An Office Pet

This afternoon, I've spent most of my office hours flitting between grading tests, planning lessons, and writing tests. Throughout the afternoon, I've had a constant companion: a little orange ladybug with 14 spots, 7 on each side. I'm convinced that it wants my job. I lift a test to grade, and it's beat me to the task. I go to pick up my pen - there's the ladybug perched on the tip, perhaps tasting a bit of the purple ink. (In solidarity with my mother, a spunky 4th grade teacher, I prefer to grade in purple... but, alas, with considerably less spunkiness.) As I type this, the ladybug crawls perilously across the keyboard, barely dodging my impulsive key-punching. It just attempted to ascend my headphone chords ("whatcha listenin' to?"), but got scared away by my hair (and, honestly, who can blame it?). Now, it's disappeared... maybe it's responding to those e-mails I've been neglecting. (Well, it could at least make itself useful!)

Okay, back to those tests...

Reflections on Teaching

It's hard to believe it, but I've been out of school and teaching for a year and a half now. Today I've been thinking a bit about the things I like about my job, the challenges teaching presents, and the various in ways I need to grow as an academician. I thought I'd share some thoughts here.

Here's one thing that I really love about my job, something that makes me smile to myself as I climb those grueling, building-code-defying stairs to my office: moments when I can tell that I'm getting through to my students. I've recently discovered anew the joy of trying to find relevant, creative ways to connect our class discussion with my students' realities, particularly their spiritual/religious experiences. I think it's the same thing that I enjoy about crafting sermons - finding and articulating a link between careful theological thinking and the nitty-gritty situations of life. Really, what good is one without the other? Striking an appropriate balance between the two is a major part for how I evaluate my teaching effectiveness these days.

That, of course, is part of the challenge of teaching - having the wisdom to know how best to connect these things. I feel a bit ashamed to own up to the other thing I find challenging: I'm really terrible at articulating student learning outcomes and clearly explaining assignments and expectations. I stare at the computer screen for lengthy periods trying to find the best way to express these things. All I can say is, I hope it gets easier with practice. Or will it always be this painstaking?

There are other growth areas too - certainly more than strengths! I'm very aware of my paucity of experience as an educator and a scholar. I have so much to learn about my subject matter; the more I teach, the more I realize I've got so much to learn. The list is daunting, and on my pessimistic days it feels virtually insurmountable. I've yet to figure out the best way to ask clear questions for class discussion... they're especially convoluted when I'm shooting from the hip.

So, I've got a long way to go. At the same time, this unexpected opportunity to teach has given me plenty of reason to believe that it's a journey well worth taking.

My Office

For those of you who don't know, I'm teaching religion courses at a local college right now. It's my first "real job" - I don't get paid very much, but I do get benefits and don't have any other jobs on the side, so it feels pretty cushy. They even gave me an office. I'm not much of a decorator - the most distinctive feature of my office is... piles of papers on every flat surface. (All of my current and former roommates now sigh, "Big surprise!") But I do have an original Amber Lee piece on the wall and a coffee pot. That's enough to make it feel homey.

The only problem is one over which I have no control: the air conditioning. Based on how cold my work space is, I'd have to say that the thermostat is set on "arctic." The first week of work, I went out and bought a sweater to keep in here. Last week, I finally gave in and brought a crocheted blanket from home that I shamelessly wrap myself in during office hours. When it's my lunch break, I put on the sweater and go to the park - there I remember what it feels like to be warm, even - *gasp - hot! Then I go back to my office and freeze again. (Maybe this is why I've been sick recently...)

Last week we had a cooler spell - for several days in a row we had pleasantly mild temperatures. Thursday I arrived early to school to put finishing touches on my lesson plan and prepare my mind for class. I was shocked to discover that my office was a bearable temperature! The classroom was a little warm, but during office hours later that day I didn't even need my blanket! "This is more like it!" I thought to myself. I was hoping that the change in temperature outside had influenced the powers that be to be a little more reasonable about the thermostat settings. I was so excited.

Then I went to a meeting. They apologized for the heat in the room. It turns out that my office was a tolerable temperature because the air conditioning in the whole building was broken! Boo!

We're back to "arctic" again this week.

I'll claim her!!

Guess who was recently named Greater Atlanta Christian School's Outstanding Educator of the Year for the elementary school?

KAY BRYANT

(I usually call her Mom.)

Of course, she didn't have to win an award for me to know that she's a brilliant teacher - it's just nice that other people are taking public notice too! (And now I can appeal to the informed opinions of many others when I broadcast what may otherwise seem to be biased comments about her amazing teaching talents.)

