Teaching
Show Your Work
I’m terrible at math. And by terrible, I mean that Albert Einstein could totally out-math me, and he’s been dead for fifty-five years*. Several weeks ago, I was planning a dinner for myself, Leigh, and my mother. I wanted to make three 1/3 lb. burgers, and I found myself flummoxed at how to calculate the […]
Highs and Lows
Teaching is an interesting profession. Some days are really boring. After so many years, I’ve pretty much memorized my lectures, so much so that I’ve even got all my dumb jokes memorized. All I need to do is glance at my syllabus to see what day it is, and I can ramble on for over […]
It’s A Dirty Job But Someone’s Gotta Do It
As an instructor, I’m going to go ahead and admit something that a lot of folks in the education system don’t have the courage to come out and say: Not everyone needs to go to college. There. I said it. For some reason we, the American society, have venerated collegiate life and devalued more traditional […]
Political Rhetoric- Examining Palin
Last night, the GOP presented its new star, Sarah Palin, to the world at the RNC. She delivered her speech with zeal and confidence, and I’m quite sure the McCain folks feel pretty damn good about her performance. I’m also pretty sure that after watching Palin, the “always-vote-Jesus” crowd might actually do something unthinkable come […]
Paradoxes in Thinking?
Towards the middle of the semester in my “Writing Arguments” class, I introduce students to fallacies and flaws that unintentionally, and many times intentionally, creep into arguments. These are fallacies with which most of us are familiar, if not by their name then by their usage, and ones that the media uses frequently and judiciously. […]
Arguing for God (or pr0n)
Last night (actually, two nights ago, after the edits) while talking to my friend Tank (what up, Spaceman), our conversation swerved into religion, as it is wont to do, and he told me that he intentionally dislikes discussing religion at all, even if the other person brings it up. I told him I intentionally try […]
No More Teacher’s / Dirty Looks
Last day of normal classes. I’m probably happier about this than my students.
I Might Be An Idiot
Currently, I’m teaching four classes–two of comp I and two of comp II. At UTSA, comp I is “informative writing” and comp II is “argument.” In the comp I classes my students work on using research as a means to inform their readers. There are several things the students need to keep in my when […]
End Of Semester Blues
One of the things I dislike most about teaching is the grading. Sure, I love standing in front of a group of impressionable minds, spouting off nonsense for fifty minutes as if I know what the hell I’m talking about. That’s a pure blast. But at the end of the semester, when all the papers […]
What, Me Electric Worry?
At the end of my day I have two classes back to back. Back to back classes aren’t necessarily a bad thing, as the two hours just zip by, but when my adrenaline’s faded at the end of those two classes I feel exhausted. It may not sound like a lot of work, but standing […]