minxy | (no subject)

(no subject)

Yes, hi. So.

Fuck, I'm tired. That was a helluva week. And I, apparently, don't even have the energy to process a lot of what happened in my first week of teaching ever, let alone post something meaningful about it.

So I'll just say this: I had a great time in my classroom. For all the ridiculous prep work and everything else that went on, it ended up feeling like improvisation as much as anything. Sometimes maybe adaptability in the 48 hours between lectures. But change change change every day.

Wow.

Yeah, I slept nearly 12 hours last night. It's a beautiful day and I should really, really walk my kayak the twenty yards to the water and float a couple of laps around the lake. But I'm also enjoying this luscious cup of water in my comfy adirondack chair so it's really a toss-up as to how I'll proceed, flist. That's all I can tell you.

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go you!

i surprised myself immensely by discovering how much i love teaching. i didn't expect that. teaching was a second career for me.

and i had a boss in academia once who claimed teaching is 80 percent PERFORMANCE and only 20 percent ACTUAL CONTENT.

*cheers*

I suspected. I've been so drawn to it. And, of course, I come from a long line of teachers (and bankers, oddly, but I was never drawn to that,) who could tell me the reality of teaching really. My goodness, but has my Mother been a great champion of this path for me.

But I can't help but be bemused at how helpful all that theater training has become. Heh. Only 20 percent actual content, eh? Awesome. I'll keep that in mind.

I can go about this at great length, so please stop me, but something I read somewhere really stuck with me. I wish I remembered the source...

But it was something to the effect of, the passion the teacher has for the subject, the enthusiasm and the interest, can actually make all the difference in the world to the student. An interested engaged teacher can create a love for the content in someone who otherwise would not bother.

Why teach, when we could just read a great book? All you have to give the students is YOURSELF.

It may be different in math and the hard sciences, I dunno. I'm a writing teacher, and there's only one class in the several various subjects I teach where I am actually trying to get them to memorize content as opposed to practicing a skill and learning a process, so that may be a big distinction right there.

But an enthusiastic tour guide makes all the difference.

GO YOU. Enjoy.

Congratulations! And oh for a kayak. Granted, I'd have difficulty kayaking in my parking lot. ;)

Seriously, there is something to be said for a day of plotzing. *hugs*

*streeeeeeeeeetches like a cat*

You know, Jen, I can totally fix that lack of lake and kayak if you come and visit me. I even have access to extra boats and such, should you decide you want, say, a two person sailboat! Or a canoe! Not an outrigger canoe, mind you, but a canoe, just the same.

...does Indigo travel? Hrm.

It was nice out on the lake. It was really nice. I looped about twice. Now I'm cooking and plotzing. *stretches more*

We should reconnoiter. Do you still have my number? Er...or email me? :)

Remind me to tell you scary sailboating stories from my youth. I blame my mother for the degree of scariness. Heh heh heh.

Indigo stays home....but I can be enticed out and about every now and then.

Must now go wake up said cat to get him to dash about a bit.

It's got to be overwhelming, but in a good way. :)

Enjoy a lazy day! Everyone needs one, now and then. ::hugs you::

It's actually most overwhelming that I have, erm, 10 more weeks of that? Whoa.

I'll worry about that later, though. Today is for non-stressful things. Wanna come over for dinner?

10? Really? Our semesters are 16 weeks.

Never you fear. You will survive it and when it's all over it will only seem like a miiiiiiiiiillion years.

Good for you, girl!

*grabs you by the lapels* SIXTEEN? DEAR GOD I'M GOING TO FAIIILLLLLLL THEM!

I jest. I'm sure it will be fine

It was really fun to be in there, Raqs. I think maybe I made exactly the right choices.

Now I just have to get the computer illiterate kid onto the course website, and the girl who is already overwhelmed to find a way to point to any given concept that she doesn't understand or learn how to read for information. I'm not too worried about the anal retentive kid who does all the reading, all the problems and then sits with his book open in the front row (he always lets me know if there's something he'd like clarified. He always catches my mistakes on the board too.)

Ok, in all seriousness: DO NOT try to slove the problems of the computer illiterate one or the overwhelmed one. Steer them to tutoring services / help desk and go back to spending your time on the kids who can keep up already and who will be bored and abandoned if you don't focus on them. Aim for the majority and you and they will all be good.

Sounds like you made EXCELLENT choices!

Seriously, I did, promise. The kid with the website issues got pointed to the syllabus where there were 1) the correct website address written at least twice b) official uni IT help phone numbers and c) peer tutoring classes on how to use the uni class website program. The overwhelmed kid (poor kid) was pointed to university learning programs (how to read like you mean it), chem department peer tutoring three days a week and my office hours for help with specific homework problems or specific concepts. Also outlined with phone numbers, dates and times in the syllabus.

Oh, those quiet majority. Quit hiding, yous. Granted, it's day three...

*applauds*

It's a date! ::checks airline schedules:: :D

It sounds like you live in a beautiful place. You should post some pics!

Oh hells yeah, I should. Have I ever pointed you to my RL journal? I *know* I have photos over there, and they're usually less edited for content. I'm also

katieintheworld, and the photos are flocked, but just comment there if you're interested and I shall add you forthwith!

*waves pom-poms*

Hopefully it'll get a little easier with each week as your comfort level goes up and regardless, you are still very awesome.

(KAYAK! I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOU AND YOUR KAYAK)

God, I hope so. I just got so tense last week; I'm sure I'll calm the fuck down once it starts feeling normal to stand up there and I get a better sense of what I can cover in 50 minutes.

But you know what? This morning I think I saw an otter playing on the retaining wall at my edge of the lake. I've seen beavers here (although in the inlet, and I don't think there's enough waterflow there for a beaver, so that probably explains why she didn't set up house,) flushed deer while kayaking, had to turn around in a different river because of a beaver dam, seen alllll manner of geese and ducks. It's just wonderful here.

Congrats on the job, but I know you need some down time.

After 12 hours work a day, you need the 12 hours sleep to catch up and rest.

How is it going now?

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