Sunday, February 14, 2010

Back to Class

I haven't blogged in a while as I have pretty busy. One of those things is that I am back in school. Only this time I am on the other side of the podium as I am the teacher. Yes you heard it right!! This semester I am teaching a seminar course at Baylor on Wed. afternoons. What could I possibly be teaching? Well what I know best - old people. The course title is Topics in Aging and I have 16 upper class pre health care students as it is an upper level biology course.

I have really enjoyed it on a lot of fronts. First it has caused me to do a lot of research on the topics and you all know how much I enjoy learning. Secondly I have always enjoyed teaching and it gives me a weekly platform and a captive audience. Thirdly it is fun to be around young students. And while I think I am doing a reasonably good job of teaching, I am realizing that I have a lot to learn as to how to engage the class and teach them how to think. I really want to make it more interactive rather than just a lecture. So I am going to try to audit some classes to learn better how to teach.

There are some nice perks that I did not realize I would receive such as faculty parking, access to the SLC and tickets to the sporting events. Then of course I get off for spring break, the summers, Christmas, ect. Unfortunately I still have my day job. In a few weeks I give my first test so we will see how well the students like me after that.