this semester has flown by and even though there aren't that many weeks of classes left before the end of the semester, there is still SO much to do. i'm perpetually trying to catch up on grading and haven't even started planning classes for next semester yet. luckily, i don't have to worry about too much dissertation stuff. i got my corrections and have a few weeks to get those finished. none of it is too scary though i have a feeling formatting figures is going to piss me right off. anyway, i'm a little stressed...not overly so, but enough that i've been kind of tired and cranky this week. i also started working a second job this week. back in retail for 10 hours a week. i didn't expect to need to do that, but it's become a necessity and i figured it would be a good way to meet more people and get out of my apartment, while earning some extra cash.
it's been a weird week in terms of my job satisfaction as a faculty member. maybe it's the stress of grading and stuff, or the lack of enthusiasm from my intro class lately, or my paycheck, or the feeling of "been there, done that" i have at times on campus. maybe it's that i miss mike. i don't know. i guess i thought i'd be happier in this role than i am finding myself. maybe once i get a semester under my belt i'll feel more settled in. but this week has been very blah and makes me wonder if this is my calling. i love teaching and look forward to advising sometime soon. but the tedium that i have to deal with at times in terms of planning courses and strategic plans for the college or figuring out a course rotation is frustrating at times. all part of the gig i know, but geez. i'm guessing my attitude about it all would be better if i got more sleep. so i'm going to work on that now and stop complaining...because there are PLENTY of good things about my job too and things i like a lot. patience is what i need i think. if you have any to spare, send some my way. :)
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2 comments:
patience is not my virtue, sorry. ...buttt- i think feeling blah is normal some of the time... and pretty much any job can become monotonous. it sounds like you're frustrated more with some of the bureaucratic aspects of the job, rather than the actual teaching and advising, which is totally to be expected. =) so chin up, missy! i think you'll come out of your slump v. soon.
I share your frustration and wish I could donate some patience to you, but I expect it would be off-loaded at some customs dock somewhere between here and there.
It does get better. This is what everyone keeps telling me: the first year as faculty will always be the hardest, when your time is crunched, you're unsure which way is up or down, and you're struggling to adjust to the expectations of research and teaching.
I don't listen to them either ;)
Time darlin', time.
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