Just press "play"

The usual plaint about how tired I am. Whatever.

So far, my T/Th classes are still doing very well. The students in the 101 are already talking with each other and with me before class starts, which is always a good sign. The students in the 102 needed that little "class runs on participation" lecture--but I did a variation, in which I pointed out that I can sit in silence for a looooooong time. The discussion picked up after that. I hope they keep getting more confident as time goes by; I know part of what's going on is that they're not sure how to approach literature yet, so they're afraid to say things in class for fear they might be wrong. I am pleased with myself, in that I am doing a better job than usual of pointing out what students are doing that's good: "Did you notice that she has evidence to back up her point?" "Good: notice that she is referring to a specific page number." That sort of thing. Encouragement. It can make a difference.

Shifting back to the 101 class, there is a female version of Chip in today's section. Reading about the fact that professors are offended when students pack up to leave before class ends, she said that is "childish" because professors need to accommodate the fact that students have to get to their next class. Today, she said that colleges and universities are "stupid" because they mix together students who are following a career track with students who are more focused on self-enrichment; after all, "we're not sheep," she said. True. That's why we mix you together: we figure you are capable of having and maintaining your own reasons for going to school but that encountering people who think and feel differently than you do can be a very good thing. She really wants to fight back against everything we read, everything I say, but I think a lot of that is cultural. There is a certain demographic for whom the only way to feel one is receiving appropriate respect is to maintain a combative air at all times, because otherwise one is perceived as weak and will be mistreated. It's hard to convey that, in the demographic of highly educated people, that combative stance can be counter-productive; the stance that tends to get more respect is the one that is cordial, open--but firm and clear.

Well, I try to model it, even though I'm not always any of those things. And even though they really don't want to be me.

Shifting gears: the wodge of homework I've collected keeps growing, but I won't have time to mark anything this weekend (as I'll be practicing my teaching at a Breath-Body-Mind workshop--and even more sleep deprived than usual). Despite the effect of the hiccups on the semester's work flow, I have to say I am thrilled to bits to have Wednesday in which to do some life maintenance and also get caught up on student work. Right now, I don't have much from my M/W 101, so I can probably get that done before class on Monday (or maybe during class on Tuesday--which is a Monday as far as NCC is concerned); I have a great deal more from the T/Th classes--but there's that Wednesday (in addition to whatever is left of Tuesday-that-is-a-Monday.

I know. It makes my head hurt, too. In fact, I've been walking the edge of a fierce headache all day, and by the time I got to my 4:00 class, I was having a hard time comprehending what my eyes were taking in: visually I could see, but the processing part was apparently mostly off-line. Class still went pretty well, though. And I did meet with two students after class, clarifying stuff--and praising them for coming to me early with concerns instead of waiting until the ships had all sailed.

Now, I'm going to take a moment to put the stuff I need for Monday in my wheelie pack, look around the office to see if there's anything else I need to tidy away, and then head off into the gloaming. And tomorrow is Friday. That's not only another day, it's a hell of  relief.