(I believe this is the first line in a Kazuo Ishiguro novel, the title of which escapes me, though I am pretty sure it is not the start of The Remains of the Day, a remarkable book turned into an even more remarkable movie.)
I am going to keep this short and sweet since it is mainly my personal recollection at the end of the my first semester at BLS. I mean to say that it has been real fun, that standing behind the camera and recording all those student-presentations have been truly rewarding experiences. It is not just that I have learned how to actually set up for a recording and come across as “almost” professional, but I have also enjoyed interacting with students in a context different from actual teaching. All of the students I worked with, without exception, seemed to take both the situation and myself seriously, and they were all eager to improve their presentations as much as possible.
I have just responded to an email setting up my last rehearsal for the semester, and I was struck by its courteous tone: “Thank You in advance,” or “Thank you for taking time off your busy schedule.” And this tone has been pretty consistent throughout the semester. So, I do feel warm and happy sitting here and writing this blog. I also have to admit that the fact that I have recently become an ABD makes me feel additionally grateful for my Writing Fellowship that allowed me to indeed write more and not spend most of my time on prep-work for teaching.
Wishing you all a rewarding end of the semester! 
I am a camera is from the novella Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood that was the basis for the musical Cabaret. I think the sentence might be the first line of the novel, or else it occurs very early on. I think there was a play that was also called I am a Camera, based on part of the novel or something. I’m not sure about that. But I am sure the line is from Goodbye to Berlin.
Nice! Thank you, Diana, for the clarification. Never mind that as an English major I should have known this, but why don’t I learn from my own students and Google quotes?
Hey, I have something better than Google — well, maybe not better: a bookshelf!”I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed.”