Another Day

Today was the second workshop for the research project that has me so giddy. We lost a few participants, which is to be expected, but I was happy to see an email from one when I got home. She hopes to be there next week.

This evening went just as well although I didn't come home with the same high. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy but tired. I teach directly before the workshop and last week I had my class watch a movie. Today I had to do a regular class and then race over to run the workshop. That's a lot of "on" time for an introvert like me.

Also I had a student in tears at the end of class today and, while I was able to reassure her, I didn't feel like I left the situation resolved. Funny thing is I just attended a workshop on working with students in crisis last Friday. In the workshop they went over a number of scenarios that might cause a student to come to you in a crisis and then--bang--it happens today.

I don't have a lot of experience with this and I'm not sure why. As I've mentioned before this is my first time teaching undergraduates. I can't imagine that graduate students don't have crises, but maybe they have more resources for handling them on their own? I don't think it is age, since this woman is a non-traditional student and many of my grad students are hir age or younger.

Angel has spent the day working on a paper that is due tomorrow. He found me online after the workshop and asked me to read a draft. I'm Professor Mom. I gave him feedback and now he's working on a revision. I believe I'll be reading that before I go to sleep.

He comes home tomorrow for a long weekend. It is his first visit and the first time I'll see him since we dropped him off in August. I'm excited and nervous.