Panic!

A few weeks ago I posted about trying out some new learning opportunities. I took the plunge and signed up for the Personal Essays class I mentioned and it started last week. 

My first set of class materials showed up on Wednesday. I had been checking my email all day waiting for it, so eager to get started. I read through things, read about my classmates. It was all good. 

Thursday I started on my homework. The discussion questions were simple enough. But then I had to start two essays. Seemed like no big deal... But it was. I didn't know what to write about, couldn't get anything started that I liked. It was a miserable feeling - the start of panic.

Friday I went to one of my favorite writing spots, spent some time just relaxing, getting some other thoughts on paper and then BOOM - I had intro paragraphs for 4 potential essays. Ahhh. I could feel the panic ebb away.

We were out of town for the weekend, so Monday night was my first chance to go back through those fabulous introductions and narrow them down to two for my homework due tonight.

After a few days, they are not so fabulous. I'm afraid they are too-much "navel gazing" and not enough universality. A good essay is one people can connect with, even if they haven't had the exact same experience. The panic is back, and rising. 

Writing is getting harder. I wonder if I am trying too hard - or not hard enough.

Life Long Learning

I am crazy about school. I love the fresh start that a school year brings. I love school supplies. I love learning new things. I have been dreaming about some new learning opportunities in my life.

Writer Mama, Christina Katz, offers writing classes through her website/blog. I am looking at the Writing and Publishing the Small Stuff Class. I would also like to take the Personal Essays class she offers which is taught by Abigail Green. The classes aren't cheap, but I have been thinking about taking one for so long, I'm starting to think it is time to get off my butt and just do it.

I used to take online scrapbooking classes at Big Picture all the time. I had some great experiences in those classes. But life got busier and I did less scrapbooking and haven't taken any classes in awhile. But I have started looking at their class lists again. There's a class that goes with Ali Edwards' One Little Word. There's another one about emotional wellness that is intriguing, too. 

I received a flier in the mail recently about self-paced graduate classes from a local university. I loved looking through the course catalog, circling classes like The Adolescent Brain, Learning Differences: Effective Teaching with Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences, and  Teaching Beginning (K-3rd) and Developing (4th-6th) Readers. 


I'm not sure if any of these courses are in my future, but I think it is clear that I am at a place where I am craving some new challenges and new learning opportunities!