I received a ton of paper yesterday that I'm slowly working through. I try to grade 10 a day during a semester, and so, that's how I'm continuing to roll. My staggering of essays got messed up because of the extended spring break, so I'll finish them off slowly.
Ryan want's to co-write a paper together about plague literature, because he believes that that particular topic is very relevant at the moment. I agree with him, but I'm not sure what to write about. I've read a bit of plague literature, but don't really know what we want to discuss/analyze. I came up with Shaun of the Dead and the consumption of technology, but that might be something that I put on the back burner, because Ryan didn't seem to interested in it. I think we should still focus on zombie analysis when it's all said and done though, possibly 28 Days Later and isolation of community. Maybe that's something. Or possibly Camus's The Plague. But that's been written about a lot in the past, and no new scholarship has been done on it in like 50 years, so I'm not too sure anyone is going to be super interested in it. I need to bust out these essays and really start thinking about it. But I'm just not too sure.
Otherwise, I'm not going to lie, days of social isolation haven't hit me too hard. I've enjoyed staying home and petering about the house. I put the bounce house up for the kids this morning and weeded the flower beds. Or let me reiterate, I started weeding the flower beds, because they are a jungle that haven't been done in like 2 years, and I'm slowly working my way through them. But there's a lot there and I'm not stressing too much about it.
I've enjoyed starting the blog up again, even though no one reads it. It's nice to stress the writing skills a bit and reflect upon the day. I hope to keep it up after we get back to normal. I hope summer is this relaxing, but I guess we'll wait and ses.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Tuesday - Screaming into the Void
You know, I like to get up early and get a couple things knocked of my mental list before noon hits. And that's what I did today. I finished grading my student's midterms, did a couple of loads of laundry and then finished about 3 cups of coffee. And then, I went back to cleaning the garage, which is something that I've been needing to do for a while now. It's starting to look pretty good, in all honesty. Finally can see the top of my work bench, which I haven't been able to see for over a year, and started putting up all of the tools that my dad gave me a while back.
On top of that, I had a meeting at TCC that was pretty uneventful, but found out that I don't have a summer class (which is probably for the best, in all honesty). Other than all that, been reading Hellboy comics and thinking about starting up Stardew Valley again.
On top of that, I had a meeting at TCC that was pretty uneventful, but found out that I don't have a summer class (which is probably for the best, in all honesty). Other than all that, been reading Hellboy comics and thinking about starting up Stardew Valley again.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Mondays
Whelp, started the online classes officially today. I graded the midterms of a class this morning, and started on another; I'll finish them off tomorrow morning with my coffee. Right now, it's a lot of responding to emails from students confused about how to begin this new week. Hopefully it all settles down by the end of it, so that we can get this train re-aligned slightly, and finish off this semester. I'm not worried about finishing it off strong, just finishing it off. It's been a doldrum day again.
However, I did put a new shelf up in Atticus's closet and helped Mandy with her online classes. I don't know man, I got nothing. I'm just typing to make Atticus work on his own writing skills and his penmanship, because whew, it's bad a lot of the time.
However, I did put a new shelf up in Atticus's closet and helped Mandy with her online classes. I don't know man, I got nothing. I'm just typing to make Atticus work on his own writing skills and his penmanship, because whew, it's bad a lot of the time.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Social Isolation - Day 3; The Doldrums.
As I type, Mandy is reading to Ollie and Atticus sits next to me and writes in his own journal.
The other day, Mandy out of the blue said I was a good teacher. I'm not sure what brought it on; I had been helping her with her online courses a little bit (I got all of mines done on Tuesday) and had emailed my other dual credit colleagues telling them that I could help them all with black board problems, if necessary (I teach online courses, so I'm pretty good with this software for instruction). I heard her tell me this, and wondered what really brought it on, because I didn't know. I even asked her why she said it, and she said, "I know why." But I'm just not that sure; but it's been rattling around in my head for the last few days.
Other than that, I'm not sure I'm going to survive this social isolation. The kids, man; the kids. We took Ollie out of school today, and the kids did nothing but fight. And when I say we took him out of school, I mean at his usual time - 3 o'clock. So, I guess we'll wait and see at this point.
The other day, Mandy out of the blue said I was a good teacher. I'm not sure what brought it on; I had been helping her with her online courses a little bit (I got all of mines done on Tuesday) and had emailed my other dual credit colleagues telling them that I could help them all with black board problems, if necessary (I teach online courses, so I'm pretty good with this software for instruction). I heard her tell me this, and wondered what really brought it on, because I didn't know. I even asked her why she said it, and she said, "I know why." But I'm just not that sure; but it's been rattling around in my head for the last few days.
