MAC Wk 2 Blog 4: Open Subject

There are a million acronyms that teachers, businesses and governments will use to explain or simplify complex collections of information. Often times, the acronym can illustrate a progression of information, or simply tie together some relevant truism.

This week, the classic acronym "K.I.S.S." (Keep It Simple Stupid) is ringing particularly true in my classroom.

Last week, I started a new position at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. McNally Smith is music focused media arts college which offers BA degrees in music performance, composition, business, and other disciplines. Starting on the 7th of September, I joined the Business Department and am now teaching Media Economics, Music Business History, and Ethics.

I am always motivated by new challenges, and I was especially excited to join the team at McNally and explore an all new classroom environment. However, I was not necessarily prepared to teach an entirely new slate of courses. Granted, I have been teaching media related issues for almost a decade, however one course in particular, Ethics, was quite new to me as a stand-alone subject.

As my close friends and family can attest, I barely slept the last week of August. With Full Sail's program still in full swing and a myriad of other commitments looming, I felt completely unprepared to digest a whole new set of texts and course materials while developing dynamic and motivating lesson plans for an entire semester.

Sometimes, actually starting can be the hardest point of a project. As the days passed, I found myself almost intimidated by the process. I didn't want to walk into the classroom without a complete and holistic view of the courses entire progression.

Not surprisingly, when I walked into the classroom Tuesday afternoon, I did not have the entire course elegantly mapped out for the next 15 weeks. Instead, I took a deep breath (almost out of desperation) and simply started talking with my students. Who were they? Why had they come to such a unique institution? What were their goals and aspirations? What does it mean to conduct one's self ethically in the workplace?

We had a wonderful class. And, as I reviewed the discussion notes from our first session together, I realized that their input had contributed to a litany of different conversation points which could manifest into any number of potential projects and activities.

Clearly, the stress of creating the "perfect" lesson had clouded my ability to follow the advice of almost every educational researcher and our entire program here at Full Sail: before you implement something, consider the audience, apply the material to their needs, and have fun.

Keep it simple. Start at the beginning. Work with your students and find points of entry to bridge the complex structures of the material that has to be covered, and make it relatable in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.

In truth, this program and our journey together has been impactful beyond measure. I feel much more empowered and inspired to engage with my students and explore complex and important issues. Sometimes, however, I just need to breathe, reflect on the past year, and remember the basics.

Keep it simple stupid. It gets easier once you start. At least starting somewhere is probably what matters most.

I hope the week and school year has begun auspiciously for you all as well.

Thanks...