I love my kids, but damn if I don't wish the little twerps would sleep just a little longer in the mornings. The imp tried getting up at a quarter 'til seven...and the pixie was up at seven sharp.
So, this past week, they've had to deal with Mommy not being there for three mornings. On the other hand, they had Daddy taking them to the park, so while they were very unhappy with me not being there, they also had a wonderful time.
The cats have been codependent, lately. When I go into the master bedroom or one of the bathrooms, there's shortly one of the cats either yowling outside the door (Cricket), or scratching on the door--not enough to leave marks, just enough to make noise to let me know she's there (Shadow).
The dog has taken to refusing to come over to the gate--will run to the opposite side of her pen, if called--if we try to bring her in before Odysseus gets home from work, between ten thirty and eleven thirty.
The first week back on campus was...good. I think I've made connections with most, if not all, of my students, and they're shocked that writing is easier than they thought it was.
I also had a Muslim boy in one of my classes drop after the first day. I don't know if it was because I made them write on the first day, or if it was because I'm a woman. I've seen a lot of Muslim girls in full coverage of skin plus headscarf (though not the burkah) on campus, too. And most of them are from Saudi Arabia.
I don't understand why they're in college. It's not like they can do anything with any degree they earn, and they're taking space that a student who can use that degree but who didn't get in could use.
Writing seems to be coming a little easier, if a lot slower. So we'll see how that goes.
46 minutes ago
I admire your honesty and your common sense. Are you not afraid, though, to go against the collective wisdom of political correctness? I have no doubt you could lose your job if someone were to connect you to your blog. The Halls of Academia are not renowned for rewarding those who don't toe the party line.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, anyway!
You're right--I don't want to lose my job. I really do love teaching, specifically for moments like what happened on Friday, when the whole class realized that writing wasn't as hard as they thought. But someone has to speak, and I can point to the fact that I write the blog under a pseudonym, and have not once mentioned the name of the university on this site.
DeleteWell, you get high marks in my book for moral courage. You certainly aren't doing anything wrong by speaking the truth. It can be a dangerous thing to do in this society today though.
DeleteI tell my students, as each semester starts, that if I say something that offends one of them, please come talk to me. That I will find out what pisses everybody else off, and make sure the individual student doesn't feel that I singled them out to discriminate against. It usually results in a roar of laughter, and no complaints for the semester.
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