Day 1 was an absolute success!

So, today was the first day with my VHSG online Spanish class.  It really is the epitome of all of my professional experiences combined into one, mixing the online platform with high school and middle school ages.  I cannot tell you how excited I am about the upcoming year with this group!  I have been teaching college students for so long now that I forgot how much fun younger students are.  What energy, what zest!!!  And I finished my two live sessions with them today feeling completely energized and even more enthusiastic about what this experience is going to be for me.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE teaching college students... I just enjoy the variety I'm adding to my professional portfolio.

A few highlights, but no names will be mentioned to protect the innocent:  :)

• I held my online office hours this afternoon in Blackboard IM.  It is an instant messaging platform, but it is a special virtual office space where students can see I am holding office hours because it's posted on the "door."  So if I am already with another student, others enter the waiting room queue (where they can chat if they'd like) until I am ready for them.  Pretty neat deal! Anyway, I had a student pop in and ask a quick question.  Later on, I saw he was holding office hours of his own!  LOL!!!  So I popped into his office to see what was up.  He was just having fun with the new technology.
• I have a personal contact of my own who is not homeschooling, but just very interested in Spanish.  As it turns out, I taught her during a summer program when she was in the first and second grades.  She joined the class because she wants to, not because she was getting credit for it.  And now come to find out... her mom found out that this experience MAY potentially count as high school credit for her, since I am a certified instructor in her state (Nebraska).  That was a very cool revelation, and I hope it works out for her!
• The discussion area where students are introducing themselves is taking off like wild fire, I can't control it.  They WANT to be part of a collaborative, social group as they are learning.  This is much different than teaching adults, who are just more interested in getting to the business of what they are there to do.  I stopped setting up virtual hangouts where students can socialize, because college students don't use them.  I had better get one set up for this class!
• I greeted the 9:00 group with the text ¡Hola!  One young lady immediately inquired "How did you do the upside down exclamation mark?!?!"  I did the same thing in the 11:00 session.  This gal's sister happened to be attending that session and she actually asked the EXACT same question!  It was bizarre and hilarious!!!

Stay tuned for more...  I have a feeling it will be interesting!