tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002038439593481614.post2198197457141832633..comments2014-03-24T08:38:41.241-05:00Comments on OFI/OFO: Should I stay or should I go now?ArticulateDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08407769773596623808noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002038439593481614.post-18050350070693310962007-10-11T12:02:00.000-05:002007-10-11T12:02:00.000-05:00Thank you, apparently. Yeah, that's sort of the co...Thank you, <I>apparently</I>. Yeah, that's sort of the conclusion I'm coming to. Is that even what I want anymore? That's the question. And, if it is, under what circumstances do I want it?<BR/><BR/>As I said to <I>Rocket</I> last night, if teaching won't allow me to help my students be their best, if it won't allow me the time and energy to interact with them individually, read their essays, write responses, nudge them, goad them, inspire them... then what's the point? If teaching under conditions of having too many students or too many classes, won't permit me to spend the time needed to really make a difference in these students' lives, then it's not teaching that I recognize, not teaching that has much meaning for me.<BR/><BR/>My job will never be to stand in front of a sea of faces, spouting facts that they are to memorize and regurgitate. There's nothing worthy in that enterprise.<BR/><BR/>There's a tiny bit of cynicism (or is it pragmatism) in your comment. Sure, I can "figure out a way to reduce the amount of time [I] spend grading and preparing." Prep time goes down each time I teach the same material. But grading... the only real way to reduce that is to spend less time per student; and less time short-changes them. That's the dilemma of which I wrote: who do I short-change today? <BR/><BR/>And the more I think of it, the more I feel like simply leaving the circumstance, letting someone else deal with the crisis of conscience. I think of my attitude toward guns. There are occasions when two parties have guns, each pointing at the other. There's surely right and wrong in the minds of each one. Most likely one will shoot first, and the other will die. I'd rather not be either one! In fact, I'd rather not even stand by and watch.ArticulateDadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08407769773596623808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002038439593481614.post-71731005573517694072007-10-10T17:40:00.000-05:002007-10-10T17:40:00.000-05:00geez that is a really long comment, sorry for bein...geez that is a really long comment, sorry for being a space hog (twice now)apparentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15009109799418125674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002038439593481614.post-3529909481184416802007-10-10T17:39:00.000-05:002007-10-10T17:39:00.000-05:00The reality is that even with a tenure track job, ...The reality is that even with a tenure track job, the amount of time spent on teaching can completely consume your day. And if you are expected to do substantial research the "work day" extends to the evening and weekends and beyond. In the end you are still working for much less than you are worth (in terms of $ per hour of work). Don't get me wrong - I absolutely positively appreciate the benefits and security of a t-t job. I agree 100% that adjuncts are treated incredibly poorly and the avoidance of paying for benefits and legitimate wages is a complete scam pulled by colleges. But I am trying to make a point and the point is - If (and this is a big if that only you can figure out) you want to try for that t-t job again, then you probably need to figure out a way to dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend on prep and grading. (assuming of course you are looking at schools that encourage and support research - that is my best guess of your preference). So if you do decide to stay with Lemon (an appropriate title, no?) think of it as your opportunity to get teaching nailed down to a minimum time-suck with maximum rewards (both for your own personal enjoyment and maximum evaluations scores). Figure out a way to reduce the amount of time you spend grading and preparing - not because Lemon sucks or because being an adjunct sucks (though both might very well be true) - but because you need to do that to be successful in a t-t position anyway.apparentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15009109799418125674noreply@blogger.com