Another new leaf?

It seems like I have spent the last several years turning over one new leaf after another. That opportunity has come once again. Fortunately, it doesn't mean another move! Especially since we just hung up the pictures in our house. I don't think Kelly would look too favorably on another move right now anyway.

The groundwork was laid for this opportunity more than a year ago. I didn't know what to do with myself professionally. Honestly, sometimes I still don't. One of my thoughts was beginning to work on a PhD program in Hotel and Restaurant Management with an emphasis on event planning. This is what I do for a living now. After finishing my conversation with the department head I asked, "do you ever have opportunities for people to be hired on as an instructor for a course?" After telling me I should have come in a couple of weeks earlier and they would have hired me on the spot, she told me she would keep my information in case something ever came up.

We have spoken a few times over the past year plus as I would see her around campus or at K-State events. Lo and behold, the opportunity presented itself and I happened to be in the front of her mind. Last week I was formally contacted about becoming an instructor for a class that has been going on since January. After some consideration, prayer, and many conversations with Kelly and the department head, I accepted the offer to become an instructor in one course at KSU. I won't be giving up my current job, but rather piling a little more on my daily plate. Crazy huh?

I met with the class for the first time on Monday afternoon. It was a pretty good experience. I do believe I have the heart of a teacher. I miss the opportunity to interact with a younger generation and getting to experience life through their eyes. This class is full of seniors taking their last semester or next to last semester in college. Most of them know what they want to do (sort of) but they are hungry for the tools to get them there.

I won't profess to be an expert. I never did that with my students in my previous teaching life and I don't plan to do that now either. I have a TON of new work that is just beginning and I plan to give them some real life experience by exposing them to my life as a meeting planner and walking them through the process with me. No theories, very few lectures, but hands on experience being immersed in event planning.

I look forward to the challenge. I'm comfortable in my knowledge of the process. I'm comfortable in my ability to relate to the students. However, I'm not comfortable that I am prepared to jam all the information they need into the remaining 10 weeks of class. As one of my mentors once told, "you only have to be one step ahead of the kids". I hope that advice serves me well in this endeavor too!