Life in the icebox

I've been in the W&M Curriculum and Instruction program for eight weeks now, so I suppose it's time for me to write an update about what I've been doing.  I've been busy, obviously, but that's nothing new.  That seems to be what I write about whenever I do a "life update."  My weekly schedule consists of 16 hours of class, 10-15+ hours at my graduate assistantship (depending on the week), who knows how many hours of homework, and 3-5ish hours of prep work for my impending volunteer staff work with InterVarsity.

I have entitled this entry "Life in the icebox" because the 30+ hours I spend on campus each week are spent in Jones Hall and Morton Hall, where W&M campus staff have seen fit to set the thermostat at sub-70 degree levels.  At least, that's how it feels to me.  I've been bringing socks and zip-up sweaters to class/work so that I stay warm.  :)

My schedule in June was a bit more unpredictable, but my schedule for July is standard: work MWF for 5-8 hours, class TR for 8 hours.  Our class blocks are 4 hours long.  I had been dreading this length of time for class, but now it doesn't seem so bad.  It will be interesting to go back to 1 1/2 hour classes in the fall.  I've been learning a LOT about teaching, curriculum, instruction, assessment, tracking, learning styles, educational psychology, educational research, multidisciplinary learning, ... clearly, there's a lot for beginning teachers to learn.

I was very excited about the program at the end of June, but a bit overwhelmed because I had started to realize how much more I need to learn before I start teaching.  Now, almost done with summer courses, I am still very excited and I feel more confident in my abilities.  We have been spending more time thinking about how to teach in terms of curriculum, instruction, and assessment this term, taking into account learning styles and developmental psychology, and I feel like I have a better grasp on what I am supposed to do as a teacher and different ways that I can do it.

I've been so blessed through other students in the program.  There are 44 of us total, 22 secondary education and 22 elementary education.  There are no men in elementary, and only 8 men in secondary.  So, there are a lot of women in the program, but that just matches the contemporary trend in education.  One of the secondary women, Cati, has been having us over for the past few weeks for dinner to just unwind and enjoy one another's company.  Last week there were about ten of us and this week there were about fifteen to twenty!  We're expecting more next week, and we're planning a BBQ.  :)  We all get along very well.

Work has been fun.  I've been working as a technical writer for the Technology Integration Program, mostly rewriting content for their Web site and writing papers that can be handed out at their events about how to use their various programs.  I'll post a link to these once they go up on the TIP Web site, at the end of the month.

Finally, IV.  I'm so excited that I can continue being involved in this ministry.  I have been so blessed by IV through GCF at W&L, going to Urbana, and going to winter camp, and it's wonderful to be able to give back and serve God through this ministry, even at another campus.  Marty, the W&M campus minister, and I have been meeting and talking about discipleship for the past two months and I'm really excited to get to know students this fall.

So, while life in the icebox is pretty cold, the people in the icebox are very warm and my work is fulfilling.  I can't wait to start classroom work in the fall!