I have been spending so much time thinking through my feelings about community. I know I like the idea of being part of a community, however, I grapple with the challenges of being a part of one. On the one hand, I appreciate the feeling of belong and being a part of something bigger then myself. On the other hand, I hate the feeling of never quite fitting in or living up to the communal expectations. It is feeling like you fit in when so often you feel like a round peg trying to fit into a square hole or vice versa.
I have spent most of my life feeling like I never quite fit in. The one place I feel as if I fit is in my relationship with you. It is in my relationship with you that I experience that unconditional love and acceptance. Perhaps that is because you never ask me to leave a part of me at the door. I have always known that you love for me is unconditional.
Read moreHmm. me be creative in the work place. Lol. You know I really didn’t think I was all that creative until recently when I realized that my just being me is pretty creative. For example, my whole approach to teaching has developed in response to the complaints of my students. It was not grounded in any theories of adult education or learning. It was all about me responding to my “customers” and their complaints. I just saw it as doing good “customer service.” so I started by giving people choices about when to turn assignments in, then it was how much an assignment wa worthy, then it became pick what you want to do, how much it is worth and when you want to turn it in. now, I get the opposite complaint that I give too many choices. So maybe next semester, I will add the option of your standardized homework package. One that I design with fixed dates, percentages, etc. and I love that. I love the creativity and the free flowing nature of my courses and how they are never the same course twice.
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