Again, the test presents itself
Again, the students fear
Again, I have outdone myself
Again, the grades are clear
Showing posts with label Exams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exams. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
20211022.0430
The day fast approaches again
When a grading period reaches an end
And the students will sit for a test that they chose
And as to results--who knows?
How many students will puzzle it out
Figure out what the text is about
That confronts them in days, I cannot yet say
But soon enough will; it's soon exam day
When a grading period reaches an end
And the students will sit for a test that they chose
And as to results--who knows?
How many students will puzzle it out
Figure out what the text is about
That confronts them in days, I cannot yet say
But soon enough will; it's soon exam day
Monday, May 8, 2017
20170508.0449
I'm going to be giving exams yet again,
Repeating a process that seems not to end,
One that goes on, though it fewer defend,
And I'm not sure why I still do it.
Still, I have said it, so it I will do,
For what I say, I strive to see through,
Which concept, I'm told, is far from brand new,
Although fewer people will do it.
Such is the line, though I the line doubt.
Liars and cheats have been ever about,
And complaints about them can be found throughout
The groupings of those who will do it.
Repeating a process that seems not to end,
One that goes on, though it fewer defend,
And I'm not sure why I still do it.
Still, I have said it, so it I will do,
For what I say, I strive to see through,
Which concept, I'm told, is far from brand new,
Although fewer people will do it.
Such is the line, though I the line doubt.
Liars and cheats have been ever about,
And complaints about them can be found throughout
The groupings of those who will do it.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
20161214.0558
So it is that my semester's done,
Although it seems that it had just begun,
And I with students had been having fun.
Exams are graded. Grades are posted, too,
So for the term, there's nothing left to do,
And I must wonder, now the term is through,
What tasks await for me to turn my hand.
What new thing that must I understand
Is waiting as I, free to walk the land,
Proceed upon my way away from class.
I am, it happens, glad to see them pass
Who sat under my tutelage and sass,
At least in the main. I wish them well,
Though I know not the stories they will tell.
Although it seems that it had just begun,
And I with students had been having fun.
Exams are graded. Grades are posted, too,
So for the term, there's nothing left to do,
And I must wonder, now the term is through,
What tasks await for me to turn my hand.
What new thing that must I understand
Is waiting as I, free to walk the land,
Proceed upon my way away from class.
I am, it happens, glad to see them pass
Who sat under my tutelage and sass,
At least in the main. I wish them well,
Though I know not the stories they will tell.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
20161213.0609
Today's another testing day.
I'll get it done, but I'll not play
Afterwards; I must away
Because the work continues.
I'm not done when the grading's done.
While my students go have fun,
I must my enjoyment shun
Because the work continues.
Often, I look for a path
That leads me out from school-time wrath,
But at such thoughts the world laughs
Because the work continues.
I'll get it done, but I'll not play
Afterwards; I must away
Because the work continues.
I'm not done when the grading's done.
While my students go have fun,
I must my enjoyment shun
Because the work continues.
Often, I look for a path
That leads me out from school-time wrath,
But at such thoughts the world laughs
Because the work continues.
Monday, December 12, 2016
20161212.0556
As the term draws to its end,
And I must myself defend
From the comments students send
About the grading,
I know they will sit for tests,
And I know that mine are best.
Indeed, it almost gives me zest
About the grading.
A bit more paperwork still calls
Upon me to walk the halls
So that I do not further stall
About the grading,
And I will turn to the task,
And I will do as I'm asked,
Though I will get no small sass
About the grading.
And I must myself defend
From the comments students send
About the grading,
I know they will sit for tests,
And I know that mine are best.
Indeed, it almost gives me zest
About the grading.
A bit more paperwork still calls
Upon me to walk the halls
So that I do not further stall
About the grading,
And I will turn to the task,
And I will do as I'm asked,
Though I will get no small sass
About the grading.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
20160505.0654
Administering exams is concluded for me now; all I have left to do is to grade the exams, return them to the students, submit grades, pick up one bag from my desk, and return my key, and all is done for one job. (I turned in my key for another job yesterday.) Although the paperwork will not go through for a couple of days, I will be effectively unemployed at that point--so, tomorrow, more or less. And at this point, despite having dozens of job applications out, I have few if any prospects. One job interview awaits, and only the one--and I cannot trust that I will be awarded the job, despite being qualified to do it and willing to do the work. (I do intend to take in more freelance work once I relocate, but I more or less have to wait until the relocation; uprooting in the middle of jobs does not suggest itself as a good idea, either for contractor/client relations or for the actual quality of work to be done.) I am a diligent worker and skilled in many areas--including learning new information and skills. I would be a good employee. Just make it so I can support my family.
It is also Cinco de Mayo, something my family and I mark. We do not do so extravagantly, to be sure; I tend to push against being overly celebratory in any event, and my personal connection to the holiday is somewhat tenuous. But my wife and daughter have it in their heritage, and if they decide to celebrate it (albeit in only small ways, given circumstances), I can hardly refuse them. And I have to wonder if there is not something emblematic in my getting more or less done with the work I have been doing these past years on this day, one that commemorates an unlikely victory. Part of me wants to hope so--but another part of me worries that if it is so, I am more the French than the Mexican in the event. Such worries usually pop up when I consider the applicability of metaphor and adage to my life; I may be given lemons, but what sugar is provided that I may make lemonade? And perhaps things have purpose, but the purpose may well be to serve as an admonitory example to others.
The view is not the most optimistic, I know. And I know I should be more grateful for the many good things that are in my life and the many good people who are in it. I know things could be far, far worse than they are. But I feel sometimes as if I am asked to fawn over them and act as though things are good enough. They are not. They need to be better, and I am trying to make them better through work, and no work presents itself. Nor am I in a position to be able to strike out and try to make things work outside of regular work; I flatly cannot afford the price of failure, for I am not the one who would have to pay the bulk of it. My daughter would (and the Mrs. and I were in reasonably good shape when we started getting out of the way of having her, thank you very much; we were pulling in six figures or damned close to it, with five figures in the bank). If I am not entirely happy with things, I think I have some reason for it.
