So begins my descent into madness

but once I charge in and get started I'll probably be surprised when I look up and notice it's May already.

Yes, I have noticed in life that a lot of times the dreaded can end up being engrossing and time flies, Just like when you are having fun! LOL!
Dave Briggs :~)

We started last week, so I'm in the place of "Wow, glad that's over... Wait, I have to have lectures for THIS week, too??"

We started last week, so I'm in the place of "Wow, glad that's over... Wait, I have to have lectures for THIS week, too??"

right there with you.

Ah, how I miss all that. NOT.

Ah, how I miss all that. NOT.

See, I don't like prep time or grading. Being in the classroom, though? That's heaven. I truly adore that aspect of my job. Indeed, it's the only reason I keep slugging at the diss. I love being in the (college) classroom and that fucking book is the only way to turn it into a career.

I really enjoyed my upper-level classes, but the sophomore genetics course full of disgruntled premeds, on the other hand...

Biology, meet the students. Students, meet biology. Discuss.

Introduction to biology done with. How hard can it be? ;)

#s 2 and 3, ditto!

Biology, meet the students. Students, meet biology. Discuss.
Introduction to biology done with. How hard can it be? ;)

Several years ago, I taught a class that the university had titled "American Racial Minorities." I joked that it felt like my job, from the course title, was to walk in and say, "This is a black person...."

(it was sort of the Ethnic Studies 101 class--I taught it as an intro to the sociology of race and ethnicity.)

So, what kind of difficult questions do they ask you? How about, why does people's hair keep growing, when that would be a disadvantage (imagine prehistoric Crystal Gayle running away from leopards, kind of dates my venue too.) Maybe we needed to be smart enough to cut it in regularly timely fashion, hence sexual selection and intelligence actually work together?

I had the start of the semester last week too. I loved it (as I always do) because it's my first chance to grab my students and reorient their historical awareness. It's not a chore or a moment of dread; it's exciting, exhilarating, the thrill that I live for. Like Jeff, I'm one of those who just can't get enough of the classroom.

Still, I know for all you science-types this is a lot more work than for us dilettante humanities scholars and you need a little motivation to help you through this week. I'm here to provide, courtesy of our own WHYY here in Philly; "Radio Times" today has Marty Moss-Coane interviewing none other than Neil Shubin about Your Inner Fish and the evolution/creationism struggle. The morning broadcast has already run, but they replay the show at 11pm EST and you can listen in no matter where you are on WHYY's live internet stream. Enjoy! and remember, the students dread this week even more than you do.

Today was my first of many lectures in my graduate level course (which is offered every other year). The tricky thing, where I teach, is that some of the students know more than I do about some of the topics in the course (as was made evident today).

How's that for a boost of self-confidence?

Nonetheless, I expect the semester to be richer and more rewarding for it... if only I can get these students to interact more.

No kidding. I hate the start of the semester. Particulary this one cuz I can't find my lectures I had on disk. Crap, I have to do it all over again. I feel like such a dumbass. No time to do this, I have 3 lectures for tomorrow.

Jeez, we already have two weeks down (13 to go!) and I have given out my first graded homework (first exam on 2/5)

Yeah, we start early, but while you schmoes are all teaching in May, I will be out enjoying the fine spring weather (our final is about the first of May)

While the school likes the Maymester, I like our setup because it's a lot easier to keep the students' attention in the doldrums of January than in the sunshine of May.

I'm teaching the introductory biology course again (Fundamentals of Genetics, Evolution, and Development)

...hears the blathering cdesign proponentist somewhere, "So you admit that you're forcing Fundamentalist Geneticism on these poor students! How dare you not give alternative theories of inheritance a fair shot!"

Seriously though, here's hoping you have good semester out there.

it's a lot easier to keep the students' attention in the doldrums of January than in the sunshine of May.

It's also a lot easier to keep the faculty's attention. Who wouldn't rather be sitting on the grass of the Boston Common, with a nice warm sun and a good book, than lecturing? I won't hold class outside in the spring (I get asked a lot) because I'll lose my concentration and probably end up saying, "Fuck it, let's play."

My classes also stated today. Having been out of the classroom for a while, I'm getting used to something new (for me, I know it's been around a while) and wonderful: WebAssign. (webassign.net) Randomized problems for each student, automatic homework grading, just-in-time teaching--it's a pedagogical windfall as well as a brave new world. Of course it's tailor made for mathematical physics (one of my teaching assignments) and introductory physics (the other)--not sure how it would be used for bio.

Best of luck, PZ! At my college we've been in session for two weeks already, and I'm about to plunge into the first set of midterms and practical exams. I've got a particularly good bunch of students this quarter, though, so I have high hopes.

