Thursday, June 9, 2011

Teaching schedule FML

I finally know all of my teaching assignments for the fall semester.  As expected, it's four sections of the same Intro to Pseudology course.  And, as I'd hoped for syllabus-planning purposes, all sections are on the MWF schedule.  Somewhat less expected, although perhaps without reason, is that my first class of the day is at 8:00AM. 

FML

I don't think I even took any 8:00AM classes in four years of college, and of course my professors in grad school never dreamed of teaching a seminar course that early.  I don't think even my RC-ish language instructor ever scheduled anything that early, and those classes were at least half-full of undergrads at the elementary and intermediate levels.

FML

This means that, depending on where I rent a place in the as-yet-lacking-a-pseudonym town, I may have to rise at 6:00AM to make sure that I can rise, shower, shave, and caffeinate myself in order to dive into a day of teaching that does not end, in the classroom(s), until 4:00PM.

FML

I know it's churlish to complain about these trivialities when it's a good first job to land, so I'll let it go there.  But fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, man, I hate getting up early for this stuff!  I guess there's always an outside possibility that I'll surprise myself by learning to love it, and start rising at 5:00AM to maintain my early-morning writing sessions before hitting the world.  But I seriously fucking doubt it.

6 comments:

  1. Condolences on the early schedule. I'm a night person, myself. Funny thing - when I was taking Shakespeare for the first time, it was a 8 a.m. class. Every morning when I'd wake up, I'd be in a surly mood, saying, "I fucking hate this." But I never missed a class. I actually overslept once for an 8 a.m. class (composition) that I was teaching, but I never missed Shakespeare. From my perfect attendance, it was clear that I was meant to be involved with Shakespeare for the rest of my life.

    I hope Tuesdays and Thursdays can be more restful for you!

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  2. Our most sincere condolences.

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  3. Yeah, it'll suck, but the MWF is good. Trust me, I saw my officemate last fall with a four-class T/Th schedule. Sucks!

    And at least you'll have it done and over with right away. As W.C. Fields once said, "Start the day off with a smile, and get it over with."

    PS troubles with commutes in Postdoctoral Paradise? I don't believe it. The anarchists will show you that there are some *great* windowless sheds and converted basements just miles from the campus. ;)

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  4. Wait wait wait, I'm stuck on: four sections of the same class? on the same day? I feel like that has to be some special circle of hell. I'm sure you'll acquit yourself well...but I'm also sure that, by class #4, you will have to deliver the class in RC-ish just to keep it interesting.

    My first semester teaching, I had an 8am class, and a one hour commute. That was also the semester my wife had a baby. So, preeeeeety much I didn't sleep for the entire month of November (up until 2am prepping, wake up at 6am to get dressed and eat, a couple of wake-ups during the night), until I had a nervous breakdown at Thanksgiving and realized that I had to stop being such a damn idiot. At least it's all afternoons this fall, even if it is 4 days a week...

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  5. My sympathies, for sure. Here's my schedule:

    MWF-2 PM

    TR-teach at 8 and then again at 3.

    No, really. Five days a week. An 8 AM class. Teaching 'til 3 on a Friday.

    I try to remind myself that this is far better than what I had before (that is to say, nothing), but I never imagined that I could get such a sucky teaching schedule! Still, I see that it could be worse. I am also fortunate in that I will be living about 10 minutes (by foot) from my office.

    We will have much to commiserate over.

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  6. @Fie: I'm not expecting to have such an epiphany about teaching Intro to Pseudology, although anything is possible in this life. Perhaps the students will make a difference there.

    @Sis: You're right, TTh for a four-class schedule would be hellish. I'd really be unable to pronounce my own name after a day of that. At least I have a little time to breathe in between some of my MWF classes.

    @Ajnabieh: I'm a little worried to see the shape I'm in by that fourth class each day. It's entirely possible I could lapse into some other language by accident as my brain disengages, much less any stunts I try on purpose.

    @Hap: My sympathies to you as well! No doubt this is part of that 'dues-paying' business people warned us about as young academics. Meet you at the virtual bar in a few months for a bitch session, ok?

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