Two of my favorite holidays of all time are right around the corner! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the past two years, my mom has cooked an enormous Thanksgiving feast for my dad’s side of the family. Last year was incredible! My sister and I helped my mom prepare the Thanksgiving supper. When I was a lot younger, my family had the tradition every other year of driving all the way to New Jersey to visit my mom’s family. I always enjoyed going to New Jersey for Thanksgiving because I loved spending time with my grandmother. I have always called her “Nana.” Today, Nana is 93 years old and is still going strong. Nana usually would cook the Thanksgiving meal. I remember helping make the mashed potatoes and cumber salad. It is not customary for my mom’s side of the family to eat casseroles like green bean, sweet potato, broccoli, or macaroni and cheese. Everything prepared is made fresh that day.
Customs like this one are different from how my dad’s side of the family prepares their Thanksgiving meals. My grandmother (Dad’s mom) is crazy about casseroles. I could not believe it when she told me that she begins preparing them a few days in advance. My Grandma’s two specialties are her sweet potato casserole and macaroni casserole. The sweet potato casserole has brown sugar and pecans on the top of it. It is so delicious!
Over the years, my mom, my dad, my sister, and I would alternate attending Nana’s Thanksgiving dinner in Trenton, New Jersey, Grandma’s Thanksgiving dinner in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and my mom’s Thanksgiving dinner in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. My favorite Thanksgiving meal is of course the one prepared by my mom because she takes a little bit of both flavors and prepares a meal with Northern and Southern flare!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Interview Reflection
My interview was conducted on October 10, 2007. Prior to the interview, I researched Clemson University’s Graduate School of Elementary Education. This simple research allowed me to become familiar with the curriculum. My favorite sentence in the program’s description states that the master’s program supports teachers facilitating “lively class discussions and active student involvement.” I was excited to read that Dr. Dee Stegelin was the Program Coordinator.
I am thankful to have been given the opportunity for a mock interview because the interview was excellent practice for admission into graduate school. Prior to this interview, I consistently had a fear of interrogation by the interviewer. After this mock interview, however, I developed a new confidence in my ability to speak during an interview. In the past, my pattern for preparing for an interview consisted of rehearsing elaborate answers to potential questions. The mock interview was the first experience that I have had in which none of the questions that I rehearsed were asked. However, I answered all of Angie’s questions with ease and confidence. I walked out of the interview feeling proud about my communication skills. I learned that excessive rehearsing is not always needed because the interviewee can not predict the exact questions to be asked. I know this revelation may seem obvious to many, but it took several years for me to realize that the ideal preparation for an interview is to relax and feel confident in your academic successes and communication skills.
I am pleased with the interview experience. There is one aspect relating to my non-verbal communication skills that I will change for the next interview. While talking with Angie, I realized that my eyes would look upwards towards the ceiling at times. Although this is a habit that most people do when they are pondering a question, I think it can hinder interpersonal communication. Therefore, during the graduate school admission interview, I will be conscious of maintaining continual eye contact.
I am thankful to have been given the opportunity for a mock interview because the interview was excellent practice for admission into graduate school. Prior to this interview, I consistently had a fear of interrogation by the interviewer. After this mock interview, however, I developed a new confidence in my ability to speak during an interview. In the past, my pattern for preparing for an interview consisted of rehearsing elaborate answers to potential questions. The mock interview was the first experience that I have had in which none of the questions that I rehearsed were asked. However, I answered all of Angie’s questions with ease and confidence. I walked out of the interview feeling proud about my communication skills. I learned that excessive rehearsing is not always needed because the interviewee can not predict the exact questions to be asked. I know this revelation may seem obvious to many, but it took several years for me to realize that the ideal preparation for an interview is to relax and feel confident in your academic successes and communication skills.
