Classes start tomorrow and I walked through the beautiful snow to my office. Sundays are great days to work in the office. Few people are around and those that are, are super focused. This allows me to spread out and work on ten projects at the same time. During the week, I try a little more to appear as if I had things under control. I make nice piles that appear to have a purpose. But today, I am trying to end all my research leave projects and to get ready for teaching two graduate courses this semester. No major tasks, but lots of little loose ends to tie (finish the lit review, proof-read a paper, book a conference flight, write discussion questions for the first readings,….).
Both classes are completely prepared, including all photo copies. But one is on technology, so there is always the danger of the failing technology. Might sound strange coming from a CALL person, but it's true. The other course is on teaching culture and most of the students in the course are German Studies students. So, we shall see if we can talk about a similar thing when we talk about culture.
Now, I am working on getting the second teaching day prepared and to finish a paper I have been working on for a while. I have to write the literature review: to me the most challenging part of a paper. And so I usually save it until the end. Questionable, whether that is a good strategy.
But I am excited to be back in the classroom. Teaching from 11:30 until 5:50 with only a short break during which I have to hike across campus, now seems like a silly idea. I am not even sure how this teaching schedule came about, but it is always challenging to coordinate both the German and the LLT schedule with me teaching a course in each. The good thing is that two crazy students decided to stick to this crazy schedule with me. Mondays will be rough for the three of us. But Tuesdays I stay home with my son, so that is a nice recovery day for a hectic Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment