On Teaching, Writing, & Lifelong Learning

As soon as I joked that I was done being someone else’s student (yes, I know, I know—never say never, being a lawyer means lifelong learning, etc.), I found myself sitting in a writing class last night.  Being on the brink of finishing teaching 230 students this semester and starting my first ever sabbatical, I decided to take some classes that were on my list. 

Last night’s writing class was a lot of fun, and reminded me of the virtues of being a lifelong student (not least of which is no class prep for me).  It’s interesting to see how others handle the classroom, and to be reminded of how easy it is to lose a student’s attention. 

But, this was no ordinary writing class, it was a creative writing class to get my creative juices flowing.  Sure, there are rules to follow in legal writing, as well as genres to fit into if you are doing creative writing.  Not following them surprises readers in an unpleasant way, as a colleague rightfully observed to me recently.  But, a little creativity goes a long way, especially in the deal-driven subjects that I teach—trusts & estates, family law, and particularly tax (but of course, best not to get too creative in tax!).  This class is turning out to be a good reminder.