Go to The Impossibility Of Knowing
- Add a comment
- Go to Somewhere here I lost the plot. PLEASE advise?
MayB
Can't you leave and personally coach the students with the 'sparkle?'
posted by
johnmacnab
on April 12, 2005 at 11:40 AM
| link to this | reply
Ca88andra, as you know the money in universities is never compelling. On the other hand, regular sums, even small are good. I have always chosen to live a little dangerously and this little piece of security I have now comes at a very high price. Thank you for your comment. It helped me.
posted by
Azur
on April 11, 2005 at 6:13 PM
| link to this | reply
I sort of wish I had your choices to make. If it were me I would follow my heart and write, however its not a good idea to take my advice if you need to make money. If money is not an issue, then follow your heart.
posted by
Ca88andra
on April 11, 2005 at 6:08 PM
| link to this | reply
MayB,
I sympathize. These internal conflicts always felt like tectonic plates shifting leading to huge earthquakes in my soul. Something's gotta give. I am following this discussion to see how professional writers handle time management, something that's not a problem for me, but direction, focus, and project management is.
posted by
Blanche.
on April 11, 2005 at 2:52 PM
| link to this | reply
What's that old saying? Those who can do. Those who can't teach. I always thought that somehow referred to ability, but it could very well refer to time.
posted by
Talion
on April 10, 2005 at 9:33 PM
| link to this | reply
Tigerprincess, you are psychic. I just started doing something like that factoring in five minutes blogging every 2 hours. it seems to be working so far.
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 8:21 PM
| link to this | reply
Wow, as someone who's been swamped, here's what helped me, you take it fifteen minutes at a time. Fifteen minutes working on your stuff, fifteen minutes working on your students stuff. I hope it helps you.
posted by
tigerprincess
on April 10, 2005 at 8:14 PM
| link to this | reply
CarolynMoe, you seem to understand and not many follow the zig-zag
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 5:40 PM
| link to this | reply
DarrkeThoughts, I have just stepped back emotionally anyway. On this next lot of essays I am keeping comments to a sharp, succinct minimum just pointing out one main point for each paper and only pointing out extreme mistakes. I feel better already. Then I am getting back to business.
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 5:40 PM
| link to this | reply
Would these be the same students who don't care about your thoughtful comments and just want to get a "mark"? Maybe you could ease up on how much you are putting into those papers and save something for your own projects? I sympathize with the situation. It's very much how I feel about my job...next week is my last week there though so I'm feeling much happier now.
posted by
DarrkeThoughts
on April 10, 2005 at 4:12 PM
| link to this | reply
MayB, okay - I think I might understand.
posted by
cmoe
on April 10, 2005 at 2:51 PM
| link to this | reply
Merryanne, ha ha I know they won't help. I have tried all but illicit drugs
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 1:08 PM
| link to this | reply
CarolynMoe, I zigged too much when I should have zig-zagged. I don't feel the resentment towards students but I do feel unimpressed by the person who hired me for one of the teaching gigs as they were less than forthcoming about the fact that they don't pay for grading. It is a shame for the students because the school does not value assessment and that is a hugely important part of teaching. I am arguing the point through the proper channels and that in itself is tiring.
As for zig-zagging. Timing is a factor. It would have been best if I could have zagged then factor in the zig. You know like putting rocks and sand in a glass then water
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 1:06 PM
| link to this | reply
More coffee,
less sleep and maybe some illicit drugs might be the answer to your problems. Trust me though, having two kids won't solve anything ;-)
posted by
MerryAnne
on April 10, 2005 at 1:03 PM
| link to this | reply
Thanks for that Anthony1Wiley. I am leaning towards the superhuman option myself
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 1:00 PM
| link to this | reply
May B
If you put aside your goals to teach others, you have arrived at a higher plane of your life which will only shower joy and love down on you and them in the days and weeks to come. 
I say stick with the teaching in the knowledge that you have the skills to do other things and one day you will do them. 
Just an opinion luv.
posted by
WileyJohn
on April 10, 2005 at 9:35 AM
| link to this | reply
correction: haul
posted by
cmoe
on April 10, 2005 at 6:12 AM
| link to this | reply
haul
posted by
cmoe
on April 10, 2005 at 6:11 AM
| link to this | reply
Could you "return" to your students on your own terms?... I don't know, but with all that paper grading... you sound like you could be unhappy and resentful... I don't think you'd be doing your students any favors in the long hall... so far as losing the plot, maybe you listened to the wrong motivating voice and "zigged when you should have zagged."
posted by
cmoe
on April 10, 2005 at 6:11 AM
| link to this | reply
L.E.Gant, when you said "teaching is a nice, steady job", that's when you reminde me of something. . I have never been one for the nice, steady jobs of this world.
I can only see myself teaching in universities as a part-time or occasional pursuit. I think it might limit me to do more. Sadly I had to find that out by signing up for too much now.
By the sounds of you and your travels nor are you. Had I not taken risks and dived into a new life a few times I would never have known what might happen. Not knowing was inconceivable.
Somehow I think I must find a way of fulfilling both tasks. But you are right, it is my decision.
posted by
Azur
on April 10, 2005 at 5:46 AM
| link to this | reply
Choices, choices, choices....
I've been looking over mine over the last 40 years or so, wondering whether I should ever have left the safety of my civil service job, with its assured promotion path and eventual pension. Maybe I should not have gone the consulting route...maybe I should have stuck to being a writer...maybe I should never have left Glasgow...
But when it comes down to it, I took the CS job to provide a good income for the family, and getting the house and so on. I went into consulting because I wanted the thrill of developing new solutions. And I took off for NZ, because it was a better place to live, leaving all the networks and contacts I had built up in Canada over almost 20 years.
Why? Because of the thrill of change.
It's been tough, but I've done what I wanted to - learn more about anything and everything.
So, maybe I'm the worst possible advisor.
Advice: do what's most likely to get you what you really want. Teaching's a nice steady job, and it does have its compensations (according to my brother, who's a teacher who wanted to be a painter). Writing's an adrenaline rush, when it works out. There's nothing like the thrill of seeing your work in print (even, as in my case, it was under someone else's name).
You won't be letting anyone down, whatever your choice - don't let your students or the high flyer decide what's right for you: you're the one who has to live with yourself!
posted by
L.E.Gant
on April 10, 2005 at 12:17 AM
| link to this | reply