So, is this place a tonic?Do we dip our toe into the misery ever once in a while, and then run back to our students to rev them up?
Or do we wallow in the misery of others, inflate our own, and learn to hate our profession in a wholly new way?
Monday, March 28, 2011
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That sounds like a loaded question and a passive-aggressive moral judgment. Why does it have to be either thing, consistently? Actually, I read it, laugh or commiserate sometimes, comment sometimes, and then move on to read other blogs, the newspaper, etc. Sometimes I get a good tip I use, but other than that it has no more effect on the way I practice my profession than Facebook or Regretsy.
ReplyDeleteI find it distinctly refreshing - it's always nice to know that students are students the world over (i.e. young and in need to educating), that colleagues are annoying, and the distant grass only looks so lush and green because of a nice layer of slime-molds. And sometimes I even learn something...
ReplyDeleteThere was some discussion of this subject in response to W.T. Pfefferle's "The Short Brave Life of Rate Your Students": http://collegemisery.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-does-cm-affect-your-view-of-your.html .
ReplyDeleteAs I said there, I most often come away thinking that my students, and my situation, really *aren't* that bad by comparison with what others face. And, at other moments when I feel surrounded by willfully blind cheerleaders, or people admiring the emperor's new clothes (the Cassandra moments), I'm comforted to know that there are others who think he situation could be improved.
So I guess I'll vote for tonic, of various sorts appropriate to various moods.
What Cassandra said.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, as perhaps the adjunct most interested in pedagogy (hell, as any form of prof the most interested in pedagogy) in my department, it's nice to know that there are other people out there who really do care about whether or not their students are learning anything.
It's a place where I can bend minds, threaten student bodies I don't teach, and ramble on about foreign affairs (the "no-fly, no-drive" pseudoWar on Libya has to be the oddest conflict yet.) I'm sure a lot of people need this site or they would hurt themselves.
ReplyDeleteAll that written, CM has not been a tonic for the people running it, that's for sure.
Some of both, perhaps?
ReplyDeletethis place isnt a tonic what the hell is that supposed to mean anyway are you even a professor i know im not but i never post stuff actually maybe i should do that sometimes because im bored and im smarter than everyone else so i dont have to study as much and i can waste massive amounts of time with shtity attempts at ironic humor and typing delibaereaty misspelled posts onto blogs
ReplyDeleteThis place serves multiple functions:
ReplyDeletepeer-support,
pressure-valve and
general amusement.
Nope, no tonic here. Just gin. Neat.
ReplyDeleteIt's tonic to my gin, baby. Tonic to my gin.
ReplyDelete@Irritated and Greta, I heart you both!
ReplyDeleteLet me pose this either/or: College Misery Blog or Alcoholism?
I don't want to go near alcoholism. The last time I posted about that, it caused a quite a kerfluffle.
ReplyDeleteHooray for alcoholism!
ReplyDeleteAtom Smasher loves the nights when he comes over and I say "Baby, I love you, but I really need a martini before I will be even close to civil."
ReplyDelete