Midterm already?
Once again I've let almost a month go by without posting something. In my defense, I have the plague. Just kidding (although I'm reading a book about the plague right now and quite enjoying it; however, the characters don't seem to be). According to my doctor, I have "that cough that everybody has," which has been scaring people away from sitting next to me on the train for a good four weeks now and apparently will continue doing so for another two or three, despite the antibiotics and the inhaler I've been prescribed.
(Side note: If I had asthma, I'd be long dead. I am apparently too uncoordinated to use an inhaler. I can't inhale and press the button at the same time. Seriously. M. Defarge observed this phenomenon and pointed out that I stop breathing the second I press. Add it to another of the many things I'm physically incapable of.)
But hey, it's February! This morning it was below zero, and tonight it's snowing. I think I'm turning into my father. We used to make fun of him for complaining about the weather all the time (Cold and snowing in February? Didn't see that one coming.) but this year I've really reached the limits of my tolerance. Possibly because I actually have to walk farther than the house to the garage to get to work. I laugh when it snows and everyone else is stuck in traffic, but when it's 5 below without the windchill, I miss my car.
In other news, my school got accredited, which is a huge relief, because apparently if we didn't we were just going to keep trying until we did. I did not have to outright lie to my interrogator, although I had to tap-dance a little when he asked how my budget was determined (Gosh, I think that happens in the summer, and I started here last summer ...). Still better than saying "Budget? What's that?" Allegedly the team even said nice things about the library and the 50-page report/improvement plan I wrote, although I didn't hear that firsthand because my student worker's train was late and I missed the meeting where they shared the blessed news.
And now it's midterm (or next week it will be, anyway). The printer ran out of ink yesterday and there were minor grumblings but still no finals-worthy mutinies. I gave a lunchtime workshop on MLA citation today and 9 people showed up, which was 9 more than showed up for either of the previous semester's workshops. I wish I had given them more of a reason to be there--presentations always sound so much better in my head. But the ones who filled out evaluations were kind and said they learned stuff, so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I wish there had been more teacher training in library school. But the good (or bad) thing is, I committed to doing this session again in a couple of weeks so that a prof can make the students who plagiarized her current round of papers attend, so I'll have another chance to do a better job. I'm definitely going to hold it in a classroom and have it be more informal, instead of reserving the gallery again and needing a microphone and a podium to talk to 9 people.
There have been a few days lately when I've felt really burned out and non-enthusiastic (including this morning), but I still feel like I'm somewhat useful to the students, and that helps. And in 9 more weeks I'll be in London!
One last, completely random comment: I went to a new OB/GYN last week because I finally remembered to switch doctors before I had made an appointment with the previous butcher. This guy actually talked with me (twice! while I was clothed!) instead of just sticking his hand in and leaving. Anyway, he asked about my plans for kids or not, and when I said I was in no hurry, he said, "Just don't wait too long." So I asked how long was too long, and he said 10 years. Therefore, I think certain pregnant people are overstating the rush.
The end.
(Side note: If I had asthma, I'd be long dead. I am apparently too uncoordinated to use an inhaler. I can't inhale and press the button at the same time. Seriously. M. Defarge observed this phenomenon and pointed out that I stop breathing the second I press. Add it to another of the many things I'm physically incapable of.)
But hey, it's February! This morning it was below zero, and tonight it's snowing. I think I'm turning into my father. We used to make fun of him for complaining about the weather all the time (Cold and snowing in February? Didn't see that one coming.) but this year I've really reached the limits of my tolerance. Possibly because I actually have to walk farther than the house to the garage to get to work. I laugh when it snows and everyone else is stuck in traffic, but when it's 5 below without the windchill, I miss my car.
In other news, my school got accredited, which is a huge relief, because apparently if we didn't we were just going to keep trying until we did. I did not have to outright lie to my interrogator, although I had to tap-dance a little when he asked how my budget was determined (Gosh, I think that happens in the summer, and I started here last summer ...). Still better than saying "Budget? What's that?" Allegedly the team even said nice things about the library and the 50-page report/improvement plan I wrote, although I didn't hear that firsthand because my student worker's train was late and I missed the meeting where they shared the blessed news.
And now it's midterm (or next week it will be, anyway). The printer ran out of ink yesterday and there were minor grumblings but still no finals-worthy mutinies. I gave a lunchtime workshop on MLA citation today and 9 people showed up, which was 9 more than showed up for either of the previous semester's workshops. I wish I had given them more of a reason to be there--presentations always sound so much better in my head. But the ones who filled out evaluations were kind and said they learned stuff, so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I wish there had been more teacher training in library school. But the good (or bad) thing is, I committed to doing this session again in a couple of weeks so that a prof can make the students who plagiarized her current round of papers attend, so I'll have another chance to do a better job. I'm definitely going to hold it in a classroom and have it be more informal, instead of reserving the gallery again and needing a microphone and a podium to talk to 9 people.
There have been a few days lately when I've felt really burned out and non-enthusiastic (including this morning), but I still feel like I'm somewhat useful to the students, and that helps. And in 9 more weeks I'll be in London!
One last, completely random comment: I went to a new OB/GYN last week because I finally remembered to switch doctors before I had made an appointment with the previous butcher. This guy actually talked with me (twice! while I was clothed!) instead of just sticking his hand in and leaving. Anyway, he asked about my plans for kids or not, and when I said I was in no hurry, he said, "Just don't wait too long." So I asked how long was too long, and he said 10 years. Therefore, I think certain pregnant people are overstating the rush.
The end.
posted by Madame Defarge at 5:12 PM
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