Back in the Saddle

There's a saying in English to describe doing something that you stopped doing for a period of time. That saying is, "back in the saddle". This is how I feel after taking three months off from teaching and returning to it again.

Last year, I was extremely busy with work and planning a wedding. I got married in June and went on a three month honeymoon adventure in the Dominican Republic. My husband and I spent endless days on the beach and in the water, where we were kiteboarding. Kiteboarding is a sport I picked up a few years ago and one that I have grown to love. Learning a new, extreme sport is challenging and this summer I was able to challenge my personal self in ways that I haven't been able to in quite some time. After this experience, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I'm ready to enter the classroom again in full force.

This term, I'll be teaching an upper intermediate oral communications course in the University of Oregon's American English Institute's (UO AEI) Intensive English Program. I taught this course a few years ago, but have been creating and teaching a course for lower level learners more recently. I welcome and am excited about this change. I'll also be conducting an online teacher training course, Webskills, offered through the UO AEI's eLearning program. This course is very near and dear to my heart, as I am an advocate for integrating technology into language learning. I get excited about sharing my knowledge on this topic and learning from others. I'll be doing a workshop in a few weeks at MEXTESOL, "ASSURE: successfully integrating technology in language teaching".

With starting a new term, teaching a new class, returning to an online course, and preparing for a conference workshop, I'll be getting back in that saddle and moving full force in no time. Sometimes when we get back in the saddle, we feel nervous, scared, doubtful, or anxious. However, I feel energized. Taking time off this summer and focusing on my personal self is going to make my professional self stronger, better. It's good to keep balance in our lives. Now, I just have to balance myself in that saddle. I know I can!