I'm going to try to get back on track with the courseblogging thing, even if it did kind of fall apart midway through the Shakespeare course. I have three totally new classes to prep for next semester, and I have a feeling life will be easier the next time around if I blog my way through at least one of them.
So, which one do y'all want to read about?
A) The extremely cool upper-level medieval studies / women's studies course with a tiny enrollment, assuming it doesn't get cancelled;
B) The second half of the British literature survey, comprising lots of stuff that is waaay outside of my area;
or
C) The junior-level comp class, in which I am somehow supposed to teach writing for all professions and all disciplines, a task which is currently causing me to tear my hair out.
Other relevant data: I may never teach Course A again; I will probably be teaching Courses B and C for the rest of my career, but never for the first time again.
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7 comments:
My chopice obviously is "A) The extremely cool upper-level medieval studies / women's studies course with a tiny enrollment, assuming it doesn't get cancelled;".
Reason: It sounds most similar to many of the courses which I teach myself, and certainly those which I spend most brainpower and reading on to prepare, and thus your blogging about this one would provide me with lots of opportunity to learn something useful for me.
And: it sounds fun.
Yes, that's completely egoistic reasoning on my side.
Sorry about the typo! When I have the choice to go for a non-correct spelling of "choice": I obviously do so.
Perhaps I shouldn't be given choices?
A, naturally. And maybe by blogging it and really getting into the spirit of things, you'll make the class so fun that every student will tell five of their friends to take it. And then you'll get to add it to the catalogue.
Win-win, for us and for you.
If I were nice, I'd say "whichever one it feels as if blogging will help the most" (probably B?), but really, I'd rather listen to you on A. But it's closer to my field.
And course C? We offer those, and I wish the people who taught them would talk to us about what historians expect.
Looks pretty close to unanimous, so far. Somehow, I'm not surprised...
HCK -- Hey, egoistic reasoning is always fine.
Christopher Vilmer -- The course is already on the rolls, but it's normally taught by the resident medievalist, so I don't know when or whether I'll get another shot at it. Also, I don't think I've met you before, so welcome!
Susan -- I just checked the class rolls, and it doesn't look like I have any history majors this time around, but I'd welcome your comments about things I should know for future reference.
"HCK -- Hey, egoistic reasoning is always fine."
Thanks! [:-)]
I didn't know that this was also true when trying to influence an other person's blog ... . [:-)]
Anyway: Now you can tell the prospective participants of course A that an impartial experts' panel decided unanimously that this was the most relevant of all the courses they have to take and/or can choose to take coming term.
You'll (hopefully) need a greater lecture hall ... .
Three new preps is tough! But, seriously, good for your chops.
The first class I ever taught was a junior level writing class (for students who'd failed the junior level writing test). Gosh, I remember to this day how scared and nervous I was waiting for the room to open up, wondering if the students knew I was totally inadequate!
I taught the second half of Brit lit once, and boy was it a stretch! I was really, really glad that I'd TA'd for an 18th c. survey in grad school! If you want to commiserate, drop me an email. bardiacblogger@yahoo.com
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