Trucking along!

After a long and semi-productive weekend, I was ready to hit the ground running. I received a great grade on a group report from the week before. By Wednesday, I was starting to get ahead in a class or two, and I wasn't behind anywhere. Thursday morning I got surprise visits to the labs from both of the professors that I TA for.Thankfully, they both told me I was doing a fine job. By the start of Thursday evening, I was starting to believe that this semester might make up for the grief I've been getting the past two semesters. Until...

I bombed my Statistics homework. I know that what I turned in was incomplete because there were a couple of concepts that I was unclear on. My mistake was not finding the time to visit with the professor. When he described his grading process, it sounded like he gave completion grades. He grouped work according to those who understood it all, those who get the gist or it, and those who appear to need help. Guess what group I was in? My feelings were hurt. Perhaps I should have stayed behind and petitioned to have my grade increased. But I felt like he knows what he's talking about and I didn't have the energy to fight. Instead I went to the pity party where I questioned my decision to take this path, wondered what the end benefit is going to be, and doubted my abilities again.

Today is a new day. I've already started on next week's assignment, and I have a good idea of what to do. I'll work on it this weekend and plan to visit him Monday morning to ensure that I'm on the right track. I'm ahead in one class and caught up in the other. I'll have to do work this weekend, but I'll get there.

Two weeks down!

by Rob Shenk

Thankfully, I have survived the first couple of weeks. I started off motivated and ahead on assignments, but I can see that I will have to really work to stay on the ball. As usual, there will be lots of researching, reading and writing. My goal is to try to figure out how to get all of my research in sinc so that I can focus toward a dissertation topic. I'm not as overwhelmed by the math this time. Either my math brain muscles are finally getting in shape, or I chose the right class!
Although I'm leading two precal labs, they are for different professors at different spots in the book. So I essentially have two preps. But I'm enjoying it so far. The students who show up are asking questions and doing work, so that's a good sign, right?
Enjoy your weekend and imagine me sitting in a corner reading and annotating articles while my family and friends enjoy the game.

Back for more

by House Of Sims

Well, I made it through a tough first year, and I'm back to give it another go. I got to campus later than I wanted (and was subsequently late for class introductions), I couldn't find the key to my office, and I got a ticket because I hadn't purchased my parking pass. I hope that these are not indicators of the semester that I should expect.

In spite of the fact that I had all of these ideas for how I would approach teaching developmental mathematics, I have been reassigned to teach precalculus labs. It's been a while, but I think it will be alright. I teach these on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Two of my three classes are on Tuesday and Thursday nights. My third class meets five Saturdays throughout the semester. Everything else for that class will be online. As you can imagine, I will be exhausted on Tuesday and Thursday nights. And with my luck, all of my children's school programs will fall on those nights, so I will feel like the absent mother.

Wish I could say that I'll catch up on my rest Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but I will be holding office hours and getting homework done on those days. A grad student's work is never done! But I'm blessed to be having this experience, so I'll do my best not to complain. It wouldn't change anything, right?

Spring break?

I can't beleive that the semester is almost half done. I apologize for not posting, but I'm swamped. Last semester called for adjustments on many fronts. This semester I'm understandng the majority of the material, but I'm overwhelmed by the amount. There is a lot more writing this time around. I know that in this league, I have to get accustomed to it, but my time management is still off. So I'm suposed to be on break this week, but I have several papers to finish. Unfortunately, I keep finding other things to do like housekeeping and blogging.
What I have come to realize and accept about myself is that I LOVE teaching. I remembered being excited about planning lessons from my public school teaching days. But I also remember grading papers, fretting over discipline and dredding Mondays.  I still grade papers, but I really love thinking about how to explain a concept, helping students, and encouraging those who struggle. I really want to keep doing this. But in order to do it at this level( as opposed K-12), I have to finish this degree.
So I guess I better get back to writing those papers!

I made it back

by Rob Shenk

To say I made it back is no small statement. I didn't do as well as I had hoped last semester, and there was a moment when my return was in question. But, thankfully, I am here.

My first week went alright. I have a class of students that asks a lot of questions, but I tend to prefer that. It keeps me on my toes and thinking about new approaches. My goal is to use more technology this semester.

At first glance, my classes seem manageable. I will be doing a lot of research and writing this semester. A LOT! But it will help me grow academically, right?

So suffice it to say that I will take all of the encouragement I can get again this semester. I'm blessed to be here, and I believe that there is a purpose for my journey. But when I get tired, I can always use cheerleaders.