Week 1 Preview

Thus begins the count-down for the 6-week summer college ESL program I will be eating, living, breathing, cursing, crying in the coming month.

Last week we had our initial faculty meeting, which was more of a free-for-all, and classes start tomorrow. But I'm not worried. Why? Because this is typical for summer programs. Absolute pandemonium. By the end of the first week, we'll have ourselves sorted out and on our merry way. I'm not worried, not even in the least. Which is odd. I guess that means I've done this kind of thing long enough to know what's what.

I've already dragged out my summer teaching wardrobe out of the closet (thank gawd it all still fits me, thanks to skirts that are very forgiving of thighs). The ironing board is set up with the must-iron set, but of course I have my perm-press skirts waiting for those mornings I just can't drag myself out of bed 10-minutes early (and/or don't get to ironing the night before).

Now that I have my 6-week overview and my first week sketched out, and a bunch of questions emailed to the director that I will have answers to at least by end of day tomorrow, I feel pretty good.

So good that I will allow myself to go get ice cream tonight with Bizarro. What better way to start Week !?

News on the job front

I had my interview with the Out of Town University ESL program, and it went exceedingly well. I really like what I saw of their program and the culture there, focused on students instead of inter-departmental politics. I also resonated with the language the director used to describe how teachers are encouraged to employ their own teaching styles and syllabi, rather than a prescribed curriculum. She said that if they need an additional Advanced Comp section in Fall, which is likely but of course not set in stone until the enrollment numbers come in, she would like me to teach. So there you have it. The only drag on this situation is the drive, which runs about an hour, maybe hour fifteen, one way. I don't mind so much now, but in the dead of Upstate NY winter, it will undoubtedly suck. But it's not like I didn't used to live in Rochester under five feet of snow for six months once before. I can handle the driving and the snow, esp. since I would only be there two days a week.

Onward and upward!