If you read the title as "Yeti" and are excited to hear my thoughts about and experiences with the abominable snowman, you are about to be very, very disappointed.
As we prepare for a new academic year, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. Some of you are brand new to the program, some are at a new stage in the process, and some of you have life changes that are bringing new experiences your way. Regardless, this is can provide both opportunity and perhaps a bit of anxiety.
Most years, the night before I teach my first class of the term, I have a dream about teaching. Almost always, the dream involves students who refuse to listen to me and are difficult to deal with. I don't know why that is. I enjoy teaching, but maybe that's it. I enjoy it and I'm worried this might be the year I start to not enjoy it. I dunno.
I bring this up because we are all going to do new things and have new successes, it's the challenges and failures where our learning will happen. Failure is part of my teaching philosophy. I like it when things come easily, but I rarely learn from those experiences. I often say in class, "I haven't tried this before. Let's see what happens." Sometimes things work. Sometimes they don't. As the saying goes - you either succeed or you learn.
So with all that in mind, I offer you the image below. I send myself messages and emails all the time when I come across things I want to remember or reflect on. This is one of those things. It seemed like a good message for the start of the year.
Have a great fail. I mean fall.
(pause)
I mean both.
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