It is also Cinco de Mayo, something my family and I mark. We do not do so extravagantly, to be sure; I tend to push against being overly celebratory in any event, and my personal connection to the holiday is somewhat tenuous. But my wife and daughter have it in their heritage, and if they decide to celebrate it (albeit in only small ways, given circumstances), I can hardly refuse them. And I have to wonder if there is not something emblematic in my getting more or less done with the work I have been doing these past years on this day, one that commemorates an unlikely victory. Part of me wants to hope so--but another part of me worries that if it is so, I am more the French than the Mexican in the event. Such worries usually pop up when I consider the applicability of metaphor and adage to my life; I may be given lemons, but what sugar is provided that I may make lemonade? And perhaps things have purpose, but the purpose may well be to serve as an admonitory example to others.
The view is not the most optimistic, I know. And I know I should be more grateful for the many good things that are in my life and the many good people who are in it. I know things could be far, far worse than they are. But I feel sometimes as if I am asked to fawn over them and act as though things are good enough. They are not. They need to be better, and I am trying to make them better through work, and no work presents itself. Nor am I in a position to be able to strike out and try to make things work outside of regular work; I flatly cannot afford the price of failure, for I am not the one who would have to pay the bulk of it. My daughter would (and the Mrs. and I were in reasonably good shape when we started getting out of the way of having her, thank you very much; we were pulling in six figures or damned close to it, with five figures in the bank). If I am not entirely happy with things, I think I have some reason for it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
20160504.0542
May the Fourth be with you, always, but especially on this day, this Jedi Day, with the horrible pun that, as I think on it, relies on the idea of speech impediments (Is that the current term? I do not wish to undercut those who experience such situations by using the wrong terms for them.) being funny. So I suppose that after some years of marking the occasion, I really ought to stop making the joke. And, really, it is a hackneyed pun at this point; I should be doing better.
Less bad-jokingly, today marks the sixth anniversary of my posting in this webspace; I have commented about the date in such regard before, and more than once. Matters largely continue as I have attested in previous years. At present, I face administering exams and grading them, and I have travel plans that commence shortly after I wrap things up where I am, so I have to get things done quick, fast, and in a hurry--while still doing things right. And I am facing a loss of employment with no certain prospects, although I doubt I will receive a call while I am at the International Congress on Medieval Studies saying that I have had my contract suddenly renewed. Not this time.
Work continues even so, however. I recently pushed through a series of short definitions in response to a series of freelance orders. Each paid only a little, but I can dash off fifty words in a scant few minutes, and lots of small things combine into larger ones quickly. I am looking at taking on additional other freelance work, although how I will work out the timing will be interesting, given the travel plans in the next week and the move to come shortly thereafter. The Texas Hill Country calls, and I must answer, despite the opprobrium cast upon the area and its indwellers by a great many. Perhaps once I have arrived there, I will be able to spend a bit of time attending to one writing concern or another. With luck, I will be able to write enough, and well enough, to be able to bring in some money for my family from it once again. I have appreciated the past weeks of less strain on my person, but the concomitantly greater strain on my finances has been less welcome...
Less bad-jokingly, today marks the sixth anniversary of my posting in this webspace; I have commented about the date in such regard before, and more than once. Matters largely continue as I have attested in previous years. At present, I face administering exams and grading them, and I have travel plans that commence shortly after I wrap things up where I am, so I have to get things done quick, fast, and in a hurry--while still doing things right. And I am facing a loss of employment with no certain prospects, although I doubt I will receive a call while I am at the International Congress on Medieval Studies saying that I have had my contract suddenly renewed. Not this time.
Work continues even so, however. I recently pushed through a series of short definitions in response to a series of freelance orders. Each paid only a little, but I can dash off fifty words in a scant few minutes, and lots of small things combine into larger ones quickly. I am looking at taking on additional other freelance work, although how I will work out the timing will be interesting, given the travel plans in the next week and the move to come shortly thereafter. The Texas Hill Country calls, and I must answer, despite the opprobrium cast upon the area and its indwellers by a great many. Perhaps once I have arrived there, I will be able to spend a bit of time attending to one writing concern or another. With luck, I will be able to write enough, and well enough, to be able to bring in some money for my family from it once again. I have appreciated the past weeks of less strain on my person, but the concomitantly greater strain on my finances has been less welcome...
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
20160503.0856
Two of the exams are given
Two more remain
Grading will follow
And follow
And follow
And follow
And some will not be pleased
And others will know
They deserve what happens
And still others will find
That one
Little
Thing
That brings them up
They will be happy, I think.
Two more remain
Grading will follow
And follow
And follow
And follow
And some will not be pleased
And others will know
They deserve what happens
And still others will find
That one
Little
Thing
That brings them up
They will be happy, I think.
Monday, May 2, 2016
20160502.0629
Today, I will be proctoring two of the four exams I am offering this term. One is at the institution that offers my primary employment for a little longer; the other is at the community college where I picked up a class for a bit of added income. They are substantively similar assignments, both asking students to reflect on how instruction might be improved. From what students have told me thus far, since I have encouraged them to take ample notes and to discuss their note-taking with me, many are focusing on job-related ideas. That is, they are looking to suggest that the course sequences in which they find themselves adjust to include job-search materials such as cover letters, emails, and resumes. I do not know that the idea is a bad one, actually, although I know that a couple of later writing courses offered to the students--Business Communication and Technical Writing--attend to such concerns, and I have to wonder if their hosting programs might get...agitated at first-year courses incorporating such materials.
Such annoyance is not my problem, however, as I will be moving on once the exams are given and graded. I mean to be done with those tasks quickly, and I expect that I will be able to be so quickly done; exam submissions tend toward brevity. If things go as they are supposed to go, I will get the exams graded, get my grades submitted, and turn in all of what I need to turn in to my jobs--and then I will be done. A few more things will need doing for the International Congress on Medieval Studies, at which I have tasks to complete; I have a little bit of preparatory work left to do in advance of those tasks, but not much. After that, though, and after next week's flying trips to the Texas Hill Country (I have a job interview) and Kalamazoo (the Congress), I will be done--at least with academic work, and at least for a little bit. Packing for the end of my visit to the wind-swept plains will need to continue, of course, since that visit ends when the month does, and there will be little time remaining, relatively speaking.
