After three days of brilliant sunshine the cloudburst outside reflects my sadness that this workshop weekend has gone so quickly and that I could not be in Dearborn. The chance simply to connect with others teaching inorganic chemistry is a precious treasure. Whether the workshop, SLiThErs, or the VIPErPit, these connections sustain me, inspire me, and keep me from feeling isolated.
After the rain comes the rainbow, the plants absorb the moisture and as the sun comes out, they grow big and strong. Like the plants in my garden today, I have absorbed much this weekend. I am energized with new friends and new ideas to tackle my courses. Much is rumbling around the back of my head, LOs, misconceptions, teaching styles…. It will take some time to gel into a concrete plan for fall’s edition of Advanced Inorganic. Do I continue to review “too much freshman chemistry” because they need it or jump into new topics from day one? Do I try Athletic Periodic Properties or other LOs to accomplish some review? Which literature discussions will I try? These questions are the tip of the iceberg. I am very excited to see how it will all play out. What decisions will I make? Always tinkering, each edition of the courses becoming more and more student focused, what new ideas will I implement this time? I have received so much “food for thought” this weekend. Right now, I am "stuffed".
My tomatoes are in blossom, there are a few tiny green ones now; will they grow and become bright red juicy beauties? Or will the uncertainties of the world interfere? So much has changed since I applied to become a fellow. Life was so much simpler pre-Covid. While some of my VIPEr fellow colleagues manage the joyful challenges of the energetic little people that grace our Zooms, I focus on elderly parents who moved halfway across the country to be close by. I must remember to give myself permission to manage my expectations and celebrate what I can accomplish. A single red ripe tomato can be well enjoyed, so can fried green tomatoes.
Last fall it was strange to be back in the lecture classroom after nearly a year and a half. Even this spring I spent half the semester virtual, moving into my parents’ assisted living apartment to protect them from exposure to Covid during the winter outbreak at their facility (with many thanks to my extremely understanding Chair and Associate Dean and to my awesome learning assistants who made TEAL classroom work for my students who were in-person while I Zoomed in). Just what will the up-coming year hold? In this unsettled world, it would be wonderful to have a year of no big surprises. Just as I hope for baskets of juicy ripe red tomatoes, I hope for a fall semester of Advanced Inorganic, and Chemistry I filled with new activities, fewer misconceptions, energy, enthusiasm and much student success.
Many, many thanks to all the wonderful workshop’s instructors and facilitators as well as my awesome “Birds of a Feather” colleagues John, Myron, Rudy and Taylor. You are all a wonderful gift.