1. Spent two hours in a meeting with administration in which I learned college faculty don't deserve to be paid as much as high school teachers because we don't work as hard, faculty planning to retire should have their benefits cut because it's "not fair" that the staff can't be on the same plan (by state law), and threats of lawsuits against faculty who speak out against administration are "normal."
2. Exchanged a series of emails with Clueless Caitlyn, who signed up for the wrong class period, ignored a series of emails reminding her that she needed to come to class or be dropped, and now is pleading financial aid status as a reason to be reinstated. She has demanded a meeting with me on Tuesday.
3. Had my car backed into by a student who pulled into a faculty parking area, couldn't find a space, and decided he would just back out of the lot as fast as he could instead of turning around so he could actually see where he was going. (He hit two other faculty cars as well.)
4. Discovered our college is working toward making us all use one textbook for each class with no supplemental texts allowed. What a great way to teach literature!
5. Had a colleague threaten to "tell on me" to the president because she didn't like something I did (as if the president has time to deal with crap like this).
6. Endured yet another scorching day of heat here in Hell, AKA The South. I've lost count of how many triple-digit days we've had to this point.
7. Received my spring student evaluations back, in which I got high stats but one particularly ugly comment that called me a "fat nerd" (which I am, but what does that have to do with my teaching?) and accused me of hating students and having something to prove. Gee, guess Entitled Edgar didn't get that A!
8. Had a piece of artwork, which I paid $300 to have custom framed, broken by the shop. They swear they can restore it and have it ready for me by Wednesday. They'd already screwed up the matting and busted the frame during the original order time frame.
9. Found out that our LMS has yet another weird bug that no one can fix and requires a complicated workaround.
10. Due to dealing with all this other idiocy, didn't get my house clean enough in time for the out-of-town guests that came in this weekend.
Thankfully the migraine finally subsided last night. Alas, I have just one more day of sweet freedom before I head back to the headache factory. I will use it wisely in hopes of building enough fortitude to stave off another one in the coming week.
For you, my friend, I can't even recommend chocolate (migraine trigger). I just hope your houseguests were the forgiving kind, with dust-bunny-filtering goggles and a strong urge to take you out for every meal.
ReplyDeleteAdmin. people need to meet Prof. Kinzey and his hog....that lawsuit crap is probably actionable; do you have a union?
ReplyDeleteAuto student needs to be chain-whipped by Kinzey, car cut in half by plasma cutter.
"Fat nerd"-writing student needs also to be chain-whipped, this time by the Hells Angels of Berdoo.
Houseguests need to get off your Goddamned back, or Prof. Kinzey will come and glass* them.
___________________
* Australian slang for smashing a glass into somebody's face, usually while blind drunk and right after somebody makes a crack about your Holden truck.
I need to remember not to read Strelnikov comments during breakfast.
ReplyDeleteAdministrators really piss me off. Lawsuits?
ReplyDeleteIf you are an adjunct, maybe they will try to get blood out of a turnip as well?
Administrators and theologians go hand in hand. They both try to argue that bananas are purple and then try to call down fire from heaven when somebody finds out how stupid they are.
Oh, good grief. How are we supposed to teach effectively when confronted by Administration who are clearly not there to support us?
ReplyDeleteAnd what a week from hell. You deserve to get drunk and have a hang over headache rather than a migraine.
Can you drink?
ReplyDelete@Greta: Those three little words are the key to my heart.
ReplyDeleteLet's do Karaoke!
ReplyDeleteHouseguests have been surprisingly forgiving and low key, even allowing for naps. Drinking was not advisable given the pain meds I was given. They did, however, make me feel much better.
ReplyDeleteI even got a bonus of a student notifying me in advance about reasons for an absence (military duty) and informing me she'd already contacted her study group to be sure she had notes. So maybe there is hope for this week!