Hopeful Outlook

I have finished my first full week of classes, and I am very excited about the opportunities I'm going to have this semester. It is going to be difficult: the only day that I don't have commitments right now is Friday. But I have come to find that I work better under pressure and with a larger work load. Last semester when I had so much time on my hands, I found myself slacking off work and getting things done at the last minute. So with the busier schedule, I think I will be able to find a little better rhythm and get into a groove.

I am especially excited about my class on Children's Fantasy Literature. It is a pass/fail class, so I will have room to experiment with my different curricula without too much risk. But even more, I think the opportunity to take a semester to focus on literature will be a nice break. I will still have plenty of theological reading in my other classes, and I won't be reading this literature lightly or lazily. Still, reading something more imaginative and playful will help keep me sane.

My preaching class also excites me. The professor is tailoring the class to our own needs, even down to the reading. So it will be a personal approach to my preaching style and working to develop it.

There aren't any classes that I am disappointed about. All of my professors are great lecturers but also concerned with their student's growth, so it will be an interactive, challenging, and engaging semester.

I am also working to secure my teaching placement for next semester. I met with the pastor from Westminster whom I would work under and discussed what the placement would like. It's a popular placement, so I'll be in a bit of competition, but I also think our meeting went well. I'm continuing to meet with others at the church, including the current teaching intern there, so hopefully by making that impression, I will be able to assert my interest a little more.

The Winter continues to wear on, but Spring is on the horizon. It's hard to believe that I will be coming home in less than a month and that in less than three months I'll be home for summer again. Time certainly does fly by.