another Monday

In one sense, Mondays are great. I don't usually have anything scheduled to do other than plan for the week's classes. In another sense, I don't really like them because I don't feel productive since planning for class is something that doesn't ever really end. I was talking to one of the Russian teachers last week as he dropped by to say hello at the office and I told him about this feeling that it's hard to plan for a lecture class because there's so much to learn that I can't ever feel like I'm really prepared. He assured me that it's a good thing for a teacher to feel that way. I think, though, that if I were more knowledgeable then I would be more prepared and be a better teacher.

Despite the fact that I never really feel prepared, I feel satisfaction in learning about the topics I teach and have found myself lately without enough time in class to finish what I hoped we could cover. That's a much better feeling than coming up with time fillers like I was the first two weeks of class. I am enjoying this process of being a learner myself and conveying the information I think is important. I'm also enjoying the fact that many (not all, of course) of my students are very curious and will read all the outside reading and other assignments I give them even though they only have two assessments during the whole semester.

Next week is our spring break type holiday. It's May holiday, which is May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd so our campus scheduled classes on Monday and Friday of the holiday week. But, most of the students (and teachers) don't want to go to school on those days so they scheduled make up classes on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend. I'm super glad I don't have class on Monday and Friday! I'm going to Pusan, Korea for my friend's wedding. I'm excited about seeing the beach and eating dduk bokki, soondae and o-daeng!