Enjoying La Vida Part-Time!

I'm liking this new schedule. Leaving early (7 a.m.) and teaching back to back classes means getting home by noon. Very nice. Don't have to hassle packing a lunch, avoid the late-day rush hour traffic, relax with the paper for an hour before setting up for next day's class.

And I've decided I'm OK....no, more than OK, with being a part-time instructor. Yes, Yes, I know, I've been griping and grousing and feeling all woe-is-me-ish that I'm nothing and no-one, just a lowly adjunct professor. And yet, when I think about it, I really wouldn't want to teach more than two classes anyway. How do people do it? Unrelenting, merciless, never-ending....woe is they!

And I've also decided I'm really OK with  Thursdays! Yes, Thursdays! No class on Friday, then the weekend. Why think of the things I could do! Maybe go to Nordstroms Rack....maybe try to finish The Poisonwood Bible, maybe post a blog entry, maybe clean a bathroom or two, maybe go to the gym (gasp) in the middle of the day! The possibilities (as they say) are endless.

Nothing wrong with being "just a part-time professor."

Nothing at all.

It's a New Year, It's a New Semester, It's a New Routine!

I feel empowered. I've been having trouble adjusting to my new (Spring 2010) schedule, Monday through Thursday, 8-8:50 a.m. and 10-10:50 a.m. The first few days weren't a problem, though I'm not sure why. Maybe some of the local San Marcos schools hadn't started yet? I managed to leave the house by 7:15 and be at Palomar by 7:35 or so. Plenty of time. That was the first week. The second week, much different. It didn't help that I didn't leave the house (one of those days) until 7:22 (never never never again). Not only did I get hung up on the merge from the 15 to the 78, but then Mission Avenue traffic near the aforementioned schools was a major logjam. It also didn't help that it was raining. I was out of my car, walking to my classroom and wishing I had time to use the restroom when the clock tower chimed 8 times. I arrived 5 minutes late (to a 50 minute class?!) apologizing profusely, still needing to use the restroom, and vowing to all who cared to NEVER BE LATE AGAIN.

That was Monday.

Tuesday (yesterday) and Wednesday (today)....what a difference 10 minutes makes! Tuesday I was backing out of my driveway at 10 after 7. A little traffic on the merge and some on the main streets but I arrived 15 minutes early and parked in Lot 11, which is a stone's throw from my classroom. I was able not only to set up my papers, boot up the computer, and put notes on the board but also managed to sneak away and use the toilet. The only annoying part of the day was leaving campus after my second class. Lot 11 is right in the heart of campus, next to all the construction, and the one-way road leading out (Comet Circle) has been narrowed to a single log-jammed lane. So creeping my way to Mission was the only sour note.

Today was a thing of beauty! I left at 5 after 7, arrived at 7:30, parked in the main lot off Mission, inches from the school, strolled leisurely to the restroom, set up my classroom, chatted with a couple of early-bird students, then sauntered over to the English department to check my mail, and was back in my classroom before half the class had arrived. We started up five minutes early....

 I am EARLY! I am in CONTROL! I am WOMAN! (Hear me roar?)

I am....

This is an email my husband sent me back in July 2007. I held on to it in my in-box for some reason.

I am 53! As I look over my students taking a test, I don't know how much longer I can keep teaching.

After 9 chapters, some students have been successfully molded, others are, shall we say, missing essential connections . . .

Students will only rise about half-way up to the level of the teacher. If the teacher is not too high up in the level of understanding, then the students will not get very far.

Teaching, then, depends on learning by the teacher. Not past learning, but present learning. At some point, the teacher gets too tired to learn. Then, the students stop learning, too.

I think I can take attendance, shuffle papers, and make dumb jokes for a while, but I don't know if I can teach for much longer...

So that's the question: how long can one keep teaching before he's all tapped out? 

Job Distress

I just discovered that I'm part of a new trend. New unemployment figures released this week say that 10% of American workers are unemployed. Apparently this is really bad news ("first time in 26 years!"). But another figure that doesn't get mentioned much is the under-employment rate, which has also reached a new high (17.5%). Underemployment represents people (like me) who want full-time work but have to settle for part-time jobs. This was a new term for me, though not a new concept.

Apparently it's worse in California. Tim Rutten, writing in today's Los Angeles Times ("Jobs Must be Job 1"), says that California, with its $1.6 trillion economy, would be the eighth largest economy in the world if it were an independent country.  Then he writes, "If you aggregate the unemployed with the underemployed, [California's] rate of what you might call job distress is 20%. Think about that: One in five willing workers in the world's eighth-largest economy is without full-time employment."

These are not encouraging words. I knew I was having a tough time even landing interviews for jobs I felt qualified for--in some cases, over-qualified. Now I guess I understand why.  There are just too many of us seeking, applying, praying for the same positions.

Good morning, Professor

What a semester it's been. I wonder if other teachers are facing a similar number of absences, and if so, how they're coping. 

Here's a smattering of email correspondence from my students this semester.

From Vanessa (11/4/09)

Hey Mrs. Minamide
sorry i had to leave early today
i threw up during break...

