Sorry I've been incommunicado... been busier than frell...

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **on:** January 26, 2012, 09:54:19 PM

Hi all,

I know some of you have PM'd me and emailed about trades and the like, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet. This is the first chance I've had in more than a week to take more than just a few minutes to actually read MTO, CPF, and other sites I like.

I'm teaching two new classes this semester, and as of last night was I finally caught up... now I'm behind again... I've got a stack of homework assignments to grade, office hours to do, another homework assignment to write, an answer key to write up, and two more lectures to write for tomorrow... And I have to find time to get down to The Y to exercise in there somewhere.

I promise I'll respond to your messages some time this weekend.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2012, 01:06:15 AM

Do what you got to do man, we'll be here.

Def

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2012, 06:18:22 AM

I've given myself the night off tonight... answered my PM's, posted some, and read some. Tomorrow it's back to the grind... homework to grade (and write), go exercise at The Y, and start looking for a job for next year too...

My current position is a temporary appointment for one year, I'm a "visiting" assistant professor. There is a permanent position available here for the job I'm doing now, and I will be applying for it, but I'm also going to be casting my net for other things as well.

And thanks for your understanding guys... I appreciate it. Other than the too little time I get to video chat with my wife and kids, my life here is pretty much just work work work work work. Reading and posting on MTO and keeping in touch with you guys on here helps keep my lonelies at bay and keeps me sane. Thanks for your friendship!

turnsouth · **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2012, 06:20:36 AM

Quote from: Heinz Doofenshmirtz on January 26, 2012, 09:54:19 PM

I'm teaching two new classes this semester, and as of last night was I finally caught up... now I'm behind again... I've got a stack of homework assignments to grade, office hours to do, another homework assignment to write, an answer key to write up, and two more lectures to write for tomorrow...

What? No TA's?

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2012, 06:55:33 AM

Unfortunately, no. I'm teaching at a small liberal college this year, so I have to do all the grading myself. A bit of a drag really. The upside of it is that I only have about 10 students in each of my classes, instead of the 40 - 100 I used to have when I was teaching at the University of California. I had TA's then, but I genuinely needed them. I'd still like to have them, but at least it's not a necessity where I am now.

When I was in grad school, my labmates and I started calling our undergrad RA's "slaves"...

Not only did it catch on in my advisor's lab, but among several of the other grad students in the department at UC Santa Cruz as well... And, I sort of inadvertently carried that tradition over among some of my colleagues when I was a lecturer at UC, to refer to the TA's... Still trying to break myself of that habit...