January 25, 2006
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I have been getting inquiries about whether or not I am OK, which happens occasionally when it is a long time between posts. Those of you who have been reading me for awhile know that I usually do not post every day, but I do try to post more frequently than once every 3 weeks. In fact, I try to put up at least one non-Socrates Cafe post each week and one Socrates Cafe post. I also try to visit everybody at least once, and hopefully twice, a week. Since January 2, though, I have been living a very hectic life.
As some of you know, I have 4 jobs. Since the first of the year, one of those jobs has been full time, or actually a little more than full time. At the college where I teach, full time is considered to be 5 classes per quarter. This quarter, I have 7 classes. I also have the other 3 part time jobs. To make matters worse, 3 of the classes I am teaching are online.
Obviously, I spend considerable time online, so that is not a problem. I only found out that I was going to teach those classes a week before they started, though, and I had to learn to operate the system that is used for them. That happened to be the week between Christmas and New Year’s, which complicated matters, so I started the classes with only a very rudimentary knowledge of what I needed to do. The classes are all set up, but one of them really did not have good assignments, so I have been having to develop those and it has been a race trying to stay at least one unit ahead of the students.
I get a lot of emails from my students asking for help and advice because, for most of them, my class is their first online class. I would like to just scream “I DON’T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT THIS THAN YOU DO!!”, but of course, I am the teacher and I can’t do that, so I have to spend time trying to acquire the knowledge that I need to reply to their questions and try to help them solve their problems. I am really enjoying the online classes, though. In fact, I am surprised at just how much I am enjoying them. I am also getting more efficient at teaching them, so I am hoping that I will now have more time for other things that I enjoy, including Xanga.
That, in a nutshell, is where I have been and what I have been doing. Thanks to those of you who asked about me. I’m BAAAAAAAACK!!(I hope!!)
Comments (49)
*hugs* You have far more patience that I, in order to deal with such a “class” environment!
That is great. Keep it up!
Our daughter is doing online classes and she is shooting for her Master’s. I giggle at her talking about some of the classmates and the postings they do.
ryc: “And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!” I don’t know if I call my ways weird but I suppose others do. LOL Otherwise I found the ’test’ rather on target. That’s scary, look at a picture and be judged. bg.
it would be interesting to hear how the on-line classes work from your perspective as instructor.
Don’ t you fear the systeme online for the quality of the teaching and also is not it more useful to build the knowleges in a real direct dialogue in te class room . Is not the physical presence of the teacher in the classroom necessary for many students ? I wonder ?
Love
Michel
Dear Nancy,
I was delighted to find a comment from you this morning. I, too, have not been blogging as much as I have been in the past, mainly because I don’t want to get burned out, and also because I’m doing more “non blog” writing and creative endeavors with my new computer. I have noticed you weren’t posting a lot, but since I’ve been visiting you I knew this to be the case, so I didn’t “wonder” if you were all right, but figured you were just busy. I do notice a new Socrates Cafe topic. I missed the last one, and didn’t know if there was going to be one this week, so I’ll have to take some time to participate. I’m hoping that I’m not breaking any of the rules of the cafe by participating every two weeks instead of every week. That gives me time to post my own blogring topics, which happen every two weeks.
Thanks again for the visit and the comment. I’m promoting my “internet movies”. Stop by the website and sample a few if you have time, and let me know what you think. The link is to my YouTube page. I have 10 “movies” online now.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
Thank you for your comment. I am saddened by the division caused by this week’s cafe discussion. I would like an outside viewer’s opinion–did I cross any lines in my questioning of either Building_A_Mystery or mannaangst? How can I improve my “tone” so as to provoke reflection without provoking frustration? Even my apologies were offensive, I guess, and I don’t know how to clear my intentions and participation from the stain of this week’s fiasco. Any suggestions?
Hiya Nancy!
Welcome back! I enjoy teaching, too – and that’s mainly due to my love of learning… which one has to do continually to be able to teach… and stuff.
BE blessed!
Steve
And you were missed, m’ darlin’. VERY missed!
Hopefully, I’ll be doing mine online this year. This will be interesting for me. Wishing us both luck!
ryc: Yes, I realize and I noticed. And I feel very comfortable here.
I am sooo glad you are back and are ok, but you are working toooo much! I taught an online class a couple years ago and loved it, but I designed the class so I understood what was happening. RYC: We do teach AP stuff in our senior honors classes; that’s why our kids who take the AP test do so well. I went to the workshop to be able to incorporate AP stuff in my junior honors classes, too. Teaching is hard work.
Hooray! Read some of your posts on the Cafe and was intrigued. I’ve always thought of teaching college, but I’ve got time to decide. Do you like it? Just searching for a little career advice.
