The end is nigh December 1, 2013
Posted by mareserinitatis in education, teaching.Tags: goodbyes, semester, students, teaching
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Coming to the end of the semester is an unsettling thing for me. I like to do something fun, like bring treats, although I always make sure to do that the week AFTER we’ve had evaluations. Once someone accused me of trying to butter them up…
But beyond that, I am left with this curiosity. I wonder how the students will do continuing on. I wonder if anything I’ve done has helped them. And, to be honest, I wonder if they’ll even remember the class a few years down the road…at least for something other than being the only female college instructor that many of them will encounter.
Anyway, it makes it awkward because it’s not something you can easily convey. I’ve always enjoyed teaching the class, and I let them know that. I tell them I hope they’re successful in their future endeavors. I’ve even considered giving them the Vulcan salute…although I’ve never followed through on it.
But there’s a bit of a melancholy feel as I’ll probably never know what happens to most of them.
Semester? What’s that? January 20, 2011
Posted by mareserinitatis in education, grad school.Tags: schedule, semester
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This ‘regular job’ thing has had an interesting effect on my perspective of time. This is the first year in many where I haven’t had to worry about class schedules and exams and grading.
Wow. Now I am getting an inkling of why people really would prefer to work than go to school.
I was reading around and someone made a reference to how things are going this semester, and I did a double take. I had to think about where we are the semester, how much time has passed since the beginning of the semester, etc.
While I work at the university, I am now staff. The ‘semester’ is the time when the undergrads are around some of the time. In the summer, they’re around all the time. During Christmas and spring breaks, very little. Finals, not at all. But there is only one student I work with on a regular basis. Otherwise, I really don’t pay much attention to them because I don’t interact with them much. The grad students are around most of the time as are the other staff.
I have to admit that I like working. There are deadlines to deal with and things that need to be done, but it’s nice to go home at night and not feel like the world is going to fall on me if I don’t have a homework set done. If I really feel like it, going to bed early doesn’t induce a huge wave of guilt. Except, of course, the dissertation is still there, so it’s not like there is no working…just not the stress of getting something done the next day…or even by the end of the semester.
My schedule instead revolves around meetings, lunch breaks, and project deadlines.
Yeah, I guess I got burned out on classwork. I really am having fun with my job and doing my dissertation work. I think homework is for the birds right now, and I’m glad I don’t have to feel like I’m running around like a decapitated chicken trying to get to my classes or be ready to teach. I feel like, for the first time in a long time, I can afford to focus on a single thing and spend a few good hours on it. I imagine that I will start to miss school sooner or later, but right now I’m just feeling relief.
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