the "things you wish you could say" thread

[mamselle]

In settings where you just get paid straight hours per week, .and where, even though they 'say' it's based on your time sheets, it can take three weeks to generate checks for a two-week period, they may do this if they're going to get the checks out in time: you just have to forecast your hours.

If you end up over or short, it's submitted by your supervisor with a note as an amendment to your next check.

Unless it's the last two weeks of the year, it doesn't matter tax-wise or otherwise. (Have worked an A/P desk where this was common)

M.

[FishProf]

In settings where you just get paid straight hours per week, .and where, even though they 'say' it's based on your time sheets, it can take three weeks to generate checks for a two-week period, they may do this if they're going to get the checks out in time: you just have to forecast your hours.

Yup, that's about it. Convenience for Payroll.

New TYWYCS:  Why the hell are you calling me at 5:30 at night?  Is this an emergency?  No?  Then DUDE, WHAT.THE.HELL?  I get that you work at odd hours, but that doesn't require me to, even if I am Chair.  I know you THINK this looks like diligence and evidence that we should hire you permanently (we can't), but it is really annoying (so, we won't). 

[dr_codex]

Whose idea was it for us to do paperwork covering events that haven't even happened yet? How does this make sense?

I do that every week when I sign off on time sheets for the coming week.  The best case is that I don't end up lying.

I always hated this. We are supposed to sign time sheets for the next full semester. It's lunacy.

What on Earth is the idea behind that?

The State won't pay for any work not completed, with almost no exceptions. And there's a long lag between filing time-sheets and actually getting paid. So, people just fill in time sheets in advance. (Asking for hours worked for adjunct teaching is another issue, and also non-sensical. But another issue.)

Why do all of our contractors hate us? No idea.

[AvidReader]

Thank you for raising this concern. Do you not remember that I sent you this document three weeks ago for approval to make sure it would work with your existing parameters? The best time to discuss your concerns would have been three weeks ago, before I sent the document to all the students we jointly supervise.

AR.

[the_geneticist]

Do you read your emails?  I feel like I'm shouting into the void every time I try to reach you.
I agree with your statement, "it would have been nice if we could have discussed [important thing] in Fall", that's why I tried to get ahold of you for over a month.  To, you know, discuss the [important thing].
[important thing] isn't going to go away, even if your M.O. is to simply ignore things.
Yes, I have saved all my emails and attempts to reach you.  Don't make me go up the chain of command.

[mamselle]

+1 ^

In specific:

"If you'd either take full responsibility for stuff, and really follow through on it, or else include me in the loops of discussion, planning, and paperwork as we both transition away, this would be a lot simpler, smoother, cleaner operation.

"Leaving me out of three loops, then having people come back to me as the only one who can get them fixed, is not what I wanted.

"And, yeah, go write your book and cancel check-in calls, and bury your head when I ask about things I'm not supposed to have to be bothered with....but I'm writing my book, too....

...and finishing up my work, and cleaning up this mess for you, at the same time, apparently."

M.

[San Joaquin]

There was something in the water today. 

1. If you are going to object to how I fix this (super trivial) issue you are all SO. DISTURBED. over, perhaps you might reconsider whether you need to drop it on my desk to begin with. [Person A could have solved it with a phone call or email to Person B.]

2. In addition, chewing me out for not getting your approval to look at software for my unit and not informing you (WHILE I'm sharing the information about which you are complaining) is...just odd.  My boss and yours asked me to do this, so I will be doing this.

I even looked to confirm it wasn't a full moon....sheesh.

[Langue_doc]

To the idiot who sent this email to several institutions--learn to capitalize proper nouns, and no, being a "born-and-raised New Yorker" doesn't make you special.

Good Afternoon Professors!

My name is Xxxxxx Yyyyy and I am 32 years old. I recently published my memoir which takes readers through the twists and turns of my life. I have been encouraged to reach out to college level professors as many readers believe my book could be an interesting and analytical piece for both english and psychology college majors to dive into. 

The intention of this email is to see if anyone would be interested in reading my book to determine if it would fit into your curriculum. I would be honored and absolutely willing to be involved in any class discussions if you so wish, as I am a born-and-raised New Yorker.

Although some of the book dives into some hard times, there IS a happy ending. As you will see on my amazon reviews, everyone can relate to my story in at least one aspect.

It would be an honor if any of you would consider my book. I am copying the amazon link below, but if you are interested in speaking further, I would happily send you a free digital copy of the book to read in full for you to make a decision. You could also contact me via xxx-xxx-xxxx.

[apl68]

I don't know that I'd want my memoir to be of interest to psychology majors.

[mamselle]

And a 32-year-old with enough to say to write his memoirs already?

Unless he's Mozart, forget it.

M.

[marshwiggle]

And a 32-year-old with enough to say to write his memoirs already?

Unless he's Mozart, forget it.

M.

Well, it's the literary equivalent of a selfie, so it makes sense for that generation.

[Langue_doc]

And a 32-year-old with enough to say to write his memoirs already?

Unless he's Mozart, forget it.

M.

Well, it's the literary equivalent of a selfie, so it makes sense for that generation.

Forgot to include the title, which is "The Forever Haze of After: My Story of Resilience, Strength, and Companionship While Navigating My Afters"

I have no idea what an After is, nor do I want to know how one navigates one's Afters.

[apl68]

And a 32-year-old with enough to say to write his memoirs already?

Unless he's Mozart, forget it.

M.

Well let's face it, most recently-published memoirs have been written to start a writing career, not to cap one.  Eat, Pray, Love and Wild, anyone?

[teach_write_research]

It's almost like he self-published his memoirs and then is finding faculty email addresses on publicly available websites and spamming them. Or exactly like.

[ergative]

I understand your desire to avoid 'explicitly pitting colleagues' teaching methodologies against each other', but I also think that if we want to know which teaching methodologies worked better than others, then the colleagues are going to have to suck it up and prepare for the possibility that a methodology they tried maybe didn't work very well. We've all been trying new methodologies for online teaching. If we want to know whether they worked, then we have to ask.

Also, I don't think you've fully thought it through when you said that you won't change your methodology based on whether or not it was perceived as confusing, "because pedagogy doesn't work that way." It doesn't? If it doesn't work that way, it should. If students tell you that your teaching methodology is confusing, then you should change it. That's why we ask for student feedback in the first place!

Please put your defensiveness to one side and look to the bigger picture: We changed everything this academic year; everyone was trying something new. We all were struggling, and we none of us knew what would work well. This is one of the best times to compare teaching styles against each other, because no one is wedded to any particular method; no one has sunk a career and an identity into teaching a particular way.

If we're going to ask students what worked and what didn't, then we should be prepared for the possibility that they will say that what we tried didn't work. Otherwise this is Feelings Theater, and that doesn't serve any purpose beyond wasting everyone's time.