Other than that, I'm not sure I'm going to survive this social isolation. The kids, man; the kids. We took Ollie out of school today, and the kids did nothing but fight. And when I say we took him out of school, I mean at his usual time - 3 o'clock. So, I guess we'll wait and see at this point.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Another new post?! WTF is this?
I'm feeling very biggity today. It all started when I woke up and the garage was leaking this morning. And on top of that, I just didn't sleep very well last night, because I tried to patch the roof the day before, woke up, heard it raining, and started worrying about the leak. I have put another patch on the roof today, but I'm not too confident in that particular work, so I guess we'll see tomorrow morning, because it's suppose to rain again tonight. When it comes to home repairs, I try to be handy, but a lot of the time, it's winging it until it works.
On other news, I did go on a walk with Atticus this morning, after I dropped Ollie off to school. I had a pleasant time this morning getting to be outside, walking around the pond at Bedford Boys' Ranch, and watching the ducks. Atticus kept up with my walking pace the first round (about 10 minutes), but slowed down significantly by the second and third. I shot this picture to Amanda, and laughed. Atti wasn't happy with the picture.
Atticus is way back there, barely a speck. He was so tired after our thirty minute walk that he didn't want to go play on the playground afterwards (which was secretly my intention the whole time).
On the online school front, I'm still waiting for things to officially start going. My dual credit students are suppose to take their midterms this week, but none have started yet, even though I shot an email saying it was opened up yesterday. And even though I email them, none respond back to me. It's not like I'm asking them questions, but it would be nice to see some movement. But, the due date isn't until Sunday night, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all goes. I've taught a lot of online classes before, but I don't care for it too much, if I'm being honest with myself. I portray myself as a misanthrope, but I enjoy the classroom setting and interacting with students, and I'm just not getting that rewarding an experience finishing off the semester. And, I really enjoyed my first period class, was expecting to see them for a few months longer, and it's just really unexpected how everything stopped and I'm probably not going to see them again.
Like I said, it's been a rough day. I think I'll go make myself a drink and watch 'The Golden Girls' with Amanda.
On other news, I did go on a walk with Atticus this morning, after I dropped Ollie off to school. I had a pleasant time this morning getting to be outside, walking around the pond at Bedford Boys' Ranch, and watching the ducks. Atticus kept up with my walking pace the first round (about 10 minutes), but slowed down significantly by the second and third. I shot this picture to Amanda, and laughed. Atti wasn't happy with the picture.
Atticus is way back there, barely a speck. He was so tired after our thirty minute walk that he didn't want to go play on the playground afterwards (which was secretly my intention the whole time).
On the online school front, I'm still waiting for things to officially start going. My dual credit students are suppose to take their midterms this week, but none have started yet, even though I shot an email saying it was opened up yesterday. And even though I email them, none respond back to me. It's not like I'm asking them questions, but it would be nice to see some movement. But, the due date isn't until Sunday night, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all goes. I've taught a lot of online classes before, but I don't care for it too much, if I'm being honest with myself. I portray myself as a misanthrope, but I enjoy the classroom setting and interacting with students, and I'm just not getting that rewarding an experience finishing off the semester. And, I really enjoyed my first period class, was expecting to see them for a few months longer, and it's just really unexpected how everything stopped and I'm probably not going to see them again.
Like I said, it's been a rough day. I think I'll go make myself a drink and watch 'The Golden Girls' with Amanda.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
The Plague - Isolation, Day 2
I'm sitting next to Atticus this evening, while he works on his writing. So, I thought I'd start the blog back up after all of this time, to help him out, model for him sitting and writing, and also because I've kind of missed doing IT. So here goes,
Updates first: Jesus, it's been over five years since I've done one of these. Amanda and I are working on ten years of marriage. We've got two kids together, Atticus, age 8, and Oliver, age 5. Atticus is in the second grade and is working hard towards third. Ollie is in pre-K, and should have been having his kindergarten round up for school. Instead, Atticus, Amanda and I are socially isolating, because of COVID-19. Ollie has been still going to Montessori, but we're going to take him out at the end of the month, because we're all home and I don't see us going back to school before this school year is over.
Because of this, all of my classes have gone online. And after Spring Break is when I start loving all the different readings that we do (The Man Who Would Be King, Heart of Darkness, Dubliners, and Watchmen)! Oh well, I guess. FML.
