Someone Call Ozzy, There's a Bat In My House

Sound: "Gloria" by Patti Smith

Actually, I don't think the bat is there anymore.  And that's not really what this post is about; I was just using an exciting opener to grab your attention.  See?  I am TOTALLY learning from my weekly lecture assignments.

"Well, what is this post about?" you may ask.  Good question, reader.  I'll answer that.  This post is about my preparation for the fall semester.  The fall semester starts in about two weeks, and I'm really excited for it.  It's when my show starts rehearsals, when I get to take a bunch of classes, and when I start working as a Teaching Fellow (what Harvard calls their teaching assistants, because they're fancy like that).

I am super excited for all of this.  Especially for teaching.  I've met the professor for the class, and he's awesome.  It sounds like a great course, I've ordered my books, the syllabus is put together, and everything's falling into place.

Except that I'm terrified.

See, I have a slight issue where I'm terrified of whomever my students are going to be.  Will they like me?  Will they think I'm smart?  Will they think I'm funny?  I'M FUNNY, RIGHT?!  Thoughts like these fill my empty time in the subway.  Students (or at least people who look like they could be students) are starting to return to Cambridge, and I find myself giving them the side-eye as I pass them on the street.  YOU WILL LIKE ME, I silently command them.  YOU WILL LIKE ME AND YOU WILL GIVE ME A HIGH RATING ON YOUR COURSE EVALUATION.

I'm hoping that this works, and that I don't end up with a bunch of evaluations that contain comments along the lines of "She was okay, except she had this weird habit of staring intently at us in class.  It was like she was trying to send us commands through her thoughts or something."

I hope.