“I hate this class. CORE is a ridiculous idea,” I fumed to myself. I was 12 years old, and in a forced educational experience of combining History, English and Social Studies into one large, open concept classroom. Between 30 and 40 students, two teachers, in a huge space with no walls, expected to do all our learning in constantly shifting groups. This may have been some educational consultant’s idea of a good time, but as an introvert this was my idea of Hell.
Until Middle School began, I’d understood the system of “school” completely. Do my assignments, turn them in, get an A, move on to the next one. Rinse, repeat. But this? What was this nonsense? Work with other people who didn’t care about doing well in school the way I did? Get my grades dragged down? Write in a journal about the experience and share that with the teacher? Are you crazy??? Well, I’d show those teachers.
I whipped out my journal and wrote furiously for the next 15 minutes, spewing all my anger and frustration onto the page. When I put my head up and my pen down, I noticed something odd. I felt so much better. Just taking the time to write down my experiences and reactions to them helped me think it through and find a new way to make that darned group succeed after all.
Until Middle School began, I’d understood the system of “school” completely. Do my assignments, turn them in, get an A, move on to the next one. Rinse, repeat. But this? What was this nonsense? Work with other people who didn’t care about doing well in school the way I did? Get my grades dragged down? Write in a journal about the experience and share that with the teacher? Are you crazy??? Well, I’d show those teachers.
I whipped out my journal and wrote furiously for the next 15 minutes, spewing all my anger and frustration onto the page. When I put my head up and my pen down, I noticed something odd. I felt so much better. Just taking the time to write down my experiences and reactions to them helped me think it through and find a new way to make that darned group succeed after all.
Journaling was perhaps my first conscious experience of processing, and it’s one I’ve relied on for the rest of my life to help me make sense of things. I certainly remember nothing about history, grammar (ha!) or literature from that CORE class. What I do remember as valuable were all the lessons about life skills – how to keep a journal, how to work in a group with others, how to relate to people from different life circumstances. For all of those, I am grateful.
As a creative, empathic introvert, I find that I’m easily affected by things going on around me in the world, and that general noise and hubbub (think TVs in every restaurant) affect my ability to be present in the world. CORE class may also have been my first experience with that level of noise and confusion, and I found it quite challenging. Some things have not changed. I am grateful for the tools I have found in Alexander Technique to help me stay grounded and present in any circumstance – these are my biggest coping skills and I use them daily.
As a creative, empathic introvert, I find that I’m easily affected by things going on around me in the world, and that general noise and hubbub (think TVs in every restaurant) affect my ability to be present in the world. CORE class may also have been my first experience with that level of noise and confusion, and I found it quite challenging. Some things have not changed. I am grateful for the tools I have found in Alexander Technique to help me stay grounded and present in any circumstance – these are my biggest coping skills and I use them daily.
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