The Great Adventure

Those who think teachers have a cushy job with lots of time off have never taught.

The first few years I was a college professor I spent any extra hour I had learning the subjects I was expected to teach. After a year to get acclimated, I spent the next five years teaching, running a radio station and working on my PhD.

When that was finished, I dropped the radio station duties and doubled my teaching load. When they didn’t think I had enough to do, I took on writing for the marketing department and editing the school’s alumni magazine. Three years ago they added recruiting trips to my workload. A year ago they asked me to serve as university webmaster as well.

I wish I had time off during the summer. My vacation consisted of a week at home, interspersed with a trip to Austin to visit my son and another weekend to Jefferson to visit my daughter. And oh, another weekend trip to Conroe, TX when my daughter was interviewed for a job.

I’m trying to not get all sour grapes about it, but I am tired, and the school year hasn’t even started. Six days until classes start, and I have a day of solid meeting set for today, followed by another day of meetings tomorrow.

I am trying very hard to find a silver lining here….

Well, I guess there is one. After several years of struggling with lower enrollment, I suspect (as do many others) that our numbers will be back up again. There is indication that our department is already up significantly. That should take some pressure off those of us in the trenches. Maybe it will be cause for the school to hire some more people. But not likely.

Sorry I am so down about all this. I try to be optimistic. But as I say, I am tired.

I’ll write again when I have something positive to say.