Most excellent

Is this article on scientist/actresses in the New York Times.

Science is hot!

Weekend

So I got smart this week and didn't assign anything due on Friday that I would have to grade this weekend. This followed a week with a TON of grading - about 15 hours during the week. I'll have more once next week starts, but I was supposed to be out of town next week and I'm not (the country I was supposed to go to kind of had a revolution), so I have a lot of stuff on the docket this week that doesn't involve me all that much, so not much class prep, either.

Yesterday was the open house for our Basketweaving grad program, so I went to that for a while in the morning, then came home and kept Bun while Spouse took the math team at her school to a statewide math contest. Spouse's group (the 6th grade team) did awesome, and came in first, and she even got her medal from an astronaut, which was very exciting to her. Spouse didn't know which one, and I haven't been able to find out. But anyway, a big day for them.

I wanted to take Bun out to the park or the zoo, but she really wanted to stay home and do "job jar," so that's what we did. I got the financial paperwork/filing that I have adding to and putting off since September taken care of, so that was a relief. I'll even be able to do our taxes now : )

Today, I was feeling the loss of family time, so we skipped church and went to the zoo. It was the right decision.

Tonight, we're watching the final episode of Avatar (the Nick version) on Netflix. We've really enjoyed watching this as a family (we also enjoyed Teen Titans), so if you have any ideas of things that are similar, I'd love to hear about it!

After that, some work on a research project.

So there is my exciting life.

White flag

So we had a meeting of the grad faculty with the associate dean yesterday, and it was obvious to me that I am not going to be able to succeed as a theatre teacher when they really want a trombonist (or the basketweaving equivalent). I can try to pick up the trombone really quickly, but I still won't be great at it and it will pretty much mean that I won't get tenure.

So I went and talked to another faculty member about switching classes for the fall. I can do what he has trouble with, and he's a good trombonist.

Then I talked with the grad director and told him that I'll teach trombone if I have to. I'd not be the best at it, but that other guy could do a good job.

Other guy is a visiting this year, and this would mean keeping him around longer, but grad director thought it was a good idea.

So I may be able to make this work.

Now if we could just get Spouse a frakkin job!

Things you don't want to say

I deleted a post here so as not to be too much of a downer.

You're welcome : )

If I were evil...

what fun I could have with this young person who has attended my class a grand total of 2 times this entire semester:

Dear Dr. MommyProf,

I'm very sorry I've been absent so much, I've been sick and am now better.  Can pass the class?  I seriously need this grade and am willing to put in the work necessary.  Whatever it takes, whether it's making everything up ASAP or doing extra, I will fulfill any task you give me.

Sadly, I am not evil, and am wondering what the most gentle way to steer her/him to the combination of psych services and whoever the dean of drops is.

Oh, Suzie Freshman

You are cute as a bug. Really, you are. And i even appreciate that you want to do well. And I KNOW you are working hard.

But no, it's 10 a.m. and I haven't yet graded the paper you turned in at 2 this morning.

WTH, Wisconsin?

Saw this video on ScienceBlogs.

Being far, far away from Wisconsin, and noticing that there have not been a lot of news stories about this, I don't know if what he says about notifications and having votes, telling one party to come later are accurate, but wow.

You might wish to see it also.

Taxpayer/worker

So here in NewState, the Gov. just released the budget. It's a democratic gov with a brand-new, first since the 1800s, republican legislature. As the wife of a state employee who will lose his job this spring, I'm bummed. As a taxpayer and parent, I'm kind of impressed. The legislature's response has been interesting. The initial, knee-jerk response statement was "This is ridiculous, and an insult to the people of NewState. We need to take it out on public employees, because they have not suffered as much as employees in the private sector!" (I'm paraphrasing).

This morning's comment, I think after they actually read the thing, was "This has promise. We're not happy with everything, but I think we can work together."

Politics.

In today's mail...

A note from a former student saying PrettyGood hasn't been able to fill my position, so can I write her a reference for it.

