Our Pre-Season

By Meghan Chew
Director of Excellence in Teaching​​​​​​

 

During the new faculty/staff orientation, the first-day icebreaker prompted us to recall our favorite scents. This simple question stirred a strong memory within me. The aroma that immediately rushed to my mind was freshly mowed grass. It takes me back to those August days during high school as I stepped onto the campus to gear up for my field hockey season. As I reflect on the passage of time, I find it remarkable how many similarities persist between those pre-season days and my current experiences.

 

Now, as an adult, my pre-season takes on a different form – the full faculty/staff meetings. Just like our GFA Dragons stretch their muscles and refine their skills during pre-season, these meetings provide faculty and staff with opportunities to stretch, develop, and grow. We engage in setting up classrooms, learning new strategies, and reflecting on our teaching abilities as we gear up for the year ahead. The resemblance to athletes eagerly reuniting with teammates and coaches is uncanny; these meetings enable us to reconnect with colleagues and envision the path ahead.

 

I vividly recall the swirl of emotions that preceded pre-season days – the uncertainty about readiness and capabilities. “Would I be good enough?” “Did I still have it?” Yet, as the team came together, those anxieties would immediately dissolve. No one needed to be perfect because we all brought different strengths to the team. This sense of unity and support was equally evident during our discussions in our meetings, especially as we turned our attention to artificial intelligence and large language models. 

 

Despite dedicating my summer to research and AI utilization, it was only in the presence of my colleagues that I felt that same reassuring sense of support wash over me once again. A consensus emerged through our dialogues regarding AI's capabilities and limitations. During these discussions, the same vivid imagery that comes to mind when smelling freshly mowed grass captured our collective sentiment. It brings forth images of individuals – teammates –and coaches offering unwavering support, motivation, encouragement, and a consistent push for excellence. Moments that can’t be generated on a computer screen will continue to anchor and fuel the purpose of our work. 

 

These meetings reconfirmed our collective strength; we need one another to do this work and are poised and ready to seize the opportunities awaiting us. Much like a successful pre-season establishes the tone for an exceptional season, our time spent together this past week has accomplished the same. Looking forward to getting this season started!