Am I losing grip?
I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. September never used to be so stressful, did it? But there’s a fast-flowing river of crap that I’ve been trying to canoe my way up, and I guess it’s inevitable that such a trip would include some messiness. So on my plate:
- Writing Project budgets and reports. These are so flippin’ complicated for someone with good financial sense that they leave me–with only a passing understanding–bewildered. I’m lucky that Rachael and Michele are keeping a pretty good handle on it, but I’m still the bottom-line responsible one, so it worries me that we may not dot-and-cross those essentials.
- English department work. I’ve had to make trips to Sacramento and Redding on business for the English department. While neither was a task that was unpleasant in any way, they just sucked up some hours that I wish I could have put to better use. Windshield time, I guess it’s called. I think if I had a long commute, I’d go crazy. Anyway, the Redding trip was to observe and write a report on a colleague teaching a course at our satellite campus, and it was great to watch his class–wonderful teacher. So that’s off my task list. But the Sacramento trip was for technical assistance in getting our English Ed program approved, and the work behind that is still pending–loads of revisions to make to our document, which to start with was over 1,000 pages. Urgh.
- Promotion portfolio. I found out about 4 weeks ago that I’m eligible for promotion to full professor this year. I don’t know why, but I had it in my head that it was next year–I was thinking a six-year cycle, just like the normal term for assistant-to-associate term. But it’s five years. Okay. So I hadn’t done any of the things I was planning to do this year to prepare for that promotion review, like get nice letters from other academics from across the country with whom I’ve worked over the past 11 years, or testimonials from the great leaders I work with in the Writing Project, or anything like that. But I do have 3 new book chapters/articles just this past year, plus more than a dozen conference presentations and over $300,000 in grant money since tenure. I’ve decided to (try to) take the zen approach my friend and colleague Thia recommended (from when she was in the same position): ask for the review, and if you get it, be happy. If you don’t, you’re no worse off than you were before, and you simply ask to be reviewed again the next year. Repeat until promoted! Anyway, all the materials for my portfolio are due on Monday, and then it’s just a waiting game of review by department, chair, college, dean, and provost, with results coming in mid-May. I’ll just be happy once it’s off my plate.
- Observations. I had to be observed while teaching twice in a row, by colleagues. This is really kind of silly that I get worked up about it, as I’ve never received any bad reviews (not even lukewarm), but I had trouble sleeping the night before each of the observations. I think in part it’s because both of the people observing me are people I respect deeply and know are amazing teachers themselves, so I wanted to make sure all went well. I haven’t received the write-ups yet, so don’t know what they thought of the classes they saw. Oh, yeah. I’d never before been observed teaching this particular class format (it’s a hybrid face-to-face/online class, with 100 students), and it’s not always easy to manage a big group. I bet that was part of the anxiety.
- NCWP reunion retreat. Thursday and Friday of next week the NCWP’s Summer Institute participants will re-unite at a resort up in Lake Almanor. This is always a wonderful event, both relaxing and stimulating (does that make it oxymoronic?), but prepping for it is stressful. I generally do the shopping and food preparation duties, and while I enjoy it, it’s still something more to think about and keep track of that adds to the confusion.
- Grading. Keeping up with 2 (approx.) 1-page assignments per week from 100 students is tough. I’ve been trying to comment on almost each one, as well, and it’s pretty engaging to do, but takes a flippin’ long time.
- Whiskeytown 9 to 5. I just paid my registration fee for this endurance mountain bike event, which my riding buddy Gary and I are riding solo on our unicycles again this year. Last year, despite the 8 hour nature of the event, we discovered we had only four and a half hours of endurance in us before we both started getting some serious leg cramps. We completed two laps (about 20 miles, with 1600′ climbing per lap) last year, and are shooting for three laps this year. I’m worried about it, though, in that I feel like I’m in worse shape than I was last year (or at least have had less practice, I’m pretty certain), while Gary’s lost something like 40 pounds and ran a “casual” 16 miles on Sunday. I know he’s approaching the race with a “we’ll just go out and have fun” attitude, and won’t care about our times or anything, but I don’t want to be an anchor in our effort.
So that’s it. I’m really hopeful that by mid-October I’ll feel sorted out. But I won’t hold my breath for it. There’s always more work to come!
September 30 2008 02:53 pm | cycling and NCWP and Work
Add to all this that you’ve been sick…and that sounds like a perfect storm of stress. -tbf
They’d be crazy not to promote you. I’m only saddened that you’re not the single sub cred advisor anymore. I don’t think I would have got there w/o you.
Still, it looks like you’ve got more than enough to work with right now. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
-D.