Classes Next Semester

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I've at last received my list of classes that I'm expected to teach next semester, including my timetable.

• Creative Writing
• British & American Literary Criticism II
• 19th & 20th Century American Poetry
• English Presentation (Public Speaking)
• Intermediate Listening & Conversation II

Receiving this list has special significance because at the end of this semester my current contract will come to an end. Getting the list of classes and a timetable is an indication that the university has decided to renew my contract. The list of modules I'll be teaching also seem to be tailored around my strengths, so it is clear that the English Department has made plans with me in mind (at least for this coming semester). 


Of particular significance is the Creative Writing class. This is the first time that this class will be offered and since my master's degree is in Creative Writing I'm of course the obvious person in our department to teach it. I'm quite looking forward to this class. One thing I've often felt while working as an academic is that while I love my job, it is missing something. I have been wondering if that "something" might not be an artistic component. My lecturing focus is literature and I prefer that above linguistics. However, I've often thought that my specialization in Creative Writing is going to waste. So this coming semester I will have the opportunity to teach Creative Writing and feel if this is indeed the case. Is the missing ingredient teaching something creative? 


I'll also be teaching a new subject, British & American Literary Criticism II. There is already a Literary Criticism I, that is taught by a Korean professor and which focusses on the established literary theories and critiques. About a year and a half ago I suggested to the department that we need a course, which I called "Literary Theory & Contemporary Ideas", in which we can introduce our fourth year students to some of the newer literary developments and cultural phenomena, such as liminality, intermediality, memes, and so on. This new module was created with this in mind, and with me in mind to teach it. 


It is going to be an exciting challenge to develop these two new courses.


Luckily the three other classes I'll be teaching I have taught before and apart from the poetry class, they are pretty straight forward with my resource material and preparation already done. 


Another cool thing about next semester is that I will for the first time of working here (four years now, and eight semesters later) have an off day, which I can employ for research or other purposes. 


In the meantime, this current semester is not yet completely finished. I still have lots of exams to grade and work to do before Sunday night at midnight.