Revised acronym for the day

MMCCMBFO: meeting-meeting-class-class-mark papers-blog-fall over. The "dance" part I thought would be included got pushed aside by the "mark papers" part. (No tragedy: the instructor I like is out this week, and I'm not over-thrilled with the sub, so I don't mind missing.) The "fall over" part obviously is still to come, as I'm just now embarking on the "blog" part.

Of course, being me, I marked too much on the M/W 102 self-evaluations, so it took me lots longer than strictly necessary. However, I wanted them to see how I mark (albeit in blue on this assignment) so it won't be such a shock when they see it on their papers (though the red ink will still cause paralysis). But that's one class worth. I still have another 102's worth of self-evaluations--and two sets of reading journals for 101. I have tomorrow afternoon to work in, thank god, and various chunks of time on Thursday prior to the back-to-back classes, so I have a faint, vanishing chance of getting it all done and back to them. I want 102 to have the self-evaluations so they get an idea where they stand with me. I want 101 to have the reading journals back so they have a better idea how to do the next one.

I already had to adjust the syllabus for 101, in fact. I gave them some handouts so they could be thinking ahead to assignments due next week: huge mistake. First, they were completely confused about what was due when. Second, I had to explain what I was looking for, which took a long time--in part because they aren't really quite there (which is why the assignment is for next week). Third, I had to have the discussion about why they can't just write about their own experiences. I was blunt: no one cares about you and what you think and feel. They don't care about me, either. You may think you're the center of the universe, and your friends and family may care, but beyond that, really, no one cares. You are not that important. However, if you come up with strong and compelling thoughts, then people will be interested. I also reminded them that they already know how to talk and write about themselves because that's what they've been doing for the past 13 years or so. I'm here to teach them something new.

But by the time we finished that, and the little ice-breaker (which helps me learn all their names and faces), we had 10 minutes left to talk about the Kathleen Norris essay "The Beautiful Places," which is no cinch to analyze. They get the pretty facile "she finds inspiration" point out of it, but there is a hell of a lot more going on--and we need time to talk about it. So the easy fix was to ditch the in-class essay. They were not unhappy. (They didn't quite cheer but damned near.) No real loss. (But consequently, it turns out I didn't need to be so fertutzed about pulling the topic out of my left ear--or wherever those things come from.) Anyway, Thursday is now clear so we can talk about Norris--and it will help them to have their journals for that process. However, I know that if I don't manage to get the journals marked, I can always give them back for use in class and re-collect them to mark over the weekend. It's all about priority juggling and strategic planning.

And I do have to write a draft of the letter for one of my mentee's promotion folders--tomorrow or Thursday, no later--so that may bump the 101 journals. We'll see.

I also gave 265 a break on their response sheets--did I mention? I gave them until tomorrow to do whatever they hadn't done (which is also a petite break for me: now I don't have to mark them until the weekend). I'm on the fence about how many poems to copy for next week. I think I'll copy four but be willing to give only two if we haven't gotten through the poems from this week. They're floundering enough that everything I said about it being OK to assign stuff one doesn't cover in class doesn't hold. I may eventually be able to turn 'em loose, but not at this particular juncture.

I also repeated virtually everything I said in yesterday's blog to Paul yesterday afternoon. In response, he talked so beautifully and intelligently about "Dover Beach" and "The Second Coming" that I invited him to guest lecture tomorrow. He may take me up on that. I'd love it. He had such brilliant stuff to say about how to get them into the poem, how to connect it to something they can understand, I want to just hand them over to him and let him work his magic. (My magic wand apparently is in need of repair.) If Paul decides not to step in for whatever reason, I will fully understand--and will do my damnedest to remember what he said and to do my own version thereof. Won't be a patch on what he could do, but it might help. Man, I'll do just about anything to break through to those kids. If I don't, it's going to be a hell of a rough semester.

I am also going to copy some of the apparatus from a couple of the big anthologies as background/critical material. I know most of the students won't read it (as I won't assign homework on it--and it is lengthy, and somewhat dense), but at least they'll have it to refer to. And those who do read it may find some help.

I am pleased to report, however, that several students in that class took me at my word about the fact that I won't teach them how to write or how to do MLA format, so they'd better have a good writing guide. They've been asking my advice--and bringing in what they bought for my approval. Cool beans.

I did also accomplish a little foot-clearing: I got some info to my promotion mentees, and I finally got the last bits of documentation I need for my own folder. I do have a little reworking/rewriting to do (among other little bits and orts, Paul made a suggestion last time that I ignored, but he made his case again, and I see that indeed he's got a very good point, so I need to address it). I don't know what else, but I've been going full-bore since 9:45 this morning--and it's almost 9 p.m. now. Take out about 20 minutes for snarfing down food in between tasks, and that's been my work day. But I leave tonight feeling like things are under control for tomorrow. Now I just have to hit myself upside the head with a frying pan tonight so I wind down and get a decent night's sleep before tomorrow's 9:30 a.m. assessment meeting. That six a.m. alarm is starting to feel like normal, not an hour early. (I know for many of you, the idea of getting up at 7--maybe even at 6--seems luxuriously late, but for me, 6 is about the limit before it becomes too painful to contemplate.) I was in bed, lights out and asleep by 9:45 last night. I won't be able to repeat that tonight, as I may not even be home by 9:45, but I'll do my best.