A teachable moment

So Offspring will be going to her first ever detention today for goofing off in class. She's really off the rails right now, but I think that is a post for another day.

Fortunately, my day yesterday provided a cautionary tale to share with her.

I have a student. We'll call her Monica. Monica came to the first day of my class, and then disappeared for the rest of that week and all of the next week. Naturally, I begin looking at my class rolls to see if Monica has dropped.

Sunday (4 days ago), I get a late-night e-mail from Monica:

"Hi Mrs. MommyProf. I guess I should have written sooner, but I've been really sick with the flu. I am ready for classes now, so I will stop by for a minute after class to see what you need to do to get me caught up. Thx, Monica."

I write back "Dear Monica, I am glad you are feeling better. It will take more than a few minutes, so I need for you to come by my office. You will need to bring a doctor's note saying you are sick and i will give you the materials for the work that is able to be made up. My office hours are A, B, C and, if none of those work with your schedule, you can make an appointment for another time that is convenient for both of us."

Crickets.

I have class, and Monica stays after class. "So what do I need to do?" she asks.

"You need to come see me in my office," I reply. "Are you available at B tomorrow?"

"No."

"Well, I am planning to be off campus tomorrow morning, so can you come at B-2 instead and I will come in early to meet with you?"

"Well, that's ok, but I'd prefer another time so I don't have to stay on campus after my a.m. class."

"I'll split the difference. How about if you come in at B-4?"

"Ok, great."

"Remember your doctor's note, and I will give you the materials you need to make up the work."

"Ok. B-4 tomorrow."

Tomorrow came and went. I came in 3 hours early and missed something important. Guess who didn't show, call or e-mail?

So Offspring, when it is the end of the semester, and Monica is hoping that I will bump up her grade when she has a 79.95, what do you think I'm going to do?

So now sitting and wondering

What the heck it was I did last semester. I had 3 classes, 2 preps and got no research done. So where did the time go?

Valentine's Presents

Me: Fleece Bathrobe
Bun: Stuffed Spock doll (I could hear her saying "I love you Mr. Spock. I love you, Bun." after I tucked her in.
Offspring: Geek Kids sheets from ThinkGeek
Spouse: Jolt Gum

Ain't love grand?

Talking the talk

So it wasn't as bad as I feared.

We have two related, but separate issues. My lack of immediate success at the job here is concerning, but I don't think anyone thinks I can't recover from it. Spouse and I did discuss that if we decide to stay, I probably need to see about making a class switch. There's another guy in the department teaching a class that he is terrible at that I would be great at. He'd be great at the grad class that I didn't do so hot with. I think just that switch, if he agrees, would make a big difference.

The other issue, that is way more than concerning, is Spouse's job situation. See, when we decided to come here, he had been offered a line job. Over the summer, that turned into a visiting that was going to be turned into a line, which wasn't great, but I didn't feel right about backing out on a department in July (again!), so we proceeded. He works at a New State state institution, and just this week, the Board of Governors for New State University system voted to eliminate 60 programs, across the state's campuses. I'll say that again. 60. And there are promises of more to come.

So that makes the likelihood of Spouse finding a job in academia here in New State remote at best, in part, because some of the people from eliminated programs will be competing for slots at private schools. If he ends up working in industry, it is likely to be a situation with a 70-minute commute, which will make managing family life fall somewhere between difficult and impossible, which will impact my ability to be successful at New School.

So we're still considering things, but everything is out in the open now, and I feel better.

And time is getting short

So Spouse and I need to decide soon if we want to move back to Central State. I've started reading this blog and it looks really grim.

Since I've been thinking, I had conversations with the lady in the office next to mine (LONM), who is a big player on campus and almost never in her office, but has the life situation sort of the most similar to mine, and, yesterday, with the department chair.

