Feeling the weight...

This past weekend, I think I learned a lesson in life.

I'm beginning to feel the weight of not knowing. Not knowing where I'm going, where I'll be working, and what the heck I'm doing. I leave for the Philippines this coming Sunday and will return two weeks later to a land that is no longer my home.

Thursday past, I said goodbye to a number of friends that I have met with for the past five years. It was only after the last so long that the significance of it all began to set in. These people, these friends, had become an integral part of my experience here in the Flint Hills. I've enjoyed their company, but I don't think I'll be seeing them again, at least not in this setting.

I have no idea where this path I have chosen is leading. Upon returning from this upcoming trip, I have no insight as to where I'll be living, working, or fellowshipping. The future is empty...boundless and unlimited...but empty.

My cousin, Lindsay, graduated from high school last weekend. My grandmother traveled with my aunt from northern Minnesota to celebrate the occasion. Saturday night, after the graduation party, the three of us and my cousin Stuart traveled to downtown Wichita for Riverfest. We listened to a pops concert and watched fireworks and enjoyed each others company.

I think I know what I'm looking for, I'm just not sure where to look.

"$TEXAS" Revisited...

Through the years, I have learned that my mood can effect how I view and assess a student's work. Better to be in a good mood and do it right the first time rather than trudge through a second read of a less than stellar performance.

However, when it comes to the map section of an exam, one could only wish such harsh assessments were a result of a bad night's sleep or lack of caffeine rather than a student's creative genius.

At the beginning of the semester, I informed my students that there would be several items that they could count on finding on all three exams: the 5 themes of geography, the 7 continents, 4 oceans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As I explained to these young minds, the five themes were important since this is, after all, a geography course. The continents and oceans were necessary as they laid the groundwork for exploring the world. Finally, Iraq and Afghanistan were important since our country is presently involved in serious conflicts in those corners of the world.

Simple enough, I thought. Apparently not.

I have already shared a favorite response from the first exam (see "Austrilica"). For the second exam, two of my students labeled Africa as Europe. In addition, one student identified both Iraq and Afghanistan as being located somewhere in the middle of the Maritimes of Canada. A former co-worker of mine has a husband currently serving in Iraq. Upon learning the 'true' location of Iraq, she remarked (with a heavy dosage of sarcasm), "That's great! I think I'll take a road trip and visit him next week!"

I had had enough. I used examples from the alternate sections to explain to each of my sections how inexcusable this lack of geographic knowledge was. Several students laughed in disbelief, but most took the point to heart: two-thirds of my students were unable to identify those 4 items correctly on a world map for the second exam.

I explained, in strong wording, that this was unacceptable. For the Final, there would be changes. No longer would these items be included as part of the exam; they would instead be counted as extra credit. However, mistakes to any of the said items would be penalized severely and make passing the exam difficult, if not impossible.

I had scared my students into studying. Or so I thought.

For the Final Exam, not only did I still have several students mislabel these items (albeit significanly fewer than before), I had one student label Africa as both North America and South America.

"Simply stunning."

Leap of Faith...

There's no turning back now...

A couple of weeks ago, I was offered a position at Emporia State for the coming year. As I prayed about it, I felt incredibly uneasy about accepting it. My stomach was tied in knots, nightmares filled my sleep, and I didn't know quite what to do.

To date, Emporia has been my only offer. To turn it down seemed, well, ridiculous.

I ended up weaseling my way out by asking a friend at K-State if she would be interested in the position if I should be offered another position. She said she might be. That was enough for me at the time...so I accepted the position.

Since then, Emporia has been in the process of writing a contract. I, on the other hand, have gone back to the state I was in before I accepted the offer.

Today, I took a leap of faith...I turned down the offer. I have no other offer at present, but strongly believe I'm being called to something else.

I guess we will see.

ps...Happy Birthday Sis!

0-4 or 2-8...

There was a time when the Red Wings did not concern me.

Those who know hockey, and know I'm an Avs fan, assume I hate Detroit. I remember how surprised Ryan was the first time I explained to him that the archrival of my beloved Avs was not necessarily the epitome of all that is evil in the world in my eyes.

Why? Well, it all goes back to the 1995-1996 season. Detroit had a good team. They had set an NHL record for most wins in a season and had made their way to the conference championship. However, my Avs were waiting for them and dismantled them in 6 games. In what has been described as the biggest choke of all time, the Avs came out on top on their way to winning the Stanley Cup.

I figured no matter what happened to the Avs in future years, I could always point to the '95-'95 season.

Things change.

My Avs were a beat-up group of men entering the playoffs. As noted in a previous post, there are those who believe Coach Quenneville should have been considered for coach of the year for keeping the team together this long.

But with four of our star players out (Smyth, Statsny, Forsberg, and Wolski), we were swept from the playoffs.

I now hate Detroit.

In other news...I have one last application out there. Regardless of that, if I feel the way I do now Monday morning. I will turn down the position at Emporia. Not sure what I will do instead, but something needs to change.