Whew.
So this week is over. Time for the weekend. My birthday was Wednesday, but it feels more like today (Friday) is my birthday. I'm going out to eat with some friends, and then there's a party. It should be fun. :) I'm excited.
Another good thing I found about today, apparently, 2nd year MA students get paid .5 full time instead of .3 full time. This means that I get an extra 5000$ next year for teaching. Horray! This will be nice, since money has been quite tight recently. It's nice to have that little cushion...especially since I'm probably going to have to move after graduation and that's going to cost a pretty penny....
This weekend I have 5 short papers to write, a bibliography, and various projects I need to start/continue working on for next week. Oi.
I've also got to send my taxes in. I have them, I just keep forgetting to mail them in....
Oh, and I got into a class I didn't think I'd be able to take. Horray! Next semester should rock.
The 12 days between the end of the semester and the beginning of Summer A are going to be glorious.
Showing posts with label TA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TA. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Mid-term
This week has been a week of semi-productivity. I'm not completely neglecting anything, yet I'm not completely engulfed by a massive amount of responsibility. I'm just kinda gliding through this week. It feels kinda like Friday, but it's actually only Wednesday.
I'm enjoying teaching my students, as nearly always. I'm kinda ignoring the book a bit and focusing on just kinda teaching them. I think it is working out well. I even graded about 90% of their tests yesterday. Which is good because I already have 50 compositions I'm behind on grading. Oi. I'll get to them eventually. I had them do something very different for homework tonight. I hope it works out well and that they enjoy and learn from it.
I had a mid-term last week that I really bombed. D+. It's probably the lowest I've ever gotten on something in GradSchool...yet, I'm not as worried about this class as I was about my literature classes last semester. I am really not learning anything in this class...my interest is also way low because this class is not actually applicable to my future studies or my future career. The only motivation for this class is not failing...and that's a horrible motivation (albeit valid).
Sidenote: Albeit is a very cool word.
I have another mid-term tomorrow in another class (obviously), but I have no motivation to study for it. I'm not nearly as worried, but I really should look at some of this stuff. It's only 9PM. I have a few hours before I should go to bed. I have learned far more in this class than in the aforementioned one though.
My phonetics class doesn't have a midterm, but it's really cool. It's actually turned into physics and maths at this point, which--while I don't completely love maths--I am good at maths and can easily understand it. The physics of language is just cool.
Finally, I should probably find something to do for Spring Break. Maybe I can find a ridiculously cheap flight to somewhere or gather up some people for a road trip. Although, that will be hard for those friends of mine who don't have a spring break or not the same weekend. Ah well, we'll see, I suppose.
I'm enjoying teaching my students, as nearly always. I'm kinda ignoring the book a bit and focusing on just kinda teaching them. I think it is working out well. I even graded about 90% of their tests yesterday. Which is good because I already have 50 compositions I'm behind on grading. Oi. I'll get to them eventually. I had them do something very different for homework tonight. I hope it works out well and that they enjoy and learn from it.
I had a mid-term last week that I really bombed. D+. It's probably the lowest I've ever gotten on something in GradSchool...yet, I'm not as worried about this class as I was about my literature classes last semester. I am really not learning anything in this class...my interest is also way low because this class is not actually applicable to my future studies or my future career. The only motivation for this class is not failing...and that's a horrible motivation (albeit valid).
Sidenote: Albeit is a very cool word.
I have another mid-term tomorrow in another class (obviously), but I have no motivation to study for it. I'm not nearly as worried, but I really should look at some of this stuff. It's only 9PM. I have a few hours before I should go to bed. I have learned far more in this class than in the aforementioned one though.
My phonetics class doesn't have a midterm, but it's really cool. It's actually turned into physics and maths at this point, which--while I don't completely love maths--I am good at maths and can easily understand it. The physics of language is just cool.
