NOTE: I actually wrote this quote a while ago -- I just forgot to post it.
Yesterday, what a day. It started off just fine. The excitement of election day...going in early to get some grading done before class (and almost feeling caught up on grading for the first time in about 3 months)...and then...it all began.
I got to work at about 6:25 a.m. It's dark. It's raining. It's cold. The parking lot is empty except for me. My class begins at 7:30 a.m. so I am there to finish some grading, check email, get ready for the day. I walk up to the door of the building carrying my book bag, carrying my lunch, carrying my purse, and carrying my umbrella. When I get to the building, I discover it's locked. Locked. Again. Sigh. You see, we (faculty) used to have keys to get into the building, but when the building was remodeled this summer, they changed the way that we get in the locked building -- now we use scan our IDs to get into out offices and we're supposed to be able to do the same to get in the building. Yet, here it is November and my ID still won't let me in.
No worries though. I can call Public Safety to let me in, which I do.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Need to take time for me
Wow - I have been so negligent in my posting. I just logged on and couldn't believe it when I saw my last post was in October! Yikes! My apologies to anyone who might still possibly be checking this.
Here's the latest: I work too much. Yes, I am admitting it. My life has been work, work, work. I don't have time to do anything around the house like sew, seriously clean, or organize/get rid of things. It's really starting to get me down. My weight is going up again -- so much for those 30 pounds I had lost last year at this time. They're back and with a vengeance. I feel rotten most of the time and am really disappointed in myself for going backwards health-wise. It seems like everyone I know is losing weight and what do I do? I gain it back. I feel like crap.
So what's the goos news in all of this? This summer, I am not teaching and I'm so happy! I keep thinking of what I can do to make the next 7 weeks go by faster. At night when I can't sleep, I lie in bed and think about what I will do to the yard once the weather warms up and I can get back out there and dig around in the dirt. In all, I just cannot wait to have time to do things to energize myself.
That's it for now. I hope to get back on here and post some pictures from our trip to Las Vegas for the CCCCs conference.
Uncle Roger - if you're reading this -- I'm sorry for not writing. I'm going to try to be better and make more time for myself, which includes getting on here and reflecting about things. :-)
Here's the latest: I work too much. Yes, I am admitting it. My life has been work, work, work. I don't have time to do anything around the house like sew, seriously clean, or organize/get rid of things. It's really starting to get me down. My weight is going up again -- so much for those 30 pounds I had lost last year at this time. They're back and with a vengeance. I feel rotten most of the time and am really disappointed in myself for going backwards health-wise. It seems like everyone I know is losing weight and what do I do? I gain it back. I feel like crap.
So what's the goos news in all of this? This summer, I am not teaching and I'm so happy! I keep thinking of what I can do to make the next 7 weeks go by faster. At night when I can't sleep, I lie in bed and think about what I will do to the yard once the weather warms up and I can get back out there and dig around in the dirt. In all, I just cannot wait to have time to do things to energize myself.
That's it for now. I hope to get back on here and post some pictures from our trip to Las Vegas for the CCCCs conference.
Uncle Roger - if you're reading this -- I'm sorry for not writing. I'm going to try to be better and make more time for myself, which includes getting on here and reflecting about things. :-)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
8 Weeks Down, 8 to Go
Finally, the first eight weeks of the semester are done! This is a big point in my semester. I've finished teaching 2 of my 4 eight-week classes at Hawkeye and my 1 eight-week online class for UNI has ended as well. This means I'm down to just teaching 3 at Hawkeye and 2 for Allen. It's been a good first part of the semester, and I've had quite a few memorable moments with students and faculty at all places. However, I'm glad to see the semester progressing and am looking forward to these last eight weeks because that means after these next eight, it's semester break. Of course, with semester break comes spring semester which means that summer vacation is getting closer all the time.
Monday, October 1, 2012
An Interesting Paper Topic
(Note to Uncle Roger: I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while! Things got a bit busy.)
