As it happens, Andy and I are teaching different sections of the same Introductory class. My class starts 10 minutes after his ends, and is taught in the same room. So, yesterday morning, a few minutes before the class was due to start, I strolled upstairs and to the classroom. As I was approaching, a bunch of students were entering. They didn't know I was behind them, and as they walked into the room, they saw Andy at the lectern, tidying up his notes before leaving.
One of the girls turned to her friend and whispered, "Oh no! That isn't him; that's the mean one!" Then she turned a bit further and saw me right behind her; she turned an interesting shade of red.
Later, after Andy had left, she explained: "He's the mean one; you're the good one!" That was pretty funny, and somewhat flattering, but I suspect they were a bit confused. Andy's a sweetheart.
***
Later in the day, I dropped by the bookstore. There were lots of students there making last-minute purchases. Many of them were there with their parents. (And by the way, every time I assign a textbook, I feel so guilty about it. The prices the publishers charge for those things are tantamount to highway robbery, if you ask me.)
Seeing a student from last semester, I said "Hi." She introduced me to her mother. Mom, upon hearing my name, immediately replied, "So you're the one I've heard so much about!"
So I guess the semester's off to a good start, eh?
If only I hadn't stupidly agreed to teach 8:00 a.m. classes each day of the week. What was I thinking?
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
8:00 a.m. eh? When I was in college, 8 a.m. was impossibly early. Now I've been humbled by real world and all that, 8 a.m. seems late to me and 5 a.m. a perfectly normal wake-up time.
8:00 AM classes were the ruin of my try at college, never could drag myself out of bed in time. I had no discipline. I'm sure working at the gas station from 1:30 PM until 10:30 PM had something to do with it though.
I have an 8 a.m. history class. I really wanted to take biology, but it just wasn't in the cards for me this semester. TLR you going to have time to keep schooling us along with your "real" students?
I won't be putting 'em out as quickly as I was during the Summer, alas, but I'm going to revise and continue the "Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology" articles (finally!), and I'm going to continue to add more "Introduction to Zoology" articles as I can.
Actually, I have the next Zoology chapter mostly written now. I'll hopefully find time to finish it this week.
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
(And by the way, every time I assign a textbook, I feel so guilty about it. The prices the publishers charge for those things are tantamount to highway robbery, if you ask me.)
I agree. Except for mine. Worth every penny; oughtta charge double, in fact.
Quote:
If only I hadn't stupidly agreed to teach 8:00 a.m. classes each day of the week. What was I thinking?l
I loved teaching early. You filter out some of the crappy students, plus it gets you going quickly. After you lecture all the cylinders are firing, you put in some writing or course prep, and suddenly it's lunch and you've put in a pretty good day by normal standards. (Of course, if there's an afternoon colloquium you get a serious case of Narcoleptic Whiplash around 4 pm, but otherwise it's all good.)
Last year, these classes were taught at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Going by the limited data I have so far, these kids seem like a sharper or at least more enthusiastic bunch. I had 40 sign up for the 9:00 class last year; only 25 signed up for the 8:00 a.m., but they're already more responsive than were those from last year. Takes a bit of gumption to sign up for an 8:00 a.m. class, I reckon.
And it is rather nice to be finished with the last of my classes while the sun's still shining.
Speaking of which, a trip to a nearby park for a nice walk in the woods doesn't sound like a bad idea at all right about now ...
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
You aren't adopting the Michel Foucault technique by any chance? He moved lectures to 9:30 to try to cope with overcrowding (but that was France, and 30 years ago).
One thing I like about taking classes online is that I can set my own class times. (Un?)fortunately, that means I've had a crash course in overcoming procrastination over the past 10 weeks, which is something I didn't really want but definitely needed.
Apparently they sold over 9000 times as many parking passes as they have actual parking spaces at the university. I paid a fortune for mine, and I absolutely hate having to shark for spaces. I showed up 40 minutes early and spent an hour trying to park. Way to be late on my first day.
Apparently they sold over 9000 times as many parking passes as they have actual parking spaces at the university. I paid a fortune for mine, and I absolutely hate having to shark for spaces. I showed up 40 minutes early and spent an hour trying to park. Way to be late on my first day.
indeed. So far as I can tell, the Parking Nazis at practically every university are outside the academic stream of command, and hence get very little oversight. That they work under the President (or Regent, or whatever your highest officer is) tends to be purely notional. At any place I've studied or worked, it seems that Parking is just given a mandate: make money.
Damn, I shouldn't have opened this thread. It just awakened all of my repressed memories of parking traumas at Berkeley.
__________________
"Her eyes in certain light were violet, and all her teeth were even. That's a rare, fair feature: even teeth. She smiled to excess, but she chewed with real distinction." - Eleanor of Aquitaine
My class started at 8. I got to school at 7:20, and entered the classroom at 8:20. I think I can get around it on those days by showing up even earlier (maybe run around the track for an hour before class), but on M,W,F I don't have classes until afternoon, so I have no choice but to shark. Or take the train. But then why did I buy the parking pass?
Sharking is when you circle the lot waiting for someone to leave. There are usually several sharks who have to scramble over each bit of prey as it becomes available.
I start classes tomorrow (taking, not teaching ) My gf started last week, after discovering she would have to arrive 2 hours early for a possible parking spot, it's the bus for her.
I'm a photography student, so fluffy art classes. Ok, so they aren't that fluffy.
20th Century art history, a Studio shooting class, a people shooting class and a concepts go crazy class.