What is Orientation...?

Going back into Rovetta on Thursday was probably the most, excuse the pun, “eye opening” class experience I have had so far. I started off really confident, and when I found the long hallway and turned at the right time I thought it was going to be so easy to find the bathrooms. I was heavily relying on what I knew, or really what I thought I knew, from my last 2 visits. When I reached the end of the hallway I was determined to find that glass part of the wall I had felt before. When I couldn't find my landmark, everything just kind of fell apart. I can't really put it into words what happened inside my head, it was just an all consuming feeling of being lost. I would try to regroup my thoughts, focus on sounds, the feeling of the wall, try to picture where the front doors where, but every time I tried something and it didn't work, I became more and more frustrated.

Once Mickey stepped in I began to feel even more anxious, I think partly because I was embarrassed to have to stop and tell every one "I have no idea where I am". I just could not pull it together. I have had frustration like this before, but after Mickey kept taking me back and I STILL did not know where I was, I felt like I was never going to get it. Once Katie showed me the corner, and how to square off to find the doorway to the bathroom my confidence was renewed. But then Mickey tried to make me go a different way.... and this did not work in my one way, one track route. I remembering feeling almost angry, saying "Why do I have to go this way if the other way is so much easier???" It wasn't until later that I realized what valuable insight this experience was going to give me into the feeling of my future students.

So then I found the water fountain, and this became my rock, I mentally tied myself to it so I could get around the room. It helped somewhat, but I was still having trouble. When Mickey told me to mentally attach myself to the bathroom, it all clicked. All I could think was WHY? Why was I doing this with the water fountain, but not the one place I was trying to get to? This class makes me feel like a total moron sometimes. But once Mickey began explaining orientation, and moving me around in open areas, and I could get right back to the bathroom, that was a break through for me. You can read research articles and books all day about the idea of Orientation, but no book could ever give me the understanding that I have now. So sometimes this class make me feel wonderful too...

(excuse any spelling and grammar errors, I'm in the airport, flight is leaving, no time to proof read)