Tag Archives: English

Eat the big frog

 

frog on a tree branch

Australian Green
Tree Frog by LiquidGhoul. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caerulea3_crop.jpg#/media/File:Caerulea3_crop.jpg

If forced to eat one of two frogs, most of us would choose the smaller one. I’m proud of three students who, when given the choice between a written and a video essay for their midterm, went for the biggest, ugliest croaking mass of yuck and bit right in.

Two new signers (one of whom was also an iMovie neophyte) resolved to go the video/ASL route. The third student is articulate and sharp–in person, in ASL. Writing, though? Not his favorite thing.

They each did well. And the best part is that we’re all on spring break now!

I hope to follow up with each of these students, to ask for their reactions. I suspect the frogs weren’t as slimy as they expected.

 

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Look who’s faculty

Books and computer

The view at my new desk.

It’s official: I’m on the English Department faculty at Gallaudet University. My official title is Lecturer II. After a few years of a full-time but temporary position, teaching is officially part of my life.

I’ve been quiet about this change here on the website, but it’s been a major presence since March. That’s when I learned of the English Department posting, summoned the courage to ask writers and editors I respect to write recommendations, updated my CV, and then sent off my application. In April, I received an invitation to interview. By early May, I had learned that an interview for a faculty position means meeting with the search committee, the department chair, and the dean, mingling with students and would-be colleagues at a reception, and giving a teaching demonstration to a classroom full of faculty members and upperclassmen–all within a few hours.

Before too long, the dean offered me the job.

I started teaching in my new capacity with the fall semester, which just closed out its fourth week.

This is both a change from and a continuation of what I did for three years as a temporary instructor. I’m grateful for this new phase, and look forward to sharing my experiences and insights here.

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