High Anxiety
It's springtime and the flowers are blooming and the weather is sunny and warm. This is also the end of the spring semester and final exams and projects are due. The students are anxious about preparing for their externships. Their performance will determine whether they can graduate from the program or have to repeat the externship. I find myself repeating answers to the same questions over and over again. When is our final exam? What will be on the final exam? How much will the final exam count for my final grade? When did you assign a project? What should I do my project on? My usual response is to say "read your syllabus." The response I usually get is, "What syllabus?" "When did you give out the syllabus?" My response, "we went over the syllabus the first day of class and everyone received a copy." As I look out into the classroom, they look at me as if I'm experiencing a senior moment. At this point, I wonder if I should start taking my Aricept now.
I think back to my undergraduate years in college and wonder did I suffer from these same symptoms. These symptoms consist of severe anxiety, forgetfulness, insomnia, giddiness and sheer exhaustion. Yes, I admit that I had many sleepilness nights cramming for finals and completing final projects. Oh, let's not forget all the pounds you put on munching on comfort foods to give you that extra energy boost. The convenience stores, pizza parlors and bars made tons of money from our sleep deprived and anxiety ridden state of mind during final exams. Once the final exams and projects were over, it was time to demonstrate your competency by going on an internship. My emotions ranged from excitement to anxiety. I remember having bad dreams about failing on my internship competencies. I wondered if I would be able to apply what I learned in the classroom to the real world. Somehow I made it through the exams, projects and internship successfully. Although these students don't think that they can cross the finish line, I know they will see the entire process through.
Instead of referring the students to the syllabus for the one hundredth time, I answer every question as if I have never heard it before. I found that this seems to calm their nerves and mine. Awe, springtime in the Carolinas. Nothing could be finer. What are your experiences as an educator or student?