Response

I was reading propaganda from the community college where I work, and I found myself responding, "Yah, whatever." Maybe I need an attitude adjustment. . . or just less imposed comradery(sp?) and forced school spirit. I enjoy my students and the people with whom I work, and I try to do my best to make the classroom experience a good one. Just don't try to regiment what I do into some formula for bureacracy's sake. There, I've said it.

To Teach

I never tire of teaching. Of course there is the occasional tedium, and frequently there is the smart ass in the back row, but I love it anyway. Part of the fun is getting to know the quiet students, the shy ones, the angry ones who have been forced to take a class against their will, the men and women who are hungry to learn, and even the smart asses. All of their stories are fascinating to me. I am so fortunate to have fallen into this career.

Tuesday's Class

Tonight's class sucked. Maybe there is a more polite word but I doubt it would be as accurate. As a teacher, I need to take ownership of the classes I teach and that has not happened this quarter, at least not on Tuesday evenings. Not wanting to embarrass anyone involved (except myself), I will leave the description vague: I did little; some students likewise did little; a couple of students tried but fell short of expectations; some students did too much and respected too little; some students performed well in spite of the rest of us. All in all, it was mediocre but only in the sense of averages. Sometimes I think I do better as a student. It is a freer role.
Late night television, on the other hand, has cheered me on to throw myself back into life full throttle. Botox and a stomach band should do the trick. I am particularly drawn to the diagram of a stomach with the constricting band at the top. And it's adjustable, in case I were to lose height, I'm guessing.

To Teach

Some rewards do come from teaching college. This week I learned about emo from an essay by one of my students, and later a student tutor demonstrated google documents for me. I feel so young and with it. At a regular job I might have fumbled along without this knowledge. Think of the lack of conversation fodder at cocktail parties. There may be meager compensation, and as an adjunct, I may not garner respect nor be acknowledged. At least I get to approach cool. I think I'll go listen to some Weezer, put on my studded belt buckled in the back, and allow a collaborator or two into the nefarious plan I stored in the great ether I imagine google documents to be. (It's probably less romantic--an abandoned fridge sans door with tapes carelessly tossed on to the rusted shelves.)

Two Google employees

head for a newly arrived

storage unit. Note cool

attire and attitude.