The Saturday night before the first week of the semester, I had 20 students registered for Study Skills. In case you were wondering, that is TOO MANY.
Also a lot of the names seemed international. That's tricky because something they don't have study skills issues, they have language issues. But I don't know anything until I meet them for the first time.
The day before the first day of class, a girl asks to join the class. I have a hard time saying no so I let her in.
On the first day of class, I lay down the law: if you don't do your work, I WILL drop you. I don't have time to coddle you. If you want to be here, get the work done. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Of the 21 students on my roster, 15 show up. One of the remaining six emails me that her car broke down. I have yet to see her.
Over the next few days, the numbers go up and down. Finally, they settled down at 14 with only 11 showing up consistently. The girl who asked to sign up the day before class has yet to show up again as well.... ugh.
Of the students that DO show up, almost all have been doing their HW, are participating, doing well on quizzes. Incidentally, TWO play the cello. How bizarre but fun. Next week I meet with them all one-on-one, which is my favorite day of the semester.
Two weeks down, ten more to go!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Some fun videos...
... that keep me sane when I'm reading hundreds of pages about fascism, communism and upper-class intellectuals...
Do you want to see Stephen Fry nearly have an aneurism? Watch this:
Intrigued by this whole Richard III discovery? Watch this:
Is that you, Sir Anthony Strallan? Watch this to find out:
Can't remember how to spell Mississippi? Watch this for help:
While Glee has gotten increasing uncomfortable as of late, want to know what song I thoroughly enjoy? Watch it right here:
Thanks for a friend who is on TOP of his game, I'm seeing these guys in August:
This song makes me really happy:
This song also makes me happy:
And..... back to John Strachey and British politics of the interwar period....
Friday, February 8, 2013
Living Life
This last weekend, I stayed with Bailie while Brooke and Kevin had a mini-getaway. When I picked her up from school on Tuesday, she asked me what the name tag sticker I was wearing came from. I told her I had gone to visit my friend Abbey's first grade classroom where I had been reading to them.
"You have such a great life." she said.
And thinking about it, she's right. I am so lucky to have such a great life with great friends and fun things to do and exiting experiences to enjoy. And this last week especially, I've been living life to the fullest.
On Thursday night, the C of I Happy hour group got together- although it was a
small group this time, I always enjoy our conversation and I definitely look up to these ladies as my role models for great professors.
Tessa had texted me earlier in the week to see if I wanted to do lunch on Saturday. I in turn invited her for dinner on Friday so we could go to the basketball game after. I made pulled pork in the crockpot, we had Captain and Cokes, and Regan joined us for a bit. Unlike my good friend Jon, I enjoy when my "circles" interact and Tessa and I got to share with Regan what life was like at the college when we were students. although we, as usual, did not win the game, I saw two of my small group girls and the most disturbing "military" style dance called "Dollhouse." It was uncomfortable to watch to say the least.
Tessa and I met up again the next day for lunch at Le Cafe De Paris near the Capitol and Boiseans, if you have never gone, go now! I had a pesto panini with chicken that was to die for. I love just sitting and chatting with good friends! It makes me feel like those people in magazines or chick flick books, meeting friends for lunch, grabbing drinks out somewhere, which is what we did later that night at the Aquarius party.
This party has been mentioned before on the blog but this year it was a little different. We started off at Barbacoa which is a great place but their upstairs room was a by claustrophobic. The two for one drinks was nice and I settled in the corner with Abbey, Katie, Dave, Aaron, and Jon. There were so many people there I don't recognize as well as people I did recognize mostly from C Of I but didn't know well enough to want to go talk to so I as perfectly happy in my corner with my friends. Also apparently it was Bring Your Baby to the Party night. There were at least two infants in attendance. We eventually headed over to Bardeney for dinner which I like. We pretty much ended talking with the same people which is fine becauseI feel like I'm at then point where I'm happy with my friends and would rather spend my night with the same people than making awkward conversation with people I don't really know and may honestly never speak to again.
