Cute.

I just got off the phone with a potential student. It is someone who is currently registered for my parenting class for next semester but is not yet sure if having the class will conflict with a work schedule. But she wants to take my class because she really likes my teaching style. That is the cute part. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I substitute taught a marital enhancement class a few weeks ago. The lesson was to be on parenting, and since I am the resident expert among the MFTs, a classmate who TAs the class invited me to guest lecture. And so, with about an hour to prepare, I managed to brush up on one of my favorite topics and then have one of my finer teaching experiences presenting it to the class. The topic (emotion coaching) was appealing, I was real and engaging, and learning activities included instruction with PowerPoint, role plays, discussion, and then breaking into partnerships and applying learned concepts to a scenario. It went really well. I think that at least half of the class participated through asking or responding to questions, and I had three or four students come up to me afterwards to ask me specific parenting questions, with one wanting to know if I'd be her therapist.

Then a few days ago, one of the students called and left me a message, indicating that she had some questions about my class. It took me two days to call back, but when I did, she informed me that she was registered for my class. Generally she doesn't take day classes due to work conflicts, but she said that she really liked my teaching style and really wanted to take the class from me and wants to try to see if she can extend her lunch break at work to make it possible. Tender. Compliments like that just make my day. To think that I taught in a way that was so engaging and beneficial that people want to rearrange their schedules to take a class from me is high praise, and I am very grateful. I am also jazzed to have another coworker and a former roommate who want to and are registered to take the class from me. It seems that I must be doing something right. And I am glad.

And now I need to finish writing the final...and do lesson plans for the last week of classes.

Also, I realized today that my academic life is full of awesome things (and awesome people, but that is another topic). And my letters of intent look really impressive. But the things that I have done that are most impressive are not things that I have strategically done to boost my resume. When I started this program I didn't intend to go on for PhD. Throughout this program I have simply pursued the things I love doing (working in the coding lab, teaching, learning, doing therapy). And those are the things that will make me stand out as an applicant. It's neat to know that the things I most love are the things that most prepare me for what I am pursuing. As I move towards a PhD, which is intimidating, it is good to know that it is a good fit and that I am likely to be very happy in my continued education, and in making use of it thereafter.