Back Problems shouldn't hinder this trip

Travelling to Almaty, Kazakhstan from Austin, Texas requires two rather long (7-9 hour) flights. Chicago to Frankfort and Frankfort to Almaty. Sitting in coach for that long can be problematic to anyone. But for the past two years I've had chronic lower back pain.

Today I found out the source of the problem.

It's a deteriorating disc between the 4th and 5th Lombar vertebrae -- I saw the MRI pictures -- very elightening. It was immediately obvious to my layman's eyes that "one of these discs is not like the others" (sing along if you remember the song from Sesame Street.) So I'm going in on Monday for a steriod shot to the disc, to be followed by more rigorous therapy to try to squeeze the bulging disk back into shape. The hope is that with the right therapy the deterioration can be managed and surgery averted.

My departure for Almaty is just 30 days away, so I'm hoping to make the most of these 30 days by a) getting as much therapy as possible and b) losing some weight on the Adkins diet. I had already stared on "b" on Saturday and now it seems the two goals go well together. More trips to the doctor, more time in the gym, more protein, no carbs, etc.

Stay tuned for more pain reports.

What one teacher says about teaching this year's class at CALTC

Yana, the CALTC interpreter reports:

Hi guys!

I've been thinking about various ways to enhance the teaching process and make the weekly course an effective experience both for the students and instructors.

Just about three weeks ago, we had a course taught by someone from Dallas, first-timer teaching here at CALTC...the course turned out to be a real success mostly due to the fact that the instructor could read the class and be flexible enough to adapt to their needs. I'm not asking you to copy that course...but to consider some of the insights he got after teaching here for a week. I asked the instructor of that course (Rich Milne) to write a feedback of some sort that, I hope, will give you some insights into this year's class. That is helpful and "insider's" info...a better insight than I could have given you before the actual course. Here it is:

Teaching in the CALTC Russian track was much like teaching a college class, but with a group of students from a much more varied ethnic range, and much broader age range as well. From kids about 22 to a couple who are early 50s, the class ranges from fairly naive to very connected both to ministry and to life. With a Turkmen, two Uzbeks, and six more or less ethnic Russians, it is also a diverse group ethnically.

I believe they prefer not to be lectured at, but to be involved in class discussion. Role-playing is something they specifically asked for more of, and getting students to participate in answering questions and engaging each other was usually quite easy.
I found them an easy group to talk with, and very willing to try and understand what was being taught. They did not ask a lot of questions without prompting, but questions directed to specific students were always answered.

As a group they very much like stories, both I think for cultural reasons, and because stories cross the ethnic and national divides very well. I read stories from Max Lucado each day, and this may well have been the high point of the day for them. The stories were chosen to compliment what I was teaching, and I would highly recommend this to anyone if you can find stories that relate to what you are teaching. Or make them up.

All of these students have already been involved in some sort of ministry, and all expect to continue on in ministry. So making applications that relate to ways to use the material in ministry contexts would always be helpful to the students, and their grid for relevant trips in that direction as well, I think.

The class environment is quite simple, with nine students sitting in three or four 'groups' that always seem to stay together. The classroom is quiet, and the 50-60 minute teaching periods were well-matched to their attention span. Be aware that there is no lunch as such, but just a longer break around noon. The students get a heavy snack around 11 each morning, and that replaces lunch in the present program.

Several of the students, Yura and Vladimir, seem to have a more academic background than the rest of the students, and they can be a resource for you at times, if you can bring them into the discussion. This will also help them to be more engaged in the class, especially if you happen to be teaching material that they know while the rest of the class is hearing it for the first time.

The more structured interaction you can include the better for this group, and they are very willing to break up into groups and do assignments as a group. If you give homework, realize that they have access to very few resources, and that even Russian is a challenge for several of the students.

All of these students have a sense of humor, but American jokes may or may not be that funny in Kazakhstan. So, enjoy the class, let them have plenty of chances to interact with you, the material, and each other, and the week(s) will be a great success for you and for them!

Please let me know if that was at all helpful...I'm more than open to answer the questions you might have.

Thanks,
Yana

Preparation for Almaty, Kazakhstan

Today I'm going to try to finalize my teaching materials for my 1-week teaching trip to CALTC in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Since this is my 6th trip and 5th time to teach the Christian Education course, it only requires adjustments to improve of last year's program.

I prepare my own notes and then from them I prepare the student handouts for them to use in following the lectures and completing activities. I also prepare three quizzes over the reading material and a final exam.

Yana, the translator for CALTC, will send me back my materials in Russian so I can modify or create powerpoint slides to accompany the lectures.