- Medium-sized errors in the syllabus (like, having the dates wrong)
- Forgetting to post readings online
- Spacing off my pop quizzes in one class until I'm cornered into doing them every single day until the end because there are only that many days left
- Late posting of essay topics, forcing me to renegotiate due dates
- Astoundingly poor organization of my methodology syllabus, to the detriment of my students, who need this information
- Complete inability to keep on top of the three grad students who are supposed to be turning in exams and thesis chapters before I go on sabbatical
Add to this the students' problems in paying for books -- one couldn't afford to buy the book, so he had gotten one from the library. Unfortunately, the library book was in the fourth edition, while I had assigned the tenth. Throw in the swine flu, the regular flu, and a nasty upper respiratory/headachey RINO virus, and low student and faculty morale due to furloughs, and you've got a recipe for disaster. I am dreading looking at my evaluations from this semester.
But this weekend, I just realized something else: part of the problem can be boiled down to four days; to be precise, the last four days before the semester began. Due to a confluence of circumstances, those four days were all I got to prep for my courses. And I think I've been paying for it all semester.
I need my upcoming sabbatical. But I'd also like a do-over on the semester.
**I only teach one night class.
6 comments:
Amen.
Me three. I am planning to take a long time over the holiday to make sure my syllabi for the spring are well organized and I'm not racing around trying to catch up with myself.
I don't think it is possible to over-represent the degree to which classes, grades, and faculty and student attitudes have been negatively shaped by the furloughs, budget, low morale etc. I don't want to see this semester again, even in the rear view window.
I'm with autoethnographer. Let this one pass as fast as possible.
Just got my first irate student e-mail on the subject, and I'm no longer sure whether to be sheepish or deeply irritated:
"We have class tomorrow? How come it's not on the syllabus?"
(Again, no salutation, no sign-off. Same student as before.)
Well, student, it's because, as we pointed out in class, those two syllabus dates are a misprint. But hey -- if you'd prefer that we all stick to the syllabus as printed and come in on the 5th, which is a Saturday, just let your classmates know. I'm sure they'll be fine with that.
You have been doing it hard - I think anyone would be starting to make mistakes with working hours that long. Roll on the sabbatical!
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