I have signed up to be a senior instructor for an outdoor education class called "Discovery" or as those of us in the La Vida office call it, "Disco".
Yesterday, all of us instructors had a meeting with the director to go over logistics, schedules, and any other questions we had about our classes. At one point, someone asked how many students we would have in each class. The director said "Well, it's like corralling a bunch of wild cats. 150 of them". This is very true. This 10 week class is a core requirement for students, with the only other option being a 12 day trip into the Adirondack mountains. The majority of students choose to go on the 12 day backpacking or canoeing trip. But those, who for various reasons choose not to do that, this is the only other option. They have to pay for this class but do not get credit. You can see how this could breed an attitude of "Let me find a way to get out of taking this class." Even so, I am excited for the opportunity to get out of the office for awhile and have some more interactions with the students on campus. Our class will include; team building activities, low ropes, high ropes, and a weekend excursion into the White Mountains. All of which have the potential to be a wonderful, refreshing break from the office. Or, it could be as challenging and frustrating as corralling wild cats. We shall see...