Something similar was the case for me some three years ago, I know. I was facing the loss of employment (due to a layoff) and a relative lack of prospects for more of it. I was fortunate enough to be recalled, though, and my current primary job presented itself as a relief. No such reprieve is currently available--but I recall that I was recalled while at the Congress, and while I do not necessarily look for such a thing to happen again, I cannot help but have a little bit of hope that I will get a fortunate email or phone call in the next days, or that things will go particularly well for me in the Hill Country, and I will be able to look forward to having my work continue so that I can continue to support my family.
Such annoyance is not my problem, however, as I will be moving on once the exams are given and graded. I mean to be done with those tasks quickly, and I expect that I will be able to be so quickly done; exam submissions tend toward brevity. If things go as they are supposed to go, I will get the exams graded, get my grades submitted, and turn in all of what I need to turn in to my jobs--and then I will be done. A few more things will need doing for the International Congress on Medieval Studies, at which I have tasks to complete; I have a little bit of preparatory work left to do in advance of those tasks, but not much. After that, though, and after next week's flying trips to the Texas Hill Country (I have a job interview) and Kalamazoo (the Congress), I will be done--at least with academic work, and at least for a little bit. Packing for the end of my visit to the wind-swept plains will need to continue, of course, since that visit ends when the month does, and there will be little time remaining, relatively speaking.
Something similar was the case for me some three years ago, I know. I was facing the loss of employment (due to a layoff) and a relative lack of prospects for more of it. I was fortunate enough to be recalled, though, and my current primary job presented itself as a relief. No such reprieve is currently available--but I recall that I was recalled while at the Congress, and while I do not necessarily look for such a thing to happen again, I cannot help but have a little bit of hope that I will get a fortunate email or phone call in the next days, or that things will go particularly well for me in the Hill Country, and I will be able to look forward to having my work continue so that I can continue to support my family.
Friday, April 29, 2016
20160429.0617
Several things attract attention today. One of them is that today is payday--and so it is also pay-the-bills day. I have already attended to the latter, knocking out as many of the bills as I am able; there are a few that have yet to come in for the month. They'll get paid when they do, though. And I will be having to make arrangements to have them cease before terribly long; when the Mrs., Ms. 8, and I move away from Sherwood Cottage at the end of May, I mean to stop paying for things I'll not be using anymore (insofar as I can; I am under contract for the rent, and I may not be able to get out of the lease easily). It makes sense to me that I would do so, although I wonder about the paperwork I'll need to do. And I will in some senses miss having the things the bills buy for me--those that I will be setting aside. Others will, of course, continue; the shuttlepod is moving south with us, and it may come in handy, given the highway driving I expect to get to do.
Another thing that attracts attention is that it is the last class day of the term. I will be giving exams next week, but they do not adhere to the regular schedule that has prevailed throughout the previous few months. I am not sure how I feel about the matter; I am not necessarily happy to get to do the grading that presents itself to me for the weekend and the early part of next week, and I am looking forward to what is coming up--and a few things are, about which I will no doubt wax poetic in the next days--but I will also miss some of what I have here, some of the things upon which I have come to rely as commonplaces. And there are some students whose presences in my classroom and in my office have been enjoyable; I will miss working with them, however few or many they may happen to be. The same is true for some colleagues, with whom I have grown friendly over the years; I will not be so happy to leave them, although the situation demands it, and there are rewards.
I had thought I had had a third thing, but that seems not to be the case anymore. The idea is lost, and I am annoyed that it is so; knowing I had one and not knowing what it is anymore vexes. But so do many other things. I suppose I ought to face them as they come; I do not see that I have any other option available.
Another thing that attracts attention is that it is the last class day of the term. I will be giving exams next week, but they do not adhere to the regular schedule that has prevailed throughout the previous few months. I am not sure how I feel about the matter; I am not necessarily happy to get to do the grading that presents itself to me for the weekend and the early part of next week, and I am looking forward to what is coming up--and a few things are, about which I will no doubt wax poetic in the next days--but I will also miss some of what I have here, some of the things upon which I have come to rely as commonplaces. And there are some students whose presences in my classroom and in my office have been enjoyable; I will miss working with them, however few or many they may happen to be. The same is true for some colleagues, with whom I have grown friendly over the years; I will not be so happy to leave them, although the situation demands it, and there are rewards.
I had thought I had had a third thing, but that seems not to be the case anymore. The idea is lost, and I am annoyed that it is so; knowing I had one and not knowing what it is anymore vexes. But so do many other things. I suppose I ought to face them as they come; I do not see that I have any other option available.
Monday, April 25, 2016
20160425.0605
Over the weekend just past, my father-in-law and stepmother-in-law were in; they came over from the Natural State to help the Mrs. and me get through what needed doing. She had her recovery from eye surgery to manage (she seemed to be doing well with it when I looked last), and I had grading to do (work continues, as do students' complaints about the results of such work). In the event, some of the work to prepare for our upcoming move away from Sherwood Cottage and the wind-swept plains on which it stands got done. It is a good thing, as work to that end done now is work to that end that need not be done later. But it also has me out of sorts; as I have noted, home functions for me as an exteriorization of the interior. The reverse is also true; changes to my home-space provoke results within me. The disorder occasioned by the packing has made navigating my home and working within it more difficult, and I have not been able to mask my upset at it wholly. (For the record, I am not angry with my people; I am vexed by the situation. It has had me in a poor mood. I apologize.)
But that much is done, now, and moving forward must be done. I will be facing my last week of teaching for the term this week; next week is for exams, after which my tasks are done and my focus can be elsewhere entirely. Students will be working on their final major papers for me through the week--or they should be; I know some will wait until the morning it is due to attend to it--and the exams are more or less ready. Some small printing jobs will be needed, but they are easily managed; I have but to send them in. I will have my students complete a survey, such as I have before; it should not take them long, and it will offer them a quick means to get a few extra points before the exam happens. (I have offered several such opportunities. I am still branded as a jackass, even when I am overtly kind to the students. It annoys.) So getting through the next, oh, ten days of work should happen without much trouble. I hope it will, anyway.
