More Than Just Having a Baby: A Test of the Spanish & Illinois Infrastructure

I don't usually post personal information on this blog, but this bit of personal news will have an impact on the community-based learning Spanish courses for the fall.

I'm expecting a baby boy in mid-August.

Aside from the thrill--and anxiety--for my family and me, the anxiety (and excitement, I must admit) about my work duties are equally present.

I am anxious. I run this program by myself. I have wonderful TAs, but I run the program. What will happen when I am unavailable at the beginning of the semester? I deal with student scheduling, students dropping, students adding, getting them all the documents they need for criminal background checks, answering their questions, etc. Despite my best efforts to have all information availabe on this website, I still have to deal with individual student requests, problems and changes.

I am excited. Can I find new and more effecient ways to organize things? Can I find a good person to replace me for those first few weeks of the semester? I always receive hundreds of e-mails each day at the beginning of the semester--can I re-route them to others?

We'll see. I'm coming up with a plan to decide what I can accomplish before the baby arrives, and what must absolutely be handled in the moment.

Comments

  1. G. A. April 7, 2008 at 10:25 PM

    Hi Ann

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!
    THAT IS GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You should of course name him Marcos :)

    PS. Count on me for the Fall, we can talk (?!)

    ReplyDelete

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