The Venting Thread

[downer]

This is a venting thread. People should be able to vent unscolded.

[Langue_doc]

Thanks, downer.

[fishbrains]

This is a venting thread. People should be able to vent unscolded.

True that. My bad, langue_doc.


Here's a song to help the mood: https://youtu.be/lWQb_T9_nwA.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Holy shit- this is going to be a long semester.

[OneMoreYear]

Holy shit- this is going to be a long semester.

Understatement of the year.

And my related vent:
My students are convinced that I have the power to do things that I in no way can control:
Waive you out of this class after your initial course waiver was denied? Sure, I'll get right on that.
Change this in-person class to virtual on the 1st day of classes? No problem.
Change the classroom the class is held in because we can't social distance in our assigned classroom? I'd love to, but TIIC in all of their wisdom have declared we are back to 100% capacity. The announcements about that went out over a month ago. There are no available classrooms. 

Long semester indeed.

[the_geneticist]

Holy shit- this is going to be a long semester.

Can I get this on a plaque or a needle-point wall hanging?

[downer]

What about as a T shirt? https://sprd.co/RVc5rDX

[clean]

I dont want to go to work!  (stomps foot.  Crosses arms, pokes out lower lip).

My MBA class ended this week. I have been busy, busy grading, grading, grading, and calculating grades.  Last night I was preparing a meat loaf, cutting an onion, and I almost fell over to my right.  I thought "that was odd" then righted myself, and then listed to the left.  I decided that I should not be holding my big knife!  By the time I got to the living room chair, the room was in full spin!  (I have Meniere's Disease/ Watchmaker's Disease, and I guess that I spent too much time on the computer, especially these last few days!)

Well, classes start today, and I guess that I had better be there! 

I take my COVID test at 2, first class at 330, and then my first WebEx meeting for the online class at 7.  I plan to stay on campus for it. IF there are any issues with the computer or the internet connection, it wont be MY responsibility to cure!

Good luck to everyone on their First Day!!

[mamselle]

Yikes, take care of yourself, Clean!

Hope you can rest by the end of the day...

M.

[OneMoreYear]

Sorry to hear about your day, clean! Hope you are feeling better!

My vent: masks are required in the classroom. This is a good safety measure, and our students are compliant. However, I can't hear them (I'm hard of hearing, and it's accelerating).
I don't qualify to teach remotely instead of in-person, and one of my classes really, really should not be taught in person anyway (special accreditor dispensation for last year due to COVID).  I'm trying to get some additional microphones placed in the classroom. I'm streaming the class for students who can't come to class that day, so some students are putting questions in the chat and that is helping.  The benefit of teaching online was that everyone put questions/comments in the chat or they would come on video to comment/ask questions, and I could jack up my computer volume and read their lips. It was glorious.   I don't have a workable solution right now, and I'm concerned I'm not going to be able to provide good teaching for my students, and that students just won't ask questions or participate because it's too much effort.   I knew it would be problematic, but until I tried it in my afternoon courses, I don't think I appreciated just how bad it was going to be.   This just sucks. My minor vents earlier on this thread no longer reach even annoyance status.

[clean]

And my related vent:
My students are convinced that I have the power to do things that I in no way can control:
Waive you out of this class after your initial course waiver was denied? Sure, I'll get right on that.
Change this in-person class to virtual on the 1st day of classes? No problem.
Change the classroom the class is held in because we can't social distance in our assigned classroom? I'd love to, but TIIC in all of their wisdom have declared we are back to 100% capacity. The announcements about that went out over a month ago. There are no available classrooms.

Long semester indeed.

Add:
just 30 minutes prior to class I get a message, "I have a COVID situation.  Can you WebEx today's class?" --- umm  I dont know how to WebEx from a classroom. I Think that we can, but no one has trained us/me how. I know that there is a lapel mike somewhere in the room, but dont know how to use it. There is a camera, but i dont know how to move it.  The IT Expert is also at home with Covid.   ....  SO, though I asked 5 other faculty how, I am NOT able to webex class today, on only 30 minutes notice! 

When I replied to the student that I have not been trained to do it, and with only 30 minutes may not be able to find anyone to show me, student replied, "So odds are I will most likely miss this first class?"
Yep, Pretty good odds! 

[the_geneticist]

What about as a T shirt? https://sprd.co/RVc5rDX

Ha ha!  Don't tempt me.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Holy shit- this is going to be a long semester.

Can I get this on a plaque or a needle-point wall hanging?

Now that would be hilarious!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Double post.

Sorry some of you are having a shitty time. Clean, I have vertigo issues (haven't had in a bit- fingers crossed), so I understand how horrible that can be.

My vent:

I worked in the garden today with some students. Everyone and their mother came out to visit and itt was hot as the First Circle of Hell. On the way home, I drove in rush hour traffic (which starts around 2pm here) to the store. Left the store and got stuck AGAIN in traffic due to an accident that had 3 out of 4 lanes closed. And all of this in a car with NO AC because mine is in the shop. SO says he doesn't need to fix the AC, but dammit, we're fixing it.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

What about as a T shirt? https://sprd.co/RVc5rDX

Ha ha!  Don't tempt me.

I LOVE this!