think everybody else did too.

Internship Day 2

This morning was rather boring for the most part. Aside from waiting for Ms. Alex to know that I arrived, it all started when I was waiting for a tutor session to observe. Then Ms. Alex asked me to join a couple of the PTs in a game for teaching English (so I was told). It was more of a Get-to-Know-You board game. On each space it said something like "Your pet" or "What country you are interested in". The PTs, who are girls, started the game by saying "If you had to be anything but a human, what would you be; and why?" It was tricky for me to answer that question, so I tried to think hard. "Spring, I guess," I said. "Why?" asked the girls. "Because it's nice and warm, but not to hot or too cold." I was allowed to be something like a season, by the way. Then they asked me "What kind of person would you be?" In other words, who do I want to be someday? "Actress or singer." That was when they got excited and my morning was suddenly interesting. "Sing to us!" they begged. Of course, I get nervous when I have an audience to sing to, and I was already really shy to these girls. I then sang three songs to them, and they still could not get enough out of me. Then, to my great relief, Ms. Alex returned with my bag and said "Your mom is here waiting for you." I had already seen Mom pass down the hall after singing my last song, so I knew she was there. Apparently, she and the girls were not the only audience I had. "Was that you singing? I thought I heard singing." said Ms. Alex. When I got to school, Ms. Rachel, as I expected, asked me how my internship went. I told them how boring it was with no PTs and tutees to observe, and she said: "That's how it sometimes is."

Internship Day 1

Today was my second day at the SQU Tutorial Center. The plan was for me to observe peer tutors, or PTs. I got there at about 9:15 a.m. and learned that the PT sessions begin every half hour. My first observation was already in session. I had reviewed the observation form beforehand. Ms. Alex brought me into one of the tutorial rooms and asked Mr. Tony (directer of SQU Writing Center) if I could observe his tutoring. I spent the next 15 minutes observing the session with Mr. Tony and completed my observation sheet. I learned that Mr. Tony could explain well enough for the students to understand their assignments without having to switch languages between English and Arabic. Before the next session began, (30 minutes) I finished filling in my observation sheet. The second observation session, was with a female PT named Galia. She was friendly, and did some of her explaining in Arabic. I learned to be friendly and polite to relax the students. My plan is to return on Sunday morning at 8:15. I learned that I had to be on time, or even a little bit early.

Internship Orientation

Yesterday, I arrived at the Tutorial Center for an internship at SQU. It is located in the Tutorial Center. I spent an hour there talking to the directer, Ms. Alex, and took a tour around the tutorial center. I even met some of her peer tutors, who are very nice and friendly, as is Ms. Alex. She gave me a weekly schedule and a checklist for each tutorial session I observe. I learned that SQU is supporting student learning and learning English. My plan is to come back tomorrow and observe two peer tutors.

Reality. My Ella Willcox poem: An inspiration from Solitude

Reality

Talk about reality, and the world will listen,

Talk about fiction and you talk alone;

My sad old parents must borrow my experiences,

But have experience enough of their own.

Live in the real world and the people answer,

Live in your own, it is lost in the air;

The true facts bound from a truthful sound,

But shrink from little care.

Speak of your day, and men will gather,

Speak not, and they are gone;

They want full measure of your day’s pleasure,

But they do not need it long.

Join life and your friends are many,

Just read and you lose them all;

No one will delay to hear of your day,

But alone you may answer fiction’s call.

Speak truth, and your house is crowded,

Lie, and the world goes by.

Be true and give, and it helps you live,

But no topics can help you die;

For there are rooms in the halls of pleasure

For the truthful social train,

But on and on we will be gone

Aboard the life-long cars of pain.