From Lauren (11/4/09)

I am still very sick, I have been on breathing treatments for a couple
days but am not able to do much without getting winded and having to
sit. I am trying to stay caught up with class work as best I can...

From Lauren (11/2/09)

This will be my last day of missed class, i developed bronchitis, but will be fine for Wednesday's class....

From Nicole (11/2/09)

I would like to apologize again for being absent so much. I'm on the last leg of being sick so from here on out I shouldn't have to miss any more class. When I return I will speak with you to get the information I need to catch up. I have been checking blackboard and getting what ever handouts and information so I am doing my best to stay up to date. I would like to also thank you for being understanding. I know it is a lot of extra work for you to grade papers separately, but I greatly appreciate it. See you next time!

From Jon (11/2/09)

I can't make it into class today, last few days I have been really sick. any readings that need to be done before next class?

From Lauren (10/28/09)

I'm still terribly sick, this time i went to the doctors, and i got a note from him saying i should not be going to school. Luckily i don't have the SWINE flu, but i do have the flu. Today i finally got some energy to get out of bed and go onto my laptop, so i am going to try the best i can to get that rough draft of paper 2 to you. Thank you for understanding i'm sick and being flexible with me, i really appreciate it.

From Omar (10/28/09)

I won't be in class today, because I have been sick all of last week. So I would like to take today to get better. Sorry that I did not e-mail you sooner.

From Alisha (10/28/09)

Good morning Professor. I am not goin to make it to class today, I am not feeling well. Would u like me to email u my paper 2 packet or do you want me to drop it in?

From Allison (10/28/09)

Hi Mrs. Minamide, I don't think I'm going to make it to class tomorrow. I've been sick for some time but it's gotten much worse and I think I should stay home and try to fight it off for a day or two. If there's any important information I miss, you can email me here. Otherwise, I'll be checking blackboard and doing homework over the weekend. Thanks.

From Justin (10/27/09)

hello, i am just writing to tell you that i have the stomach flu and i will absent tomorrow. I would greatly appreciate it if i could get as much help as you can by giving me the work i missed or any assignments that were given. Thank you very much for your time.

From Jon (10/26/09)

hey mrs minamide, very early monday morning i was admitted to the er because unfortunetly i have become ill. Im sending you this email to tell you why i missed class today and to let you know i will probably be missing class on wednesday as well.    

From Lauren (10/25/09)

I have steadily been getting better, this swine flu thing really takes it out of you!  Yesterday was the first day i was out of the house in nearly two weeks, i went on a quick Costco run with my husband, i had to take a nap after we got home.

From Sarah (10/22/09)

Sorry I missed class on Wednesday! I had a fever of 103.8 and my tonsils are swollen again!
But I went to the doctor already and got on meds as soon as I could. I am home sick today as well and plan to catch up as much as I can!

From Lauren (10/21/09)

I am really sick. I was up all night with a terrible cough and today i feel horrible. I'm sorry to miss out on class today. Ill make sure to check blackboard and get all of my missed work done.

From Amber (10/21/09)

I am not going to be able to make it to class tomorrow (October 21). I am pretty sure I have the flu. Sorry.

From Nicole (10/21/09)

Professor Minamide. I greatly apologize for not emailing sooner. My internet has been down for sometime and it just got fixed today while I was at work. I got sick again last week through a friend and Monday it was bad enough where I could barely move out of bed, which was the reason for my absense. I know I have missed a week of class already due to illness, and I wish that weren't the case, but I would still like to do all I can to keep up in the class. I'm doing my best to stay healthy, and I truly apologize for the inconvenience this is to you. I will talk to you more in class tomorrow about what I need to do to make up the work, but I will have everything I can ready for class that I can do based on reading blackboard. Thank you again for understanding.

From Aaron (10/19/09)

Hello. Despite my efforts in preventing myself from getting sick, I caught whatever it was that is going around. I had inklings of it yesterday and figured I could sleep it off and come to class today but It has gotten incredibly worse over night. Such is the flaw of my immune system, stong as an ox until I get something, then my body just shuts down : ( I have the assignment for today's class attached and will be checking Bb for any updates you post after today's class. I'll continue to rest and let you know on Thursday what my condition is. I hope you can understand. Thanks in advance.

From Lauren (10/18/09)

I am still pretty sick, My doctor said i can start thinking about coming back to class after Tuesday but judging how i feel today, i don't know if that it realistic, i has planned on turning all this into you on Monday , since that Isn't going to happen i am attaching as much as i can to this e-mail. Please let me know if there is anything else i am missing. Thanks again for working with me,

From Lauren (10/16/09)

i went to the doctor today and it seems i have the H1N1 virus.  They have directed me to stay home from work and school until Tuesday, meaning i am going to have to miss one more class.  I am going to keep doing as much as a can that is on BB. please let me know if there is anything else I can do or make-up as far and in-class work. I do have a doctors note if you need it! thank you!

****** 

Note: Those were the sick ones. I’m not including the lost wallet, the car accident, the funeral back east, the wedding in Mexico, the transportation issues, the sick child, the girl with anxiety disorder…and we're only 2/3 through the semester. 

And now I'm sick! Sore throat, fever, coughing, laryngitis. Good thing I only have to come in 2 days a week. I should be better by Monday.