Teaching

I'm 3 weeks into the teaching gig at the local community college. I'm still loving every long minute of it! I teach for 50 minutes 4 days per week, so that's the easy part. The planning is something I just was not prepared for. Being a first-timer, I know it takes so much longer. All I had was the official course outline from the school and some example syllabi to go from. I didn't have any previous lesson plans or ideas for class activities. Just me, the book, and the internet! So far, I have been preparing my lesson plans for each day as I go, but I really need to get ahead, so I can be sure that I'm on the right track to make it through the semester. It takes hours to plan a day or two, let alone a whole week! At least this week coming up is only 3 days - that will help a lot, considering that at the moment, I am writing my blog instead of planning... Oops!

I am so glad I got this opportunity to teach. The chair of the ESL Department took a chance on me, and I so appreciate it! I hope to one be full-time someday, whether at this school or another. I am mentoring with the department chair, so he's given me some really great feedback and is guiding me while I find my way. It's a challenge to just jump right in, but at the same time, I'm glad that I'm making it my own, instead of basing everything off of someone else's plan. I can figure out what works as I go and make mistakes along the way. That's ok with me - I like to learn, too.

And while I'm learning and teaching, I'm still working full time. It's such a difference to go from the classroom to the office. I feel stagnant at my full-time job, but when I'm teaching I feel like I'm actively doing something worthwhile and productive. There's really nothing more for me at my full-time job - the job is pretty much topped out, and there's no room for advannowhere else for me to go there. They've got me pigeonholed into my position, and they fail to see what more I can offer, despite my best efforts to show them and remind them. But it will be their loss when I finally am able to leave there and pursue teaching full time. I've never worked anywhere as long as I've worked for this company, so it will be sad to leave when the time comes, but I will be so excited to move on and move forward. I will have a class for next Fall - they prepare the schedules the year before, so I'm in for next year. I just don't know if I'll have a class for Spring - I have to wait and see what happens.