What a mess. LONM encouraged me to talk with the chair about the decisions that are being made with my scheduling that are making it difficult for me to succeed, like putting me into classes where even the other faculty don't seem to understand what it is that they want with those classes. Since I did so badly last semester, it doesn't seem like I'm the person who needs to be asking for favors, until I stop sucking so badly. But, the next day, the chair caught me and said she was working on upcoming schedule, so I should come by and talk with her.

I did that yesterday. What a mess. I really, really didn't want to do this, but I feel like it looked like a lot of whining from me. "I didn't have the software I needed to teach until 5 days before the semester started." "I didn't apply for a job in the Technology of Baskets track, so I don't know how to do my job." Waaah! Waaaah!

Our house contract with the realtor expired Wednesday, and we let it, but we need to let that realtor know ASAP, so Spouse and I are probably going to have that "Hey, you know how you blew up your whole job and shattered your identity to come here? Well, funny thing, but it turns out that I suck here, too. Ha!" conversation tonight.

Blerg.

Thinking

Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic:

Traditional, residential colleges cannot survive

OR

Traditional, residential colleges will return to the way they began - as the province of the economically elite

Mommy stuff

So I am at home with a princess today. Offspring and Spouse are off at the county math team competition. So Bun and I did our free weekend day activity: job jar. Basically, we take some tasks we need to do, and write them on strips of paper, that we pull out of a cup and do in that order. So we emptied all the waste baskets, swept the hard floors, planned the meals for the next week, did some reading (she read Hop on Pop, I read my textbook for my freshman class), and cleaned all all the sinks, counters and mirrors.

Bun decided it would be more fun if it was Princess and Queen job jar, so she is decked out in a foufy dress, crown and jewels. The queen wears jeans.

We capped it off with a Princess tea lunch. We got out my Mom's old tea set, filled it with blueberry tea, and had well-cut-up PB & J and milano cookies, and use our most royal manners.

Now Bun has put all the royal ponies to bed and is singing them to sleep.

Offspring's having a lot of trouble, so it has been good to have this time to focus on Bun.

Today's headlines, rated

New Imam quits NYC Islamic center (Interested)
NASA: Giffords' husband to fly shuttle (Mildly interested)
France to search again for downed jet (Mildly interested)
Reagan's myth has grown over time (Not interested)
Bishop Long wants $1 million back (Not interested)
Jobs report 'confounding' CNNMoney (Not interested)
Ticker: Palin's surprise legal action (Not interested)
Woman's screams heard from trunk (Interested, but afraid the link will be too depressing)
Howard Stern: Leno is 'horrible' EW (Less than not interested)
Miley Cyrus gets tattoo No. 5 People (Less interested than I am on Howard Stern's opinion of Jay Leno)

1 Down, 27 to go

First day of class today. I am lucky enough to have a MWF-only schedule this semester. At some point soon, I will bore you to the extreme by posting my scheduled time for virtuous things, but the real scheduled stuff isn't going to be starting until next week, so I will spare you until then.

After the escapades of last semester, I am determined to try to do everything right, so I tried. I have a first freshman level class and a last senior level class this semester. I did the usual go over the syllabus stuff today, along with providing a bit of how I expect things to go in the class. This semester, I elucidated some student-centered goals for the class (I want you to be able to weave baskets that will make you competitive at the top of the market) and then framed each class activity as part of meeting that goal.

I think that went pretty well, and I may use that framework as a way to organize each class session. I think they'll like that.

Also, I have the niece of a very famous sports figure that I am sure you have heard of in one of my classes. Sadly, basketweaving is not a sport.

Things are a changin'

So the event in Egypt has been postponed until after the semester ends, which is good for the most part, I think.

I feel like my evaluation score that is low is a result of a single student not filling in the single-item measure of my competence (another matter entirely, I think) correctly. The free-form answers and comments were all very positive, but I got 1 of 5 on the competence measure. When you have 7 students, this can tend to bring down one's average. If this is wrong, or even dropped, I am up into the pretty good range.

NewSchool classes start today, but I don't teach until tomorrow. Today is fight with the new version of Blackboard day.

So there.