I'm going to be doing these for a while again, so look for new updates soon.
Updates first: Jesus, it's been over five years since I've done one of these. Amanda and I are working on ten years of marriage. We've got two kids together, Atticus, age 8, and Oliver, age 5. Atticus is in the second grade and is working hard towards third. Ollie is in pre-K, and should have been having his kindergarten round up for school. Instead, Atticus, Amanda and I are socially isolating, because of COVID-19. Ollie has been still going to Montessori, but we're going to take him out at the end of the month, because we're all home and I don't see us going back to school before this school year is over.
Because of this, all of my classes have gone online. And after Spring Break is when I start loving all the different readings that we do (The Man Who Would Be King, Heart of Darkness, Dubliners, and Watchmen)! Oh well, I guess. FML.
I'm going to be doing these for a while again, so look for new updates soon.
Monday, March 17, 2014
What's the point?
If you're not aware of it, the job of the adjunct lecturer in higher education is a tenuous one at best. If I'm not worried about how many classes I'm going to have, then I'm worried about if those classes are going to make, or lastly, if a full-timer is going to come along and then take my class, because their's didn't make. And unlike full-time professors (roughly 30% of the faculty versus the 70% of adjuncts), I do not get paid if I do not have classes to teach. Being an adjunct lecturer is a stress, and I'm finally finished.
I never would have thought that I would say that, but it's the truth. Recently, we're having other issues popping up, too; especially the limiting of classes for my colleagues and myself. Last spring, I was able to teach a full load of 4 classes a semester per college. Now, because of new regulations, I can only teach 3 a semester. On top of that, I can only teach 2 classes an entire summer (it used to be 4) and absolutely no wintermesters. Luckily, I am able to teach at two different colleges, and have been teaching 4 classes each place for the last two years, and I really did feel like I contributed to my household's earning. Now, I can teach up to 3 classes (though that doesn't mean I get 3, this semester I only received 2 from one college and I'm not sure I'm going to get any from them in the summer) and am continuously told that I can have classes only to see them taken away from me; thusly, I continue to believe that I will have money coming in, only to find that, no, it's not, or that's it's a pittance of what I thought it was going to be. It's discouraging.
This leads me to having to throw my hands up in the air and state that the administration just does not care about the hardships of the adjuncts. We're working poor; I could not live on an adjunct's wage, and everyone in the college knows these facts, but don't seem to care.
Thank goodness I've been working towards receiving secondary certification, because I am done with all the stress that comes along with being in higher education. It's a sad state of affairs when someone who was both good and well-liked at their jobs cannot stay there because they cannot earn a living wage.
We stress to students the need get a higher education. However, they get that education from a group of individuals who earn as much (or less) than they do when working at a retail job. What kind of a system do we support, where this scenario is not only a likelihood, but I can see it in my paycheck now versus what I was making before I went to further my education and help others further their's, as well?
I never would have thought that I would say that, but it's the truth. Recently, we're having other issues popping up, too; especially the limiting of classes for my colleagues and myself. Last spring, I was able to teach a full load of 4 classes a semester per college. Now, because of new regulations, I can only teach 3 a semester. On top of that, I can only teach 2 classes an entire summer (it used to be 4) and absolutely no wintermesters. Luckily, I am able to teach at two different colleges, and have been teaching 4 classes each place for the last two years, and I really did feel like I contributed to my household's earning. Now, I can teach up to 3 classes (though that doesn't mean I get 3, this semester I only received 2 from one college and I'm not sure I'm going to get any from them in the summer) and am continuously told that I can have classes only to see them taken away from me; thusly, I continue to believe that I will have money coming in, only to find that, no, it's not, or that's it's a pittance of what I thought it was going to be. It's discouraging.
This leads me to having to throw my hands up in the air and state that the administration just does not care about the hardships of the adjuncts. We're working poor; I could not live on an adjunct's wage, and everyone in the college knows these facts, but don't seem to care.
Thank goodness I've been working towards receiving secondary certification, because I am done with all the stress that comes along with being in higher education. It's a sad state of affairs when someone who was both good and well-liked at their jobs cannot stay there because they cannot earn a living wage.
We stress to students the need get a higher education. However, they get that education from a group of individuals who earn as much (or less) than they do when working at a retail job. What kind of a system do we support, where this scenario is not only a likelihood, but I can see it in my paycheck now versus what I was making before I went to further my education and help others further their's, as well?
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