A New Semester!

So I haven't updated since last year! (haha) Anyway...

It's a whole new semester, so here's what I'm taking:
Composition Pedagogy (learning theory and history of the teaching of writing)
Language and Gender (really interesting theory class)
Digital Humanities (first few classes have been painful...I may not survive, but I will be learning XML)
Literature of the Absurd and Grotesque (really cool class, so far we've read "The Overcoat" and "The Nose" by Gogol, next will be Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky)

I am also teaching for the very first time this semester. My class is Freshman Composition, the second course in a sequence of two, and this section is labeled Writing From Research. It is MWF 1:25-2:15. I've had my first two classes already, a first day of just introductions and reading through the syllabus, and a second day with an actual lesson plan! I'm really excited so far. I was tragically nervous my first day and talked too fast and didn't say everything I wanted to because I forgot a couple of things in my nervousness. However, it appears none of my students were the wiser. My second class earlier today went soooooo well. I have such a little motherly instinct towards my students; I want them all to do so well!! I'm working hard to be strict in terms of discipline but relaxed enough to foster open discussion, and so far it actually seems to be working! I've spent my Friday evening reading through the first short writing assignment I gave them which was just to tell me what their expectations for the course are and how I can best respond to their writing. I keep reading all these horror stories about indifferent professors or high school teachers that they've had previously, and all I keep thinking is, Oh you poor babies! I want them all to have a much better experience this semester in my English class. The majority of them are engineering majors or in the sciences, and they're all convinced they can't write well or that they won't be receiving A's in my class. I'm hoping to pick morale up a bit on Monday and go from there.

I'm currently undecided on the Education plans I had previously. I'm thrilled with the teaching experience I'll be receiving through my TAship, but I'm starting to think piling Education classes on top of English classes will have me rundown, exahusted, and useless in no time. It's only the end of the first week of class and already I have enough reading to fill my entire weekend, plus lesson planning. So I dropped the one Ed class I was enrolled in for this semester, and I may need to talk to the Ed people and give up the place they gave me in their program.

I can't seem to make up my mind from day to day. At the moment I'm thinking I'd really like to pursue my PhD after I graduate. Grad school is a pretty good place to be, and given the economy at the moment, a much more secure place to be than a public school teacher. Also, with budget cuts, TA's will probably be taking on more teaching responsibility since we're cheaper labor than adjunct faculty for courses like freshman comp or intro to writing. Although who knows, that could just be this month's decision...

You all have also probably heard about the horrible stabbing that took place this past Wednesday night. It's really quite sad, and a lot of people around here have been reminded of the violence of 4/16, but for the most part campus is pretty calm. I know I've made phone calls and emails to various family, but I'm just fine. I wasn't even on campus when it happened. Thoughts and prayers do go out to the familes of those involved and those who witnessed the tragedy. The incident occured between two individuals who knew each other, and it appears the intent was not just random violence. Authorities haven't released or don't yet know why it occured, but they do have the young man in custody who commited the crime. A lot of people are starting to question the safety of the Virginia Tech community, but I have to say that I still find this community much safer and much more close knit than any I've lived in recently (certainly more so than Orlando!!).

On a more positive note...I am going to start an application this weekend to work as an intern in the International Office of the University of Aachen in Germany. It's actually a paid internship which is awesome, and it's quite near Bonn! I would get to work with international students in the office there, organizing social and university events, assisting in acclimation to the university and the area, etc. I'm pretty excited about it. We'll see what happens. I don't have hard plans yet for the summer, all I know is I have to work somewhere to pay the bills haha. I'd love to go do something exotic like travel to Africa to visit Josh's (Sarah's finace) family in Tanzania and work in a village doin who knows what for a month. However, that kind of thing requires spending money, and I need to accomplish the opposite. So we'll see.

Alrighty, it's my bedtime. It's been a long first week of school. As I think I always say...I'll try harder to update more regularly! Much love to all of you!