Learn vs.Teach

Today marks the end of week 5 for the quarter--are you sick of hearing about my new world yet?
Yesterday was a watershed of sorts. I met with all of my advisees (isn't that a weird word?!) for mid-quarter evals--which is less about writing & more about 'how's it going'.  Couldn't help thinking about my previous job-that-ate-my-life & how onerous and unsatisfying evaluations had become--much more about writing & meeting external regulations, and much less about how people were doing.  Anyway, in my brave new world that would be twenty-one individual appointments throughout the day...("okay, I can do this!")
Needless to say, I was a little travel-weary by the time I was packing up on a dark, rainy night, but I was energized by the process, too.  It was one of those bittersweet kind of days:  some happy, laughing moments, but also hard questions for some, and  listening to others who know that the end may be drawing near.  For all of them it was the first pass through my office door--as Julie said early on, office hours are seldom utilized.  I'm hopeful it won't be the last for many, and for several I hope the next visit will be sooooon.  We are nearing the point of no return; the place where it becomes statistically impossible to pull out of a quarter gone wrong.  For a few, they will need considerable direction & TLC regarding next steps and their possible choices for the future--as they will be unable to advance to the next quarter.

Which in some ways must look like the 'lightning round', I think.  As in:  you thought this quarter was bad, just wait...  For the full-timers this quarter, every morning is a three and a half hour class with one afternoon clinical session per week.  Next quarter they pass go, collect their $200 and move to a clinical site (with me) for two days a week and decrease their class time to only two days a week--but the sessions are over five hours.  I keep looking at that & wondering. Five hours. In a classroom with fifty students. In charge.  Huh. Really? Five hours...  And the course content is much more complex?  Okay then...
But I digress--there will be plenty of time to consider that little gem over the holidays.  Meanwhile there is the second half of this particular game plan to complete.  The quarter is ramping up.
    
This week another mystery of my new world was revealed:  'vocational certification'.  In this state, the 'VC' is a requirement, and although it, too, is a three year process, it is separate and away from the tenure-track process.  I am currently in the midst of writing my completion plan for the objectives I've chosen to meet the state standards.  (I think this might be the payback for not having to write long, torturous evals.)  Continuous quality improvement, or performance improvement plans, or whatever; the language is the same in every work environment I've been in.  I can do this, right?

My land-speed record is increasing but almost imperceptibly.  My goal by the end of the year (as in this quarter) is to have my class preparation less about housekeeping & more about things that matter--and whichever, less time consuming.  I had a tiny glimmer of that in this week's class--but darned if I can quantify what made it different.  The sleuthing continues...    And by the way, in case it's not clear?  I love my new job.  Every day.