school...work...and more school...

My posts have been pretty boring lately. No more travel and dessert! But a post is a reflection of my life, and so if I have to sit through an IS class from 12:25-1:45pm, struggling to stay awake, well then you get to read about it.

Last semester I started a new classroom philosophy. Brett and I took a meditation class and I'd been doing yoga for some time, so I decided to put my practice into practice. (hee hee) We talked a lot last semester about being mindful--being aware of what you are doing in the moment you are doing it. No more of this hoping for the future or dwelling in the past.

So, I decided that I was going to work on being mindful during classroom lectures. My typical classroom mindset is all over the place. I'm planning my to do list, I'm doing the homework for my next class, I'm texting friends and family, I'm eating, I'm taking notes, and if I'm lucky, I'm listening to the lecture. I decided that I was going to cut out all the other stuff, even the note taking, since all my professors post Power Point slides for each lecture. All I would do during a lecture is sit there with nothing on my desk, listening.

This was extremely difficult for me to do. I felt unproductive; I felt like I should be doing so many other things. But, I payed attention and I retained some information. I believe that I had to study less at the end of the semester because I had listened during class lectures. I was able to pay attention to discussions other students were initiating. If the teacher called on me, I wasn't caught off guard, I was paying attention and could contribute something intelligent.

I am still trying to work on being mindful during class this semester. Although, when I start to dose off in the middle of class, right after lunch, in a Power Point darkened room...I pull out the laptop and post a blog.