Teaching Schedule
Amanda and Angie know that Premiere prefers to give you your teaching schedule the day before classes start. My boss told me last year (when she became my new boss) that she wanted to change this system because she knew how agitating it was for the teachers. However, all she managed to do for last year was improve on "day before" with "week before."
However, the impossible has happened! Yes, a week ago, I was given my schedule! I asked for six classes and was given six classes. Unfortunately, though, the only way she was able to arrange it at first made it so that I would have to put the kids in after school care for four days a week (just not Fridays) instead of two days. This meant an extra $36 a week. Which means for that sixth class, the first hour and a half, approx., out of my three hours paid per week would go to child care. Bullshit. I'll just pick up some more Writing Center hours and we'll manage. I'm not picking up my kids late more than twice a week. That's why I TEACH. So I can SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY KIDS. Well, that and because I'm damn good at it :)
So I'm going to "go light" this term! Yes, that's right, ONLY five classes, just like the full timers, rather than six classes! I just won't know what to DO with my extra time.
One of the wonderful things that my new boss also does is she understands that I am THE ONLY PERSON ON STAFF WITH A BRIT LIT DEGREE OF ANY SORT, let alone early British Literature. Under my old boss, she gave the English Lit I class to a teacher who, although usually good, was crappy at this one class because she felt that she knew nothing about the era and made the kids teach the class way too often (this is the feedback the kids gave me...it was Cinder, for those of you in the know). She did not want the class. But old boss didn't want to give the English Lit I class to a brand new teacher/adjunct. So she made the teacher who didn't want the class teach it, and made me NOT teach it. HELLO? Fortunately, the new boss immediately rectified that situation. Enrollment is now up in the Eng Lit I class because of the common knowledge that I'm the only one to teach it, too! Some of my former students will even take it as an elective. That's mighty brave, considering how much reading is required of the course.
Let me make this clear: I LOVE TEACHING THAT ONE CLASS. It makes the whole week worthwhile for me. I drift back into that era, and I always get a few great students who are taking the class because medieval/renaissance history intrigues them, or because they really love British lit. We have intense discussions about everything! We all learn from each other! I go in happy; I come out happy! If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd want to drive out there just to teach that class. Well, and maybe a 102. I like literature classes in general. I just can't "do" modern lit is all. I made that clear with my boss: I CAN do American literature or modern literature if she desperately needs me to do so because I can analyze anything, but it would require a hell of a lot of background research and I wouldn't feel like the best candidate. My style of literature background means that I'd be happiest teaching English Lit I or World Lit I, the former way more than the latter.
My schedule has made me happy. I "only" teach five classes. Two of them are 155's, the easiest to grade! One is my English Lit I class! And the other two are the hated Freshman Comp of 101, but this is the FIRST fall semester I've only been forced to teach two of them, so wow, victory for me! Do you see all the exclaimation points!!! That is due to my excitement over this great schedule!!!
Ok, so none of this means anything to anybody except Amanda, Angie, and Innana. Oh well...
...just be happy for me, ok? :)
However, the impossible has happened! Yes, a week ago, I was given my schedule! I asked for six classes and was given six classes. Unfortunately, though, the only way she was able to arrange it at first made it so that I would have to put the kids in after school care for four days a week (just not Fridays) instead of two days. This meant an extra $36 a week. Which means for that sixth class, the first hour and a half, approx., out of my three hours paid per week would go to child care. Bullshit. I'll just pick up some more Writing Center hours and we'll manage. I'm not picking up my kids late more than twice a week. That's why I TEACH. So I can SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY KIDS. Well, that and because I'm damn good at it :)
So I'm going to "go light" this term! Yes, that's right, ONLY five classes, just like the full timers, rather than six classes! I just won't know what to DO with my extra time.
One of the wonderful things that my new boss also does is she understands that I am THE ONLY PERSON ON STAFF WITH A BRIT LIT DEGREE OF ANY SORT, let alone early British Literature. Under my old boss, she gave the English Lit I class to a teacher who, although usually good, was crappy at this one class because she felt that she knew nothing about the era and made the kids teach the class way too often (this is the feedback the kids gave me...it was Cinder, for those of you in the know). She did not want the class. But old boss didn't want to give the English Lit I class to a brand new teacher/adjunct. So she made the teacher who didn't want the class teach it, and made me NOT teach it. HELLO? Fortunately, the new boss immediately rectified that situation. Enrollment is now up in the Eng Lit I class because of the common knowledge that I'm the only one to teach it, too! Some of my former students will even take it as an elective. That's mighty brave, considering how much reading is required of the course.