Ugh! 4 jobs! I salute teachers – they have a hard job!
I don’t think I would. Even if I was ill and in pain, I’d still cling to a hope of a cure. As long as your heart beats and your mind works, I believe you have hope. It’s never the end in my opinion. However, it’s totally different if I’m actually in that situation. That’s as best as I can answer at any rate.
Yeah. Kind of like I can talk the talk, but can I walk the walk. Thanks!
Teaching is very consuming of the person and I am just a little too selfish of myself and my time. I admire your efforts.
Nance – I didn’t see an email link on your site, so I just enabled mine. Will you use it so I can reply to you and send my topic thoughts? It may be Friday before I get myself together enough to put it together.
I am dipping my toe into your work pattens as I will be doing 2 jobs a weeks soon I suppose this shows the change in working pattens. Its great to see you here.
Glad to see you back.. I do know you are busy and dont get to post daily.
I appreciate your visit and comments .. it is a hard thing to think of, the maybes or what if’s. I am trying to let go, but it is hard. Thanks so much for your comments and hope things are going well with you.
Peace and Love:)
glad to see your doing okay and welcome back .
So wonderful to see you! Why on earth do you have 4 jobs? When do you sleep, when do you play? Life is too short! I am not posting as much either, need to get back into reading books, etc. When Simone left, I did too-perhaps when she returns, I will join again. Rest up!
I thank you , Nancy , for your very interesting comment in answer to my questions . I wonder if those answers couldn’ t be a new blog starting from the question . Simple suggestion .
Love
Michel
I’ve been a Xanga slacker lately, but I don’t have 4 jobs as a reason. Ack! We’ll take whatever time you can squeeze out for us.
Nancy – I’m glad that you are back! I was wondering some about why you hadn’t posted recently, but I knew that you would probably tell us if there were something really wrong, or at least indicate that there were some difficulties somewhere.
Thank you for being such a good moderator. As you know, I’m just learning this xanga/Cafe thing, so I am glad for your patience.
John
As a college student, I can honestly say I’ve never taken an online class. I prefer the actual classroom learning environment, but that’s just me. I do wish you all the best in your classes and four jobs as well! Wow!
And I also want to thank you for your lovely comment regarding my T.C. blog… I know I’ve told the story many times, but I enjoy telling it, as well as you all reading it. Thanks again and your Cafe entry I completely agree with. Suicide is never the answer for any reason at all.
Anyway, welcome back and I hope you have a lovely rest of your week!
Ciao.
Thanks for your comment on my blog. Yes, i guess my comment about suicide (sorry for the presumption) was exactly what the Cafe needed (and that’s the only reason i posted it!).
As you notice, sometimes i end up my comments with “i’d better shut up”, i am sure you understand why.
There’s a common way to say in Italian: “perle ai porci”.
ciao
dario
Hi Nance!! I, too, am happy you are here again. My goodness – four jobs – that’s a bit worrisome to me, as I’ve suffered burn-outs in the past after long exposure to great emotional/mental exertion within the work field, along with daily living!! Happy you are okay!
Lisa.
RYC: “I agree that we often interpret laughter as irreverent. Why is that? Could it be that laughter is the highest state of reverence?” Oh yes, – wonderful thought…..indeed, laughter could certainly be one of the the ‘highest states of reverence.’ Why not! Perhaps it’s through humor that man understands man and at that moment, a greater glimpse of understanding our Creator is created! Great thought, Nance! Hugs, Lisa.
Which college do you teach at?
I too wish to be a Professor some day.
“And, to expand on Eddie’s question, why do we feel so inadequat when confronted with our own lack of knowledge and why does that create so much anxiety?”
The reason, I believe, that we feel inadequate is because our very nature is one which desires to know and understand. “All men desire to know” -Aristotle It is because of this that we fear and therefore are afraid to laugh. Peace, I like your xanga.
-Pilgrim of Truth
I think you captured perfectly the sentiment that all good teachers must feel at one time or anothr with your “I DON’T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT THIS THAN YOU DO!!”
Just perfect!
It is good to see you back. If I had 4 jobs, I don’t think I would be here at all!!
One of our brothers-in-law taught an on-line marketing class. He didn’t care for it too much. He was semi-retired at the time, and it enabled him to winter in Arizona. He didn’t especially care teaching online, though. He is a “people” person, and a wonderful teacher, and loved the interaction with the students in a live class. The on-line class was too impersonal.
Glad you are enjoying yours, though. Don’t get too stressed out with all this work!!
It is so good to have you back!! I have thought of taking an online course, but I think I need to go out of the house to learn. I spend too much time here.
Glad you’re back, and yes, I can understand being busy. I seem to have gotten into the habit of not posting very often (trying to change that, though).
