I'll bet Boice's hobbies include 'Jenga'

Yes, that's a balance joke.

It’s funny how often Boice’s advice on mindfulness coincides with good, old-fashioned common sense. He talks about working with balance—and living with that balance—as if the opposite would make any sense. I would like to read a book that says something to the effect of “spend 8 weeks developing your syllabus, but don’t bother to show up to class to teach it.”

But the point isn’t lost on me. Not even a great syllabus and stack of lesson plans will afford me the option of turning on an auto-pilot switch during the classes. I’ll have to be able to think on my feet, I’ll have to be mentally present. This might require me to be even more mentally locked-in than I am when I am sitting in the students’ position in my graduate seminars.

Although, that sentiment seems somewhat at odds to the practical advice we’ve been given so far. Jonas and Rachel strongly suggest making a plan and sticking to it; straying too far from a plan can quickly derail a class. I’m curious about the extent to which I might adapt my approach from week-to-week without threatening my integrity as a young, inexperienced, promising, ridiculously good-looking and undoubtedly intriguing graduate instructor.

Overall, I think Boice’s approach is valuable for teaching. But I don’t think it applies to writing, at least not as much. I’ll be a balanced teacher. But I refuse to stop stumbling around in the dark as a writer.