One of the things I love about these kinds of threads is the ways that, although teaching may not be a first love for everyone here, there is a pleasure we seem to receive, and we all take a certain pride in doing it well. What I love, is looking at all the different approaches people take. This is one of the fun things about my year teaching at Mankato as well. There was a group of us--from Sociology, Women's Studies, Art Education, Computer Engineering, Math, Biology (or was he chemistry), English--who would get together every Wednesday to drink, play pool, and talk about teaching. There was always the "How would you guys deal with this?" conversation.

I'm also laughing because I am the opposite of the folks who have and keep lecture notes. For one class, I'll have about 4 or 5 bullet points, lots of arrows, and some beginning discussion questions to try and get into that mess of arrows. Or, rather than writing it all out, I'll take an hour walk before class and map it in my head as I walk. I enter the classroom and off we go. (Then again, I don't lecture much. I elicit stuff through conversation and only lecture when I try to draw together the things I've just worked at getting them to develop....)

I couldn't write out a full lecture and stick with it. My personality would cause such an approach to be a miserable failure. Other folks would look at my style and ask, "What the fuck is he doing?" Good teaching isn't formula.

[/soapbox]

Classes started last week for us... (now, keep in mind, I'm a grad history student.) Today, we spent most of the entire class period, in Women in Pre Modern Europe, discussing some of the ridiculous "truths" classical doctors and thinkers held about women's biology and anatomy. It was particularly amusing watching the male prof (whom I admire deeply) trying to discuss the "wandering womb" and vagina detente without turning red - though a couple of my male classmates did. These discussions also gave me a hell of an idea for a lolcats-style macro.

"I like our setup because it's a lot easier to keep the students' attention in the doldrums of January than in the sunshine of May."

Agreed. And wouldn't it make more sense to have more of the winter break in December when students and teachers have to deal with Christmas preparations? Having the first three weeks of January off is crazy. Unless you go skiing every day, what are you going to do during all that time?

MaJeff, on lecture notes:

I use detailed lecture notes. But I once took particle physics in grad school from a particle theorist by the name of Lincoln Wolfenstein (no 3D jokes). Once he came to class and did this: He wrote a giant M on the board and said: "let's consider the scattering matrix M." Then he sat on the instructor's desk and talked for an hour about the symmetry properties of M and the form they imposed on the cross section. At the end of the class I looked at my notes--all I had written was M. Grr.

#2

"We started last week, so I'm in the place of "Wow, glad that's over... Wait, I have to have lectures for THIS week, too??"

Exactly! At least I had MLK day off yesterday for some extra prep time.

Most of the time, my mappy thing stays on the desk untouched. For me it's the process of creating it, and going over it in my mind several times, and exploring the various connections (the walk) that is much more effective than writing it out would be.

When I was asked to put together a "Teaching Nuts and Bolts" workshop for other grad students, everyone wanted a "how-to" guide for lecturing, how much time should be devoted to lecture vs. small group work vs discussion, blah blah blah. The only thing I could say was, find the techniques that work best for you in communicating what you're attempting to communicate, and run with them. A lot of what we do is really technical skills at very basic levels. It's which ones we bring to the situation, and how well we use them, that determine their success. My own personality (quite scattered) makes certain techniques very useful, as long as I'm reflexive and know how and why I'm using them.

I miss those Wednesday nights.

"Agreed. And wouldn't it make more sense to have more of the winter break in December when students and teachers have to deal with Christmas preparations? Having the first three weeks of January off is crazy. Unless you go skiing every day, what are you going to do during all that time?"

Um, some of us have research papers that need to get finished. And grant proposals to be written. And a university that needs to be run (and committees that need to do that).

Three weeks of no teaching responsibilities is always very welcome so I can get some other work done that I need to do.

But what of the poor undergrads? Idle hands, I say! Ah, never mind.

Three weeks of no teaching responsibilities is always very welcome so I can get some other work done that I need to do.
-----
But what of the poor undergrads? Idle hands, I say! Ah, never mind

First day of class, I said to my students, "How was your break? Same as mine; too short and too long simultaneously?"

lots of nodding heads.

I was told last week by a former student that he liked my class, because I had a "free-form lecture style". I didn't know if that meant that I was willing to adapt and go with the flow of student interest, or if he was calling me scatterbrained and absent-minded with no sense of purpose.

MAJeff - kudos for resisting the "let's have class outside" bunch. I have horrid allergies, and the one time I was in a class that went outside I got nothing out of it because I was sneezing with watery eyes the entire time.

I tend to make fairly detailed notes for each class, but then often deviate from them. Not making as tight notes serves me well in lecturing, but very badly in writing tests later trying to remember what it was I told them. The mini-review sessions before tests are for me more than them. That said, I decided I had finally "arrived" as an instructor when I got through two solid hours of lecture, had a couple of students at the end comment that it was a good day of information, and all I'd had in my notes was "Talk about 'x'".

