A Long Quarter

Autumn 2009 is over! Sure, I still have finals and portfolios to grade and a final paper to write BUT I have no more scheduled responsibilities 'till the New Year. It has been a long quarter--feels like the longest yet--and I'm so glad to be done. Teaching was fine (3rd time teaching Writing4), but I didn't really like my classes. Pedagogical grammar was just that--a lot of grammar, and my other class didn't have a clear focus. But that lack-of-focus allows me to write about pretty much whatever I want (like language and nationalism in Ukraine), so that's a good thing. Yay for writing a political paper about nationalism in Ukraine in an English class. Love it.

I think this quarter has been particularly tough because I've been really juggling a lot of responsibilities. I'm trying to be a good teacher and student AND make our business successful. I edit photos, arrange advertising, blog what we're up to, and keep a public face all while trying to teach useful lessons, understand course material, get homework done, and suck-up just enough to keep my future options open. I will finish my course requirements in March, but I'm funded 'till June so my future is open. Will I go teach (in the tough Seattle TESOL market)? I'm not sure. Will I find another job? Will I apply for the PhD program? Not sure. It is scary (and maybe a little exciting?) to not know--at all--what I'll be doing in a year.

But I love the bits and pieces of what I do. I enjoy being in front of a class (still not sure how I feel about teaching English in particular, but that's neither here nor there). I enjoy being a student. I enjoy being a photographer. I enjoy owning my own business. The little things overwhelm me at times, but overall, I love it.

One other aspect of blog-life that is unclear is how this blog fits into it all. Between my teaching face and my Photo/video face, there's little space left for my adventures. Maybe it is because I feel adventure-less or because I worry about who might read this blog (not that I'm hiding anything ;) ), but it is harder to randomly post.

So forgive my absence.
Enjoy a photo of my kitty, who sat in this box for hours today. :)
Happy Holidays!