Congratulations, Mom! I'm proud of you!!

You've lived in West Texas too long when...

... You're grading papers and have to look up the proper conjugation of the English word 'drag.'

In case anyone out there is wondering, the past tense of this verb is not 'drug.' It's 'dragged.' For example, you would say, "I dragged myself out of bed," not "I drug myself out of bed." But I've lived in Texas long enough to read 'drug,' think it's wrong, and then think, "But I hear it all the time!" (A flawed system for understanding how to write properly in English if there ever was one... but it's my normal system.) I'm sitting in the coffee shop where I work, so I asked around. None of us could decide - my co-workers decided that either conjugation is valid (even grammar is relative these days). We even entertained the idea that the use of a helping verb might distinguish 'dragged' from 'drug.' Then I looked it up (because I can't go on with life without satisfying my grammatical curiosity), confirmed my initial suspicions that the past tense is indeed 'dragged' (never 'drug'!), and thought, "I've lived in Texas a long time."

The Mantis Parable

I randomly found this short animated film on YouTube while looking for inspiration for the online class I'm writing for ACU. The Mantis Parable is Josh Staub's first film. (You can visit his website and order it here.) I enjoyed it and thought that you might too!



I'm trying to introduce my students to the theological perspectives of the four gospels. That is, the four gospels differ from one another (sometimes in small ways, sometimes significant) because of the theological message that the writer is trying to communicate to the reader. To get them thinking about different perspectives, I thought I'd have them each watch this film and write an interpretation of its meaning. Much like the four evangelists, my students are reflecting and describing the same story, but chances are they will perceive different nuances in that story depending on their own perspectives, contexts, and life experiences. I imagine that in a group of 3 or 4 students, their interpretations will differ significantly even though it's just a short, animated film. Is it any surprise, then, that the gospels differ sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly as they are interpreting a story of much greater length, importance, and ambiguity?

I'm still experimenting with teaching - maybe I'll learn that this isn't the best concrete experience for my subject matter. Still, it's an assignment that I'm excited about. Any feedback?

briefs (no, not that kind!)

Normally, I'm supremely annoyed when our next door neighbor loudly revs up his motorcycle for about 10 minutes around 7:30 in the morning. But this morning, his disturbance of my peaceful slumber gave me just enough time to throw on clothes, make a cup of coffee, and head out the door. (My alarm just went off - apparently it was set for 6:16 pm!) Never thought I'd say it but, "Thanks, neighbor!"

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In other news, I gave my Greek students their first test today. Everyone was polite, but there was a lot of sighing during the hour and a half of class. Paranoia sets in - "Is that his thoughtful expression, or did I just detect a glare?" Hurray for adventures in learning not to become completely unglued when people are less than 100% happy with you! (How do professors do this?!)

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Kudos to Jared and Donald! After months and months of trying to get Tera to start blogging again, they finally just set up a page for her, complete with their pleas that she take over and fill the site with her thoughts. Over two years ago, Tera began her own blog, posted one incredible reflection (two years down the road I'm still thinking about it!), and then quit because she was afraid she couldn't come up with anything else that good. Tera, in a manner not unlike Gregory of Nazianzus, has resisted all pressure to begin her blog anew. I'm adding my own plea to their eloquent requests! They've articulated the plea very well, so I'll keep it simple: "Please, Tera? Pretty please?????" In hopes you will relent and our dreams might finally be realized, I'll go ahead and add your blog to my links.

It's so quiet. Not a sound here except the blowing of our over-worked air conditioning units. My roomie is off romping around in Dallas for the week (well, fine, taking a review course to prepare for her nursing boards - not exactly "romping"!), and I'm here in Abilene trying to crank out some lesson plans before school starts in a couple of weeks. I'm teaching a Greek class, and the thought of school starting is both exhilirating and terrifying at the moment.

But so far so good! Today I went to the Bean Counter to finish filling out the assignments page on my syllabus, bribing myself with steaming mugs of coffee along the way. I might have overdosed on caffeine, but the upshot is that I completed my syllabus. (But I think I'll compare notes with someone to make sure I haven't forgotten anything!) It's amazing how finishing that makes me feel a lot more confident about teaching the course - writing lesson plans isn't as daunting now that I have a general outline for the semester in mind. I'm feeling confident about Greek, translating, and the material, but the teaching part is still a bit intimidating. I can study and prepare ad infinitum, but what does it matter if I can't present the material in a meaningful way to my students? I guess it's not something you can just learn to do "by the book" - you have to jump in with both feet and give it your best shot. Okay, Dr. C.: "Arete!"