Map from here.
I finished creating a course site for the class I'm teaching this summer: our department's Senior Seminar. I'll have fifteen students who will each be writing a 2o-page research paper in Spanish on a topic of his or her choice. We meet together for the kinds of general things we need to do, and I meet individually with each student 3 times during the class to talk about their projects in progress. Because it's the summer, they have 8 weeks instead of 15 to finish, but one hopes that they will not have any other classes or too much work at the same time.
I enjoy teaching this class because there is a great sense of satisfaction for the students in having finished their projects, their majors and their University degrees. I learn a lot from the projects as well. It can be a combination of boot-camp and hand-holding, but after so many years of doing this, I have tried to build in as much structure as possible so there are no surprises.
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My best friend is a teacher. Has been for the last 18 years. This summer will be the first in many where she didn't worry over whether or not she'd have a job come autumn (cutbacks, cutbacks, cutbacks!). She teaches behaviorally and psychosocially disadvantaged kids. Up until this last year - she was attached to a private institution. Finally something she really wanted opened up in one of her local public school (its students come mostly from farm communities). Her contract's been picked up, the pay is decent for once and she's got sufficient TA's to make the job be solely about teaching. Needless to say she's thrilled.
Unfortunately - we now live 900 miles away from one another. No more summers spent helping plan her upcoming school year - something she can do with relish once again. Her old school had laid off so many personnel - all Amy did was baby-sit psychotics. It’s hard to teach anything when the students throw desks through the window (or at you). What teachable kids existed - were mainstreamed (where they learned zip). She only got those stopping by school before an extended stint in prison (one famously for murder). She almost gave up being a teacher – a profession she loves to pieces. But alls well that ends well (as they say).
Anyway – I hope your summer is fulfilling, my dear. I used to teach theatre (both to kids and adults). I really enjoyed it. Good luck!
My job is cushy by comparison to anyone who teaches K-12, and certainly I don't have the behavior challenge your friends deals with! The worst I get is a little too much midwestern passive-agressive stuff, but I've adjusted to that.
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