Day 3: May 2015

I awoke with premonitions of the fatigue I will experience in July, when I come back for the intensive session of the YNI program.  This morning, Saturday, I rolled out of bed and shocked my mind and body with a brisk shower.  I was surprised how exhausted I felt.  Yesterday, I guess I had done a lot more walking, talking, and thinking than I realized.  However, after another blend of Blue State chocolate, peanut butter, and banana smoothie (with a shot of espresso of course), I was ready for another collegiate day at Yale.  

In the morning, we chatted over another hearty breakfast.  This morning’s specialty was sausage and egg (or veggie) quiche.  We had another meeting where seasoned fellows talked about expectations and preparations for July’s intensive session.  The meeting was cool and humorous, and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves.

After the meeting, we met with our Seminar groups once again.  Today was my favorite meeting so far, as it felt like I was back in the English program at NIU.  We spent a solid hour discussing and analyzing our homework, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, and I was amazed at the depth my fellow fellows brought to the table as we posed questions and shared ideas.  The second half of the seminar was the logistics of the next part of the program.  We refined a reading list for the group that would help us prepare for the July session.  

After, we had a lunch of clam chowder, portabella and tuna sandwiches, and several types of salads.  We sat at tables made up of a variety of fellows and discussed what we had learned during our Seminar groups.  After lunch, people went their separate ways.  Some went to coffee shops to do research, some went to the library to work on their assignments, and I met Jessica to refine my topic and reading list. 

   

Before dinner, we had one last meeting to attend before our May session came to an end.  I finished my meeting with Jessica early, so I went to the main quad and sat under an old, friendly tree to continue typing this blog.  As I sat there, I watched Yale students, faculty, and family as they passed by.  Everyone was happy and jovial in the spirit of higher academia.  It felt good to be in the atmosphere of such sophisticated people.  I smiled at them, but they were too preoccupied with life to bother with a blog writing tree hugger from California.  

Taking several deep breaths, I soaked in the last of my May experience at Yale.  Life was good.  I felt very blessed and fortunate to be part of the YNI program.  Getting up to leave for the meeting, I thought about the fun times I had had over the past few days, the new friends I had met, and the entirely new realm of education that I was privileged to.  If you are an educator, I would highly suggest looking into the program for either yourself or your district.  YNI is a great opportunity for professional development, collegiality, and the advancement of excellent levels of education across the United States.