Last week we had Vital Signs lab. Exploring the use of a stethoscope turned out to be one of the best labs we've done. Some of my first year students had never heard their own heart beating or heard the air going into their lungs when they breathe. It was nice to see the expression of wonder on their faces. I had them listen to their own bowel sounds too. That was really funny to see them listening to all the gurgling and churning sounds. The body is a fascinating machine and it was really nice to see the students discover some things about their own bodies.

This week is Career Week at our school. So we are discussing employability skills. We had some interesting discussions. One of the things we talked about was the neeed for basic Reading and Writing skills. I related that to the video that we watched at our NTI Saturday class. We discussed how the US used to be an agricultural nation, and it didn't much matter if you could read and write. You could work on the farm and learn all the skills you needed to support yourself and your family. But then the industrial revolution came about and you had to learn to read and write in order to survive. We discussed how the basic skills of reading and writing are a must in the healthcare field. The students seemed to really enjoy our discussions today. Everyone was participating and had something to contribute. I really enjoy teaching when I feel like I have touched a cord in my students.