Returning from Break

Today, after only a week of break, it became almost impossible to find any sense of groove. Of course, I had plenty of company, as most students also (if they had found their way back to campus) could not quite hit a groove, feeling like they had just found their sense of a break. Although I desired to stay in denial, that proved impossible as reality quickly intruded. It is still March Madness, and as I discovered in Vegas, watching bits of the basketball mania, it does not end in March, but actually goes until the beginning of April. Thus, so will mine, clearly evidenced by today's work day that has finally ended around 9pm after beginning at 9:30am. This week, in particular, feels a bit overwhelming.

• Book orders are due by the end of the week and as an astute book rep pointed out, this is only so that the bookstore can shop way ahead for the best used deals in order to maximize profit. He asked me why I was being compliant with this commodity, and for a moment, I felt like I cheated myself, responding that it was simply in my best interest not to piss off the bookstore. Compiling orders for some 80+ sections is a bit daunting, especially when people leave off needed information such as section numbers.


• The deadline for Obscura is today. I need to coordinate all the assembling of submissions and make sure the staff receives submissions prior to our weekend meeting to decide acceptances. This also means, I need to read all of these submissions prior to that meeting.


• Scheduling is beginning to feel problematic. Between finding time to meet with internship students, student complaints, and new part-time instructors hired for fall, I don't have much time to accomplish any work while on campus.


• I'm an idiot when it comes to timing due dates. Within a span of two weeks, I have major assignments due in three classes (what was I thinking--clearly the same thing I think every semester--it's too hard for my nonplanning brain to be so organized and space out assignment due dates)


• Department budgets are mystifying for me and I need to draft a rationale for one by early April. This will take time, especially since I have to meet with my boss to understand how to even do such a task. If I wanted high finance, I'd be making $$$$ in the high finance arena. Clearly I like logic and numbers (I broke down and bought a suduko puzzle book on the way back from Vegas); perhaps the key is to see the budget as one big suduko puzzle.


• I have two conference presentations to prepare for mid April and this is a constant radar on my to-do list for the coming weeks. Sounded like a fabulous idea at the time, but now, I simply want to remain on break, wishing for days to cycle and simply strum on my old banjo (which is the subject of another post and the plateau I'm lingering at, caught in a cycle of melodic disaccompaniment)

tags: teaching carnival  

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