Class Start 2020

[clean]

Im sure that many of you are already back to the salt mines.  My campus (and many in my state system) dont start until Tuesday (the day after Martin Luther King Day).  Campus meetings start tomorrow.

I was working on my blackboard course copies earlier today.  I am sure that I still have plenty to do with them.

I dont know about you, but I dont want to go back.  Maybe (as is usually the case), once I start back, I ll be glad and ready to be back. But I dont want to go back at this point! 

I had a good break.  I spent 2 weeks with my parents. It was the first time in 2 years that I was home to see them that was not really revolving around a surgery. However, I was hospitalized in October, so I think that part of the break was just me getting away from my own health issues for a short while.

Anyway, back to the question at hand!!  When do you go back?  Are you excited?  Are you ready? 

I will probably make this another thread soon... Do you have Spring Break plans yet?

[bibliothecula]

I had two classes meet for the first time yesterday, and two today. I think all four will go well--the students were attentive and engaged, and a few even laughed at my jokes. Two of the preps are new for me. One of my TAs brought the other TA and me a huge piece of chocolate cake for us all of have to kick off the year, which was wonderful and a good reminder that learning should be sweet.

[FishProf]

I was well ahead of being ready for our earlier-than-usual start...and then life happened.

MrsFishProf became ill, and has since been hospitalized for the last two weeks.  While she is past the life-threatening stage, she is a far cry from the well-enough-to-go-home stage.

So, best laid plans and all that.  Now it's put Smolt on the bus, go to hospital (30 minutes one way) and sit in MFP's room with my laptop, trying to stem the tide.  Then back to meet Smolt after school.  Then it's back to the hospital, or karate, or whatever else is n the docket for the sense of normalcy.

Unless I have a class.  Then it is go to school (30 minutes the other way) and then back to the hospital.

I have in-laws to help, but wow is it ever a logistic balancing act to keep these balls in the air.

My students have been, so far, understanding and responsible.  Except for the three who interpreted "If we need to cancel, I will post an announcement by 4pm," as "we won't have class unless I tell you otherwise".

[backatit]

I am so sorry she's ill! Best wishes for a speedy recovery for her.

I'm in week 2 and not feeling it so much. Most of my students are great, and I've made some significant refresh changes to a couple of my classes (and have plans in the works for 2 more that I'm working on) that should make them more interesting (although more difficult) to teach. I'm getting a little burned out, I think. I don't have a sabbatical option, and I have 5 years before I can think of changing positions, so I'm thinking of a plan to refresh those years by learning new skills (not that I have the time) and reframing some old ones.

[ergative]

Classes started this week, and I spent all of last semester on research leave, which was amazing and productive (three papers and two grants submitted). But then on the last day before classes started I got a second rejection for a paper that I somehow can't seem to convince anyone is as awesome as I think it is, and it's a real confidence-killer. I thought I had a genuine shot this time. This is some of the best work I've done, I thought, and no one likes it.

So I'm dealing with that in my head, and then I have to go into my lectures and pretend that I know what I'm doing and how to do it, and it's hard. And I'm out of practice and felt simultaneously breathless and rambling while I lectured, and that made me feel like more of a fraud.

So, yeah, not a great start to the semester.

[backatit]

Classes started this week, and I spent all of last semester on research leave, which was amazing and productive (three papers and two grants submitted). But then on the last day before classes started I got a second rejection for a paper that I somehow can't seem to convince anyone is as awesome as I think it is, and it's a real confidence-killer. I thought I had a genuine shot this time. This is some of the best work I've done, I thought, and no one likes it.

So I'm dealing with that in my head, and then I have to go into my lectures and pretend that I know what I'm doing and how to do it, and it's hard. And I'm out of practice and felt simultaneously breathless and rambling while I lectured, and that made me feel like more of a fraud.

So, yeah, not a great start to the semester.

Ergative, you're not alone. I'm dealing with a significant rejection as well (I think it has a lot to do with my burnout) and it does suck. I think I'll try again but it's hard to get the motivation. I'll do some things to try to help (some peer feedback, etc) but part of it is just going to have to be knowing that I'm more than just this work.

[mahagonny]

I'm in the usual place for mid January. Too soon to know how many paid contact hours I will have, so I don't know what my income from teaching will be, or even my schedule. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I worked my tail off in adjunct teaching when I was younger, so we have built up some equity.
'Don't want to go back' - I hear ya, clean. Many of us feel what we believe are the effects of the lack of commitment, investment, even interest in what we are trying hard to teach the students, on the part of administration. I'm thinking more about what kind of work I might do, full time, hopefully, that's not teaching. Maybe have another life. Health is still reasonably good. I don't need a big cash income, but the health insurance wolf is always at the door.
I didn't miss even one half hour of classroom time all fall 2019. Strong student evaluations. Reward? Fewer students and hours this term likely. Bitter? Sure.

[AJ_Katz]

Class started this week.  I have a good group of students in the course.  I co-teach, so although I lecture this week, I am not lecturing full time until later in the semester.  In the meantime, I am still trying to finalize our schedule and update quizzes and readings.

When I was young, I use to aspire to be a teacher.  I really enjoyed opportunities to lecture in class as a graduate student.  I even liked teaching a couple of math courses as the instructor of record when I was a brand new grad student. 

Today, however, I really despise teaching.  I simply don't have time to make my lectures what they should be and there's no real incentive to go beyond being an "acceptable" instructor to being a rockstar.  Most of my appointment is research, which means a lot of graduate student advising, worrying about budgets and the next grant, and getting students finished.  I enjoy advising and seeing students achieve success.  On the other hand, I feel teaching has driven me to drinking in the past because I can find it can be demoralizing.

This year, my resolution is to care less about my career and teaching.  I've started a new diet and exercise program, and am taking more personal time for me.  I've hit a point where I feel that more time invested in my career is not resulting in more benefit to me, so I'm not going to continue investing into it at the 110% level I was in the past five years.  It is simply not sustainable. 

[Parasaurolophus]

I've been back at it since the beginning of January. But today's a snow day (because they're not used to much snow in this part of the country), and man, is it ever welcome! I needed this snow day!

[Cheerful]

I was well ahead of being ready for our earlier-than-usual start...and then life happened.

Sorry to learn that, FishProf.  Hope the recovery moves along well.  Take good care of yourself during this stressful time.  Don't hesitate to ask colleagues to help with teaching, etc., if possible. You would help them if they were in such a situation.

This year, my resolution is to care less about my career and teaching.  I've started a new diet and exercise program, and am taking more personal time for me.  I've hit a point where I feel that more time invested in my career is not resulting in more benefit to me, so I'm not going to continue investing into it at the 110% level I was in the past five years.  It is simply not sustainable. 

Sounds like you're off to a productive start, AJ_Katz.  Work-Life balance is important.  You don't need to give 110%.  Be good to yourself.

[FishProf]

I was well ahead of being ready for our earlier-than-usual start...and then life happened.

Sorry to learn that, FishProf.  Hope the recovery moves along well.  Take good care of yourself during this stressful time.  Don't hesitate to ask colleagues to help with teaching, etc., if possible. You would help them if they were in such a situation.

Thanks.  My colleagues have been wonderful, and having a folder of ready to go online supplements has been very handy.  (For the curious - things seem to have taken a turn for the better)