I Love My Kids ...

[The Lone Ranger]

So, today was the first day of classes.

Last year at this time, I knew no one, and no one knew me.

This year, I know lots of people on campus, and many of them know (or at least know of) me. As I was walking back from my first class this morning, a young woman came running up and grabbed me in a hug and told me how happy she was to see me. She went on about how her Summer was, and asked me about mine. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "Okay, let's see; she was in my Bio 103 & Bio 104 classes -- what is her name again?".

Not long afterwards, two more students came up to tell me how much they'd enjoyed my classes last year and how happy they were to see me again.

There was a Beginning-of-the-Semester celebration late in the afternoon. There I was approached by two more former students, who told me that "everybody" in the Bio 121/122 classes I taught last year misses those classes and wishes I were teaching the classes they're taking now.


As one of them told me, "You really cared about us; that's why we liked your classes so much." Always a good thing to hear.

Yup. It was a good day.


[I presume the students who hated my classes didn't bother to come up and tell me how much they've missed my classes.]

Cheers,

Michael

[livius drusus]

That's wonderful, TLR, and not in the least surprising. :)

How are your plans for the native plant garden coming? Clearly there are lot of kids you could rope into helping you even if they don't have classes with you this year.

[viscousmemories]

That's great Michael, congratulations. :)

[The Lone Ranger]

That's wonderful, TLR, and not in the least surprising. :)

How are your plans for the native plant garden coming? Clearly there are lot of kids you could rope into helping you even if they don't have classes with you this year.

Funny you should ask. I wound up chatting with one of the Art teachers just a little while ago, and she told me that she always gives her students extra credit for outside projects. She further said that she'd consider landscape architecture to be a suitable project, so she'd steer any students who showed an interest in helping to set up a wildflower garden in my direction. So, I may have some helpers soon!

Cheers,

Michael

[Dingfod]

Cool beans, Ranger.

[Adam]

Rock on, TLR. Teachers who inspire that sort of reaction are far too rare.

[curses]

That's really cool, TLR! I really like the idea of extra credit for landscaping.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Extorted labour is the best kind. ;)

[Clutch Munny]

What a great testament to your work and their perceptiveness, TLR. Teaching is a great job if you love it. I do, and it's clear that you do too.

Having said that...

I don't start teaching for another two weeks.

:nelson:

[davidm]

Nice to hear, Michael, and not in the least bit surprising. :yup:

[davidm]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

Please note that I am now glaring at you, Michael, just like this: -----> :glare:

[godfry n. glad]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

pfffft....

Don't bother.

[Dingfod]

I think the Ranger would make a fine addition to whatever message board he would decide to sign up and post in. I hope he sticks around here though.

[davidm]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

pfffft....

Don't bother.

Don't know where this comes from or why, but certainly, you don't need bother.

[mickthinks]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

pfffft....

Don't bother.

Don't know where this comes from or why, but certainly, you don't need bother.

I'm not sure where Godfrey's antipathy to TGL comes from either, but I'd also advise against signing up. They operate a strange moderation policy that none of them, not even Hugo, can explain or justify.

Mick

[davidm]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

pfffft....

Don't bother.

Don't know where this comes from or why, but certainly, you don't need bother.

I'm not sure where Godfrey's antipathy to TGL comes from either, but I'd also advise against signing up. They operate a strange moderation policy that none of them, not even Hugo, can explain or justify.

Mick

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, and I'm sure the fact that you were banned doesn't influence it.

People will see your posts here, and draw their own inferences.

However, that's the end of this for me. This is completely off topic to a thread about Michael. I don't know why my tongue-in-cheek prodding of Michael to post at where I normally post should have invoked such responses, but it doesn't matter. Probably it's just a good reminder, which I need from time to time, to stick to TGL and not bother with any other message boards.

[godfry n. glad]

Thinking it over, though, while you no doubt are a fine teacher with an exemplary character, as evidenced by your wonderful posts here, you still have a disastrous flaw, to wit: failure to sign up and post constantly at my home, The Galilean Library.

pfffft....

