Posts Tagged ‘teaching’

Riding a mule and leading a hound

Today is Not Max’s first birthday and I’m stuck in Whyalla, which smells remarkably like industrial solvents, diesel fuel and government money. Not stuck exactly, but on the other side of the state from my family. Story of my life right now. I love my job but she’s a needy mistress this semester, draining my [...]

 
icon for podpress  The Wiggles "Old Dan Tucker" [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Good morning, how are you?

I’ve been informed that Not Max is six months old today and that I need to write a post commemorating this because I did so for Boy Z. So, well done Not Max. Well done for keeping a smile on your face despite dealing with the negligent parenting that is the lot of the second child. [...]

 
icon for podpress  R.E.M. "The Lifting" [4:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The one that you’re trusting suspiciously dusting the sill

And exhale.
Thursday morning, my Head of School knocked on the door of my office as I was taking off my coat. I invited him in to have a seat and the solemn look on his face nearly made me wilt. I’ve been living on annual contracts with the university since I got here and October [...]

 
icon for podpress  The White Stripes "The Nurse" (Live at Glastonbury, June 2005): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I was handsome I was strong, I knew the words of every song.

We’re well into the Spring Semester here in South Australia. Or the second semester. Or ‘Study Period 5′ as it’s prosaically termed by university officials. It is the semester in which I earn my keep – coordinating the large lecture course I was hired to teach. But I’ve also taken on a number of other [...]

 
icon for podpress  Leonard Cohen "Teachers": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

But he did give a damn about steel

Jud asks, appropriately, “what happened to the cheery Chris?”
Well, Jud, I’ve got a job that I hate but can’t quit. In my second job, I’m spending my weekends busting my ass to get lectures done that my undergraduates yawn through. I’ve got a sick kid and sick partner and have been cleaning up far too [...]

 
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A job, well, done.

Yesterday I gave my last lecture for the course I’ve been teaching and finished up the final practical session. It’s all over from a teaching perspective, though a pile of administrative muck and grading is slowly taking over my desk. But the bulk of the actual teaching is done and with that A Free Man [...]

And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself

As many of you know, one of my jobs has me teaching Biotechnology at one of Adelaide’s three universities. It involves one three hour lecture and two five hour practicals every week. We’re about two-thirds of the way into term, so I’m starting to run out of gas a bit. After a long day of [...]

 
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Well child, are your lessons done?

I. Am. Tired.
The two job situation in which I find myself has ramped up to the point that I actually have to do two proper jobs. Properly. I spent nearly eight hours teaching yesterday and while my acquantainances who are real teachers may snort derisively, that’s a lot of teaching for a slack university lecturer. [...]

 
icon for podpress  Leonard Cohen - "Teachers": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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