Two Days In...

The first two days of fall semester went well. It's nice to be back in the halls again. Good to see my collagues. Great being in front of the classroom talking about stuff I'm passionate about.

I have a slightly unusual schedule this semester. My Mondays and Wednesdays are packed:

8am -- 9:50 am: Introduction to Literature

10am - 11:30am: Office hours

11:30 - 12:45: Introduction to Fiction

1pm - 2:50: English 1A (aka Composition)

I'm not used to having such an early break in the day... And I can't recall having a morning of back to back literature classes, so that should be a fun way to launch the day.

My Tuesdays and Thursdays are simple:

i have one morning class of Eng 1A, and after that I'll have meetings every 1st & 2nd Tuesday, as well as every 1st and 3rd Thursday. The rest of the time, I'll leave for home early. So, all in all, this schedule should be pleasant. The only thing that's wearing me down is that I get up before the crack of dawn... But It's only two days in. I'll get used to it soon.

So far, the only thing we've done in the classroom is the usual Interview Activity. In the Lit courses I have them ask questions about what they like to read (and watch, hear, visit, experience). For Eng 1A, students share information aout one another:

Name
College / Career Goals
What do they do for fun in their spare time?
What do they like to read and/or write about?
Where have they traveled?

I also have students invent a question... The usual stuff, maybe, but it helps me connect names to faces, and more importantly, it helps me develop ways to connect with students and make the class more relevant for them.

To my fellow teachers out there, enjoy the journey!