What will happen afterwards is largely unclear. The Mrs., Ms. 8, and I will be relocating to the Texas Hill Country, where I have applied for several jobs already and, as needed, I will apply for more. The Mrs. also has job applications out; we expect the results of one today. What work will be available for us to do, and for what reward, is not at all clear; I suppose something will have to come about, and I do have some...strategies for making my case to people that they ought to pay me for doing things for them, but I am not certain whether they will be successful or with whom. It remains only to press forward, since backward is not an available path of progress, and to see what kinds of things can be set up to make the forward motion easier to carry out.
But that much is done, now, and moving forward must be done. I will be facing my last week of teaching for the term this week; next week is for exams, after which my tasks are done and my focus can be elsewhere entirely. Students will be working on their final major papers for me through the week--or they should be; I know some will wait until the morning it is due to attend to it--and the exams are more or less ready. Some small printing jobs will be needed, but they are easily managed; I have but to send them in. I will have my students complete a survey, such as I have before; it should not take them long, and it will offer them a quick means to get a few extra points before the exam happens. (I have offered several such opportunities. I am still branded as a jackass, even when I am overtly kind to the students. It annoys.) So getting through the next, oh, ten days of work should happen without much trouble. I hope it will, anyway.
What will happen afterwards is largely unclear. The Mrs., Ms. 8, and I will be relocating to the Texas Hill Country, where I have applied for several jobs already and, as needed, I will apply for more. The Mrs. also has job applications out; we expect the results of one today. What work will be available for us to do, and for what reward, is not at all clear; I suppose something will have to come about, and I do have some...strategies for making my case to people that they ought to pay me for doing things for them, but I am not certain whether they will be successful or with whom. It remains only to press forward, since backward is not an available path of progress, and to see what kinds of things can be set up to make the forward motion easier to carry out.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
20160420.0617
I was not able to get done as much as I would have like to have done yesterday. The reprieve ended up getting spent largely at rest; it is often the case that, given a bit of time to myself, I loaf about rather than turning my attention to more productive ends. It is not something of which I am proud, to be sure, but it does bespeak why some things do not happen. If I am wearied even by my own work, how much more must they be wearied who do "real" work? And if we are all so tired in our odd moments, is it any wonder that we do not bend our efforts to other things, even if those things would improve our situations and those of others similar to ourselves? (I do not mean to downplay difference, certainly, but there are similarities to address, as well--such as the truth that many or most of those who are being defrauded are being defrauded by the same systems, currently occupied by the same people, even if the people are less the problem than the positions they occupy.) But I perhaps overgeneralize.
In any event, the reprieve is done. I am back in the classroom today, teaching four classes. Three of them will get formal discussion of their upcoming final exams; they happen in less than two weeks. One of them is submitting a paper, so I will have grading to do tonight and tomorrow. I will also have it over the weekend, since the other three turn in papers on Friday. It is a scenario that will repeat next week, with one class turning in final portfolios and the other three turning in the final versions of papers I will have reviewed twice and on which they will have been working for more than a month. And then there are exams...so, yes, I will have a fair bit of marking to do. It seems a strange way to close out a job, but it is as it will be; my visit to the wind-swept plains is ending, and so the work I have been doing during it will end, as well. I would be happier about the news if I had some more certain prospects for after the end of the visit than I currently do, but no news has come yet in that regard.
Other regards have yielded news, however. Tomorrow, I will be taking the Mrs. to a medical appointment; she is having an outpatient procedure done that will lay her up for a few days. Her father will be coming over from the Natural State to help a bit, since my wife will be out of commission and I have to get done what I have to get done (because my last paychecks still matter); extra hands are helpful, and Ms. 8 loves her "Papa." (I am "Daddy," the Mrs. is "Mama," my parents are "Gramma" and "Grampa," my mother-in-law is "Oma," and my stepmother-in-law is "Granny." It works out well enough for everyone involved.) If things go as they ought to go, there should be no problems past this weekend--and even those should be relatively minimal. So I continue to hope that things will go well as our work continues.
In any event, the reprieve is done. I am back in the classroom today, teaching four classes. Three of them will get formal discussion of their upcoming final exams; they happen in less than two weeks. One of them is submitting a paper, so I will have grading to do tonight and tomorrow. I will also have it over the weekend, since the other three turn in papers on Friday. It is a scenario that will repeat next week, with one class turning in final portfolios and the other three turning in the final versions of papers I will have reviewed twice and on which they will have been working for more than a month. And then there are exams...so, yes, I will have a fair bit of marking to do. It seems a strange way to close out a job, but it is as it will be; my visit to the wind-swept plains is ending, and so the work I have been doing during it will end, as well. I would be happier about the news if I had some more certain prospects for after the end of the visit than I currently do, but no news has come yet in that regard.
Other regards have yielded news, however. Tomorrow, I will be taking the Mrs. to a medical appointment; she is having an outpatient procedure done that will lay her up for a few days. Her father will be coming over from the Natural State to help a bit, since my wife will be out of commission and I have to get done what I have to get done (because my last paychecks still matter); extra hands are helpful, and Ms. 8 loves her "Papa." (I am "Daddy," the Mrs. is "Mama," my parents are "Gramma" and "Grampa," my mother-in-law is "Oma," and my stepmother-in-law is "Granny." It works out well enough for everyone involved.) If things go as they ought to go, there should be no problems past this weekend--and even those should be relatively minimal. So I continue to hope that things will go well as our work continues.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
20160417.0747
Work continues, as ever it must. I have one more stack of papers to assess today; it is a short stack, fortunately, so it ought to go reasonably quickly, but it still needs doing. I will be getting three more such stacks from the classes whose work I have been reviewing--two more versions of the paper I am reviewing now and the final exam--as well as from the other class I teach--a paper, a portfolio, and a final exam. My classroom work therefore clusters on the weekends for the remaining few weeks of my visit to the wind-swept plains, which should make for some fun times during the weeks to come. I continue to try to teach as I know how to do, pushing the students to do more and work more intensely towards excellent writing, but I admit that I am finding it difficult to maintain my focus on doing so against the end of the visit. I find it hard to keep in mind that there is a point to it and that moving toward the point is a good thing, well worth doing.