Don't bother.

Don't know where this comes from or why, but certainly, you don't need bother.

...none of them, not even Hugo, can explain or justify.

Mick

Worry not, I won't. Although I greatly appreciate your input here at FF, davidm, I will never enter TGL and will recommend that no one else bother, either. It is merely a personal preference of mine and an opinion I openly express, and is not meant as offense to you, by any means.

Mick has confirmed the reason not to bother, thanks.

[davidm]

Yes, and you can all see the sterling quality of Mickthinks' contributions here, yeah? :laugh:

Anyway, I shall now permanently withdraw to my TGL home. :wave: </end thread derailment>

[mickthinks]

Hello David!

I'm sure the fact that you were banned doesn't influence it. Naturally, my personal experience of Hugo's moderation has influenced my opinion! This snide little jab seems to insinuate that my experience invalidates my opinion somehow. (Of course, you get banned at the TGL for taking issue with David like this.)

People will see your posts here, and draw their own inferences. That I was banned there for the way I posted here, you mean? Hmmmmm . . .:chin:

Mick

[godfry n. glad]

Yes, and you can all see the sterling quality of Mickthinks' contributions here, yeah? :laugh:

Anyway, I shall now permanently withdraw to my TGL home. :wave: </end thread derailment>


I said nothing about the sterling quality of anyone's contributions. I merely stated that mick had confirmed my reason for not participating in TGL.

I should think that he'd consider it a courtesy that I not go there.

[Leesifer]

As others mentioned, I'm not surprised Michael. I'm glad that your students showed you how they appreciate you.

You're a brilliant teacher here too!

[Götterdämmerung]

I discovered science through Dinosaurs in the 2nd grade, thanks to Mr. Alexander, my favorite elementary school teacher, especially astronomy and geography. Although I fell to the dark side in college, I always appreciate great teachers whose gift is to inspire others a life-long interest in some field of knowledge, and I hope to be able to inspire others the same way. :bow:

Take a bow, great teachers!

By the way, I'm a regular joe at the Galilean Library, and it's the best forum around. :D

[davidm]

You always come up with such cool avatars, like the urinal animation ... :yup:

[Kyuss Apollo]

It's good to hear this, Michael. It's a mark of a worthy teacher, in my estimation when former students take the trouble to come back and say hi. I'm often surprised by this myself, because (in high school anyway) it's kids I would have least expected--the students that had complained about "all the work" when I was their teacher--that wander in and tell me they wish they still had me as their teacher, because my methodology "makes sense," now in retrospect. The club I run afterschool (Model Legislature) has quite the assortment of students--while a few are there because it is something they're interested in career-wise the common thread seems to be its all kids who really enjoyed my class..It makes all the hard work and the extraneous political/bureaucratic headaches all worth it. :2thumbsup:

[Clutch Munny]

Sounds like you're a good'un too, KA. Keep it up!

[Götterdämmerung]

A couple winners from the queque of potential avatars. :D
http://www.hyperboreans.com/Pix/congradulations.gif
http://www.hyperboreans.com/Pix/ronaldgetsshot.gif

[The Lone Ranger]

I met with my first advisee this morning. He was wanting to drop a Psychology course he had signed up for, and needed my permission. I informed him of how many credits he must pass in order to keep his financial aid, ensured that he would re-take the course during the Summer, and chatted with him about his future plans. All in all, it went quite well.

First, to make sure I didn't give him any bad advice, I discussed his case with two of my colleagues, who agreed that I was telling him the right things.

So, I guess we're off to a good start!

Cheers,

Michael

[viscousmemories]

I'm not surprised, but congratulations Michael. :)

[davidm]

Excellent, sir! :wave:

[BDS]

"My kids"?

Michael is becoming Jerry Lewis!

(Congratulations on the compliments, though.)

[Kyuss Apollo]

Glad to hear things are going well Michael. Your conscientiousness is in marked contrast to the advisors I had as an undergraduate, who were by turns disinterested or even worse confrontational...

[But]

Nice to hear, TLR, and not in the least surprising.