I'm sorry, but I've got no sympathy. In a few weeks my best week will look like your worst. And by April 15th, I'll be a shambling zombie who still has to finish monthlies and quarterlies. When the first week of May comes around, I'm so brain-dead that I sometimes can't remember the names of my family members, or at times even speak coherently, due to the chronic fatigue and stress that produces an almost aphasia-like state in me.

Moses - with the April deadline, you must be a CPA? If so, you can rest assured that at the least A) You make a hell of a lot more money than those of us complaining do, and B)You can find a job just about anywhere in the country you want to. Won't help much around April 5 or so, but at least it's something to hold on to.

What's this now? A bunch of professors stressing because they have to work for a couple of months before going back on vacation again? Boo-hoo!

Just kidding, I really don't envy you. Good luck.

Our school was divided into two semesters with a five week "block" in winter. Looking at the current calendar, spring semester isn't scheduled to start until 11 February.

As for my son's (home) school: we'll be starting the new semester next week.

Our school starts today, with my first lecture tomorrow (MWF class). It's the same course that I did last semester, so prep time is minimal - thank Iphthar!

The real grind will come in my summer course, microbiology in 5 weeks. MTWTh 6PM to 10:30PM, lecture and lab every night. I must be nuts! At least it's over quick

SG

still...
...i'm sure it beats the old public school racket.
it must be nice to take the literacy of your students for granted...

best of luck to you all.
-cheers.

PZ, I'm sorry to hear that you dislike teaching. How sad for a college prof. I see no recent research publications of yours in Medline (the most recent is 1998, the previous is 1993), so you're not enjoying research, either. Your blog is great (and my favorite Website), but I hope it's not the only part of your professional life that's satisfying for you.

Lithopithecus, depends on how you define "literacy". You'd be shocked at what some kids get through high school with. (or not)

... if only I can get these students to interact more.

I wasn't aware that anyone had that problem with grad students. I thought that was mostly a lower-division problem.

Not making as tight notes serves me well in lecturing, but very badly in writing tests later trying to remember what it was I told them.

Most of the classes I taught were intro, so I figured that five useful items for the hour would be about as much as I could cover. For Intro Accounting, I assumed it would take the first two weeks to get 80% of the class to comprehend debits and credits (of course 60% of them got it in the first ten minutes, so it was tricky trying to keep them remotely interested while trying to drag the rest of the class along.

I just wanted to let you know that you have a new reader in this fellow Minnesotan and to thank you for what you are doing here. I share many of your views and opinions, but you do them the most justice by being bold and articulate. Cheers from Chaska.

Thank you, PZ, for reminding me why I never went to grad school. Although with a doctorate in linguistics, I may well not have found a teaching position anyway, and ended up being a computer jockey anyway, except with student loans.

"...and an upper level class in science writing..."
I didn't know such classes even existed. I'm currently writing my Thesis (in statistical classification) and wish that I was better and faster at writing. Does anyone know any good resources for general science writing tips?

found these so far:
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.html
http://classweb.gmu.edu/biologyresources/writingguide/Introduction.htm

It's Tuesday, the 22nd of January, and this is the first day of classes at UMM.

What? In my day at uni, in addition to having to walk 10 miles uphill both ways through waist deep snow starting in September, we started classes right after New Years day. Ah, but there were giants then.

Is this last week of January start of term a general thing in America or is it a UMM thing, giving people a couple of extra weeks to make their way to that distant vox clamant in deserto?

"Is this last week of January start of term a general thing in America or is it a UMM thing, giving people a couple of extra weeks to make their way to that distant vox clamant in deserto?"

Would YOU want to walk to class in the beginning of January in Mankato, MN?

Would YOU want to walk to class in the beginning of January in Mankato, MN?

Well, PZ is in Morriss, which is even more barren than the Mankato area (where I used to live, and did my MA, and taught, and where my parents still live....aaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhh!)

Minnesota has done some things about the cold. Southwest State (if it hasn't changed it's name) has tunnells between buidlings, and Mankato has a skywalk system connecting several. Very nice in winter not having to go outside.

Minnesota has done some things about the cold.

Tunnels? Feh. A band-aid, at best. Why don't they pump a few trillion tons of CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere? That'll do it.

Tunnels? Feh. A band-aid, at best. Why don't they pump a few trillion tons of CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere? That'll do it.

Ever hung out by a manure lagoon? Oh, Minnesota's doing it's job.

Would YOU want to walk to class in the beginning of January in Mankato, MN?

We've had the odd cold day in Canada.

We've had the odd cold day in Canada.

Why do you think I haven't moved there?

I HATE the cold.

Heh. When I first visited the wild cold north of Alberta, I didn't know what all of those posts in the parking lots were. When told they were to plug cars in during the winter so that the engine blocks didn't freeze and crack, I thought O-kay. Pretty place, but avoid 10 months of the year. :)

Best of luck, PZ! At my college we've been in session for two weeks already, and I'm about to plunge into the first set of midterms and practical exams. I've got a particularly good bunch of students this quarter, though, so I have high hopes.