New Year. New Gig.

By Amy Coward

They call it the “gig economy.” Just hip slang for working a little here, a little there and cobbling together a paycheck. I know plenty of people who are going about life this way, some out of necessity and some just for kicks.

I guess I’m in the latter group. I have a great full-time “gig” in public relations and event planning, but having been at it for a while, I wanted a new challenge. So I decided to teach.

What, you say? Why on earth would you take on more work when you already have plenty to do? Don’t you have enough going on with writing and running and such? Yes, I do. Please don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t bored and looking for entertainment. For that, there’s Netflix. And Hulu. And writing and running. And grandsons, of course. All things I enjoy. I just wanted an intellectual challenge, at attempt at something new.

So I entered the world of the adjunct instructor.

I’m teaching a writing course with a handful of sample syllabi thrown my way just a few weeks ago. I’m hoping beyond hope that all of this work I’ve been doing for years (too many to count) can somehow be relayed to these poor, unknowing students.

I got to my classroom early on the first day to get settled in and, secretly, to figure out how to turn on the computer. I reviewed my plans for the class and just hoped the students wouldn’t smell my fear. It’s one thing to do something every day; it’s another to explain it to someone else.

As luck would have it, there were only 9 students registered so I was relieved at that. I may actually remember all of their names. We introduced ourselves and went over the requirements for the semester. That took 15 minutes. So I talked some more (way too fast, by the way) and we were essentially finished in half an hour. Geez. What’s wrong here? I usually have no problem talking for a long time. I’m an extrovert on the Myers-Briggs scale. I’m a high “I” on the DISC profile. All to say, I am a talker. Ask anyone I work with.

Obviously, I’ve got lots to learn about this teaching gig. Like how to pace myself and how to engage the students. I have a semester full of plans and topics and have every intention of hitting the mark, but who knows? Maybe for the first time in my life I’ll run out of things to say.

Here’s hoping I figure it out before final exams.

Or I’ll be searching for a new gig for sure.

Amy Coward is a public relations professional in Columbia, SC. When she is not managing the madness of event planning at Palmetto Health Foundation, she is writing, running and traveling.