Busy times. We are down to two weeks and counting until students start filing into our classrooms, expecting us professors to fill their heads with stuff that passes as knowledge. And this is the time that I, along with most of my colleagues, am scrambling to get ready for that day. It would be great if all we had to do was show up on the first day of classes and continue on where we left off, but it doesn’t work that way.
There have been exceptions in my experience, and they haven’t been that great. I took a class at University of North Texas about 10 years ago on Sociological Research. The adjunct professor, an ABD student not much further along than I was, showed up the first day and said, sorry, I just got in from Europe last night and haven’t had a chance to write a syllabus. Poor baby. So we went a week without doing anything. The next week he showed up with the syllabus, but then said, sorry, I haven’t gotten through the first chapter yet, so let’s put it off another week. Sigh. As I have often said, there were many fellow doctoral students that I am glad I don’t have to take classes from. Many knew their stuff, but shouldn’t be let anywhere near the front of a classroom.
It’s been a while since I added to my blog here, some of it because I have been busy, much of it because I just haven’t had anything to say. I usually write about books I have read, books I am working on, writing in general or life in general. This is pretty much the latter, although I do owe you two book reviews of stuff I have finished recently. (As you can tell I am less than excited about the books, and so not really motivated to review them).
But I am currently waiting for files to download for my new Photo and Graphic Editing class, which may take another half hour or so, and that gave me an excuse to check in with my faithful readers. Actually, I really wonder if you shouldn’t be spending your time more wisely….
The summer is almost spent. I got two books out, got my flooring finished in the back bathroom and utility room, got some needed plumbing done, built a treehouse for my grandson, read a slew of books, and got about a quarter of the way through my next magnum opus. I will need to get you up to speed on that in coming days as well.
It always takes me a couple of weeks to switch gears at the beginning of summer, and again at the end. I’m not really accomplishing a great deal in the office these days, but there is something to be said for just showing up. I am getting my mind used to being a teacher again.
Give me two weeks, and I will tell you how successful I am.
The Great Adventure 