Deja vu week

Many of my new colleagues have commented that their first year teaching was very challenging, but since I've taught before, I "won't find it as hard".  I've wanted to reply hastily that a first year is a first year, no matter what.  But this week could be called "deja vu week" because of all the similarities I've noticed between teaching high school and teaching college.  I don't want to cast aspersions on my present or former institution, nor my present or past colleagues.  But this week brought more than a few laughs as I realized that, in this world, some things are universal.

While my contract did not begin until Thursday of this week, I went to campus Monday in hopes of being more productive in the office than at home.  (Apparently everyone else had the same idea.)  I asked a male colleague what the dress code was for various meetings through the week.  He explained, and then finished by saying, "Well, look around, and notice that the men wear a tie, and the women wear whatever they want!"  I immediately burst out laughing, because this was an annual discussion (verbatim) held at the high school.  Deja vu!

Then I went to explore the faculty lounge.  Another colleague was also there, hunting for some grub.  I asked about how things go, and heard that "the unwritten rule is:  if it's on the table it's fair game, if it's in the fridge it's hands off."  Deja vu!

That night I went to a new faculty orientation meeting.  The Assistant Academic Dean oriented us to the academic policies of the school.  Many (if not all) of them are identical to the ones I'm accustomed to.  And even as she exhorted us and pled with us to not violate these policies in ways I can't believe any professional ever would (and yet I know they do!), I thought to myself "Deja vu!"

At Thursday's round of back to school meetings, it was deja vu all over again.  The president gave the State of the School address.  Then we broke up for department meetings, wherein the usual grousing took place. Lunch was on the house, and the afternoon held a faculty meeting.  Deja vu!

Not all was deja vu.  News to report is that at the orientation Mass, I publicly took the Oath of Fidelity to the Catholic Church.  The University requires (in accordance with Church law) that all Theology and Catechetics faculty, priests, and anyone in a position of directly teaching the Faith take this oath.  I knew I would do that and hadn't really given it a thought, because I have been living the oath already for 13 years of teaching.  But the doing of it was a solemn and beautiful moment for me.  When I finished, the Bishop handed me the mandatum, his official permission that I can teach theology at a university, which is required by canon law.  I'm in now!

So it turns out my colleagues were right after all, in that I have an advantage by having 13 years experience teaching in a school.  In addition, I have God's grace to help me, now that I've placed myself under oath.  Classes begin Tuesday.  Pray for me, that the Holy Spirit guides me to (as the Oath of Fidelity says) "preserve and transmit the Deposit of Faith in its beauty and integrity."