Ciao!: I feel lost at sea

I feel lost at sea

01.24.2005

I'm not sure exactly what's happening, but I don't think my 105 class is going anywhere. At least, I don't think the students are interested (for the most part). It's so frustrating. There's 55 of them, and only a tiny handful (meaning, I can count them w/ the fingers of one hand) seem engaged at all. It's mostly a sea of blank faces. What's going on?

Maybe I should juggle or something? My inner cynic thinks teaching today is more about entertainment, than wrestling w/ ideas. Still, I've got to figure out something. Right?

Or maybe we've just not gotten into a rythm yet, w/ having had only 3 actual classes in three weeks. I really hope that's it.

Either way, bad moods just seem to multiply. I rushed over to the library to make a few photocopies. None of the machines will make two-sided copies. None. Except the one in the office, which costs ¢15/copy, rather than ¢7/copy. That's an insane amount of paper waste. Just insane, I tell you.

Now I'm locked in my office until 6pm, when the grad class I'm sitting in on meets. The real (registered) students better've done their reading this week, or I think I'm gonna lose it.

This is a very sharp contrast to an enjoyable evening last night. I ♥ Huckabees & conversation over cinnamon chai.

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ADDENDUM 1: Sorry if I sounded so cynical about 105. It's certainly not a desperate situation or anything. Being Monday's probably a factor. And the fact that 105 is a very difficult class to teach (in general), because it's sort of about nothing (about learning to think for yourself, not a specific "subject"), and it's just a HUGE class (55 students) for a class that's usually taught w/ small (25-30) discussion focus sections for more hands-on stuff. But I'm sure I'll figure something out. Fight the good fight, and all that.

ADDENDUM 2: I should also add that I was in a bad mood all day. Starting w/ seriously considering picking Sophie up by the scruff & throwing her outside (just for a brief moment, I never even touched her) after waking me up at 2am and whining for food periodically until 9am. Up to spilling chai on Kaneda. Who, other than being a little sticky, still runs (thanks, Apple!). All that before 10:30am.

Posted by Miguel at 04:01 PM

Comments

Is this Huckabees on DVD yet? I hear good things from all places.

Posted by: tom at January 24, 2005 05:03 PM

I ♥ Huckabees is particularly good if you displike both mushy feel-good existentialism AND pretentious nihilism. And it'll be on DVD on 22 February.

Posted by: Miguel at January 24, 2005 10:07 PM

I'm sold!

Posted by: tom at January 24, 2005 11:16 PM

Maybe once you get into the heart of the matter they will find it interesting. The way Dr. Haas taught us, the fallacies and syllogisms were first. Those were interesting, but applying them to current issues made it that much better. And WTF, 55 sutdents for 105?

Good luck.

Posted by: Kara at January 25, 2005 12:00 AM

I have 54 students in my 105, we have met already 8 times (I teach three times per week at 9 am). I was frustrated yesterday when I returned them their first assignment: exactly 50% got an F or a D on it! But otherwise there are some students who participate, some are yawning, some come to class every second class etc. I check how much they know almost every class. But you have to know that 105 is not a class an average student would choose. They have to register for it. So usually 90% or more don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That doesn't eman you don't need to care either, it just puts everything into perspective. Why do you think our professors don't want to teach it, it's like a plague to them. N.

Posted by: Nenad at January 25, 2005 07:56 AM