The Back To School Scaries
This time last year, I was relaxing and enjoying the quiet of our recently vacated house (our tenants had moved out, so it was just our family—FINALLY), and trying to soak up the last of the summer sunshine. Sure, I was also getting somewhat anxious about being a lab assistant for OT 705, also known as Occupational Therapy in Physical Rehabilitation I. It was my first time teaching, after all—but I was thinking about it as a learning experience.
Fast forward to now. I wish, wish, wish I could say I’ve been relaxing, but I’ve been doing anything but! This year, I’m the lead teacher of OT 705—WHAT! Talk about a promotion! I’m the one giving the lectures, creating the assignments, loading everything to Canvas (the online website/portal/drop box/what have you). I am incredibly fortunate that Andrew, my co-lab instructor from this summer, is teaching the lab sections of the course. We work well together, and he’s an excellent OT and instructor, so I know the lab will run smoothly. Working along with us is a VA fellow named Jenna. She seems like a good OT, too, and I’m looking forward to working with and getting to know her!
All this leads back to having to prepare for the first day of school. Besides breathing into a paper bag (IYKYK), I’ve been:
Making sure the syllabus is up to date. Are the dates correct? Are the readings and assignments still relevant? Do I like the readings and assignments? Generally, the syllabus was perfectly fine, but I did adjust a few things besides making sure the calendar was correct. Primarily, I wanted it to be in my voice and to reflect how I would be addressing the class. I also adjusted a few of the percentages because I don’t believe in 3%, 7%, etc. Why make it harder on myself than necessary? So, 3% became 5%, 7% became 10%, etc. And yes, I made sure it all added up 😊
The first PowerPoint presentation is ready to go. In addition to the slides with all the clinical information they need to know on Day One, I included three introductory slides for each of us instructors. I want the students to see the three of us as the Phys Rehab I Team. And I also want them to see us as humans! Very well-qualified humans, but humans nonetheless.
Doing the reading that I assigned. It’s unfair to assign a reading and not take the time to do it myself. I need to know what they’re learning, right? So, I will be cracking my textbook (“Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction” by Dirette, if you’re interested) right alongside my students.
Meeting with Andrew and Jenna. We always set aside long meeting times—for which I am so grateful—but we never need the full amount because we always seem to be on the same page! We have the same concerns, and when one of us suggests a solution, the rest generally like it. Not only that—the person who came up with the solution then volunteers to tackle it! Talk about a smooth-running operation. I feel like the luckiest.
Meeting with my mentors. That includes the professor I was co-teaching with during the Spring and Summer semesters. I’m sure I have mentioned this before, but Andrew and I had Professor Dana Washburn for OT in Phys Rehab I and II (not that long ago!) and we both ended up working in phys rehab settings… so let that speak for itself. I’ve been meeting with Prof. Washburn and with my PhD mentor, Dr. Inga Wang. They’ve both been instrumental in turning me into the occupational therapist that I am, as well as the (burgeoning) academic I continue to work towards becoming.
My First Day outfit, of course! The jury is still out, but whatever it ends up being, it will have to go with my beloved Hermes Oran sandals. Summer (weather) isn’t over yet!