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gogmagogWow, yesterday the UI sent out safety guidelines in case of an active shooter (presumably in response to Virginia Tech and NIU). They know whereof they speak - the UI had a set of shootings back in '93, which decimated the Physics department (you can read an essay with a little more detail here, written by Jo Ann Beard, a Nonfiction Writing Program MFA student who also worked on editing the UI physics journal at the time, and was good friends with several of the victims).
And I gotta say, I appreciate the heads-up, and that they're thinking about this kind of stuff, but I still find it hella creepy and unsettling that we even have to worry about it. D:
It feels so strange not to be going to any classes this semester; don't get me wrong, it's nice, but still very strange. I do kind of miss the structure; without it, I hope I'll have enough initiative on my own to get all my comps shit done on time. I've gotta say, though, I was quite happy not to have to fight the crowds in our various textbook stores this semester, though.
Also I have finally finished my first week of teaching Gen Ed Lit. Discussion today was...distressing to me, so I'm hoping I can get some good tips for discussion when my sort of teaching support group meets next Thursday. It's been years since I took an undergrad lit class, so I have problems remembering exactly what my professors did to get discussion going; I remember my grad classes better, but getting discussion going usually isn't at all hard in them (in fact, frequently the problem is STOPPING folks from talking all the time). I felt like leading discussion was one of my weak points in Rhetoric, too, but I really want to get it right this time, since this is presumably what I'll be doing for the next umpteen years, so better to figure it out earlier than later...right?
Anyway, back to work on an annotation, since I'll probably be meeting with one of my committee next week and I NEED MOAR ANNOTATIONS DONE before then.
And I gotta say, I appreciate the heads-up, and that they're thinking about this kind of stuff, but I still find it hella creepy and unsettling that we even have to worry about it. D:
It feels so strange not to be going to any classes this semester; don't get me wrong, it's nice, but still very strange. I do kind of miss the structure; without it, I hope I'll have enough initiative on my own to get all my comps shit done on time. I've gotta say, though, I was quite happy not to have to fight the crowds in our various textbook stores this semester, though.
Also I have finally finished my first week of teaching Gen Ed Lit. Discussion today was...distressing to me, so I'm hoping I can get some good tips for discussion when my sort of teaching support group meets next Thursday. It's been years since I took an undergrad lit class, so I have problems remembering exactly what my professors did to get discussion going; I remember my grad classes better, but getting discussion going usually isn't at all hard in them (in fact, frequently the problem is STOPPING folks from talking all the time). I felt like leading discussion was one of my weak points in Rhetoric, too, but I really want to get it right this time, since this is presumably what I'll be doing for the next umpteen years, so better to figure it out earlier than later...right?
Anyway, back to work on an annotation, since I'll probably be meeting with one of my committee next week and I NEED MOAR ANNOTATIONS DONE before then.
