Balance

“The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner.” 
― Gordon B. Hinckley

The term is now in full swing and I am feeling the effects of it. I've got a heavy load and balancing everything is going to be challenging. I felt challenged all last week. Teaching online, conducting six Skype calls with participants from rural areas of the world, and being responsible for developing curriculum, while leading a team through the process and teaching face to face, keeps me quite busy. I've realized that balance will be key in me surviving this term. In fact, I believe that balance is a key ingredient to surviving life.

Last week in Webskills, participants created objectives according to the ABCD objective model. Writing objectives according to this model can be tedious, and providing feedback can be as well. I always learn so much when providing feedback to my online participants, and a lot of being a facilitator of learning in this capacity is feedback. When I find myself giving feedback to highly qualified teachers, it is a great reminder that teaching is learning; it never ends.

Skype was not cooperating last week. Three out of six calls had good connectivity, which was a shame because the topic was sharing travel adventures, specifically circumstances where we had found ourselves hindered by language or cultural barriers. Moreover, travel adventures where we may have found ourselves in an undesirable situation and mankind had prevailed, leading us to safety and helping resolve the problem.

I told the story of how I ended up having lunch in an old German couple's bedroom.

In short, after a solo adventure to Austria to go kayaking, during the summer that I was in Germany teaching English, I found myself stranded in Innsbruck. My ride had left me, and I had no money. I needed to be back in Germany the following morning to teach. As the reality of my situation became more evident, I began to panic; tears in my eyes, head in my hands, I looked up to see a tall, thin man standing before me. He asked if I was alright. Thrilled to hear the sweet sound of English, I explained my situation to him. Manfred, the gentleman's name, listened intently, and then offered to buy me a train ticket back to Germany under one circumstance. He wanted me to agree to have lunch with his parents, who used to spend every summer in Florida. He wanted to give them the opportunity to reminisce about pastimes and travels with a person who would know of the places they had been. Of course, I agreed to this. When I asked where his parents lived, he explained that the crazy thing was that they lived in the next town over from me in Germany. Two weeks later, I found myself at Manfred's parents house, along with Manfred, for a traditional German lunch. The afternoon began in the living room, where we visited for awhile before lunch was ready. When Manfred's mom announced that it was time for lunch, I thought we would relocate to the dining room. However, we walked down the hallway to the back bedroom, where a table and chairs were set up. There in the bedroom of an old German couple's home, I ate lunch and listened while they shared memories about their time in the U.S.  Their eyes sparkled as they spoke of places and events that they hadn't thought about for many years. It was lovely.

That story is one that I will never forget. Manfred helped me, so I helped his parents by igniting memories that they hadn't thought about in years. What a small world, and a world where good still exists. A world where people are still willing to lend a helping hand.

I wish the Skype calls could have been better, so that all my participants could hear my story and I theirs.

Skpye may not have wanted to perform at a high quality last week, but I experienced a high quality of learning among my oral skills students. They did their first presentations. The topic they presented on was their favorite vacation. Presenting was challenging for them, as I pushed them to speak for 2 minutes, which is a long time for learners of their proficiency. When I gave them the assignment, they were sure that they couldn't do it. After preparation throughout the week, each of them did an excellent job. They made me proud, but more importantly, they made themselves proud. It was a joy to witness.

After a somewhat stressful week, and teaching for two hours on Friday, I had a couple of meetings to attend before finishing work for the week; one I was leading, one I was attending. The meetings were rejuvenating after a long challenging week. My oral skills 2 team were all excited about the presentations their students had done as well, and everyone came to the meeting ready to share ideas and collaborate. They truly are helping me build a stronger curriculum. It is amazing how much effective productivity happens with the right group dynamic. I felt exhilarated leaving that meeting as I headed to a meeting with the Webskills team, where I am fortunate to work with some extremely talented individuals. I found myself learning things I had no idea I was about to learn. By the end of the day on Friday, I didn't feel stressed by all the challenges I had faced, I felt lucky. Lucky to be working with individuals who inspire me; from my students in oral skills, Webskills, and PALSS courses, to the colleagues I collaborate with, I couldn't stay balanced, if it weren't for these individuals.

I also couldn't stay balanced if it weren't for my active lifestyle. I managed to take a couple of nice hikes last week, as well as joining my first Zumba class. I love Zumba. Dancing an hour away with a group of ladies, SO fun!

Walking out of last week and into a new week, I am reminded of how important it is to balance everything. I have to manage my time, ask for help when I need it, and take care of myself both physically and mentally. As long as I stay balanced, I can handle all the challenges that come my way.