bugsii

Chelsea and Amanda

If you read this, odds are you’re either from Ohio or live in Ohio now.  If so, you know about the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry.  It’s a big deal if you’re into all that.  But the other day, I got a note on Facebook from two of my former students (who I had while student teaching).  One goes to Ohio State now and the other was coming to visit from Kent State.  They wanted to get together for coffee, so I asked if they were free this afternoon.  They said, you mean besides the game?  Oh yeah, that.

Anyway, we decided to meet just before the game for a while, then they would go meet some friends (and ex-boyfriends, so I hear).  I hadn’t seen either of them in about two years, so it was great to see them and catch up.  They told stories about roommates, classes, what they plan to do with their lives, you know all the things you are thinking about your freshman year of college.  I couldn’t believe I was sitting there talking to the (partially) grown up versions of the 11 year olds I had met 7 years ago.  Wow.  We ended up talking so long that they missed the whole first quarter and part of the next.

Then they left, and I stayed back at the coffee shop to do homework.  There I was, on campus, while most of the rest of the student body were stuffed in bars watching the game, writing a paper.  It was just me and one other grad student working away.  I was feeling kind of old, but in a good kind of way.  My undergrad days are long gone and I even get to see that something I did in my life made a little bit of a difference in someone else’s life.  Ohio State won the game today, but that wasn’t the best part.

Today I had class and a few good meetings with two different professors.  I am going to be TAing for a class I have TAed before, and at the one meeting my professor asked if I wanted to teach a couple of lectures.  At the moment I sort of balked at the idea.  I mean, I said yes, but it sounds scary, you know, teaching a lecture.  But, as I sat in the meeting talking about what we are going to do, I sort of got excited.  I was thinking of how I would conduct the lesson, how I would engage the class, how I would design the experience.  And that’s when I remembered, this is what I know how to do; this is what I’m good at.  Teaching.

With all the newness of academia and the resulting insecurity, it’s easy to forget that once upon a time, I was a very good teacher.  I mean, I worked hard at it, but it almost felt natural.  I got in the zone.  I felt it.  I miss that and so I think I’m excited about this new opportunity.

Right now, I am exhausted.  I did work all day long and it was mostly reading.  I feel like my eyes are going to fall out of my head.  I just wanted to post a quick thought though.  I came across edupunk the other day through someone’s blog (I can’t remember whose), but it’s awesome.  Wikipedia says that it is “an approach to teaching that avoids mainstream tools like PowerPoint and Blackboard, and instead aims to bring the rebellious attitude and D.I.Y. ethos of ’70s bands like The Clash to the classroom.”  Yes!  I am so edupunk.