Let me make this clear: I LOVE TEACHING THAT ONE CLASS. It makes the whole week worthwhile for me. I drift back into that era, and I always get a few great students who are taking the class because medieval/renaissance history intrigues them, or because they really love British lit. We have intense discussions about everything! We all learn from each other! I go in happy; I come out happy! If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd want to drive out there just to teach that class. Well, and maybe a 102. I like literature classes in general. I just can't "do" modern lit is all. I made that clear with my boss: I CAN do American literature or modern literature if she desperately needs me to do so because I can analyze anything, but it would require a hell of a lot of background research and I wouldn't feel like the best candidate. My style of literature background means that I'd be happiest teaching English Lit I or World Lit I, the former way more than the latter.
My schedule has made me happy. I "only" teach five classes. Two of them are 155's, the easiest to grade! One is my English Lit I class! And the other two are the hated Freshman Comp of 101, but this is the FIRST fall semester I've only been forced to teach two of them, so wow, victory for me! Do you see all the exclaimation points!!! That is due to my excitement over this great schedule!!!
Ok, so none of this means anything to anybody except Amanda, Angie, and Innana. Oh well...
...just be happy for me, ok? :)
posted by Kira | 12:58 PM
12 Comments:
I'm happy for you...but I wish it wasn't such a struggle for you.
$36/wk for child care! HA!
I won't go into my day care woes. I can look at it in one of two ways...1/2 of what I make goes towards day care or the entire child support check goes towards day care. Either way, it sucks! It'll get better when the kids are older and don't need all day care.
You teach Brit Lit? I took one class in that in college! We had to read Beowulf (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). We also had to memorize the first 12 lines of Cantebury tales in Old English...and I was just trying to remember that the other day.
Wan that April with her showers sote...or something like that.
I'm glad you've got a good boss and a predictable schedule.
Mandy--yes, well, I wish I were independently wealthy too, or perhaps even managed a "full-time" position. Full timers teach five classes per term and get health insurance and are paid $15k or more than I do each year. THAT is what I need!
Laura--well, Jared just got to the preschool stage. He's in a half day program through Ariana's public school which is free. I only pay $25 for the rest of the day for him per week. Then I have to pay for two days of afterschool care for him (another $18), and two days for Ari ($18). So, for the first year, I'm paying "only" $61 per week for child care (vs. last year's $101 per week). Next year, it'll go down to $36! Yup, gets easier as it gets older!
Beowulf is spelled right, and Canterbury Tales is Middle English, not Old. Old English is Beowulf, and that's fully incomprehensible to modern ears unless you learn the language (it really, really is a whole different language).
Wha that Aprill with his shoures soote/The droghte of March hath perced to the roote/And bathed every veyne in swich licour/Of which vertu engendred is the flour
I think that's what you were trying to recall :) LOVE THAT STUFF! I feel all...tingly now! God I'm a geek! HAHA!
I wanna be in your class! Sounds so interesting, Kira.
(No - must not think such thoughts, must get out of educational institutions!)
LOL - I just wrote a blog about my schedule! I'm stuck with four sections of Business Communication, but I'm already planning ways to make it more intellectually stimulating. I'm hoping for some lit classes next semester... maybe...
So, is Alex going to be able to cross the pond soon?
Ha! Lucky you. I only found out mine today. Like you, I'm pretty happy with my schedule. I got all six section, and (shockingly) I don't have to teach a 7:15-8:40 class. How I was able to get six without doing that this term I'll never know. Of course, I'm doing the 7am Sunrise E-101 at Easley High. I didn't have to take it; some teacher that had done it before wanted it back. But, I know how it is come Spring there, so I figured it was better to grab it now and have a definite extra class the Spring with the 102.
The English Lit II didn't make, of course. I don't think I'm ever going to get a chance to teach that class, mainly for three reasons: 1) most university transfers only need 9 hours at the most in English, 2) a bunch of students I talked to are still under the impression that you have to have I before II (and I'm sure most of the advisors there are too idiotic to know better), and 3) about ten of my former students told me they wanted to take it, but since it's only offered in the afternoon and they need evening courses, it doesn't work for them. Oh well. At least I have two E-102's, something I'm really excited about.
