tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66669721293660613172012-02-16T02:48:29.589-08:00Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388682401883893599noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666972129366061317.post-6852178769858983762007-06-28T13:19:00.000-07:002007-06-28T13:40:18.804-07:00This week has been pretty slow- the second week of "planning" before the summer program starts has caught me having so many moments of unstructured time that I am often horribly unproductive. Yesterday was a killer; I knew I had things I could be getting done but since none of it was urgent I ended up feeling numb and purposeless, and on top of it all the congested city had started bogging me down. I realize now, though, that so much of it was my own state of mind; today I entered with a clear head after a rejuvenating work out last night and pre-work reflection this morning by the pond at Central Park, and I've spent my hours just soaking up all of the wonderful characters and new friends I have made here at the POINT. I'm sitting at my friend/coworker Tavi's messy desk writing this, and she just shuffled in with a little boy swinging through the air in her arms- Tavi the MONSTER. Then he left, and Earl(my supervisor) came around to point out the belated birthday present he had just put ontop of a pile of papers- a framed picture of Tavi with a red wig and Earl dancing for the camera, as kids swarmed around them. They had a little "i love you" moment and I was left to return to the screen. Am I hard at work? Not exactly, but when I am it doesn't even feel like work.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6666972129366061317-685217876985898376?l=cusp-nyc-mah93.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388682401883893599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6666972129366061317.post-2150746484063401222007-06-24T21:58:00.000-07:002007-06-24T22:45:35.332-07:00Every time I try to begin this blog I become too overwhelmed with things I want to mention so end up freezing and deleting whatever I've said because it seems hopelessly inadequate. But I guess I'll give a few brief thoughts for now- so my love for my college life has made me dread that fateful day when I would have to enter into "real" adult life, with a less-than-ideal job and no time for those endless Olin Libe Cafe discussions about life and philosophy; but my experience working at the POINT already has changed my feelings about the future. Entering the dynamic, relaxed, communal environment each day, I feel energized and inspired to learn from the diverse perspectives of my coworkers and to create a curriculum that will stimulate the kids I will be teaching in the summer program. Because the POINT is not a school, I get the feeling that it is maybe even capable of teaching its kids <em>more</em> because they choose to be there, but it is a difficult challenge to give kids' intrinsic motivation when they are used to the extrinsic motives that school provides them, so Christine(another CUSP intern) and I are having an interesting and somewhat difficult time figuring out how we should approach the creative writing/drama class we are planning, but I love the challenge. I also realize how different the kids' and community's culture is from what I'm used to, and I find myself wanting to prove myself to them, whether it be by picking up new mannerisms, knowing the shows/artists they respect, going on a shopping spree in the South Bronx or showing them I can actually dance. Stepping on the subway from the upper east side and off into the south Bronx each day, I feel like I am traversing hundreds of miles underground, when in fact I am only traveling a few train stops away within the same city.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6666972129366061317-215074648406340122?l=cusp-nyc-mah93.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388682401883893599noreply@blogger.com0