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading through and commenting on students' drafts when I came upon a topic I can easily say I've never seen before in a student paper. Now that's a pretty amazing feat considering I've been at this teaching gig for a little over a decade now. "What was the topic?" you ask. Well...prepare yourself. Here is an excerpt from a paragraph:
"First you need to get a dead raccoon. Next, you will lift the raccoon up and tie twine around the left ankle. Then you need to loop the other end of the twine around a branch at a comfortable working height for you. After that, you then tie the loose end of the twine on the right ankle of the raccoon. You have successfully hung your raccoon for the skinning process."
Yes, dear readers, this student wrote his process paper on how to actually take the skin off of a raccoon. You can imagine my shock when I read the first few lines. I guess one good thing I can say about it is that his description was pretty good and his sense of process was easy to follow though I did have to look away a few times while reading in order to save myself from passing out/crying/vomiting/all of the above. The worst part was when he wrote about cutting the skin off by the nose. Oh Lord, help me!
As you know, I'm no hunter, I never have been and I never will be. That doesn't mean I think others shouldn't; it's just not my thing, but please, please, please if you are a hunter, do not write a paper about killing, skinning, etc. I just can't take it!
I do have to say this student did a good job of writing about what he knew, and if I had any inclination to indeed skin a dead raccoon, I'm sure his paper would have made the process easier to undertake. LIke a good teacher, I always do my best to find some way to provide a positive comment for each student's paper. Needless to say, this was one presented the biggest challenge in that department.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading through and commenting on students' drafts when I came upon a topic I can easily say I've never seen before in a student paper. Now that's a pretty amazing feat considering I've been at this teaching gig for a little over a decade now. "What was the topic?" you ask. Well...prepare yourself. Here is an excerpt from a paragraph:
"First you need to get a dead raccoon. Next, you will lift the raccoon up and tie twine around the left ankle. Then you need to loop the other end of the twine around a branch at a comfortable working height for you. After that, you then tie the loose end of the twine on the right ankle of the raccoon. You have successfully hung your raccoon for the skinning process."
Yes, dear readers, this student wrote his process paper on how to actually take the skin off of a raccoon. You can imagine my shock when I read the first few lines. I guess one good thing I can say about it is that his description was pretty good and his sense of process was easy to follow though I did have to look away a few times while reading in order to save myself from passing out/crying/vomiting/all of the above. The worst part was when he wrote about cutting the skin off by the nose. Oh Lord, help me!
As you know, I'm no hunter, I never have been and I never will be. That doesn't mean I think others shouldn't; it's just not my thing, but please, please, please if you are a hunter, do not write a paper about killing, skinning, etc. I just can't take it!
I do have to say this student did a good job of writing about what he knew, and if I had any inclination to indeed skin a dead raccoon, I'm sure his paper would have made the process easier to undertake. LIke a good teacher, I always do my best to find some way to provide a positive comment for each student's paper. Needless to say, this was one presented the biggest challenge in that department.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Can I Leave Class Part II
Today, the same student from the last post came up to me at the beginning of class and asked if he could leave our class to go make up a test from a different class. Seriously? I just said, "Go." Then I marked him absent. I wonder if he'll even know why...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Can I Leave Class?
I just had a conversation with a student a few minutes ago about his attitude in class. Today, yet again, he has decided that texting on his cell phone during class is far more important than anything we are doing and that asking me at the beginning of every single class if we are doing "anything" today and if he can leave is what a college student should do. Apparently calling him out in class on it does nothing, so we had a nice conversation in the hall after letting the class go for the day.
This conversation reminded me quite a bit of the "I left my bag in class so I was there" student from a week or so ago. Somebody...please tell me that today's 20-something-year-olds are really not this dense.
Me: "So, what's going on?"
Student: "Nothing."
Me: "Obviously. So what's the deal with the cell phone, again?"
Student: "What about it?"
