So today I missed work for a day of class.
Once every two months (about) the CIS cohort of teachers meets up and we have a "workshop" day. It is actually pretty awesome that an aspect of teaching this class is to be IN a class as well. And probably the most intimidating class I've ever been in. Every student is a veteran teacher with a knowledge of literature that far exceeds my own and experience teaching a demanding and involved class. And the professor in charge of CIS Literature is a fierce woman that I can't wait for my students to meet. You don't speak loud enough, she calls you out for being timid. You start wasting time, she gets on you. Back 4 minutes late from lunch...well, you just do that.
As far as how the group actually works, it was said to me many times within the first two meetings "Why does ______ keep talking? She's only been a part of this for a year. It took me at least two years before I had the guts to say anything!" So clearly, there are a number of unwritten rules that I'm still learning.
But, I have to say, I'm having fun breaking them. If you couldn't tell, I don't always follow exactly the norm of how things go. So far, I've spent every meeting asking questions and speaking out. This time, as the Professor came around to see what our small groups were talking about I quickly summed it up for her and as she left the other teachers looked at me and said "Okay, you're saying exactly that to the whole group when she asks for us to share. Nice job." So, I guess that I'm not doing a bad job of breaking it. But definitely I am an oddity.
Anyways, I didn't mean to toot my own horn and this really isn't going anywhere. But today was a great session, I took about 6 pages of notes from 5 hours of activities. And probably could have taken much more. An intimidating, bu awesome, experience!
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