Okay, some of you knew about this, but many of you didn’t. I am currently on full time Reserve orders to teach differential calculus at the AF Academy. I will be in front of my first classroom of cadets a week from tomorrow. I am working at least the entire fall semester, and I’ve been asked if I could help out this spring also, but I won’t know about the spring until we know more about the FY15 budget.

So I’m back in uniform, this time able to commute to work like a normal person. It’s quite nice. I’m pleased as punch to have this chance to help out the Academy’s math department, which recently had a mass exodus of instructors who could take advantage of early retirement and other professional growth opportunities.

It had been 5 1/2 years since I last was on full time orders. The boys had grown accustomed to me working just one week out of every 3 months at STRATCOM, so this is quite the paradigm shift for them. Thankfully the boys are old enough to take care of themselves pretty well. Jacob helps with cooking, and Timmy “helps” with laundry. Both boys help out wonderfully with Ranger.

One of the things I have to get used to is how the undergraduate teaching philosophy here is much different what I remember: 500 kids stuffed into an auditorium in 101 Forum at Penn State, which was the type of experience I had my freshman year with the “core” math and science classes. Here, they work hard to keep the classes less than 25 cadets and there’s a focus on individual attention and ensuring personal growth in not just the cadet’s math skills, but also in building character, decision-making skills, and respectful behavior.

I’m anxious to get started teaching so I know how well/poorly I am at this type of thing. This is my first real foray out of being a weather-person since 1995, and hopefully, as I’d been advised many times, it’s a matter of “Practice Makes Perfect”.

I’ll do my best to keep up with this blog as best as possible, and I’m also keeping my part-time editor responsibilities with GeekMom.com. The kids are starting school in a couple weeks — with Jacob heading off to middle school (!!!!), so we will be getting them ready this week with school supply and school clothing shopping, as well as with their respective schools’ orientations next week.

TTFN!