Pardon my gloating
I have the best job of anyone I know--meaning, compared to all the folks I went to graduate school with, many of whom ended up places with more prestige, etc. I am teaching a full-time load this semester: one first-year writing course, with an adorable group of eager freshlings (as Mme. X calls them), a sophomore majors course, and a senior seminar course. I have a total of 42 students. Okay, maybe a 43rd, if semi-flakey girl decides to add the sophomore course against my advice (advice based on her taking too many intensive-reading courses, NOT on my desire to minimize enrollment). 42. That's a mighty reasonable number, especially when so many of us in this field have more than that in a single course.There are many other reasons to love my job: fantastic colleagues, supportive administration, beautiful campus, kind and unpretentious students, entertaining (seriously!) committee work, upcoming sabbatical....
But today I'm delighted that I will have plenty of time to work with each of those 42 (pinches self) or even 43 students.
Labels: academic life, ill-mannered gloating
posted by Unknown @ 2:24 PM
6 Comments:
i feel the same way -- i have a job at a school with little prestige --in fact, most of the people at my grad school haven't heard of it, and it's on another continent besides -- but my conditions are amazing. great faculty a permanent 2-2 load, more students thatn you have, but lots of marking/TAing help as well. great colleagues, amazing city, complete control over what i teach, almost no committee work, and complete control over and flexibility about my research/teaching agenda. yay for bucking the paranoia and stupidity about hierarchy and ranking, and enjoying the goodness of one's particular situation!
Rachel,
I'm so glad there ARE other people out there who enjoy and appreciate their jobs--so much of what we hear about this profession (and, to be honest, so much of what many of us, me chief among them, say about it) is negative, frustrated, and jaded that it is lovely to spend a brief moment celebrating our good fortune. Although now I am starting to envy you that 2-2 load. I was wishing all my blog-prof friends could come work with me, but perhaps I wish we could ALL come work with you!
Which continent, or would you have to kill me if you told me?
I must say, I'm a little jealous. My BA is in English and I always toyed with the idea of teaching, but now I have a young family and can't quite make up my mind what I want to do when they are older and a little more independent.
I always imagined that being an Enlish prof would be exactly as you describe it. But to move on, I'd at least have to get my Master's and maybe more.
Enjoy this semester! Sounds like lots of fun.
hey dorcasina --
i went to grad school in the UK, and teach in Canada. actually, a lot of things are more humane in canada, work-wise! by all means, come join us (though 42 students makes me envy YOU!)!
I'm glad you enjoy your job. Job enjoyment is the least that life could give you right now.
What Snick said.
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