Me: "You being on it. Remember the first day of class? The syllabus? All that conversation about why you should not be on your phone or if you need to be on your phone that you should leave."
Student: "But if I leave, then I won't get the assignment."
Me: "Yeah, but if you stay, you aren't paying attention and are still not getting the assignment, so why be here?
Student: "Because you said I had to."
Me: "I never said you had to. In fact, I made a special point about telling you to leave when you asked me if you had to be here. Yet you stayed and then proceeded to be as rude as humanly possible with your comments and your phone. In fact, I want you to leave. I don't want this attitude in class. Your bad attitude affects my attitude which in turn make me not want to be here."
Student: "I would never disrespect you. You're a doctor. You know what you're talking about."
Me: "Really? I don't think you do know what I'm talking about considering I've had this conversation with you more than once. So why are you on the phone?"
Student: "I get bored. I just want to turn in my assignment and leave."
Me: "So do it. No one is making you stay. You're an adult. I'm not babysitting you. If you want to be that kind of student, do it. But don't expect to get points or the homework assignment for not being there, and you better not ever ask me if you can leave again. Just do it. In fact, I'd prefer it."
Student: "I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I just don't see why I have to stay if I've turned in my assignment."
Me: "You don't have to stay. No one is making you. But why didn't you take this as an online class when it's very apparent to me that you have no desire to be in this class. And don't tell me you do want to be here because someone who asks if they can leave all the time clearly doesn't."
Student: "I like class. I just don't want to have to stay."
Me: "Then don't stay. It's your choice."
Student: "But you said I have to."
Me: "I'm not sure how to make this more clear to you: you do NOT have to be here! You are an adult and it's your CHOICE to be here."
Student: "Okay, I'll be better. I just won't bring my cell phone at all to class."
Me: ...sigh...
This conversation reminded me quite a bit of the "I left my bag in class so I was there" student from a week or so ago. Somebody...please tell me that today's 20-something-year-olds are really not this dense.
Me: "So, what's going on?"
Student: "Nothing."
Me: "Obviously. So what's the deal with the cell phone, again?"
Student: "What about it?"
Me: "You being on it. Remember the first day of class? The syllabus? All that conversation about why you should not be on your phone or if you need to be on your phone that you should leave."
Student: "But if I leave, then I won't get the assignment."
Me: "Yeah, but if you stay, you aren't paying attention and are still not getting the assignment, so why be here?
Student: "Because you said I had to."
Me: "I never said you had to. In fact, I made a special point about telling you to leave when you asked me if you had to be here. Yet you stayed and then proceeded to be as rude as humanly possible with your comments and your phone. In fact, I want you to leave. I don't want this attitude in class. Your bad attitude affects my attitude which in turn make me not want to be here."
Student: "I would never disrespect you. You're a doctor. You know what you're talking about."
Me: "Really? I don't think you do know what I'm talking about considering I've had this conversation with you more than once. So why are you on the phone?"
Student: "I get bored. I just want to turn in my assignment and leave."
Me: "So do it. No one is making you stay. You're an adult. I'm not babysitting you. If you want to be that kind of student, do it. But don't expect to get points or the homework assignment for not being there, and you better not ever ask me if you can leave again. Just do it. In fact, I'd prefer it."
Student: "I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I just don't see why I have to stay if I've turned in my assignment."
Me: "You don't have to stay. No one is making you. But why didn't you take this as an online class when it's very apparent to me that you have no desire to be in this class. And don't tell me you do want to be here because someone who asks if they can leave all the time clearly doesn't."
Student: "I like class. I just don't want to have to stay."
Me: "Then don't stay. It's your choice."
Student: "But you said I have to."
Me: "I'm not sure how to make this more clear to you: you do NOT have to be here! You are an adult and it's your CHOICE to be here."
Student: "Okay, I'll be better. I just won't bring my cell phone at all to class."
Me: ...sigh...
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Honorary Sideline Coach...Me?