Have a nice day!
Thank you for your comments on topic #30… I have left a reply on my blog….
I’m in MN… left SD in 1994 and went home to ND… moved to MN in 99
Here is another reflection for the suicide topic. About Suicide
John
I very much so enjoyed hosting for Socrates Cafe this time around. I was mentally challanging and forced me to think…which is a good thing for me
Though this week, i am currently to busy to host, but i would most likely be available another time.
sorry for the inconvienance, and thank you for allowing me to help out this past week.
~Liz
First of all, I’d like to say thank you for commenting me and probing my anwsers. I’m not sure if anger is a common part of the grief process for all death, but many people I have spoke with have amitted to feeling angry towards suicide cases. I think most of this is because we feel that they have taken themselves away from us, therefore it’s almost like saying, I don’t want to be your friend anymore. I don’t care about you enough to try to work things out and live for you. Or even your not important enough for me to waste my life on, literally. I know that is more of a broad range of reasons, not just for friends but the response is usually the same when anwsered by suicide survivors. However, it is purley emotionial and I know this sounds mean but it’s selfish. I only feel ok saying that because I’ve been there on both sides of the fence.
To anwser your question of why we put our responsibilities onto others; I have two theories. 1. We are uncapable of emotionially making correct and reasonable decisions, or we overload ouselves. the latter however, is the worst because at that point people tend to try to walk away from issues they created. Therefore leaving it for someone else to come along and clean up the mess so to speak. Which in turn puts that much more on the plate of the person who is overtaking the responsibility so they in turn neglect something. It all comes full circle and amounts to each person tryig to be superman/woman, realizing they can’t, then trying to pretend they never began.
I believe that people should take responsibility for their actions, words, and even emotions. No one controls any of those unless you let them and even then it’s your fault for letting someone have that control. Life is a seesaw. you have to really work with others to keep it level or else one will rise giving way to anothers fall.
I am frankly in awe. My sister also just started teaching on line….I wish I could have been more help at thwe cafe…but in time I expect to be able to help again. RYC Thank you….it can seem overwhelming but once we get our footing on the new terrain we will be ok. Mia Lucia
Always nice to see you back.
Thank you Nancy for your very kind comment aboiut the blog ” word and life ” . You are too kind with me .
Love
Michel
Good to see you posting. You are quite a busy girl!
Nancy, I’m going to have to step away from Socrates Cafe for a while because my travel has gotten back into full swing and I don’t feel that I have adequate time to contribute to my blog both as a travelogue and to write up submissions for Socrates Cafe. I still hope to comment from time to time. I hope to maintain my membership in spite of my absence. I hope to begin contributing once more in about five month’s time, when I return Stateside.
I would love Miashineon’s email, and ask her if its ok if Barbi (Stormymuse) gets it too. I would love to hear from her.
~Mia
I am amazed that you can handle 7 classes, some of which involve new technology.
Nance -
I haven’t been around much – I’ve been very busy writing a new murder mystery – and I see you’ve still got your hands full as well, but I just wanted to stop by wish you well. It is a good thing you are doing.
Jeff
My goodness . . . and I thought I was busy!! You trump me!
Thanks for stopping by . . I wanted to reply to your question. It’s a good question, and I’m not sure that the US does have responsibilities towards other countries (in regards to war). 1st. . . did anyone help us during our Civil War? We ended up ok . . and all the better for it. 2nd . . those who are engaged in war generally don’t want outside interference. Why should we risk our lives for people that don’t want us there in the first place? Some may argue that there are innocents that are dying because of the war. . . but isn’t that what war is about? If they really wanted the war to end, things would be done. Also, there are wars that have been going on for hundreds of years . . . who are we to step in the middle of something that we know nothing about?
Now I believe that if a country is starving, that we, as a country, have a responsibility to help, because we have the *ability* to help. Its constructive, and helps everyone involved become better people. But when it comes to getting in the middle of someone elses fight, I believe that we should let them be, and come to their own conclusions. I realize this may seem harsh, but isn’t growing (no matter how long it takes) a bit of a harsh process?
Have a great week! ~M
Nance – Thanks for asking about my mystery. The manuscript is coming along well right now. It’ll be my third. The first is already out and the second will be released on November 15. I don’t know if you’re familiar with my doahsdeer site. It’s where I do most of my blogging, particularly about reading and writing. Stop by for a visit when you have the time.
Jeff
A war where ther is no loss is a war fought by finding a win-win relationship where both parties feel they gain something from following the route of peace. We do not alwasy have to agree but we need to be more innovative to find ways of agreements.
War’s fought without weapons might not have the same face of destruction but they have the same result of dehumanising human existence.