...on teaching...

...so much for daily entries...!

What keeps me from doing this? I certainly enjoy it, as a creative release among other things, but why has a week gone by, and nothing? Barely a scribbled note in one of my books! The title of this entry says it all...teaching. School is back in sessions, and I , being a teacher, have things to do. Never being an organized person leads me not to a lack of responsibility, but to spending far too much time on preparation, planning, and general angst to do anything else. Naturally, frustration mounts, and must be released (on or at students is not allowed!), so this is probably the best place.

Today was the second day of classes, and I was overjoyed to see almost all of the students present. They listened, looked at me, and nodded. Soon, they will drift away, it is inevitable. It is hard not to become jaded, but after only 7 years, I have begun to see patterns, which reduces humans, including myself to simple shapes and forms. Perhaps I force things on myself, and then my students? Who knows?

Instructions. If only they would learn and listen, and, if need be, ask questions--then I wouldn't have an assignment handed in, single-spaced and written in pencil, answers written directly in the tiny, cramped space between questions--they were asked to print in pen, and double space on the paper provided. Oh well, at least no one made me a paper mache diorama, but that would really be stretching the (sur) reality.

I have read Frank McCourt's latest memoir, Teacher Man, and found it somewhat sympathetic, but, honestly, and modestly, I've got anecdotes that would bury him..

There is also a blog somewhere on the net called Rateyourstudents, which is basically a group of University Professors who get their own back at all the students who post on the "Rate your Profs" style websites--and I thought I was bitter!

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