Pre-semester post

I've actually had a lot going on over the summer that I've thought about sharing here, thoughts about teaching, a huge re-vamp of the 102 classes, concerns about the two new courses, and so on. But I'd just like to check in to say that I've already been engaged in an e-mail conversation with a student who is in both the Mystery & Detective class and in the Fiction Writing class.

Oh, yes, update needed: when I started working on the adjunct schedules earlier this month, I realized that an adjunct had been given the Fiction Writing that I wanted, at the exact same time as the general Creative Writing that I was fretting about. I don't know what happened--I suspect Bruce just screwed up--but the upshot is that I told Bruce I wanted Fiction Writing, was all set to go to battle for it if need be, and by the time I went in to campus this morning, it was mine. So, that's better.

In any event, this young woman contacted me about using Kindle editions of the books for M&D--and I said as long as she could highlight and annotate the text, that was fine. She can, so that's been approved (I just need to remember to change the line in my syllabus about that). I was glad that she contacted me with the question in the first place, that she made sure she can do the annotating, and that she's been in enthusiastic contact. Of course, I worry that this apparent good start will end up bombing: one just never, never knows how things are going to work out. But it's a happy little anticipation to add to the hopper for next week.

We got our first photo rosters today, too (which is ridiculous, as they'll change six or seven times in the next few weeks). I confess that I looked at the photos to see if I could tell just from the faces who will stick, who will probably bail. I'm less sure about those who may do well, but if the photos are any indication, I can already see a few faces that don't seem to show the light of much intellectual promise.

I also participated in new student orientation today: a little 15-minute "here's what to expect" kind of lecture--very similar to my first day of class speech about frustration and the changes that college will bring about. I shared a gorgeous definition of critical thinking with them, and overwhelmed the shit out of most of them, just because the verbiage was so dense. And there were the usual smart eager-beaver types, and the usual (larger proportion of) lunkheads. I doubt I'll see any of those particular students ever again, doubt I'll ever know if they got anything valuable out of what I said, but it was fun to do. I think I'll become a regular at these things. Why not?

I do feel way, way, way the hell behind where I'd like to be in terms of preparedness for next week (next week! Good Christ!) so I'm hoping madly for a productive day tomorrow--mostly photocopying, so I have at least 102 and M&D nailed down enough to get me through the first few weeks. I still have a lot of thinking through to do on the Fiction Writing course--but if I even write much about that right now, I'll be up for hours, mentally futzing around, and I'm exhausted, so (since I'm writing this from home), I will now tumble myself into bed and do the Scarlett O'Hara routine.