I am pleased with the interview experience. There is one aspect relating to my non-verbal communication skills that I will change for the next interview. While talking with Angie, I realized that my eyes would look upwards towards the ceiling at times. Although this is a habit that most people do when they are pondering a question, I think it can hinder interpersonal communication. Therefore, during the graduate school admission interview, I will be conscious of maintaining continual eye contact.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Class Presentations
The PowerPoint assignment went really well! I thought everyone in the 12:20 MWF class did a wonderful job. The topics for the assignment varied greatly. The presentations were informative, interesting, and exciting. Certain aspects about some of the presentations really stood out in my mind. I liked Krystal’s technique of having only one factual point on each slide. It made the audience focus on that one sentence. Krystal did an exceptional job revealing the myths and truths about breast cancer. I liked that the presentation began with the myths instead of a traditional approach of stating the definition of breast cancer first. Her technique highly captivated the audience from the very beginning. I also liked Mark’s technique of having a slideshow full of pictures rather than full of words. The pictures of his hometown in France were breathtaking and more informative than words could ever be. I have never been to France and after seeing the pictures of typical life in France, I am so excited about traveling to Europe soon!!
I also liked the video clip that Hilary incorporated into her PowerPoint slideshow because it reinforced the hard work and dedication that the rowing team must possess in order to be successful. Hilary was very enthusiastic throughout her presentation which captivated the audience. Prior to the presentation, I had little knowledge about the rowing team here at Clemson. Now, however, I understand the extreme dedication that is required. I liked the choice of background that Katie chose for her PowerPoint presentation on “Gilmore Girls.” The fall leaves where so beautiful and reminded me of the show. The background fit perfectly with the setting of Stars Hollow. After seeing and hearing about the show, the presentation made me want to go watch a re-run of it! These are just a few of the aspects of certain PowerPoints that I thought made the presentations great!!
I also liked the video clip that Hilary incorporated into her PowerPoint slideshow because it reinforced the hard work and dedication that the rowing team must possess in order to be successful. Hilary was very enthusiastic throughout her presentation which captivated the audience. Prior to the presentation, I had little knowledge about the rowing team here at Clemson. Now, however, I understand the extreme dedication that is required. I liked the choice of background that Katie chose for her PowerPoint presentation on “Gilmore Girls.” The fall leaves where so beautiful and reminded me of the show. The background fit perfectly with the setting of Stars Hollow. After seeing and hearing about the show, the presentation made me want to go watch a re-run of it! These are just a few of the aspects of certain PowerPoints that I thought made the presentations great!!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Baking With Mom
One of my favorite childhood memories is helping my mom in the kitchen. My mom and I both really enjoy baking! She is a wonderful cook, and I am so thankful to have learned some great tricks from her. My first memories in the kitchen are from when I was five years old. My granddaddy made a special stool that I could stand on so that I was at the proper height to work on the kitchen counter. My grandmother gave my mom an apron that my mom used to wear as a child. I always felt special when I helped out in the kitchen because I was allowed to wear this beautiful blue and white flowered apron. As a young baker, my mom would help me locate all of the ingredients in the pantry and refrigerator. My favorite dessert to bake was peanut butter cookies made from scratch. I always enjoyed adding the vanilla and the peanut butter to the mixture. My mom and I were a great team and still are!
As I got older, my love for baking continued. When my sister was old enough to bake, she would help me bake cakes for our parents. We also used to make incredible homemade chocolate chip cookies. This recipe is so great that I have the entire thing memorized. If you would like to bake these delicious cookies, here is the recipe:
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of baking power
2 cups of chocolate chips
Mix the first 5 ingredients into 1 bowl. In another bowl, mix the next 3 ingredients. Add the mixture of 3 ingredients to the mixture of 5 ingredients. Add in the chocolate chips and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes for some incredible sweets!!
As I got older, my love for baking continued. When my sister was old enough to bake, she would help me bake cakes for our parents. We also used to make incredible homemade chocolate chip cookies. This recipe is so great that I have the entire thing memorized. If you would like to bake these delicious cookies, here is the recipe:
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of baking power
2 cups of chocolate chips
Mix the first 5 ingredients into 1 bowl. In another bowl, mix the next 3 ingredients. Add the mixture of 3 ingredients to the mixture of 5 ingredients. Add in the chocolate chips and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes for some incredible sweets!!
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