Old Hat

So, one of the students pointed out that I had not done a blog post in a couple of weeks. The others either haven't noticed or were too unconcerned to comment. But we are here in the last week of the semester. Final examinations are about to begin. Fall Semester 2008 will soon be history.

For my students, this is the first semester of their college career. For me, this is very close to the thirtieth fall semester. . .ok, 28, but still that's close to thirty. The point I'm trying to make is that I stand in a very different place than my students do. . .this is all new for them; this is all. . .old hat for me.

And that is unfortunate. One of the things I do truly enjoy about academic life is the opportunity to bring things to a close and then to begin again every few months. Unlike other jobs, where one works pretty much the same routine 28 or 50 weeks out of the year, academic life is constantly changing. We are starting a semester; we are ending a semester; we are preparing for summer; we are preparing for fall. . . but having been through this cycle, first as an undergraduate student, then as a graduate student, and now as a faculty member, so many times, the newness has definitely worn off.

So over the weekend and now as this week begins, I have been returning to the mission statement and asking myself some good questions: Did I stimulate my students' intellectual developments this semester--and if so, how? And if not, why not? Did I find ways to contribute to their social, spiritual, emotional, and physical development as well? Did I move them one step closer toward meaningful careers of their own, life-long learning, and service to God and others.?

Along the way, what did I gain for myself? Did I grow intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically? Is my career full of meaning and service?

The answers to these questions may not be easily found. One other aspect of academic life which is sometimes difficult is that the "results" of a particular semester in a particular student's life may not be seen or understood for years. But asking the questions is a good process and I do live in hope--both for myself and for my students.

Catch these blogs. . . heartbreak edition

Jared and Julia are having fun in their blogs this week, pulling our leg about their "relationship," but doesn't it make you wonder why they are protesting so much???? By the way, read Jared's first.

On another note, Katybeth returned to Superstep. . . apparently she felt that if I could do it, so could she. . .read her reflections on the second time around in her blog this week.

Finally, Tracie writes an interesting reflection on "passion." Her questions might be good ones to consider as you are constructing your "personal mission statements."

Finishing Well

Like many of my students, I let a week slip by with no blog entry. Like many of them, as well, this was because life--with all of its busyness and chaos--crowded out the blog writing procedure. So, now, post-midterm, pre-preregistration, I find myself in the weird spot of being ready to finish with one semester but not yet ready to do another. The truth is we still have five full weeks of class to go. We have to finish the second major essay, write the third, and work through preparing the revision portfolio before ENG 101 will come to a close. We will all do six or more blog entries before then.

We are, however, thinking forward this week as well. Pre-registration comes with a series of decisions for all of us. I have had to choose and order books for my Spring classes. Many of the students have written in their blogs about choosing classes, about whether or not to continue at MC, about what they want to major in, about whether or not this semester will end well. Even ENG 102 (or 103) will bring with it a new set of challenges. In addition to the regular sections, students can choose sections that revolve around politics and statecraft, community service, the college football system, contemporary issues, and others. Whichever section students choose, they will be introduced to new levels of thinking, new skills in inquiry, and new challenges in writing.

After nearly twenty years of teaching, I have grown used to this academic calendar. I like getting to "start over" every sixteen weeks, each semester. I have also come to realize, however, that it is not really "starting over." Each semester brings with it another level that has to be explored and conquered. That is true for teachers as well as students. There is always the temptation to abandon the task at hand and focus instead on what is to come. But there is a verse in Ecclesiastes that is pretty clear: "The end of a matter is better than its beginning" (Ecc 7:8). To finish well makes beginning again easier.

Catch this Blog, Homecoming Edition

Chance has been faithfully writing in his blog since this whole project started--and this week, he reflects not only on a slow internet connection, but on social connections--or the lack of them. Since one of the features of a Christian college that Holmes identified was "community," I thought Chance's reflections might prompt some of your own thinking about how you "connect."

Serving Time. . .

Just outside of Provine Chapel is a statue by sculpture and long time art professor Sam Gore. Jesus is down on his knees, washing the feet of one of the disciples, while a disturbed and unconvinced Peter looks on. I have thought a lot about that statue as a symbol for what Mississippi College says about itself and says about its students.

Truth be told, I would rather be almost anywhere than down on my knees in service. While I affirm the gospel message that the followers of Jesus should mimic his life of self-sacrificial service, I find myself using nearly every excuse not to give myself fully into that service.

In class last time, I tried to prompt some thoughts and discussions about service with questions about what constituted service, whether or not service could be required or should be required, how we choose the acts of service we do, and whether or not service could be beneficial. The response I got from you all told me a lot. We seemed to agree that certain acts constituted service--but few of us admitted to doing any service unless it was required. And required acts of service were met with resistance and even the suggestion that we wouldn't "do our best" in those situations.

So I have been wondering. . .why do we, why do I, resist serving when I claim to be following the example of Jesus? Why is "required service" such a bad thing, when I am willing to submit to requirements for most other areas of my life? What might "authentic service learning" look like?

That's the question we will be addressing in these next essays. . .

Another Blog to Catch

I had to chuckle when I read Katybeth's blog entry for this week--if you will read her most recent entry you will find out why. . . yes! English teachers do have "other lives" (and other clothes!). Remember that you need two copies of your essay when you turn them in this week. I know you are all ready for some Fall Break. . .Ms. Furby and I are as well.

Gotta Serve Somebody. . .

So there I sat--face painted, in front of screaming, foot stomping kids, watching the sun go down and trying to follow the football game. This is service?

Saturday, I joined Kim and Peng as we did a service project with students from four other ENG 101 classes, welcoming eight children from Hunter Oaks Apartments Tutoring Program to campus for parents' day and the football game. I chose this service project partly because I knew I was going to be on campus on Saturday anyway and figured it would be easy to extend my time. But also I used to live in Hunter Oaks Apartments several years ago, so I had an attachment to the place.

The service project actually went well. The kids had a great time--even if all of it wasn't focused on the football game. They played cell phone games, screamed and shouted (sometimes for the wrong team) and ate! Boy did they eat! Oh, and we got our faces painted--many of us did anyway--thanks to some other students who volunteered their time and paint.

So that was our service project. . . and I left feeling. . .tired? yes. Happy? yes. Glad that it was over? yes. . . but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel. I certainly didn't feel as if I were some "super server." I didn't feel as if my life had completely changed. I realized that while we had made the day happier for those children that we probably hadn't altered their lives dramatically. Some unexpected things did happen--I got to know Kim and Peng a little bit better and they got to know me a little bit better. I got to see very diverse groups of students working together--Black, Chinese, and White students all focused together on a task and learning from each other. Did you know that Chinese students already know about boiled peanuts?? They have them in China!

What I am hoping is that service will eventually seem less intrusive and more integrated for me. I am thinking that like most things that will have to come with practice--making it part of my routine, my schedule. Volunteering seems counter-productive: I give of myself for free. . . what do I get out of it? Well, truth be told, probably a lot more than a painted face. . .