Spring forward

I've been struggling with my demons again. Feel like I've lost my way. I will get back to posting. I have plenty going on in my head, and I need to get it out.

I haven't posted since last year. In that time:

*December 31: My furnace died the day my mom came home from the hospital to live with us- the day the cold snap really started. Happy New Year! Happy Space Heaters!

* Our New Year's present to ourselves: New furnace.

* My mom moved in with us with her two dogs. We are now a family of 3 and host a dog pack of 4.

* I started teaching a second semester of two classes at Byzantine U. Still adjunct- over worked and underpaid. Loving the students and hating the commute.

* My brother-in-law lost his battle with multiple myeloma. He died on February 13, and I, along with the rest of my family, am providing what support I may to my sister and her sons.

* I have been writing my morning pages faithfully since December 19. Perhaps this blog is moving on with those efforts.

That's some of what's been going on. I am sure I'm forgetting some things; I know that I am deliberately omitting/suppressing other struggles that are ongoing.

I'm planning to get right on writing Varsity Shakespeare: the Play Book for Bard Games and Timeless to Timely. I am. Right after I grade these 20-some midterms and read 18,000+ words of blogs from my students in the other class.

Transitions SUCK

I have been teaching as grad assistant, then as adjunct, at "MY University" for almost 10 years. One of the frustrating aspects of this- beyond the fact that adjunct faculty is not really paid a professional wage- is that I have stayed busy, done lots of teaching- but with one thing and another, scholarly writing hasn't been a priority.  AND the department really didn't give much mentoring/advice/support for getting published.

Well, there have been a number of changes over the past few years. The chair of the department, let’s call him Previous Chair (PC), has stepped down as chair. He was my major mentor. I think he has personal issues going on, but whatever.

Anyway: So, theater department chair is gone, with an interim chair working while search committee does its thing. At the same time, the Dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communications Arts left for a different position. So did the assistant dean. Interims and searches there, too.

Plus, the economy in Michigan was one of the first to suffer and one of the slowest to recover. While it is true that in a down economy many go back to school, they aren't exactly beating down the doors of the theater department.

Also, I've been told/hinted to/read between the lines that *if* there is hiring, it won't be me. Because I haven't published those scholarly articles. I haven't written big time grants. I haven't brought prestige to the university. I've just done an outstanding job of teaching students.

What is particularly painful is that this semester, I was asked at the last minute (really, about 2 and a half weeks before the start of classes) to teach two great classes (because the tenured faculty that taught them quit- I mean, abruptly retired- in a fit of pique because he couldn't get along with the interim chair). I LOVED teaching these two classes, for upperclassmen, theater majors. And the students RAVED about my classes, how great they were, how much they were learning. Other faculty stopped me in the hall and dropped by my office to tell me how much my students loved my classes.

But none of that matters: word on the street is that when faculty is hired, it will be published people with grants to their credit to enhance the prestige of the university.

Add to that, that the PhD program from which I received my degree has been "suspended" because the PhD *faculty* has not been publishing! (No wonder we received no mentoring!)

What this means for me, is that there are fewer opportunities for adjunct faculty such as myself, because now the tenured senior faculty have to teach the lowly undergrads to retain their jobs.

It is bittersweet. I am trying to stay positive- look at this as a blessing in disguise. My University has been my comfort zone, because it was something that I know. Perhaps this is the impetus I need to write more.

Also, with gas in Michigan hovering at $4 / gal, the 110 mile round trip commute is not missed!

For now, I am still technically employed at My U as I am teaching an online class in Intro to Theater. After June 30, we shall see what the universe has to offer.

Marching on...

Here it is already March 4, and I have yet to post a blog! I have some topics coming up- Negative Impact is one title, and sharing family stories is another theme- and I would have blogged about my rage against woman-haters like Rush Limbaugh but my daughter of Little Pixie Magic beat me to it.

Instead, I will briefly mention that I am at the midterm for the two classes I am teaching at university.

Once again, most of my students are doing well. And, once again, a few are failing.

In one class, I sent out emails to those who were just not doing the work. I told them what work each was missing and gave them a deadline for turning in late work for partial credit. And then I sent a reminder email a day before the final deadline.* (I have put the other class on alert that a deadline is ahead for them.)

There were 9 out of 20 students in this class who were in this predicament.

Since the emails, 2 students decided to drop the class.

Good, that is fine. Wise choice.

Of the remaining 7, 5 have turned in work by the deadline.

Of the remaining 2, 1 was not actually failing yet, and has room to catch up.

The last 1 is perhaps my favorite in the class. And this particular student did not show up this Friday, which was the deadline day.

I don't understand it. Most of these students are actually the brightest, most eager and passionate in discussion.

Why not just do the work?

It isn't hard to pass my class- even get a good grade.

You have to do the work! Read the texts!

What is particularly ironic is that this student is the one who asked the class (admitting to as much guilt as anyone else) Let's stay on topic in discussion, okay? Because we are paying for this class, let's get the most out of it!

* Honestly, how many teachers send individual emails alerting students to the danger of failing? Should I even do this?