Last Days F#%kery and The Vent

[i_renovated]

So it's my last week of teaching at a university, and I'm anticipating a big upwelling of some sort of feels

Comments

I Hear That

[ext_1783186]

Yay for being done, but boo for the little shitheads giving you grief. I went to school with people like that in my UG and all I did was roll my eyes at them. One professor that I really liked used slides that were not part of the course material *gasp* in all of her final exams, which means we actually had to apply what we had learned *louder gasp*. If you can't hack that, get out of school. Those letters behind your name aren't just for show ... or so I believe, at least.

I feel you on the lack of feelings after so much anticipation, too. I feel like a bad person to admit it, but when my daughter was born I didn't get the all over fuzzy feel good lovey dovey feeling I fully expected to feel. Even seven months later I lack that emotion, though I do feel plenty of pride in her development and the fact that I created her. It's a weird paradox. To get to my point, I think it's perfectly normal to feel the way you do. When you expect something for long enough, it makes sense that you've desensitized yourself to it.

-Renee

Re: I Hear That

[i_renovated]

I love you, Renee! I'm big on teaching them to think, the little darlings, but so many of them find that process painful. So tired of motivating them to participate in their own learning process. My efforts are worth more than that.

And...yes, I never was one of those who got a lot of feels about my kids that other moms seem to have. Especially when they are just need machines (I used to refer to them as grubs). People are scandalized by that, but...yeah. I will say that smiling at 6-weeks (when I was completely post-partum sleep deprived and exhausted) is the best trick of evolution ever. Funny, I read something similar about motherhood from Rudy Simone in her book, Aspergirls. We don't get all that fuzzy stuff, but I think our love is stronger than the norms experience.

[millysdaughter]

While I grew up with plenty of teachers that delivered "enlightenment" with a wooden ruler, I think most schools frown on that these days.
Unless you wear a wimple.
Do you own a wimple? Can you borrow one?

[i_renovated]

*goes shoppng for wimple* A brilliant idea! ;-)

[darkelf105]

Yay for being done! Eyerolls at students (who are adults) who act like they are still children in grade school. And internet hugs to you just cuz you are an awesome lady.

[i_renovated]

I used to believe the lie that "a good teacher will find a way to motivate the students so that they want to learn and stay engaged." There is a thread of truth in that, but most of it is just a way to put the blame on the teacher for the failings of the student. Again, there can be a thread of truth in that as well, but I've met too many ACTIVELY disengaged folks in my career. I wonder what life has done to them that they can even walk around so tuned out to life and their own existence. But...this is no longer my burden. I only work with those willing to meet me halfway. I need the rest of that energy to help the ones who want help and to help myself.

[millysdaughter]

There are some students and teachers that are just not the right fit for each other. While putting my kidlets through school, I dealt with a few teachers that were the BestTeacherEver for one of my kids and the OMGTeacherFromHell for another of my kidlets. Same teacher, but different student personality. We cannot all reach everybody all the time in all situations - even PT Barnum knew that.

[i_renovated]

Thanks! And I'm hoping I'm through the worst of it now.