The good news is that loads of students are asking which courses I am teaching next semester, because as one of them put it, "good English teachers are hard to find."
The bad news is, the answer is no courses at all, unfortunately.
At this stage, I will be lucky to get a single continuing education course. Every winter, for a variety of reasons, college English departments have no choice but to offer significantly fewer courses than they do in the fall. So until I get tenure - which involves a number of retirements and/or unfortunate accidents - I am pretty much out in the cold come January.
Ah, well, at least I'll be back next fall, for sure. And a few months off gives me a lot of time for planning unfortunate accidents next year's courses.
Comments (8)
You should start freelance teaching in the parking lot, charge $10/day and have them bring you coffee :-)
Posted by dina | December 10, 2005 10:03 AM
Posted on December 10, 2005 10:03
I dunno, sounds a little messianic... but the coffee sounds tempting!
Posted by Maggie | December 10, 2005 10:11 AM
Posted on December 10, 2005 10:11
You have my sympathy. Vicki, my English teaching child bride, went through similar crap at the local community college for several years, which is why she is now running our business instead of teaching.
Rumor has it that The Amazing Race finale next Tuesday will include some of Montreal. I know some of it took place at Niagara Falls because I recognized the scenery in the previews.
Posted by Bruce Small | December 10, 2005 12:09 PM
Posted on December 10, 2005 12:09
Ah, yes...the life of the adjunct instructor. And with colleges hiring more of the same, and fewer full-timers, there's more competition for the available classes.
Do you ever spend these down times on, say, writing a book? Articles? Satire on today's college student?
Posted by Vicki Small | December 11, 2005 3:49 PM
Posted on December 11, 2005 15:49
Ah, yes...the life of the adjunct instructor. And with colleges hiring more of the same, and fewer full-timers, there's more competition for the available classes.
Do you ever spend these down times on, say, writing a book? Articles? Satire on today's college student?
Posted by Vicki Small | December 11, 2005 3:50 PM
Posted on December 11, 2005 15:50
Sorry for the duplication; my comment was supposedly rejected twice, but I see the second time it sneaked in there, just ahead of the third attempt. Ever the charmer.
Posted by Vicki | December 11, 2005 3:51 PM
Posted on December 11, 2005 15:51
If you need the name of a good, inexpensive "unfortunate accident" guy, you know my number.
Posted by c | December 11, 2005 6:45 PM
Posted on December 11, 2005 18:45
Wow. That's almost sounds like my line of work.
Posted by TB | December 14, 2005 11:03 AM
Posted on December 14, 2005 11:03