Cause I said I was going to post more :)

I did say I was going to try to post more in 2024, so here we go. . .

First, from the last blog post, I ended up binge watching Fellow Travelers all eight episodes in less than 48 hours. Yeah, it was intense, at times uncomfortable, emotional, but it was gripping and overall excellent.

Second, from the last post, I am still reading this young adult novel titled Borderless and let me tell you it has gotten quite intense. I am not sure what they mean by young adult, but would say it is hard for me to read even at times. I would say it should be a pretty mature teen who reads this, but in some cases this is sadly the reality for many kids, teenagers, and families and it is hearbreaking. This book takes place in Guatemala mainly, but it makes me think of what we are currently seeing on the news this week coming out of Ecuador. I have had the pleasure of teaching English teachers from Ecuador and getting to know them quite well and to see on the news that the president is stating the country is in a state of emergency and is at war against gangs is painful to see right now.

On to other news, classes have started this week at Purdue and I was ready. I feel like I am going through some seasonal depression or something as it is winter and January and February are usually the coldest and darkest months here in Indiana. I usually exercise, but because of the appendectomy I had over the break I am forced to take it easy for at least the next week and a half. Okay, this paragraph got off track rather fast, but ultimately what I am trying to say is that being back in the classroom and doing some work is good for my mental health. I feel very comfortable in the classroom and with my classes at Purdue with international students and feel like I have a level of confidence that has came with time that helps give me some needed energy in my life from teaching and being engaged with students.

With that being said, there are always ways to challenge myself and get out of my comfort box to grow in a professional way. Last semester, I agreed to work with three of my colleagues on a research project that we are hoping to run with our students on the use of ChatGPT in their writing. I have never published any research articles or been a part of a team that has, so I joined because ultimately we want to publish an article about our study in a scholarly journal about language learning and teaching. Right now, we are in the process of getting this approved by the university IRB (Institutional Review Board) and this is the part I have been in charge of, which my colleagues told me it was going to be pretty simple and straightforward, but it hasn't been at all. And if I am being honest (which I try to be), my initial enthusiasm for joining this project has faded very quickly; however, I am not someone that likes to start something and not finish it (even though it might take a while), so I will stick with it and the team till we finish.

I think that is all I have to say for now until the next post (which will be sooner than later).