School is in! I'm not sure who ended up taking teaching work. I know Wolfe did and I hear rumor Sarah did. Anyone else? I ended up taking work at two schools to make it work financially. At the faith based school that meets in the ESB, I'm teaching one section--the school only offers four sections of english 1 and I'm the only adjunct in the english department. At Queensborough Community College--yes, in Queens like that lame tv show, and also the community college Tom Grimes attended--I'm teaching two sections. Does that mean I have the next Will in my class? Anyway, at QCC I'm one of fifty adjuncts in the english dept. and one of 800 at the college. Shazam, that's a lot of adjuncts.
As far as NY goes, Laura and I are settling back into life here in Brooklyn. Though--seriously, and I mean very seriously-- beer just costs way too much here in the bars. But besides that we are happy. Laura starts her phd next week and she has picked up part time work at a cool knitting store in our neighborhood for some play around scratch and a nice diversion from the rigorous study.
I do miss Texas.
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I'm adjuncting at ASU. Of course, I'm happy because I need the money, but I've also been struggling a bit--about a month ago I said something ...blah,blah,blah, "and this is my seventh year teaching." It was that proverbial light bulb moment where you realize time has passed so quickly, you thought you'd be doing something different, something more exciting.
Married life is nice. Hopefully I can post some pictures soon of the big day after the photographer gives us the proof c.d. Tom is still tall. I am still short. We're still in love.
I used to hate married people. Sometimes I still do--their grins and skipping down hallways holding hands in public places. But it's really like that. I think it must be in 5 years or so when I turn bitter.
I don't know if this made the news at all of the places you guys are at, but a helicopter crashed a few days ago in Irag and killed 14 soldiers, one who is from Missouri. His fiance is in one of my classes. She came to class the day after she got the news and sat in the corner crying, writing a Diagnostic essay. I told her to go home, but she wouldn't "because she didn't want to be alone." It was awful.
I'm with Bearden--I miss Texas and spicy brown beans.
i'm still at tsu, and all of a sudden i have 84 students. i tried hard, while they wrote their diagnostics, to remember the names of the ones who want to be astronauts, or the ones who sing opera, or the ones who are only 22 and already disabled vets. i've got about 10 down, so far.
i'm already kind of in love with them again. by the end of the semester, i'm always over it, ready to break up, but in the beginning (before they come cry in my office and then turn in papers from termpapers.com), it's always so nice.
I'm considering substitute teaching here in Austin. Anyone care to talk me out of it? I mean, it's got to be better than hostessing...right?
84!!!!!!!! Jack!!! That's completely insane. Is that four sections? I must confess, I turned down a fourth section. But two of my sections have 30 each on the roster. I've yet to meet with one class, so I'm not sure of its size.
Amelia, substitute work might be better. At least you don't have to smile at rich folk all night. That alone would seal the deal for me.
Texas misses you!
I could totally see an amelia character substitute teaching.
I'm at texas state too. Love the job--but I'm having trouble navigating the copy room. There's just this overriding assumption that we and our students are second rate. I get my feathers ruffled at that and all of the silly gossip.
I went to the first faculty meeting this week. They were talking about the new possition in fiction. (DG's possition has been reduced by a half and so they are hiring someone new). The search committee is Hankins, Holt, Monroe, Grimes, Grayson, and the man Cohen. The add won't appear on MLA, but will on AWP, I think. The applicant needs a book with a major press. spread the word.
I teach a five oclock and so last night when I finally got to go home for the day, people were beginning to gather for workshop on the mezaninne steps. I forgot it was tuesday. I forgot that every academic tuesday for the last three years I was keenly aware that there was a workshop going on. That tuesday marked my weeks. It wasn't sad, but people yelled after me to come to the river pub. I laughed and held up my tote bag with my 80 diagnostic essays. I couldn't tell them that once you finish, you can't really go back and that you people wouldn't be there and not to forget us.
I think I have 75 students between two schools. It's a bit of a tap dance, one with no reprieve in sight (Oh! how I'm looking forward to Labor Day just so I can catch up!) My free time is during the commute, or at night when I can't sleep because I convince myself I've forgotten something important somewhere.
Today a student saw me smoking outside and said, "Need a smoke to relieve the stress of having to use the mens room?" I'm not sure if I had seen him in the mens room just prior (pretty sure not), and I'm not even sure what he meant, so I said, "Yeah, it can be really stressful in there."
What does that mean?
Please, please, please write a story Wolfey where characters say that. It made me laugh and laugh.
Amelia--if you accept this subbing position, can you say no on a day if you need to? Or do you commit to so many "yeses" a week?
Wolfe-It's a good thing you have tap experince.
The way I understand it, they call and I can say yes or no whenever I feel like it. There's a whole pool of subs, so I can have subbing for when I'm having a rough month freelancing.
Of course, it dries up over summer and winter break, when freelancing gets the slowest. But maybe I'll have an actual job by then?
Then I think subbing sounds like a great way to pick up some dough. Seems like it'd be fun--you get to be the cool lady that walks in a classroom that every student is genuinely glad to see.
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