pdx sbx

I'm wasting time in a pdx sbx before I head off to a get-together that some old friends of mine are having in sw pdx. I'm both nervous and excited. Probably the same as I am about teaching this next term. I really need to keep up with this blog while I'm teaching. Posting anything and everything about the goings on of my grad school program.

I have to keep reminding myself of that: I am a graduate school student. Grad school.

weird.

In other news, I start teaching next monday. MONDAY. one week from today. So insane to think about.

I have to rework all of my currently put-together lesson plans. All 10 of the ones I put together so far. Meaning I have to assemble 20 within the next week or so.

However, I have ready access to all the resources I will need at HRV starting tomorrow. and I'll be the only one in the shops, so I can readily do whatever I need to do without worrying about how long I am spending at the desk.

The real question is: Do I want to continue formulating my lessons in the exact order that Schmidt is suggesting, or should I try a way that I find to be better? based on my current [non]understanding of the material? The other question is: what will I teach during my animal science section? Should I present a Companion Animal section, ending in a trip to the animal hospital, or should I focus more on canines? i can't decide... it's super frustrating. I mean, I could plan a trip to the Rose City Dog Show, but it's in January, and quite a long stretch of time before I would be presenting my information, I am sure. So... not so much. Plus the expense of the trip... not so much.

I guess the question I am trying to get is: what, after presenting the material for 2 weeks, do I want my students to have learned, or take away from the material? What do I want them to learn? What should I teach them? What is important information? What about the world of companion animals is important? Are canines that important that I need to teach them a different part of it/them at every lesson? What should I present? aaaahh...

Part of me is leaning more towards companion animals as a whole, as is is much more relevant in the grand scheme of things, as it is simply a more relevant topi c.... yeah, I just said that like, twice. AWESOME...