Daily Archives: March 15, 2002

Success!

I am returned victorious, with my shield, not on it!

Still flushed with triumph, I am home after teaching my very first public class. I was calm, I was balanced, I was well-prepared (having put in a few hours of work over the past couple of weeks planning it out, and having drawn up a detailed lesson plan today), and it went like clockwork. Two of my registrants didn’t show, but I put that down to freezing rain and the fact that they had to drive in from out of town. The three people who did attend were dynamic, interested, had excellent senses of humour, and very supportive, knowing that this was my first official class. I have rarely felt so assured of being successful – usually I find some reason to defer the certainty of having done a job well and to the best of my ability. I feel proud and pleased that everyone enjoyed themselves – I gave good solid information, in a clear fashion, and answered questions intelligently. I hit my two-hour mark with a fifteen minute break and didn’t have to rush or cut anything out, or stretch my material in a vain effort to fill time. Positive responses and feedback all around. I feel… like a teacher. Like I communicated something of value and everyone (including me) came away with something new, or a different way of thinking about something. Like I’ve finally given something back to all those people who have ever taught me something.

I’m feeling pretty darned good.

(The claddagh ring is still on my finger, though.)

Oops

So I was sorting through some rings for a customer, and saw a pretty little claddagh ring. “Ooh,” I said to myself, “That’s a pretty little claddagh ring.” Now, I have tiny fingers (my wedding band is size 3 3/4!) and I rarely see rings that fit me. This one was size 4, so I said, “Ooh, I’ll just slip it on,” because while I don’t wear a lot of jewelry I have this odd need to try on everything we sell. It was a bit snug over the knuckle, but it went on all right.

Now, however, it does not come off. I feel slightly foolish.

At least the heart’s pointing the right way…

Testing The Waters

Five for five in the Roll Up The Rim to Lose! Woo-hoo!

I’m teaching my first real live workshop tonight: Designing Rituals. I was supposed to do a different one last week, but with no students, it kind of falls flat. I got a dry run when a friend offered to let me adapt that class to fit into her Saturday night program, and it was interesting, but any discussion of ethics succeeds better when there are several people to debate instead of two students who agree all the time. The student teacher ratio of one to one might have been a little imposing, too.

Wish me luck!