The next morning I met Matt, Abbey and Chris downtown for coffee which turned into coffee and dominoes. So fun- who cares if it's what senior citizens enjoy. If this is 80, as Jon said, maybe I won't mind getting old.
That night was the Super Bowl and we kinda took over Jon's aunt and uncle's basement but the bet part was that everyone there were all people I knew, all people I liked, all people I would voluntarily spend my time with. I didn't feel like I had to put on a persona, I could just be me and not apologize for anything.
Before you think that all I'm doing is having fun, let me list for you the books I've read and taken notes on this week: three biographies of Christopher Isherwood, one autobiography by the man himself, two books about Marxism, several journal articles, an except from a book about British identity and Defoe's Journal of the Plaguep Year in its entirety. I've also had my first Reading and Conferences meeting and went to class on Monday night, so I am getting a lot of work in.
Lots of different things had to happen on my life to get me to where I am right now and let's just say I'm glad that they did.
"You have such a great life." she said.
And thinking about it, she's right. I am so lucky to have such a great life with great friends and fun things to do and exiting experiences to enjoy. And this last week especially, I've been living life to the fullest.
On Thursday night, the C of I Happy hour group got together- although it was a
small group this time, I always enjoy our conversation and I definitely look up to these ladies as my role models for great professors.
Tessa had texted me earlier in the week to see if I wanted to do lunch on Saturday. I in turn invited her for dinner on Friday so we could go to the basketball game after. I made pulled pork in the crockpot, we had Captain and Cokes, and Regan joined us for a bit. Unlike my good friend Jon, I enjoy when my "circles" interact and Tessa and I got to share with Regan what life was like at the college when we were students. although we, as usual, did not win the game, I saw two of my small group girls and the most disturbing "military" style dance called "Dollhouse." It was uncomfortable to watch to say the least.
Tessa and I met up again the next day for lunch at Le Cafe De Paris near the Capitol and Boiseans, if you have never gone, go now! I had a pesto panini with chicken that was to die for. I love just sitting and chatting with good friends! It makes me feel like those people in magazines or chick flick books, meeting friends for lunch, grabbing drinks out somewhere, which is what we did later that night at the Aquarius party.
This party has been mentioned before on the blog but this year it was a little different. We started off at Barbacoa which is a great place but their upstairs room was a by claustrophobic. The two for one drinks was nice and I settled in the corner with Abbey, Katie, Dave, Aaron, and Jon. There were so many people there I don't recognize as well as people I did recognize mostly from C Of I but didn't know well enough to want to go talk to so I as perfectly happy in my corner with my friends. Also apparently it was Bring Your Baby to the Party night. There were at least two infants in attendance. We eventually headed over to Bardeney for dinner which I like. We pretty much ended talking with the same people which is fine becauseI feel like I'm at then point where I'm happy with my friends and would rather spend my night with the same people than making awkward conversation with people I don't really know and may honestly never speak to again.
The next morning I met Matt, Abbey and Chris downtown for coffee which turned into coffee and dominoes. So fun- who cares if it's what senior citizens enjoy. If this is 80, as Jon said, maybe I won't mind getting old.
That night was the Super Bowl and we kinda took over Jon's aunt and uncle's basement but the bet part was that everyone there were all people I knew, all people I liked, all people I would voluntarily spend my time with. I didn't feel like I had to put on a persona, I could just be me and not apologize for anything.
Before you think that all I'm doing is having fun, let me list for you the books I've read and taken notes on this week: three biographies of Christopher Isherwood, one autobiography by the man himself, two books about Marxism, several journal articles, an except from a book about British identity and Defoe's Journal of the Plaguep Year in its entirety. I've also had my first Reading and Conferences meeting and went to class on Monday night, so I am getting a lot of work in.
Lots of different things had to happen on my life to get me to where I am right now and let's just say I'm glad that they did.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Bedřich Smetana: Má Vlast Moldau (Vltava) [City of Prague Philharmonic O...
When I was in 8th grade, my first year in Irvine Youth Symphony, we performed this and I've loved it ever since. The Moldau (or Muldau) is the river that weaves its way through Prague and I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)