Debriefing

So now I'm at the end of the first week of classes, and I have some time to catch my breath. The first week went pretty well. Points of interest:

1. My reading/writing class is really low. Like, I'm having to define words like "process" and "war" for them. Their listening and speaking abilities are really low too. I have to talk... like... this. After class today, I went back to my office and started explaining to my office mate about the space heater I brought in... and I talked... super... slow... until I realized he spoke English.

2. My reading/writing textbook is organized weirdly. Instead of focus on one reading strategy at a time, it focuses on like, six. I'm not sure I like this.

3. Holy level-changing students, Batman! We sometimes have to move students around after class starts, if it's apparent that they would be better suited to a higher or lower level class. I usually have one or two. But this semester, I had two move up out of my class, one move up into my class, and two move down into my class. Combine that with the fact that half the class can't seem to make it to school at 8:30, and I have a class I feel like I barely know.

4. My advanced academic spoken English class is all men. Six guys, four from the Middle East. I always wonder with Middle Eastern men think about being taught by a woman - I know in many countries, men and women go to separate schools. I was a little intimidated at first, but they all seem laid-back and ready to learn. It's a little strange being the only girl in the room though - even my language assistant is a guy. But on the other hand, I always have the women's room to myself.

5. We had a bunch of students register late, so I get to add another class starting next week, which brings me up to... full-time hours!

So all in all, things are pretty good. Tomorrow morning I'm interviewing for a full-time lecturer position at the ELI. I know whatever is supposed to work out will work out, but I'm still a little nervous - I didn't really have to have a formal interview for the job I have now - I got a teaching assistantship and then stayed on after graduation. So that said, I need to go practice my presentation. Good stuff.

Back-to-school

This week was the first week of classes for the spring, which is always interesting and challenging in an up-in-the-air kind of way. In the department in which I work, we teach only international students, and there is a lot of turnover from semester to semester. Every semester we have a lot of returning students, but also a lot of students who are brand new to the US. Because we can't be sure of whose visa will get approved, who will actually come up with the money to travel, etc., we can't be sure of who's going to be here until they're here the first week of class. That means that it's impossible to know how many classes are needed or who will teach what until all the students have been processed and placement-tested. We spend the first part of the first week of class doing that, and then we start classes a few days after the rest of the university. It's really the only way this can be done, but is a little stressful for me as a teacher because I don't find out what I'm teaching, or how much, until the day before.

This semester there was some added stress because I quit at the community college, for various reasons. Partly it's because I'm hoping to get a full-time position (with benefits) at the university starting in the second half of the semester, so I couldn't commit to a full term at the community college in case I had to leave in the middle. But even if I don't get the full-time position, I've been wanting to have full-time hours at the university - teaching international students is really my passion, and I can do that better at the university. Without the guarantee of half my income coming from the community college, however, things got a little stressful for me this week while I waited to see if I would have full-time work this semester or not. Yesterday I thought I was only going to have half-time work, which led to some fun panicky emails to check on potential tutoring jobs, but today everything worked out because I was asked to help develop and concurrently teach a spoken English class in a related department to my department. This adds a quarter time to my teaching appointment, and I will try to add another class in Spring B to bring me up to full-time again. I'm really excited about the course-development thing. It will definitely be a challenge, but I think it will be fun. The class will be small, and I know at least one of the students. I'll be in the department where I first fell in love with ESL instruction, and I think I might have an undergraduate assistant. All in all, it's going to be fantastic. I love the way God works things out.

Too cute

I don't always enjoy reading the news. There's so much doom and gloom. But today, the BBC made me rethink my anti-news-reading position, by publishing the cutest news story ever:

Child elopers' Africa plan foiled

Apparently two German kids, ages six and seven, decided they wanted to elope to Africa, and got as far as their local train station before anyone noticed. They even brought along their maid of honor, the bride's five-year-old sister. According to the article, the police managed to convince them that without passports or money, it would be hard to get to Africa, but gave them a tour of the police station to make up for it. The police spokesman was even nice enough to say that maybe when they're older, they can try again. If that's not cute, I don't know what is. Here's to the power of love.

Happy New Year

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Finished grad school, went to Scotland and Wales, bought a house.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't think I had any resolutions this year. I probably should make some for the coming year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

A lot of people I know gave birth, and one of my close friends is scheduled for a c-section on January 5.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thank God, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

The UK

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

A full-time position at UF.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 17 we closed on our house. June 10-July 8 we were in Britain. July 1 was our 2nd anniversary.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting my master's.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Letting worrying about things take away some of the fun of life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really. I had a stomach flu for a day over the summer, but I think that was it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our house!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband is such a stand-up guy, and is always able to think of the right thing to do in sticky situations when I'm usually at a loss. On top of that, he's a really thoughtful person and always does things he knows I'll like. If that doesn't deserve celebration, I don't know what does.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I thought the way some people acted about the election was appalling and depressing. I knew a lot of people who were able to discuss the issues in a mature and dignified manner, but there seemed to be so many people who couldn't talk without calling names and basically being jerks.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Down payment on the house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Our trip to Britain, buying the house, finishing grad school, my sister getting engaged.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Probably Salsa Celtica's "El Agua de la Vida." I listened to it a billion times and tried to find the band when we were in Edinburgh.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer? Probably about the same. We have less cash in the bank, but now I have a job, so it kind of balances out.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Just relaxed and quit worrying so much.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Spent too much time in the editorial office trying to get my thesis through. I wish those people had been remotely cooperative so I could have not devoted hours and hours of my life trying to fill out paperwork the right way.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Stayed in love.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

The Office.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No. Actually, there are some people that I like better this year than last year.

24. What was the best book you read?

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Salsa Celtica.

26. What did you want and get?

I got to stay in Gainesville, and I got to be comfortable with that decision.

27. What did you want and not get?

Nothing I want to discuss on this blog.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I didn't go to the movies much this year. Probably the most fun I had in the theater was when I saw Sex and the City.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I rode the train from Edinburgh to York to Stalybridge, took a hike in the Pennines, and ate dinner at a pub with friends. I was 24.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Less fretting, more doing.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Whenever possible, be classy.

32. What kept you sane?

God, my husband.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

John Krasinski, Tim Tebow.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

No particular issue. Just wishing people would think for themselves.

35. Who did you miss?

I didn't get to see my traveling buddy much, so I missed her.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Probably Gram and Hannah Alsobrook. They're way fun.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Cary says this all the time, from Fraggle Rock, of all places: "There are no rules. Those are the rules."

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

This is so corny, but I think about it a lot. From the soundtrack to "White Christmas:"

When I'm worried and I can't sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings