I just wantd to assure everyone that I was earning my keep! Although my work doesn't make for great pictures and exotic adventures, it is exciting and enjoyable in a different way. I generally end up teaching about 3 classes a week, sometimes an encore or two! We also have a number of special groups of people who come for in-service - we've had two groups of teachers from all over Mongolia, we've hosted principals and teachers from schools with whom we have partnerships / place our students, we're doing a training for the clinical teachers - those who will mentor our students. I am involved in some way with all those groups.

We have almost completed collecting our data which will lead to developing beginning teacher standards and then inform our curriculum and our in-service activities. I'm in the middle of analyzing our responses from 629 teachers, we're gathering data from principals and finally, will survey our own faculty. We've identified 6 core courses that I am now developing - including instruction in new ways of teaching and reaching our students.

We have been invited to present at a Symposium at the end of May. We are comparing and contrasting teacher education curricula from Columbia College, Mongolia, and Russia. We will also present our research and recommendations (above.)

Most days bring requests for new classes, speaking to one gathering or another....my new word is margash - tomorrow. Planning too far ahead is apparently not allowed! It keeps life interesting.

The most fun part of my work is collaborating with my colleagues. Our school has many wonderful, kind, forward looking, genuine, talented and fun faculty members. I'm proud to counted among their friend and colleague.