That my comments will seem to move towards whining, I know. (I do not mean them to do so; I mean them to be reflective, but I know that what I mean and what will emerge do not necessarily coincide.) I know also that some who will think them motion towards whining have not been facing the end of employment--other than looking forward to a retirement that will likely never be available to me--and so are speaking from a position of privilege that I do not get to enjoy. (Also, as I have noted, I have been looking for more work up to quite recently, and as soon as the relocation to the Hill Country is completed, barring some pleasant surprise, I will be looking for work again in short order.) Back in the day, there may have been less complaint about such things (although I think bartenders would disagree), but back in the day, there were also full-time continuing jobs available and expectations on the parts of employers that they would retain employees for decades at a time. The labor market is different; reactions to it should also be different.
And yes, I am defensive on the point. Why would I not be, when I expect to be attacked? (How's that for "real world" awareness?) And why would I not expect to be attacked when, time and time again, I hear from any number of media outlets, as well as the voices that speak to me mouth to ear, that I and those like me are caught up in senses of entitlement and expect things to be handed to them without effort--when I have been working three jobs and pushing forward more job applications in a month than many who make such complaints have filled out in their lives, and when I see my contemporaries doing much the same things and still neither being rewarded for their hard work nor even acknowledged as doing what they have been told for decades that they are supposed to do? I am not saying that people do not whine, and I am not saying that I do not have expectations; what I am saying is that the whining is nothing new (and the complaints are justified), and that the expectation is that a "recovering" economy will have jobs that will allow people to make a living. But I suppose that is a bit much to ask.
That my comments will seem to move towards whining, I know. (I do not mean them to do so; I mean them to be reflective, but I know that what I mean and what will emerge do not necessarily coincide.) I know also that some who will think them motion towards whining have not been facing the end of employment--other than looking forward to a retirement that will likely never be available to me--and so are speaking from a position of privilege that I do not get to enjoy. (Also, as I have noted, I have been looking for more work up to quite recently, and as soon as the relocation to the Hill Country is completed, barring some pleasant surprise, I will be looking for work again in short order.) Back in the day, there may have been less complaint about such things (although I think bartenders would disagree), but back in the day, there were also full-time continuing jobs available and expectations on the parts of employers that they would retain employees for decades at a time. The labor market is different; reactions to it should also be different.
And yes, I am defensive on the point. Why would I not be, when I expect to be attacked? (How's that for "real world" awareness?) And why would I not expect to be attacked when, time and time again, I hear from any number of media outlets, as well as the voices that speak to me mouth to ear, that I and those like me are caught up in senses of entitlement and expect things to be handed to them without effort--when I have been working three jobs and pushing forward more job applications in a month than many who make such complaints have filled out in their lives, and when I see my contemporaries doing much the same things and still neither being rewarded for their hard work nor even acknowledged as doing what they have been told for decades that they are supposed to do? I am not saying that people do not whine, and I am not saying that I do not have expectations; what I am saying is that the whining is nothing new (and the complaints are justified), and that the expectation is that a "recovering" economy will have jobs that will allow people to make a living. But I suppose that is a bit much to ask.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
20160416.0816
Continued attention to the paratextual details of my posts to this webspace seems to be helping. I am making adjustments to the ways in which I present materials here, some of which have hopefully been noticeable. The way in which I handle the initial capital seems the most obvious; I have taken to enlarging it, backgrounding it in red, and rendering it in white instead of in the darker, more normal type. It is not as the medievals would do it entirely, to be sure (although if there is an example of such color-swapping, I would love to hear of it), but it has a similar effect. I hope that it is a salubrious one, something that makes what I write here easier and more enjoyable to read. And I hope that my continued adjustments to the paratextual features of what I write in this webspace will serve similarly. (Indeed, having such a workshop as this is useful; trying things out here for use later seems a good idea--and I do have future plans.)
Amid the continuous adjustments, I will be continuing to assess the papers my students have submitted. Not as many did as should have done so, but that is to be expected; it is rarely the case that I see 100% submission of minor assignments, and the papers that came in yesterday are preliminary review versions of major papers. It does make for less work for me to have to do, so I cannot make too much complaint. It has the advantage of freeing up some time to attend to other assignment materials; I have to compile information for the final exams my students voted on taking. Most of that task is done, but the documentation needs a bit more adjustment, and there are a few final points that need to be addressed in it. That I will have a little extra time to work on it, thanks to a lowered assessment burden, is good. (That I have to respond to some institutional pressures at the moment is less so, but I am still going to work with those students who have acted in good faith.) So there is that.
There is also this: My mother-in-law is up from Texas. She is attending a function in the City of Thunder, which is but an hour away from Sherwood Cottage, and so she is staying with her daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law while at the event. It is a good thing, truly. The Mrs. appreciates getting to see her mother, and Ms. 8 delighted at "Oma!" being at the house. (My mother-in-law is of Texas German descent; small touches help connect her to her heritage, as well as connecting my daughter to hers, and I approve of them in general.) I have stayed with my mother-in-law while attending functions in the past, as well, and I do not begrudge returning favors done me; it helps that my mother-in-law is a reasonably unobtrusive houseguest, and her attendance at her event means that I am not being discourteous when I sit at my computer and write in this webspace or struggle to do the work that seems always to continue.
Amid the continuous adjustments, I will be continuing to assess the papers my students have submitted. Not as many did as should have done so, but that is to be expected; it is rarely the case that I see 100% submission of minor assignments, and the papers that came in yesterday are preliminary review versions of major papers. It does make for less work for me to have to do, so I cannot make too much complaint. It has the advantage of freeing up some time to attend to other assignment materials; I have to compile information for the final exams my students voted on taking. Most of that task is done, but the documentation needs a bit more adjustment, and there are a few final points that need to be addressed in it. That I will have a little extra time to work on it, thanks to a lowered assessment burden, is good. (That I have to respond to some institutional pressures at the moment is less so, but I am still going to work with those students who have acted in good faith.) So there is that.
