New colleagues, new friends,
I have been meaning to sit down and write this for some time now. Yet - as many of you understand - I find I am writing it standing, wondering how I can use the other hand to grade or perhaps use all that yoga to train my toes to pick up the phone. It is a very busy semester.
Oh, my name is Sarah York and I am teaching in the English Department. I teach 82 freshman who are forced to take Composition but I hope they now see it as a rich and fulfilling learning experience. My true concentration, however, is Lit Crit. I taught at WCU last year as a T.A. and now, as a graduate, I have joined the ranks of "real" legitimized instructors. I am a Visiting Instructor this year, and had a chance to meet and connect with a number of interesting and kind new faculty members during our Orientation.
I am currently involved in various committees and events on campus so I hope to see many of you while out and about. Perhaps we will talk over refreshments at the U Club on Fridays: I understand that is the clubhouse of teachers, something I knew nothing about as a T.A. (do you have to sign in blood?) While I love the beautiful mountains and diverse flora of Western NC, I am originally from Toronto, Canada, and move around a lot searching for new apartments that are closer to campus. I am involved in such a move right now, so I'll be spending a lot of time at home unpacking, out writing, or doing my work as a publisher of sea fiction (i.e. Patrick O'Brian or Hornblower-style books). On campus, I spend most of my time either buried under papers somewhere with my wonderful students, or trying to engage in various forms of learning via class and SoTL.
I enjoy and appreciate the emphasis Western has on good teaching, as opposed to some larger scholarship-only institutions. It is good to be balanced, well-rounded. I am passionate about what I do, and about everything and everyone that includes. I am eager to share my enthusiasm for learning of course, which my students may find hard to absorb at 8 a.m. next semester.
Hopefully everyone is getting along well and adjusting. I had a year's worth of questions, or more, when I taught here last year, so make sure you are getting help with all the new and often confusing systems, information, procedures and policies. There is a lot I want to talk about with you all regarding teaching, WCU, et al -- but I'll have to cut myself short. I will not revise this, so please excuse my strangely-comma'd and verbose Canadian-Britannic writing style.
I'd prefer to hear more from YOU. Best to all for a happy season. It's getting chilly!
Kind regards,
Sarah
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