Bearshorty's musings

30 Days of Me Meme

Day 25: A problem that you have had

This question is a little strange. What kind of problem? Personal, work? Right now the biggest problem is getting Tanya to eat stuff before she starts rejecting it and throwing food on the floor. Or getting enough time to grade papers.

30 Days of Fanfic Meme

25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?

If the story is inspired by a song or a piece of music I listen to it as I write to get the mood and the feel of the story. And as I think about the story. But otherwise I don't listen to anything as I write. Nor do I make a playlist for a story or mood. I don't need noise. Too much noise would be distracting. I do prefer it generally quiet but not overly so.

( Life )

First time ever I didn’t finish on time for folder review. I just got one class done. The director was very accommodating but I know I can’t let this happen again. Basically, I went in for the Folder Review of only one section and the other section is rescheduled for Thursday. I don’t know why I do this to myself – I just put off grading sometimes. At least I’m pretty certain of the grades.

Academic honesty committee came to the decision about those midterms. The girl was fine and the two guys who copied her got a F for the class. It would have been easier for them to just not argue with me in the first place and admit what they have done.

Finally, I got the label from Macy’s! Yay. About time. I can send those rings back! Next step, actually getting my money back for them.

( Glee )

I’m so so happy today is done. I still have history final exams to finish this weekend, but those I just have to read and grade, no need for commenting. I got up at 6am to get to campus and pretty much graded non-stop from 7 to 2, with a break for Folder review with the program director. I got 18 papers done – which is a lot. On a marathon day 16-18 is the most a brain can process and only under duress. I graded maybe 80 papers this week – I bought a new pen on Monday and it is almost done.

The folder review itself was fine. I was very happy with the grade distribution for my students and got the director to agree to an A for one of the guys even as this last paper since needed a little bit more. But he had a great complex thesis. And he came to pick up his folder and I love seeing the joy in these kids faces when they see they did well or even passed. One guy was taking this class for the third time and was thrilled with a C+. (It is a requirement). I had lovely students in both my sections this semester – definitely one of my favorite semesters.

After the folder review I went to the main campus to pick up the textbook for next semester and filled out all the paperwork too. Then tea and jelly thing at DunkinDonuts and some relaxation.

And to make me even happier, on top of being done with writing stuff for the semester, I got the most awesome story as my gift at RS Small Gifts exchange. It has Teddy! And it is just perfect. Thank you deathjunke!

( Grimm S1E7 )

Folder review day. Today was the last day of my writing class where I meet with one of the directors and we go over the folders with all the students’ work and I turn in their final exams and grades and get a second opinion on some grades if I need it. The only people who failed this semester in both my sections (41 students) are the two students who stopped coming and missed too many classes. Everyone else passed and I had 5 “A” in my two classes, which is really good. This writing class, which is mandatory for all the students in the University, is considered one of the hardest classes in the school since they need to write a lot and actually think about their ideas. And this semester I had some good kids. Most took Basic Comp before, so it helped prepare them.

And while my folder review for the Fall semester was the least stressful in all my years of teaching in the writing program, this folder review was the most stressful. I think I had to look at 50 papers today and write some little comments. That is over 250 pages of mostly crappy ideas.

Basically, I worked from 6am to 6pm today non-stop with only a small break for lunch. But I’M DONE. Yay.

And when the students came to pick up their folders in the afternoon I got some appreciation and even some hugs. A lot are happy just to pass this class. And reactions are always weird. Many are happy with a “C+” while some don’t look happy at a “B+” even though they knew they would not get better. But giving the grades out and seeing some jumping for joy at passing this class or getting that “A” is so worth it. Many come a very long way. Four of these students were in my Basic Comp class last semester too, and two got “A”s and both failed that first paper in the fall. One reason I like teaching in the writing program, despite all this grading, is I can see them actually learn and get better over the course of the semester.

You know it is folder review day when at the end of it when you are all done and you should be excited since it is the end of the semester and you are done with the writing classes and no more grading, and all you feel is your brain fried and you just want to rest. I’ll be excited tomorrow.

In my only break, I picked up “Medieval Justice” in the library and it is a go. It looks like a good primer for a more general public and it is well researched. So I will submit my booklist tomorrow probably. And I got pizza, a boston kreme donut for brain sugar and tea.

In the evening, I wrote my jury letter and a make-up final history exam for a student tomorrow. And then I relaxed a bit in front of the TV since my brain is dead. “Community” was amazingly awesome in their first part of the Paintball finale. I do like their take on Westerns and despite the awesomeness of last year’s “modern warfare” episode, this actually matches in quality. I love this show, I can’t say it enough. I also had “Bones” on as I was cross stitching, although I was done with the cross stitching to watch the emotionally manipulative moment at the end. Still, this show is just the background now.

Cross stitch: pumpkin for big bear’s head (and it is a big head, still lots to do) and some pink for big bear’s ears. (I’m making a baby blanket with animals reading for one of my best friends).