Regina Spektor is the greatest performer I've seen in awhile. Definitely see her in concert if you have the chance. She is also insanely cute.

I've almost made it through another week, and I'm going to lead an activity for the first time today, so I'm pleased. My stomach is acting up a little, but it usually feels better later in the day. I'm looking forward to a nice weekend at home, and hopefully my system will cooperate.

Good Things:

-I am, for this fleeting moment, caught up on schoolwork.

-I bought the cutest somewhat-professional-looking shoes yesterday, and they were ten bucks.

-I ate an evening meal that consisted of an amount of food that most normal humans would recognize as a legitimate dinner.

-I watched Gossip Girl, and got my Chuck-and-Blair fix.

-I successfully helped several students with history-related questions today.

I am getting help. I can get through this. I'll do it.

In the classroom, panicking again. This is really upsetting and frustrating, because I've been looking forward to completing this program since I was first accepted during my sophomore year of college, and now both my mind and my stomach are making that goal nearly impossible.

But I had a really good Monday last week. So maybe I just need a day to readjust, and tomorrow will be better. I hope.

I'm starting to go around the room and help students in small groups, and it's making me feel marginally more competent.

worst saturday ever. what a waste. i need to start feeling better.

Thank god it's Friday. This whole real-world thing is exhausting, and I hate feeling worn out.

But I get to see Laura and my parents this weekend, so that's good.

And I know almost all the kids' names now. I'm gonna try to observe another teacher during my lunch period today. Seeing the same class three times in a row gets pretty boring. I'm hoping to be able to plan some engaging activities when I take over the class, but it scares me to see that even an experienced teacher has so much trouble cramming all the necessary information into one class period, and that there's little time for creative stuff after the class has settled down. I may need to use traditional methods of transmitting content. Penn will love that, I'm sure.

And the Drexel students congregating outside my house last night were incredibly loud. I hope that's not a permanent thing, because it's bringing back bad memories of 801 Montgomery.

A few kids are playing chess during our extended advisory period, and I'm impressed, because I don't understand the game at all and have never been able to learn how to play it.

I feel terrible today: in addition to the usual stomach issues (I can't eat without getting nauseous), I am completely and utterly exhausted to the point where I'm not sure how I'm sitting up, and my arm is sore from the flu shot I got yesterday. Apparently, flu shots make me a little ill. Hopefully I'll feel better as I wake up a bit, and my energy level will increase later in the day. It's stuffy in here and I feel like I'm picking up a cold or something. Ugh, stupid immune system.

I've been on time every day, so I'm exceptionally proud of myself. Yesterday I started reading ahead in the textbook to prepare for when I take over the class. I can do this. I think.

I'm caught up in my methods class, and ideally, I'll catch up on Managing People this weekend, and field seminar early next week. I need to figure out some easy and mildly healthy things to start making for dinner, because my current eating habits are not conducive to living.

I'm currently doing reading for my Social Studies Teaching Methods class, or at least pretending to. I've actually heard good things about the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me", which is supposed to blow the lid off everything we've ever learned about American history. Or something like that. Although I believe Bryn Mawr accomplished that goal, albeit more cruelly.

I'm really psyched for tonight's Gossip Girl Premiere. I really hope Serena will play less of a role this season if she's off at Brown, but I somehow doubt I'll be that lucky. but Big Love doesn't start up until January, nor does American Idol (with Ellen Degeneres replacing Paula Abdul!), nor does 10 Things I hate About You, so right now GG is where it's at. Oh, and my Sunday night Desperate Housewives/Brothers and Sisters double-hitter, starting September 27th.

Tomorrow I'm interviewing two students about their experiences with Social Studies classes and their opinions on learning history as a subject. Should be really interesting.

Apple cider from the Amish people who sell things at their little stand across the street from my house is positively amazing. Too bad I have to wait until Saturday to get more.

Ted bought a classy tie before heading off to his Interacting With Adolescents class which I, luckily enough, have already taken. (clarification: I've taken the course...not the tie.)Which means I'll be able to devote a little more time to Managing People, which, judging by the syllabus, will be the death of me.

New question of the day: at a school where the required uniform for students is khaki pants and a white polo, what would possess a very young teacher to wear khaki pants and a white polo? It is rather confusing.

Last night I had a delicious burger for dinner and I felt fine, but now that it's morning I feel sick to my stomach again. Curiouser and curiouser. I need a better gastroenterologist.

I really need to start learning the kids' names better. I know some, but I haven't had the chance to do a lot of interacting with them, so it's a slow process.

Germantown Friends School is really impressive. Both the campus and the people. I had the opportunity to check out their sustainable urban science center, and it really made me wish that public schools had the financial capital to build these really functional spaces that also happen to be good for the earth. but that comes after my initial wish, which is for public schools to have enough books and supplies and teachers...which means the earth will have to wait its turn.

I do not lead an interesting enough life to use Twitter, so I'll probably use the blog for little updates. On my list of things to do today is some reading for a class that i'm taking on human behavior, which the professor assures us will enable us to get anyone to do anything we want. I'm not convinced that this is possible...maybe I'll actually do the readings, and then see how I feel.

I should maybe also try to make it to Anthropologie or something. I'm a little too tired to shop (never thought I'd say that), but all of my professional-looking clothes are falling off me from all the weight I've lost, and I need a few things that fit.

Ugh. i just want to feel better. Hopefully i'll have a relaxing night, catch up on schoolwork tomorrow, and be somewhat refreshed for week 2 at my student-teaching placement. I'm looking forward to taking on some new duties like attendance, or assisting individual students.

Nothing like Van Morrison early in the morning. It makes the half-hour commute seem not-so-bad.

I still don't understand the point of the "advisory" period at Roxborough. The kids sit and do nothing for 25 minutes, and the only vital thing I see happening is that attendance is being taken, but I'm sure that could be done during 1st period. Oh well, I'm sure there's some organizational reason for it that is far beyond my comprehension.

Besides the fact that I've never been more exhausted, and am still feeling pretty sick, I think the student-teaching placement is going well. I like the environment, I like the teachers, and I'm looking forward to working with the students more.

In other news, the weather is terrible today.