Chaos and Confusion Reign

I have no idea where things are, what needs to be done, what I have and have not copied: I'm not entirely sure about anything (who am I again?). I'm not sure quite why I feel so completely disorganized at the moment, all my plans, like those of the best of mice, gang agly.

And yet I'm going to write this post in a tremendous hurry (so I can get out of here 30 minutes ago) and simply leave all the rampant disorder exactly like it is until I return tomorrow morning. I know this increases the likelihood that I will forget something important tomorrow, but so be it. When my mind is this scrambled, I know it's best to beat a hasty retreat and return to the fray fresh (or fresh-ish) in the morning.

Meanwhile, the gap between the two 101s increases. The students in the earlier section are doing their work (for the most part) on time (for the most part); the ones in the later section--even some of the "better" students (including the military veteran I like so much)--are falling down on the job: submitting partial assignments, or doing sub-par work, or simply missing assignments entirely. The earlier section also evidenced a lot more thought and care in terms of being ready to write their essays (despite the fear factor). I suspect Wednesday may be a bit of a debacle in the later class: lots of students late, or without essays, or whatever. Of course, it's possible that the same will happen in the earlier section as well--an alarming number of students were absent today, which is not a good sign--but I have a slightly better feeling about their chances to gut their way through this first version of their essays.

I just completed the first "attendance confirmation" report (required for all sorts of reasons); I decided to get it done now, even though it's not due for a while, or I'm sure it would turn into one of those pearls that drops through the floorboards. But as I did that, I realized that it's time for my own early warning to go out, even though the college's official "early warning" system is not yet up for this term. I don't know how aggressive I'm going to be about getting the warnings into the hands of the students who need them. Part of me thinks, "I should mail this to X's home address, so I'm sure he/she gets it." A larger part of me thinks, "This is college. Students need to learn--the hard way, if necessary--what they have to do, when, and how. I've already sent an email to the students who seem to have disappeared, warning them that they need to officially withdraw. If they don't check their email to see that communication, it's not my problem."

I suppose that's often the balancing act for me: the desire to nurture and support against the knowledge that they need to button up and get themselves in order toot sweet, learn those life lessons they need to learn sooner rather than later. It is time for them to encounter someone (preferably many someones) who say, "This is your responsibility. There is no wiggle room: it's absolute."

Well, whatever. I can feel my mind metaphorically turning off the lights as I keep nattering here, so I'll draw this to a close. We'll see what the morrow brings.