For a while now I've dreamed of making my living as a composition instructor at a two-year community college. This past week this dream of mine has come true as an adjunct at Fresno City College and College of the Sequoias. I'm a freeway flyer.
On Monday I started teaching at Fresno City College two writing classes: English 1A and English 125. One was very early and the other mid afternoon so I stayed on campus to avoid having to find parking on the first day of the semester. After teaching and putting in some organization time, I strolled around campus figuring out where things were (and where things were not). I recalled thinking that in my past work life I'd be in an office or a meeting, answering a phone, drafting minutes, coordinating some meeting. I'd be uptight and holding panic back trying to juggle the tasks and personalities. Fast forward to the present. Here I was walking on a campus mid day because THIS WAS WHAT I WAS PAID TO DO.
I so felt like I was playing hooky.
Of course, I realize that I'll have more work than my former 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job did (really 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.). And I'm sure I'll eat my hooky words and face a different type of panic. Already I've got three classes of extended writing samples from about 90 students. So, I've got a ton of things to do and read.
And then the learning curve I had over parking on Tuesday was profound. I have been so spoiled as a staff person--an early arriving staff person. I've never had a problem finding a place to park my car at 7 a.m. Tuesday, it took me longer to find a place to park than it did to drive to Visalia from Fresno.
I'm still in hooky heaven though. Today, while driving to Visalia to teach at COS, it was 9:00 a.m. and I wasn't behind a desk. I was behind the wheel listening to the CD Ventury Highway. Then a student in class made the cognitive leap that Anne Lamott's book title Bird by Bird might be related to something that was done in steps. She did this just from hearing the book's title. Another student deduced that because Lamott's book was on writing, and because the title Bird by Bird came from her brother's personal experience, therefore the chpater title "Shitty First Drafts" must also be a personal narrative based on personal experience. I'm getting paid to help student notice their thinking and put it down on paper! Pinch me.
Does life get any better?
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