(no subject)

[minxy]

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.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

*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.)

[raqs.livejournal.com]

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!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

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...

[raqs.livejournal.com]

*applauds*