Never gonna let you go. Gonna hold you in my arms forever.

[lollardfish]

All my students have read the Bible.

And they haven't read it because they are all religious fanatics -- some may be, but whatever. All my students have read the Bible in an intelligent, academic, manner in a required "Bible traditions" Freshman seminar. Its been three days, and I never want to leave.

I am teaching three classes at St. Olaf this year, one in an intensive interim fashion (2 hours a day, every day, for four weeks, staring on the third), and two in the spring semester. The class I am teaching now is Medieval Women, and I love my students. They are engaged and articulate, and find interesting primary documents to be ... interesting. I can't count how many times I've showen really cool sources to students and had to do a whole song and dance routine to get them involved. These students seem to START involved. It's really amazing.

And today I discovered every one of them has to read the Bible in their first year in the context of a "Christian Tradition" class (you have to take the Bible class and then any other theology class, including Buddhism or whatever).

For a medievalist teaching in modern American academia, the concept that every student has read the Bible, recently (not just in some church group as a kid) is AMAZING. I'm so pleased.

Comments

[neogrammarian.livejournal.com]

sweet! Sounds a bit like what I found when I got here- they like my zaniness, they read, & the really Think about what they're reading- & they'll jump into "the weird stuff" w/a will. Can't beat that.

Well, no, you can. A whole class who've read the Bible, in addition to the above. That would beat it.

You win!

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, I'm teaching right below the Chapel. I'm worried I'll say something blasphemous and it'll fall on me.

[creidylad.livejournal.com]

Any chance of getting tenure track there? That'd be so awesome.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Not without seriously unforseen events occurring.

[zinzinzinnia.livejournal.com]

That is so awesome. I sort of have the same experience here, since a large proportion of the girls have come up through the junior and middle schools, and therefore have gone through our Religious Knowledge course (though, granted, it's a half-year course that alternates with Guidance, and their 13-year-old minds at the time don't really absorb as much as we'd like them to.) Of course, it's a different story with kids who start at Grade 9 or up. But it's so great to hear that your students are so engaged - doesn't it just make the world of difference sometimes, especially in terms of your own motivation? There's nothing like getting up in the morning knowing that the people you're going to face for the rest of the day want to be where they are.

[badger2305.livejournal.com]

Lucky devil.

Lynn's about to defend her dissertation on Monday, and I get to go back and begin thinking about dissertating. As it is, I'm also thinking about where I want to end up after graduating, and it sounds like a decent liberal arts college would be really neat.

Good for you! Glad to hear you've found a good position (and yes, is it tenure track?).

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

It's just a six month stint ... there's no realistic chance of it being extended, alas. But it's good for the old c.v.