Developing New Phlebs

I'm really beginning to enjoy my new teaching job at Kirkwood. We're in week five now, and I'm beginning to put student names and faces together, and feel more comfortable in my role as instructor instead of student.

Of course, this time last year I was volunteering to help with all the "hands on" aspects of the class, but that was just different somehow. I'm sure it was due to not only the newness of demonstration, but the memory of being a student in that very class only three short years ago. Believe me, as I was taking the class I found myself in despair at times - it seemed like so much to learn! And, had anyone told me then that I would be in the front of the class in just a couple of years, I'd have laughed in their faces!

Now that things have settled in, it appears that our students number 18. We lost two in the first couple of weeks; one because of the class schedule (didn't they bother to read the description and times of the classes?) and one because she got pissed off that there were specific guidelines for the practical part of the course. She thought she should be able to show up at *her* convenience, not the participating clinical hours of operation/need. Ah well.

Our foreign students had their nerves in an uproar thinking they would have problems with tests, studying, and so on because English is a second language. So far they are getting the highest marks on their homework and quizzes. I know this sounds awful, but I wish more of the American born students had the "drive" I see in some of those from other countries. It really hits home to me to see that our educational system is really letting our children down in so many areas and thus they are not ready for college.

We have two male students. One is very vocal and outgoing. I told Jan (my teaching partner) that I'd bet that his mommy patted him on the head a few times too often and let him get too full of himself. He told a group of the girls tonight that "he never expected to have a fan club in this class." *laughs*

Our other male student is shy, and he's having a tough time on the tests. We're not sure if he came in as a high school grad, or with a GED. But, of the two, I'm rooting for him to go the distance. He's gonna be a good phleb if he can keep his grades high enough to go on to clinicals in a few weeks. And, he'll be kind and gentle to the people he draws blood from. If he can get through, I'll highly recommend we hire him if all continues to go well for him. The other one - well, let's just say that I'm afraid that I'd be watching him with the morbid curiosity of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Mr. FullOfSelf probably won't know what to do the first time he has a REALLY BAD DAY!