Friday, January 4, 2008
classes start on monday
Okey doke. I'm ready. Let's get this party started!
* Syllabus...check.
* Set up a core amount of stuff in eLearning/Blackboard/WebCT/whatever the hell it's called now...check.
* E-mailed students with link to above...check.
* Checked out the classroom, got a set of the correct type of A/V cables to carry around with me, reserved days for class in the computer lab...check.
* Gave syllabus to the office folks to copy...check.
* Got all the books for my own seminars...check.
* Set up my master "seminar assignments" document with all the stuff I have to do for each class for each week...check-ish (I only have 2 of the 4 syllabi).
* Got a new bag even though I don't need one and I can only use it on non-computer-carrying days but I love bags and it was on sale...check.
* Got new shoes, for all the reasons listed above except the one about carrying my computer...check.
* Got a haircut.
See? All ready!
******************************
When I read New Kid's post the other day, I read the opening lines and thought "yes! that's so true!"
When I stopped for half a second and thought about it, I realized that while it is true that I hate walking into a room full of strangers [In college, I ate alone in the dining hall exactly once in three years. I would have rather gone hungry than walk in alone. I've gotten over that extreme position.], I do not mind walking into a room full of students (who are strangers). I don't find it the least bit intimidating. I wondered why that is, for just a moment, and then moved onto other things like trying to figure out what the hell to wear on the first day of school.
* Syllabus...check.
* Set up a core amount of stuff in eLearning/Blackboard/WebCT/whatever the hell it's called now...check.
* E-mailed students with link to above...check.
* Checked out the classroom, got a set of the correct type of A/V cables to carry around with me, reserved days for class in the computer lab...check.
* Gave syllabus to the office folks to copy...check.
* Got all the books for my own seminars...check.
* Set up my master "seminar assignments" document with all the stuff I have to do for each class for each week...check-ish (I only have 2 of the 4 syllabi).
* Got a new bag even though I don't need one and I can only use it on non-computer-carrying days but I love bags and it was on sale...check.
* Got new shoes, for all the reasons listed above except the one about carrying my computer...check.
* Got a haircut.
See? All ready!
******************************
When I read New Kid's post the other day, I read the opening lines and thought "yes! that's so true!"
"There are things I hate about the first day of class. I hate walking into a room full of strangers; I find students in the anonymous collective kind of intimidating"Then I immediately said, "Wait, that's not true at all." I focused on the phrase that is true for me: "I hate walking into a room full of strangers."
When I stopped for half a second and thought about it, I realized that while it is true that I hate walking into a room full of strangers [In college, I ate alone in the dining hall exactly once in three years. I would have rather gone hungry than walk in alone. I've gotten over that extreme position.], I do not mind walking into a room full of students (who are strangers). I don't find it the least bit intimidating. I wondered why that is, for just a moment, and then moved onto other things like trying to figure out what the hell to wear on the first day of school.
Labels: teacher-like