Zooze the Horse roams around the pasture near Lamar State College. Zooze thinks about problems in academia. Zhe wants proffies to submit posts (blog posts, not fence posts).
Shouldn't be. I'm realizing, after several decades of doing the lit/comp balancing act, that there's a definite cost to teaching out of field, even though I'm genuinely interested in, and at this point pretty well qualified in, the teaching field).
For my freshman students to participate in class rather than looking like garden statuary with cell phones embedded in their hands. Semester from hell.
Getting caught up with grading and prep would probably help. If nothing else, I'd feel better.
Getting caught up with sleep would help with the above (though what I really need is an actual rest/vacation -- i.e. several weeks to a month truly off). Instead, I tend to seesaw between staying up to try to get caught up (even if I'm too tired to be productive) and going to bed in hopes of being more productive the next day (even though it means I remain behind).
In the meantime, a private chef (other than myself) serving up tasty, healthy meals 3 times a day would probably also help (with the catching-up, and the feeling-more-rested/healthy).
And of course a lower course load and a higher salary would make much of the above easier (I don't really need the chef; just time to cook -- and clean, and take care of the other details of life, and still sleep and exercise now and then -- myself).
Hello all. Got a Skype call from Cal this morning telling me how horrible he has it, the students, the essays. Nobody made you be an English proffie, you fat bastard.
But he reminded me of Bubba and Zooze, riding the range. And I wanted to say hi.
May tweet a bit for a while. So moved by those fabulous Florida high school kids. Eating soap one week and then amazingly taking on the government. God I love them.
Hi, Fab! Belated congratulations on your impending escape. I hope your colleagues are behaving better about it, but somehow I doubt it. I worked in a department once where someone made a similarly sane choice, and the reactions were interesting, to say the least.
Normally I find pedantic corrections annoying. This, however, is a case that TOTALLY requires precision. A meteorite might only take out the dipshit head of the EPA during one of his jaunts in first class that shield him from the great unwashed in steerage.
Oh, but remember: most meteorites hit Earth with so much kinetic energy, they and everything around them is immediately vaporized, leaving a big hole in the ground. Physics is such great fun!
Right now my vote goes to "several consecutive nights of proper sleep".
ReplyDeleteOther than that, a return to shared governance would be nice, as opposed to the coercive version we currently have.
And, while I'm dreaming, undoing Brexit would be absolutely spiffing.
Ugh I second the sleep thing.
DeleteA job offer that has anything to do with my actual field/interests. (Is that setting the bar too high?)
ReplyDeleteShouldn't be. I'm realizing, after several decades of doing the lit/comp balancing act, that there's a definite cost to teaching out of field, even though I'm genuinely interested in, and at this point pretty well qualified in, the teaching field).
DeleteFor the chair to disappear in a puff of ego.
ReplyDeletefor my provost to make up his freaking mind about what we are and what we want to be.
DeleteFor my freshman students to participate in class rather than looking like garden statuary with cell phones embedded in their hands. Semester from hell.
ReplyDeleteTell them that you promise to water them daily and have them face the sun so they'll grow. And it's not just freshmen students, alas.
DeleteGetting caught up with grading and prep would probably help. If nothing else, I'd feel better.
ReplyDeleteGetting caught up with sleep would help with the above (though what I really need is an actual rest/vacation -- i.e. several weeks to a month truly off). Instead, I tend to seesaw between staying up to try to get caught up (even if I'm too tired to be productive) and going to bed in hopes of being more productive the next day (even though it means I remain behind).
In the meantime, a private chef (other than myself) serving up tasty, healthy meals 3 times a day would probably also help (with the catching-up, and the feeling-more-rested/healthy).
And of course a lower course load and a higher salary would make much of the above easier (I don't really need the chef; just time to cook -- and clean, and take care of the other details of life, and still sleep and exercise now and then -- myself).
Seeing the names on this comment thread...love to you all...
ReplyDeleteCal
And love back at ya.
DeleteHello all. Got a Skype call from Cal this morning telling me how horrible he has it, the students, the essays. Nobody made you be an English proffie, you fat bastard.
ReplyDeleteBut he reminded me of Bubba and Zooze, riding the range. And I wanted to say hi.
May tweet a bit for a while. So moved by those fabulous Florida high school kids. Eating soap one week and then amazingly taking on the government. God I love them.
XOXO
Fab
Hi, Fab! Belated congratulations on your impending escape. I hope your colleagues are behaving better about it, but somehow I doubt it. I worked in a department once where someone made a similarly sane choice, and the reactions were interesting, to say the least.
DeleteI giant meteor falling on CPAC2018. Since that didn't happen: back to the resistance.
ReplyDeleteOh, just remember: a meteor burns up in Earth's atmosphere. A meteorite hits.
DeleteI always like to be helpful!
Normally I find pedantic corrections annoying. This, however, is a case that TOTALLY requires precision. A meteorite might only take out the dipshit head of the EPA during one of his jaunts in first class that shield him from the great unwashed in steerage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping me honest!
Oh, but remember: most meteorites hit Earth with so much kinetic energy, they and everything around them is immediately vaporized, leaving a big hole in the ground. Physics is such great fun!
Delete