I received quite an interesting email just a moment ago. Here it is (names removed to protect the ever-so-guilty):
Dear Marcea,
Umm...Honorary Sideline Coach? Did I miss something? What is this? Somebody please tell me. I am the least athletic or sports-minded person I know. And why have I never heard of anything like this before? I am teaching a class at UNI on how to teach grammar to K-8 students and I do have one student who is on the soccer team. So this must have to do with her. Dang her for getting me involved! What the heck?
Essentially though, aside from the fact that I have no idea what an Honorary Sideline Coach is or does, here's my quandary -- the class I'm teaching is only a 1 credit hour course, and it's ONLINE!!! I don't even know these students and they don't know me. I have no clue what they look like or sound like. I know them only from a few keystrokes every week. As instructor-students, we've interacted a handful of times on our course website, and in terms of this soccer student, I've only corresponded with her via email once or twice. So how in the world could she have nominated me, ME!, to be such a thing?
I suppose I should be honored. Right? After all, it is an HONORARY title. Or should I be suspicious? Is this some new type of student-instructor hazing? Will I show up only and be the only one there? Or will I arrive in the midst of some "under-the-cloak-of-darkness" hazing ritual where they demand that I drink beer upside down, build a pyramid out of aluminum cans, and then sprint over hot coals just to get back to my car? (And then end up on someone's Facebook page, naturally.)
Then again, maybe this actually is a good thing -- a fine, upstanding, university-sanctioned event. Perhaps I will get a free T-Shirt or perhaps some pom poms to wave. Maybe all I have to do is show up and I'll be treated as "queen for a day," er "coach for a day." Maybe I can even ask for an official whistle and megaphone!
If I do decide to go, I just hope they wouldn't expect much, especially not (Heaven forbid) coaching!
Dear Marcea,
My name is --- and I am a student assistant in Athletics Academic Services and in charge of organizing the Honorary Sideline Coach (HSC) program. We have taken nominations, and you have been nominated as an Honorary Sideline Coach by --- on the Soccer team!
As you know, we are in the midst of another exciting soccer season, and I am happy to extend to you an invitation to experience the excitement first hand as an HSC. This program provides a unique experience for our faculty to be with the team and participate in team activities on the day of the competition. The selection of the faculty to participate comes directly from our student athletes. Your name was submitted by --- because you have positively impacted her experience at UNI.
Umm...Honorary Sideline Coach? Did I miss something? What is this? Somebody please tell me. I am the least athletic or sports-minded person I know. And why have I never heard of anything like this before? I am teaching a class at UNI on how to teach grammar to K-8 students and I do have one student who is on the soccer team. So this must have to do with her. Dang her for getting me involved! What the heck?
Essentially though, aside from the fact that I have no idea what an Honorary Sideline Coach is or does, here's my quandary -- the class I'm teaching is only a 1 credit hour course, and it's ONLINE!!! I don't even know these students and they don't know me. I have no clue what they look like or sound like. I know them only from a few keystrokes every week. As instructor-students, we've interacted a handful of times on our course website, and in terms of this soccer student, I've only corresponded with her via email once or twice. So how in the world could she have nominated me, ME!, to be such a thing?
I suppose I should be honored. Right? After all, it is an HONORARY title. Or should I be suspicious? Is this some new type of student-instructor hazing? Will I show up only and be the only one there? Or will I arrive in the midst of some "under-the-cloak-of-darkness" hazing ritual where they demand that I drink beer upside down, build a pyramid out of aluminum cans, and then sprint over hot coals just to get back to my car? (And then end up on someone's Facebook page, naturally.)
Then again, maybe this actually is a good thing -- a fine, upstanding, university-sanctioned event. Perhaps I will get a free T-Shirt or perhaps some pom poms to wave. Maybe all I have to do is show up and I'll be treated as "queen for a day," er "coach for a day." Maybe I can even ask for an official whistle and megaphone!
If I do decide to go, I just hope they wouldn't expect much, especially not (Heaven forbid) coaching!
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