Finally, I should probably find something to do for Spring Break. Maybe I can find a ridiculously cheap flight to somewhere or gather up some people for a road trip. Although, that will be hard for those friends of mine who don't have a spring break or not the same weekend. Ah well, we'll see, I suppose.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Comme l'épisode de la Madelaine....
It's quiet in here.
All I hear is the hum of the computer, the intense jingle the keys of this "QuietKey" Keyboard is making, and occasional whispers in the next room.
But this is quiet.
Normally, when I'm in the TA Office I am one of at least two other people in the room and we have a conversation about something. Today no one else is in here. I am able to sit and think silently alone and it is rather refreshing.
Not that I don't get enough alone time. I spend quite a bit of my time at home alone. But this is different somehow.
I'm never going back from dark roast coffee. I stopped by Einstein Bros Bagel Co. at the HUB to get a coffee because the line at Starbucks was too long (and because I was hoping for something cheaper). I spotted the Euro-French Dark Roasted Coffee and decided to give it a whirl.
Immediately, as my tongue touched the bittersweet coffee, I remembered how much I love Dark Roast.
On a completely different note, I actually enjoy reading Proust but can't seem to find the motivation to read something that someone is requiring me to read. I just don't get it.
I wish I could teach more and take less classes. Actually, if I could just teach and take the classes I wanted, I'd be ok with that too. In fact, I'd be more than OK, I'd be ecstatic. But, as they say, c'est la vie.
All I hear is the hum of the computer, the intense jingle the keys of this "QuietKey" Keyboard is making, and occasional whispers in the next room.
But this is quiet.
Normally, when I'm in the TA Office I am one of at least two other people in the room and we have a conversation about something. Today no one else is in here. I am able to sit and think silently alone and it is rather refreshing.
Not that I don't get enough alone time. I spend quite a bit of my time at home alone. But this is different somehow.
I'm never going back from dark roast coffee. I stopped by Einstein Bros Bagel Co. at the HUB to get a coffee because the line at Starbucks was too long (and because I was hoping for something cheaper). I spotted the Euro-French Dark Roasted Coffee and decided to give it a whirl.
Immediately, as my tongue touched the bittersweet coffee, I remembered how much I love Dark Roast.
On a completely different note, I actually enjoy reading Proust but can't seem to find the motivation to read something that someone is requiring me to read. I just don't get it.
I wish I could teach more and take less classes. Actually, if I could just teach and take the classes I wanted, I'd be ok with that too. In fact, I'd be more than OK, I'd be ecstatic. But, as they say, c'est la vie.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
New Things
This week begins the new school year at a new school with new teachers and new students in a new home in a new city in a new state.
Talk about a change. I've already had two days of orientation and there are three more days of orientation before school starts on Thursday. I've got my courses picked out and I sometime in the next few days I'll be told what my courses are that I will be teaching. I'm excited.
This year I'll be taking a required course for all TAs on how to teach a foreign language as well as a course called "Le sacré dans la littérature française" (The role of "the sacred" and religion in French literature) as well as one on the Structure of the French language. I might take Italian or Spanish or German or something as well...we'll see, depends on my schedule.
I haven't met too many people yet, but once school starts and the 50,000 students are back on campus I'm sure I'll be meeting tons of people all the time. My roommate seems ok, haven't really gotten to know him very well, but yeah, we'll see.
Talk about a change. I've already had two days of orientation and there are three more days of orientation before school starts on Thursday. I've got my courses picked out and I sometime in the next few days I'll be told what my courses are that I will be teaching. I'm excited.
This year I'll be taking a required course for all TAs on how to teach a foreign language as well as a course called "Le sacré dans la littérature française" (The role of "the sacred" and religion in French literature) as well as one on the Structure of the French language. I might take Italian or Spanish or German or something as well...we'll see, depends on my schedule.
I haven't met too many people yet, but once school starts and the 50,000 students are back on campus I'm sure I'll be meeting tons of people all the time. My roommate seems ok, haven't really gotten to know him very well, but yeah, we'll see.
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