There is also this: My mother-in-law is up from Texas. She is attending a function in the City of Thunder, which is but an hour away from Sherwood Cottage, and so she is staying with her daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law while at the event. It is a good thing, truly. The Mrs. appreciates getting to see her mother, and Ms. 8 delighted at "Oma!" being at the house. (My mother-in-law is of Texas German descent; small touches help connect her to her heritage, as well as connecting my daughter to hers, and I approve of them in general.) I have stayed with my mother-in-law while attending functions in the past, as well, and I do not begrudge returning favors done me; it helps that my mother-in-law is a reasonably unobtrusive houseguest, and her attendance at her event means that I am not being discourteous when I sit at my computer and write in this webspace or struggle to do the work that seems always to continue.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
20160405.0643
Work continues, as ever it must.
My students have begun to fill out the survey I noted yesterday. (I made sure to point out to them that they are getting a choice in their exam from me--and from few if any of their other professors.) At this point, half of the responses are asking for the essay about an assignment not already included in first-year composition. It seems to keep with the overall curricular theme of my classes this term. (I may have noted that I am having my students make arguments regarding their courses of study. It seems they should be interested in such things, although they have voiced complaints about being "bored" with their topics. One or two have noted changing their majors and post-graduate plans as a result of the projects this semester; I feel I have done them a service.) It remains to be seen, of course, if the tendency will continue, as there are still many students who have yet to fill out the survey, but I am struck at seeing the assignment that shows up as preferred at this point doing so.
Also, after a longer-than-preferred hiatus, a freelance order has shown up for me. I have not looked over the details of the order yet, although I soon will. Having the time to attend to other matters that I have had has been nice; it has allowed me to slow down a bit. It has also had a detrimental effect on the family finances, though, and that is far less desirable. Perhaps this new order will be the first in a series of them, and I will be able to get some funding put back a bit in advance of the removal from Sherwood Cottage. We will need the money, as getting from here to there with all of our things in tow is not the least expensive thing that can be done. I do not mind doing the work to that end, even if I am an "entitled and lazy" Millennial. (And I am a Millennial, evidently, although at the leading edge of that age-bracket; I turned 18 in 2000, scant days before the election that resulted in W being promoted from governing Texas to presiding over the Union. Election law in place there and then prohibited me from registering in time to be able to vote.)
So I will be looking over a few papers today, as well as looking at some other work--likely reading a new novel and beginning to make some kind of informed and insightful commentary about it. I hope to get some writing done, as well, both of the sort that I do to help guide my students (and there is more of it to do) and of the sort that pleases me. Some of the tasks are more likely to be completed than others, especially since the Mrs. works all day today, and so I will be playing with and looking after Ms. 8 in earnest. Still, I am in a reasonably good position (although it could be better), and I am not unmindful of it; I am well aware that it could be worse. I could not have work to do, and I would not know what to do in such a circumstance.
My students have begun to fill out the survey I noted yesterday. (I made sure to point out to them that they are getting a choice in their exam from me--and from few if any of their other professors.) At this point, half of the responses are asking for the essay about an assignment not already included in first-year composition. It seems to keep with the overall curricular theme of my classes this term. (I may have noted that I am having my students make arguments regarding their courses of study. It seems they should be interested in such things, although they have voiced complaints about being "bored" with their topics. One or two have noted changing their majors and post-graduate plans as a result of the projects this semester; I feel I have done them a service.) It remains to be seen, of course, if the tendency will continue, as there are still many students who have yet to fill out the survey, but I am struck at seeing the assignment that shows up as preferred at this point doing so.
Also, after a longer-than-preferred hiatus, a freelance order has shown up for me. I have not looked over the details of the order yet, although I soon will. Having the time to attend to other matters that I have had has been nice; it has allowed me to slow down a bit. It has also had a detrimental effect on the family finances, though, and that is far less desirable. Perhaps this new order will be the first in a series of them, and I will be able to get some funding put back a bit in advance of the removal from Sherwood Cottage. We will need the money, as getting from here to there with all of our things in tow is not the least expensive thing that can be done. I do not mind doing the work to that end, even if I am an "entitled and lazy" Millennial. (And I am a Millennial, evidently, although at the leading edge of that age-bracket; I turned 18 in 2000, scant days before the election that resulted in W being promoted from governing Texas to presiding over the Union. Election law in place there and then prohibited me from registering in time to be able to vote.)
So I will be looking over a few papers today, as well as looking at some other work--likely reading a new novel and beginning to make some kind of informed and insightful commentary about it. I hope to get some writing done, as well, both of the sort that I do to help guide my students (and there is more of it to do) and of the sort that pleases me. Some of the tasks are more likely to be completed than others, especially since the Mrs. works all day today, and so I will be playing with and looking after Ms. 8 in earnest. Still, I am in a reasonably good position (although it could be better), and I am not unmindful of it; I am well aware that it could be worse. I could not have work to do, and I would not know what to do in such a circumstance.
Monday, April 4, 2016
20160404.0617
Work continues, of course. There is something like a month of class remaining for me, with the exams I give ending on Jedi Day (coincidentally the anniversary of my writing in this webspace). So it will not be long before my visit ends, and the Mrs., Ms. 8, and I will make the final preparations to go...elsewhere. In the meantime, though, there is much to do. As part of it, I am having my students weigh in on the form of their final exam (ain't I nice?), voting on which of four options for the exercise I am willing to write that they would collectively like--or hate least--to do. To wit:
- A multiple choice exam, largely covering concerns of mechanics and formatting discussed in class and in assigned readings. Note that the presence of the correct answer on the page allows for distractors markedly close to correct; distractors on past multiple-choice exams have differed from the correct answer in such small details as the tense of the operative verb or the placement of a period in an MLA-style citation.
- An essay exam asking for a brief reflective argument that treats an assignment for inclusion in a first-year writing class. An assignment not already included in the class should be proposed and justified to an audience that is in favor of the current assignment sequence but that can adjust the assignment sequence.
