Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Back to the Classroom!

About this time last year, I advised the physics department chair at IPFW that I wasn't going to teach again this year. I thought the day job was going to be requiring me to travel more; and -- I hate to admit it, but I might as well -- I was really, really tired of grading papers.

Boy, was I stupid. Lazy and stupid.

As it turns out, the demands for travel did not materialize in any troublesome amount. As for grading papers: well, any time you have a chance to teach physics -- that supreme monarch of the sciences -- well, grading some papers is a small price to pay. I spent the fall semester mostly twitching and sweating in classic withdrawal symptoms. Well, I had recruited my replacement at the day job, and she mentioned to me a couple of days ago that she's hanging it up. In her case, the day job really has been riding her into the ground. In a matter of minutes, I e-mailed the department chair; and in due course, he let me know that I could count on being readmitted to academic Valhalla. So: come January 8, 2007, I'm a part-time, evening, just-barely-sort-of-paid instructor again!

Later, I'll be tired. Right now, I'm just tickled. YIPPEE!!!!!

6 comments:

Craig said...

At IPFW?

Jim Wetzel said...

Yeppers! PHYS 219, Mondays and Wednesdays, starting 1/8/07, KT 132, 6:00 to 7:15 pm. Labs both nights from 7:30 to 9:20 across the hall in KT 131.

Electricity and magnetism; optics; and -- time permitting -- a modern-physics topic or two.

In the fall, it's PHYS 218, which is mechanics, heat, and sound.

Craig said...

Sounds great. Congrats!

Jim Wetzel said...

Jeff Pruitt said:

I assume you are referring to [- - - - -]. I saw her last week and she mentioned that she was going to have to stop teaching as it was just too much.

Does this mean you'll have less blogging time? We can't have that...


Jeff: forgive me for deleting your original comment, but I have no ability to edit others' comments. I'm sure I'm just being superstitious, but I am hesitant to publish people's real-world names, (even just first names) ... especially the female-type persons who, in this sad world, have even more reason to guard their privacy.

Anyway, that is indeed her. And an amazing person she is, too.

I expect to continue making a public blogging nuisance of myself. Thanks for your comment, and I again apologize for quasi-censoring it.

Jeff Pruitt said...

Bartleby,

I understand but I should point out that you had already "outed" her through your description of school and class.

Anyway, no harm no foul...

Jim Wetzel said...

I think you're right. I saw the comment first thing this morning and went into alarm mode -- probably wasn't really awake yet. Oh, well ... sorry about that.