Today was the last day of classes and I am so ecstatic that I don't have to get up at 6:30 any more. This morning when my alarm went off, I thought "at least it's the last time!" I'm teaching my earliest class at 10:10 am next semester (and not teaching at all on Tuesdays and Thursdays), so I'm relieved to have this rough schedule done. I still have a week of exams and a mountain of grading to do, but I as I sit here in my fleece robe, smelling like a LUSH blackberry bath bomb, I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief. I'm also remembering that I had made of list of academic new year's resolutions and wondering how I did. Here they are:
I think I did pretty well with this one. I did have a couple of emails that rubbed me the wrong way, but I can't think of any students who were just the bane of my existence this semester. I never asked anyone to leave class, but nobody was being disruptive either.
2. I will do my darnedest to get students to participate in discussion in my upper level courses. And I will try to bite my tongue, so that I don't take over the whole discussion!
3. I will keep exercising at least four days a week (ideally five) when classes start. I may have to revert back to my EARLY schedule of yesteryear, but I am going to do it, dammit!
4. I will try to have a positive attitude about life in general. This has usually been easy for me, but has seemed harder over the last year or so. I need to shed some cynicism.
2. I will do my darnedest to get students to participate in discussion in my upper level courses. And I will try to bite my tongue, so that I don't take over the whole discussion!
I'm sure I could have done better with this one. I was probably better than I have been in the past, but I know that I probably monopolized a couple of discussions over the semester. I think discussion were better than in the past, but I think it's because I am more willing to sit and wait for students to speak up. I also had some great students this semester, and they contributed in class.
3. I will keep exercising at least four days a week (ideally five) when classes start. I may have to revert back to my EARLY schedule of yesteryear, but I am going to do it, dammit!
I was doing really well with this until I caught a cold right before Thanksgiving. I was severely congested and coughing for weeks (I'm finally just about over it now!) I have gotten out of the habit, but now that my schedule is more flexible, I am going to get back into it.
4. I will try to have a positive attitude about life in general. This has usually been easy for me, but has seemed harder over the last year or so. I need to shed some cynicism.
Wow- I didn't do well with this one at all. I have still been plagued with periods of depression and feelings of hopelessness about the future. This is a hard one- sometimes it's hard to pull myself out of feelings- even if I know they are irrational. We'll see how I am next semester.
So, I had planned to get some grading done tonight, but that has not happened. I wrapped presents with D instead, which was fun. I'll be in grading jail this weekend for sure...
3 comments:
Congratulations on ending your semester! Happy holidays.
Yay for the end of the semester!!! And a Lush blackberry bomb is a great treat!!!!
I don't know how teachers do it....5 days a week is nuts. I can do 2-3 days a week, and keep 1-2 day for research.
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