Sunday, August 12, 2007

Nine days and a list from hell

My classes start on August 22, I am not entirely prepared. Actually, I am not at all prepared, and I’m starting to panic. Sure, I’ve had months to do all this. Many months. Yet here I am, Dr. Procrastinator. It happens that Baby M’s birthday is also on the 22nd. I would be more panicked about that except that we plan to hold a joint party with her sister in September giving me a few more weeks to procrastinate.

This semester I'm teaching two sections of a research practicum and one section of a social issues course. I'm not at all worried about the latter as it is fun and relatively easy to teach.* However, this is my first time teaching the subject matter in this particular practicum, and I find myself struggling with it a bit. I am also on two college-wide committees that are fairly work intensive and I am in the middle of two reserach projects. Things are about to get busy.

In the interest of attempting to organize myself, here is my get-ready for-school list in no particular order:

  • Decide on schedule for practicum
  • Determine grading scheme for practicum
  • Put practicum readings together in WebCT
  • Put practicum project handout together
  • Test software in lab
  • Write lab exercises that utilize software
  • Write first week of lectures for practicum
  • Put finishing touches on social issues syllabus
  • Determine grading scale for social issues
  • Investigate pedagogical implications of requiring student blogs in social issues
  • Find a peanut-free food that E will be able to carry for lunch at new school
  • Get E’s hair trimmed
  • Get my hair trimmed and brows waxed
  • Meet grad student about our neglected project
  • Get pedicure
  • Call electrician about the short in living room overhead light
  • Lose five pounds
  • Try on my professional clothes to determine what will fit until I lose five pounds
  • Keep trying to wean**
  • Determine guest list for joint birthday party
  • Order invitations
  • Order cake
  • Start running
  • Update college web page to reflect office hours
  • Find out when my faculty committees/ department meetings are scheduled
  • Bake something to take to Baby M’s nursery the day of her actual birthday
  • Throw away student tests that are more than three years old (we are required to keep work for three years)
  • Put together WebCT pages for social issues
  • Find shoes for Baby M who, while not walking on her own, likes to hold onto my fingers and walk
  • Find out if I am already president of state association (the fact that I don’t know if my term has begun is embarrassing)
  • Get email list for April 2008 conference I am organizing; talk to last year’s organizer
  • Set up state association web site

Oh my! This is a big list and I know there is more that I am blocking. I guess it is good that I tend to do best working to deadlines (except for in the case of that dreadful text).


*I have taught it often enough that I think I could do it note-free for the entire semester. Still, it needs to be updated lest it feel stale.
**Despite taking bottles at daycare, she throws bottles and sippy cups at me when I try to give her milk (even breastmilk) in them. Then I break down and give her a boob. Help!

1 comment:

Nico said...

I like how you have personal grooming and exercise throw sneakily into the middle of the list :-) I'm a big procrastinator too, but find that I get overwhelmed by lists like this and then just don't do anything. I find just picking one thing to do first helps me get started.

Sorry the weaning isn't going so well - fraid I have no words of wistom on that.