Third time's the charm?

The day before my first semester of teaching, I was incredibly nervous. I'd never taught a real class before, and it had been more than ten years since the last time I took an economics class. The material was unfamiliar, the job was brand new, and I was unsure whether I'd actually be any good at the whole teaching thing. But I ended up with an excellent group of students, and that first semester, while a stressful learning experience, was confirmation that I really could do this job.

The day before my second semester of teaching, I was optimistically excited. I felt comfortable with the material, I'd figured out the lecture style that seemed to work for this course, and I was looking forward to making the course my own. While I did enjoy being able to rework things to help the students focus more on the core material of the course, that second semester ended up being stressful for a whole new set of reasons, mostly related to student dishonesty and immaturity.

Today, which is the day before my third semester of teaching, I'm just hoping things go smoothly. I know I can give the lectures well, and I have a decent grasp of how to determine which concepts this particular group of students might struggle with, but I don't want a repeat of the dramatics of last semester. I also have a larger class than any of my previous sections, so I'll have to work a bit harder to give everyone opportunities to actively participate, and I'll have to streamline assignment grading if I don't want to be swamped. It's all doable, I'm sure, but I just want it to be a decent semester, with students who remember that they're on their way to becoming adults and act accordingly. Here's hoping.

Beyond the fences: A reading update

Last year, I read 77 books in total. This year, I've read 77 books and it's only the middle of August! At this pace, I should easily be able to reach my goal of reading 100 books this year, even if I do have some rather longer books planned for the fall. As usual, my reading has been all over the place, from memoirs and theology to zombies and space ships, but it's been a decent couple of months in terms of my overall reading enjoyment.

Highlights:

• Non-fiction: Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come was one of the most relatable things I've ever read. I also took it as a challenge to step out of my comfort zone occasionally, which resulted in me having a nice conversation with a stranger while waiting for a panel to start at a convention, rather than both of us just staring at our phones.
• Fiction: Dread Nation was an awesome alternate history, especially since the effect of zombies on society and individuals is something I've spent way too much time considering, thanks to The Walking Dead.
• Honorable mention: A Closed and Common Orbit was a delightful piece of science fiction, slow moving but lovely to read, and I found it very refreshing.

61. The Cross and the Lynching Tree, by James H. Cone

Books like this are difficult to rate and review. On the one hand, I could focus on the areas where I disagree with the author's theology, but that would be missing the point of the book, I think. It would also mean ignoring all of his excellent insights into the religious and societal implications of the history of race and religion in our country. On the other hand, I don't want to wholeheartedly endorse the book without cautioning readers to read with discernment. So I think I'll just say that this is an important piece of a dialogue that should not be ignored or glossed over. As the author points out, it's this interchange of ideas that is crucial to grasping the complexity of race in our world, and I appreciate his frankness in this book.   My rating: 8/10

62. A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers

It didn't matter that I had a pretty good idea where this story was going from quite early on; that ending still made me get all emotional. As a whole, this still fell a bit short of the first book for me, mostly because it was very focused on only a handful of characters. On the other hand, that focus did allow for some really excellent exploration of what it means to be a person, finding your way in a big world. I also love how hopeful these books are about the universe - it's a breath of fresh air when the real world kind of sucks sometimes.
My rating: 9/10

63. Pyramids, by Terry Pratchett

This was a highly amusing book that I would recommend to anyone who likes mummies, space-time implosions, assassins, camels, and Egyptian mythology. I particularly enjoyed the sections from the perspective of the dead pharaoh, and as with most of the Discworld books, Pratchett does an excellent job of poking fun at various institutions of civilization in a most entertaining way.   My rating: 8/10