- An essay exam asking for a brief rhetorical analysis of a specific example of assignment materials offered to students throughout the semester. Attention will need to be paid to both textual and paratextual features, and a copy of the assignment materials in question would be provided. The audience would be the instructor, who may well use the responses to refine assignment materials in future terms.
- A source-annotation consisting of a correctly-formatted and complete MLA-style Works Cited entry and an effective, appropriate summary of a source to be provided by the instructor in advance of the exam. Assessment thereof would be similar to that applied to annotated bibliography entries' first two components (citation and summary), including mechanical correctness.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
20151212.0814
The Fall 2015 instructional term is done! Exams have been given and graded, grades and paperwork have been turned in, and I have even managed to compile my end-of-term report already. I am done, at least for now and at least with the work of teaching. Now, I get to turn my attention to other things, many of which I listed in yesterday's post to this webspace. I find myself excited at the opportunities presented, which is unusual and desirable.
One thing I know I will have to deal with, however, that I am not looking forward to treating is student complaints. I am aware of one that has already come in, one criticizing my ability to do simple math. I *do* err from time to time, and when I do, I *do* work to correct those errors; because I know I occasionally make mistakes, I looked back over the grades in question. My math was correct, which was the complaint made. Had there been a comment about my entering a grade incorrectly, perhaps matters might have been otherwise--but there was not, and so they were not. But I know that the one is only the first in what is likely to be a series. How many will come to me and how many will go to my superiors and demand an accounting is unclear; I can at least hope to avoid being called into meetings again. It does occasionally happen...
Aside from that, though, things look like they will be more or less good. Weather around Sherwood Cottage looks like it will be conducive to reading today; the sky is currently overcast, and rain is expected. The sound of water falling from a gray sky usually helps me take words from the page through my eyes and into my mind, which will make the freelancing easier. That is good, in turn, since I have been told that another order will be waiting for my attention soon--and since I will be available to do more such work, I am happy to have it coming in. (I remain a counterpoint to those who argue professorial indolence; I work as much during breaks as I do during the term, if not more. I am far from the only one who does so.)
Something else occurs to me as something to which I might look forward. I try each year to return to the touchstones of my reading life and of genres in which I do much work, re-reading Asimov's Foundation corpus (the Robot, Empire, and Foundation novels) and Tolkien's Middle-earth works (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings). I know that many would think it strange that I look to those works as cornerstones of my reading life, particularly since my academic attentions run to fundamental works of English literature. And it is certainly not the case that I devalue the trinity of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, or the greater canon that includes Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Malory, Spenser, Donne, and others. The Good Doctor and the Prince of Fantasists, though, ground my personal canon, if such a thing can be said to be. I read them early, and I read them often--and I think it shows. Getting back to my basics seems a thing worth doing from time to time, and I hope to have some time to do it.
One thing I know I will have to deal with, however, that I am not looking forward to treating is student complaints. I am aware of one that has already come in, one criticizing my ability to do simple math. I *do* err from time to time, and when I do, I *do* work to correct those errors; because I know I occasionally make mistakes, I looked back over the grades in question. My math was correct, which was the complaint made. Had there been a comment about my entering a grade incorrectly, perhaps matters might have been otherwise--but there was not, and so they were not. But I know that the one is only the first in what is likely to be a series. How many will come to me and how many will go to my superiors and demand an accounting is unclear; I can at least hope to avoid being called into meetings again. It does occasionally happen...
Aside from that, though, things look like they will be more or less good. Weather around Sherwood Cottage looks like it will be conducive to reading today; the sky is currently overcast, and rain is expected. The sound of water falling from a gray sky usually helps me take words from the page through my eyes and into my mind, which will make the freelancing easier. That is good, in turn, since I have been told that another order will be waiting for my attention soon--and since I will be available to do more such work, I am happy to have it coming in. (I remain a counterpoint to those who argue professorial indolence; I work as much during breaks as I do during the term, if not more. I am far from the only one who does so.)
Something else occurs to me as something to which I might look forward. I try each year to return to the touchstones of my reading life and of genres in which I do much work, re-reading Asimov's Foundation corpus (the Robot, Empire, and Foundation novels) and Tolkien's Middle-earth works (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings). I know that many would think it strange that I look to those works as cornerstones of my reading life, particularly since my academic attentions run to fundamental works of English literature. And it is certainly not the case that I devalue the trinity of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, or the greater canon that includes Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Malory, Spenser, Donne, and others. The Good Doctor and the Prince of Fantasists, though, ground my personal canon, if such a thing can be said to be. I read them early, and I read them often--and I think it shows. Getting back to my basics seems a thing worth doing from time to time, and I hope to have some time to do it.
Friday, December 11, 2015
20151211.0622
Today will see the end of my exam-giving for the term. It will be the last time I see my students from the current term--save for a brave or foolhardy few whose names have appeared in the rosters for my classes in the term yet to come. If I am lucky and diligent, it will see the end of my grading work for the term, as well, save perhaps the few minutes I will need to spend to send my grades and materials along to where they need to go. That, though, is simply doing paperwork, which is not the same thing; it is not unlike my posting reports and the like to the blog and website I currently maintain for my teaching and other work.
That "other work" continues to increase. I have a new freelance piece in progress; I received the order for it not long after posting yesterday's blog. I am not far into the supporting reading at this point, as I felt I should take care of a few other things before turning to the new project, but what I have read, I like so far. It is making the work that I will need to do easier to do. Not all of the books I get to read for the freelance work do so; some of them have the opposite effect, whether because they are badly written (but still somehow attract attention and money; I have to figure out how so that I can do it) or because they are simply not concerned with such things (not that I really expect them to be). Having a piece that reads easily and facilitates writing up is therefore certainly welcome. I could stand to have more such pieces, indeed.
