ELang 105

I've been pretty busy since school started.  It's the usual run-to-class, run-to-the-library-to-study, run-to-catch-the-bus-home thing.  But I have something new in the mix!  It's ELang 105.

ELang 105 is BYU's freshman writing class for international students.  It helps international students learn more (or something) about the writing process, academic writing, formatting, plagiarism avoidance, and research.  It's a way to get them started on writing without throwing them in over their heads with a teacher whose familiar with second language learners.  Then they do their normal advanced writing class in whatever area they are studying.

And I guess that technically ELang 105 isn't new to me.  I TA-ed this class for almost 2 years when Alison McMurry was the teacher.  I got to do a lot of the same stuff that she did as a teacher, but I started out slow, doing basicly nothing.  Alison was my mentor and she organized the class and how it advanced, and she taught me so much about teaching, and teaching this class in particular.

And now I am teaching it!  I am teaching a BYU day time course!  I teach 3 days a week for an hour, and have office hours 3 hours a week.  I am in charge, and I pretty much know what I'm doing, thanks to my great training.  We've just finished our 2nd week of class, and it's pretty nice.

I am technically considered a student teacher, since I am still a graduate student.  So I don't get my own office.  But I do get my own desk (that I only have to share with 2 people) in a student instructor office (that I only share with about 30 people).  But this is a great experience for me, to build my instruction skills and to build my resume.

And yes, this class does add to the amount of things I have to do.  It does make me busier.  But it makes me happier.  I enjoy teaching this class more than I enjoy the classes I'm taking right now.  And I think that's always how it's going to be.  I want to be a great teacher, and I have to take these classes to do that, but my real motivation comes from interaction with students in the classroom and I don't think I'll ever want to move away from that.