UNDA PRESHA!

I have two more days until my presentation and I'm the world's biggest klutz! I accidentally taped over some of my video so I have been running around like a chicken without a head, trying to fix my mistake. Tomorrow, I am going to get help editing all of my sweet footage from the wonderful Dimere. Fortunately, I am not as nervous about the presentation as I was before but I have to get all of my ideas organized better so it just flooooows when I am in front of the class. Hopefully everything pulls together nicely and works as planned!

CRUNCH TIME

Now, we have about a week left until presentations and the heat is on! I have been filming my videos and Next week is going to be completely devoted to editing it to make sure it is perfect (or at least close to perfect). I have already chosen six blogs and now I am trying to master pamphlet-making. Putting my bibliography together is probably the most stressful thing right now because I cannot find a lot of sources from before. I'm going through some of my blogs, hoping to find some of them. It's late, but I am reading a book from Mrs. Burns about anger and some things to do when you get angry or when you are about to get angry- it is very cute! Well, wish me luuuuuck :)

Senior Trip

My senior trip was a great time. Of course I rode some of the best rides and got a tad bit sun burnt but aside from that, I learned a lot about myself and other people. Anyone who knows me very well is aware that I struggle with keeping my emotions in check, especially anger. There were some things that happened during the trip that opened my eyes and showed me who belongs close to me and who I should let go. I spent a couple of hours doing my own thing and hung out with just about everyone. That was my goal: to spend time with most of my senior class and get to know more about my classmates before I leave high school. I think I handled every situation pretty well, avoided gossip and confrontation a lot, and did not let anyone ruin my mood.

Comparing the three...

My presentation is going to be focused on comparing and contrasting counseling in three schools- elementary, middle, and high school. Throughout this project, I was not sure what I wanted my presentation to be on but as time passed, I found myself soaking all the information I learned throughout this experience and picking it all apart. I found qualities and traits counselors in all of the schools shared and I noticed some differences. My main goal is to make the audience see things from my perspective and take notice to how much work I really put into this project.

NJ ASK

Yesterday, I went to the middle school and gave Mrs. Rapattoni the questions for the interview (the same ones a Mrs. Burns) and all the ladies in the guidance office would like some time to practice what they are going to say. We had a fun time sitting and sorting bins for the NJ ASK, a standardized test, and counting booklets. Although organizing is not one of my best qualities, I think becoming a counselor would help me improve in that area. In school #4, the basic skills teachers organize the test booklets but in the middle school, they have to go through all of that madness. Mrs. Rapattoni said that she loves seeing the kids but during testing, things are too busy and she does not really get the chance. I cannot wait to come back from the trip and get things going!

Welcome back, Burns!

Mrs. Burns is feeling a little better and is back in school! I am glad we got to catch up and go over my ideas. Since it is the end of the year, she needs to send over paperwork to the middle school for the upcoming fifth graders. Kids who have special needs are required to keep in contact with counselors and also be in certain classes. To make sure the middle school counselors are keeping an eye on the students' progress, Mrs. Burns needs to send over some info.

We went through my interview questions and they include: what is your involvement in the school, what are some every day problems a counselor in elementary school faces, what is your favorite part of the job, least favorite part of the job, and what was your occupation before you began counseling?

When I come back from the trip, I am going to start filming my video and put it all together nicely.

Bad day

Today was a pretty bad day. I woke up very late and had the worst migraine all day. I had to go to Virtua to get a physical and a PPD for my new job and went to the wrong Virtua AND got stuck in traffic, which made me late to my other job at NJA3. Aside from all the bad things that happened today, I did accomplish something. Since we have senior trip next week and prom two weeks later, I figured it would be smart to get as much work done for my presentation this week as possible. Tomorrow, I am going to see Mrs. Burns now that she is doing better and back in school. We are planning to go over some of my ideas and get started on making my video. I realized last night that all the tapes I had for the video camera were used, filled with old memories from bbq's, birthday parties, and vactions.

I made it a priority to go to Target really quick before my physical and pick up some tapes. I cannot wait to get started on my video! Tuesday, I'll be with Burns and Wednesday, I'll be with Rapattoni- this week should be quite productive.

My anecdote

Sometimes our peers are not the best people to talk to and get suggestions from. When I was younger, I had a friend who was going through a big problem at home and I wished I could help her somehow but I was only a kid. She was afraid to talk to her mom about the situation and was stuck between a rock and a hard place. A light bulb in my head automatically turned on- whenever I really have a problem that I cannot find a solution to, I go to the guidance office whether it has to do with grades, friends, school, or home. My friend was reluctant at first but once I introduced her to the guidance counselor and she became comfortable talking with the counselor, she soon came to find a solution to her problem. I admired the ability the counselor had to get people to open up and her compassion for the students. Once I got into high school and really thought about what I wanted to do in life, my first idea was to become a guidance counselor. I love being able to help others. In case you were wondering, the guidance counselor was Mrs. Rapattoni, my mentor now and my friend is doing great, made the right decision, and is living a happy life.

That's Life!

Sadly, this week I did not get the chance to visit my mentor and sponsor. Mrs. Burns had surgery on her ankle and she is stuck at home until monday (GET WELL SOON BJBURNS!). Mrs. Rapattoni is going through the whole NJ ASK process at the middle school and I understand it is very overwhelming for her. On Tuesday next week, I am meeting with Mrs. Burns and we are going to play around and try to come up with our interview and skit. Then, I am going to make my way over to the middle school and do the same thing there. Hopefully, I develop my ideas more and actually come up with some good footage or whatever you call it! Since I did not get the chance to meet with them this week, I am going to try to accomplish as much as possible next week before I go off to my senior trip. May is a very busy month and while my schedule is empty, I might as well get some work done.

Dictionary Game!!!!

In class, we are playing a little game called the DICTIONARY GAME. The main purpose is to not make our fellow classmates look like fools, it is to help us gain confidence when we give presentations.

This game also prevents us from using the infamous

"Um's and Uh's" to use up time in between thoughts of what we are going to say next. I found it difficult to keep my voice loud and keep a nice flow of words. Honestly, if we keep playing this game, I believe I will see a difference in the way I speak to a crowd of people and feel more prepared to give my presentation on my experience visiting with guidance counselors and telling people what I have gained from being in the Senior Project class.