I just finished teaching my very first class of Exploring Theological English, and I'm happy that it is now behind me. It took a lot of time to prepare for my first class - not only the first class I've ever taught, but also the first class I've ever taught to Russian-speaking students. I'm sure I'll learn more cultural differences as we go along, but things today went pretty well. I have seven students, all seniors in their course of study except for two juniors. They are a very energetic and talkative bunch, as long as they understand what I'm saying. If not, I get blank faces and lots of chattering in Russian. Today already I had one diligent student reminding the others to speak "English only!" With such a small group, it's easier to see who's understanding and who's not, which is a plus. I did do a lot of repeating and clarifying. Since there is only a month left in the semester, we will have to cram a lot of information into a short time and students will have to study a lot. However, other English teachers have told me that students work very hard and end up surprising teachers in the end by how much they learn and understand. I'm looking forward to getting to know my students better - at this point when Dave and I speak little Russian, it's hard to make connections with students.
Laura
