So Rewarding!!!

When Jordan left on deployment I was asked if I would continue teaching. I have always loved what I do and it has honestly been an essential part of keeping my sanity (not that I have ever been considered very sane) since he has been gone. It is always an extra reward when my students give me positive feedback.

This Spring I taught Public Speaking (i.e everyone's FAVORITE class....hahaha). Over the last 5 years I have rotated teaching Interpersonal Comm, Group Comm, and Public Speaking. In my Interpersonal class I have my students complete an activity called "I AM" when we are talking about Communication and the Self-Concept. Here is a description of the assignment:

Students are given 16 slips of paper that say things like "I am attractive" "I am serious" "I am emotional." You are to put them in order of how you see yourself. Then you are to give the slips of paper to a minimum of two other people who know you. I recommend that you choose people who may have differing vantage points on your life (i.e. mother/boyfriend; close friend/casual friend; co-worker/ family member). You are then to ask the person to construct a configuration (using the format from class) that typifies you as they see you. Request that they be as honest as possible, then leave the room while they work on it. Upon returning, discuss with them their rationale for the rankings they made (please do so in a supportive tone; your goal is to learn, not defend!). Then I have my students write a reflection paper about the experience and how it relates to meaning and perception.

The whole point of explaining this assignment is that I had a student in this class 3 years ago and then over the years I have had her in two of my other classes. I vividly remember her coming back from doing the "I AM" exercise and telling me that she gave the slips of paper to her boyfriend and they got in a fight and broke up. So last year when I had her in my Group Comm class she told me her and her boyfriend were back together and that the "I AM" exercise really opened up the lines of communication in their relationship. In the end she was grateful for the activity. So this semester she came into class with an engagement ring. Her and her boyfriend were now engaged. Last night was the last class of this semester and she came up to me and said, "My fiance and I have talked a lot about who we would like to invite to our wedding and we would like to invite you. If it wasn't for you and the "I AM" activity we probably would have never gotten engaged." ISN'T THAT SO SWEET? IT MADE MY SEMESTER.

Last night I had asked students to give me feedback on my teaching, similar to how I give them feedback on speeches. I am always hesitant asking for feedback because deep down I fear someone is going to say that I am the worst instructor ever. In the end I ask for the feedback becaue I honestly want my students to get the most out of the courses I teach. Tonight I was finishing up grading papers and got a kick out of some of the feedback.

"My future goals for public speaking are pretty minimal. In all honesty I needed this class as a prerequisit, so I don't think I will be taking any other public speaking courses, especially since I do not enjoy it a ton. Don't get me wrong, this class was much better than the first time I took it, because of both the people in the class and the instructor (not trying to get brownie points, I swear). Really though, this class was not as big a pain in my ass I remember the first public speaking class I took, I remember loathing everything about that class." LOVE IT!!!!

"The camadarie was exceptional between all of us in your class. Thank you for being such an objective instructor and taking the time to give us your perspective on "The Art of Public Speaking."

"Thank you, Jessica. My Tuesday nights were a fun break from my everyday schedule. I really did learn a lot about public speaking, and myself."

"This is my favorite class out of my first two semesters at Grossmont; I learned a lot of really useful and practical things, and had a lot of fun doing it." I SWEAR THE WHOLE SEMESTER I THOUGHT THIS GUY HATED THE CLASS

"Jessica, I appreciate you as a teacher and peer. In a lot of ways from what I know of you I feel like you and I are similar, so it was easy to connect with you as a teacher. Before I took this class I was seriously contemplating quitting school because I wasn't sure that it was worth all the boring classes that I had to take as pre-reqs, and with the amount of time that I have to dedicate to school as a full time mom and employee I wasn't sure that it was really worth it all. I have never in my college career ever only missed 1 class the entire semester, but this class made me want to come, and learn more. I appreciate you for changing my outlook on school, maybe without taking this class I never would have finished." OH MY GOSH, THIS WAS SO NICE. SHE WAS SUCH AN ASSET TO THE CLASS AND GREAT STUDENT

I LOVE MY 2ND JOB!!!!!