The "other work" also includes more research activity, not only in the conference paper I am expected to present at Kalamazoo and so must draft sometime between now and early May or the article I have begun to compile and hope to see published in a leading journal, but also my ongoing work on the Robin Hobb annotated bibliography I maintain on my website. A piece has arrived through interlibrary loan; I need to pick it up so that I can read it and offer a useful summary of it in my Fedwren Project. (I probably also ought to look at drafting a short essay explicating the title and the appropriateness thereof for the project.) How I will integrate that into the other work I have scheduled in the next few days is unclear to me, but it is clear that I will get the work done. There is no other way for matters to proceed.
So I shall press on through this day, seeing how much I can get done to clear me of the lingering duties of the term so that I can attend to the many other things that are mine to do. As ever, I look forward to a productive break. Perhaps this will be the time my hopes are realized.
That "other work" continues to increase. I have a new freelance piece in progress; I received the order for it not long after posting yesterday's blog. I am not far into the supporting reading at this point, as I felt I should take care of a few other things before turning to the new project, but what I have read, I like so far. It is making the work that I will need to do easier to do. Not all of the books I get to read for the freelance work do so; some of them have the opposite effect, whether because they are badly written (but still somehow attract attention and money; I have to figure out how so that I can do it) or because they are simply not concerned with such things (not that I really expect them to be). Having a piece that reads easily and facilitates writing up is therefore certainly welcome. I could stand to have more such pieces, indeed.
The "other work" also includes more research activity, not only in the conference paper I am expected to present at Kalamazoo and so must draft sometime between now and early May or the article I have begun to compile and hope to see published in a leading journal, but also my ongoing work on the Robin Hobb annotated bibliography I maintain on my website. A piece has arrived through interlibrary loan; I need to pick it up so that I can read it and offer a useful summary of it in my Fedwren Project. (I probably also ought to look at drafting a short essay explicating the title and the appropriateness thereof for the project.) How I will integrate that into the other work I have scheduled in the next few days is unclear to me, but it is clear that I will get the work done. There is no other way for matters to proceed.
So I shall press on through this day, seeing how much I can get done to clear me of the lingering duties of the term so that I can attend to the many other things that are mine to do. As ever, I look forward to a productive break. Perhaps this will be the time my hopes are realized.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
20151209.0652
Some smaller notes appear below. I never claimed I would always be coherent.
Exam-giving continues today. I am administering but one test, so things should go both easily and smoothly. I was able to get the Monday exams graded in a relatively short time, so I am confident I will be able to do the same with those I have today. That I know the text well and read quickly help, I think.
There are two tests for me to give on Friday. I have managed to draw Friday exams every term I have been at my current institution. It is something of an annoyance, although it is less so this term than it has been in others. My travel plans are not such that reward my being done earlier in the week. It is a small thing, but a useful one.
I have received official notice of my teaching schedule for the upcoming term. I have three sections of second-semester composition, at least at this point. My schedule is subject to change, of course, even up to the week before classes begin--if not up to the beginning of classes, itself. Such fluidity is one of the perks of life on the contingent faculty; if I could get non-academic employers to recognize the skills involved in successfully negotiating the dynamic environment and rapidly-shifting constraints of contingent academia, I think I could land private-sector jobs more easily. Perhaps I ought to think about how to explain it more effectively.
I got a freelance job done yesterday. Another has yet to come in. The job gave me a chance to read some Philip K. Dick, with whose work I was passingly familiar but which I had not previously read. I understand some of why he is as highly valued as he is. It is a welcome revelation, and it reminds me that I need to go through and read or re-read some of the other luminaries of the genre. Time will soon perhaps permit me to do so.
Time will also soon perhaps permit me to attend to other writing entirely. I have several projects in progress, of course, including at least one conference paper; I have perhaps noted that I was accepted (late) to present a piece on the Malorian Kay at the 2016 International Congress on Medieval Studies. Other papers are also waiting for me to do more work on them. It is difficult to do so while teaching and grading and freelancing so as to support the Mrs. and Ms. 8--as well as tending to the last while her mother is at work. The upcoming break and the lower teaching load of the spring should help with that.
I continue to cough. That matter seems to be improving; I have been good about following the prescribed course of treatment, and it seems to be helping. I am sure there is more I could do, though, even if I am not sure what that "more" is. It is a thing I can look into while I am overseeing today's test, perhaps.
Exam-giving continues today. I am administering but one test, so things should go both easily and smoothly. I was able to get the Monday exams graded in a relatively short time, so I am confident I will be able to do the same with those I have today. That I know the text well and read quickly help, I think.
There are two tests for me to give on Friday. I have managed to draw Friday exams every term I have been at my current institution. It is something of an annoyance, although it is less so this term than it has been in others. My travel plans are not such that reward my being done earlier in the week. It is a small thing, but a useful one.
I have received official notice of my teaching schedule for the upcoming term. I have three sections of second-semester composition, at least at this point. My schedule is subject to change, of course, even up to the week before classes begin--if not up to the beginning of classes, itself. Such fluidity is one of the perks of life on the contingent faculty; if I could get non-academic employers to recognize the skills involved in successfully negotiating the dynamic environment and rapidly-shifting constraints of contingent academia, I think I could land private-sector jobs more easily. Perhaps I ought to think about how to explain it more effectively.
I got a freelance job done yesterday. Another has yet to come in. The job gave me a chance to read some Philip K. Dick, with whose work I was passingly familiar but which I had not previously read. I understand some of why he is as highly valued as he is. It is a welcome revelation, and it reminds me that I need to go through and read or re-read some of the other luminaries of the genre. Time will soon perhaps permit me to do so.
Time will also soon perhaps permit me to attend to other writing entirely. I have several projects in progress, of course, including at least one conference paper; I have perhaps noted that I was accepted (late) to present a piece on the Malorian Kay at the 2016 International Congress on Medieval Studies. Other papers are also waiting for me to do more work on them. It is difficult to do so while teaching and grading and freelancing so as to support the Mrs. and Ms. 8--as well as tending to the last while her mother is at work. The upcoming break and the lower teaching load of the spring should help with that.
I continue to cough. That matter seems to be improving; I have been good about following the prescribed course of treatment, and it seems to be helping. I am sure there is more I could do, though, even if I am not sure what that "more" is. It is a thing I can look into while I am overseeing today's test, perhaps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)