I really can't complain about my schedule at all. I wound up with three E-101's, two E-102's, and one E-155. All the ones I teach on campus are two day a week courses between 12:20 and 7:05. I figured out my writing center schedule, too. I know I'm staying a couple evenings, and Pat wanted me to put in extra hours. But, I've come up with 15 hours a week in there, and I don't think I'm going to be able to give her anymore than that. Nice that we got a raise in there this summer and may be seeing another one this fall. Having a bunch of hours in there this summer was the only thing keeping me out of debtor's prison, lol.
I'm going up to the school Wednesday to create a bunch of new handouts. I revamped my E-102 classes in order to study multicultualism thematically, rather than simply do all the short stories, then all the dramas, etc. Hopefully it will work. Anywho, if I don't see you before, see you next week! *hugs*
I really should hit that preview button and check for typos before I hit 'publish'. Ah well, fuck it! It's an accomplishment for me to even bother posting, haha!
Jezzy--come take the English Lit I hehe :)
Angie--at least your master's degree has to do with business communications, though! I always wonder why I'm not put in just literature classes because I have no real background in business communications. Oh, well!
Alex is supposed to get his paper for his visa any day now. My greatest fear is that his internship boss will give up any day now too and there'll be no job to come here for! Sigh.
Chuck dear--I would have LOVED to have been given Eng 102's. After the Brit Lit, they're my favorite to teach. But, I hogged them last year, so it's fair that I get to do my turn at 155. I haven't taught 155's in over a year. I had no idea that you managed to do the Writing Center over the summer! I kept wondering how you made money this summer, knowing that classes were not being offered to us adjuncts. We got raises for the pay??? I need to contact Pat soon.
Can't wait to wear the leather jacket so you'll grope me, dear! Uhhh I mean, can't wait to see you again soon, Chuck! haha!
Only two 101s!!! You must be Robin's favorite! I absolutely hated comp classes because I know nothing about teaching people to write, and I don't follow the traditional textbook writing process when I write. Kinda hypocritical to tell a kid "this is how to write an essay" when I don't do it that way.
Your Brit lit enthusiasm sounds like my Business Communications enthusiasm. I loved teaching 156 because I actually felt qualified to teach it. Imagine that! A qualified instructor! The students even liked 156 because they ended up with a business portfolio that would get them a real job. Sadly, they got real jobs that paid more than my adjunction (ha!) at tech.
I always enjoyed 102 lit classes because I liked to read, and it's fun to see someone light up after realizing that there's a different way to interpret a piece of writing. With the notable exception of Stephen, I loved my 102 kids. Some more than I should have, but hell, you know that sob story.
Ah, Kira -- the memories this brings back! I had a scheduling supervisor chide me for telling her my subject strengths for teaching, as she said she wasn't thrilled by people who took classes just for the money. (I guess she just doled classes out alphabeticaly or something.) Like people did! WHAT money? I wanted to say.
Anyway, glad you're happy. I had finally gottn given a dream class, a 300 level lit class where I could teach around a theme, any theme I wanted, and it was going to be fairy tale tradition from ancient folklore to modern lit, including Jane Eyre, Bernard Malamud and Salman Rushdie, plus the real-life case of Bridget Cleary. I loved my syllabus. Then they cut back my hours, I had to quit and take a full-time secretarial job. But I will be teaching this some day! Or maybe writing a book.
Kira, by the way, cheers for your posts to Cookie Monster. I am worried about him and will be checking in him, though I have faith in Dr. Kitten.
Amanda--well, one of the classes I dropped was a 101, so to be fair, she had given me three to start. However, she seems to want nobody to have to do more than three of them. M. gave me FIVE!!!! my first semester there. Now THAT was hell.
The whole idea of having a portfolio after class is done sounds great, but I never had a class like that before and so I guess it never occured to me to do it that way! Hum.
April--sorry, Chaucer was not talking about this sex goddess named April who came to be born hundreds of years after he died. Much is the shame, for such beautiful poetry could have been surely inspired by one of your grace and charm! (wow, I'm smooth! I get to be April's ego feeder now! haha!)
Innana--gah, must have been so hard to leave the job when you got to do the class the way you wanted it. But I surely understand. I have two children to support off of this salary, and sometimes I feel like I'm nuts for not getting some OTHER type of job so we could eat better and such.
Yes, I really like Cookie and am worried about him, mostly because I understand how out of control depression can become when it reaches the clinical stage. But yeah, sometimes having to caretake for somebody else (kittens!) really can make the difference! Hopefully he will see how great he is to THEM and that will help. I should probably offer to talk to him via email too...
Remember, Kira: cookies make the students docile so that they don't notice when you're about to strike and drain their life energy.
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