A Professor's Life

It has been a month since I've had a bit of time to write in this Blog. My last entry was just as the week of final exams and the end of a semester were hitting. The flurry of work that came with that ending put a stop to my creative writings and meanderings here in the net. I had too much to do.

I know that when I was a college student, I used to wonder why I could never find my professor when I'd go looking for him or her. I'd see office hours posted on the office door, or in the syllabus, and generally, a professor might have been available during those times. I also really never gave it a thought as to what professors were doing when the Christmas break came along. My only concern as a college student was getting the grade sheet in the mail telling me what my handed in work had awarded me, and relaxing inbetween semesters.

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My First College Instructor Christmas - 1996:
My worst ever Christmas Break was many years ago (Dec. 1996) when I was an instructor at a University. The week before finals we had a horrible snow storm, and then during finals week, we had a huge blizzard. The blizzard closed roads and although the University tried to limp along with the staff that could make it in, basically, everything was at a stand still. For my courses, students needed to turn in portfolios of work (special education projects). We didn't have "finals" per say. I was unable to get to college because I lived in a different town and the highways were closed. To add to this, Christmas in 1996 fell on Weds of that year. The term ended on Dec. 20th.

I was finally able to get to college on Dec. 20th. When I approached my college office door, there were 3-ring binders/portfolio projects stacked 3-deep and 3 feet high leaning against my door. I had to move all of the projects to even get into my office. I began the arduous task or organizing all the piles of submitted work. I had to seek boxes to organize all of the items into, and since there was no way I could get the grading done there, I got a 2-wheel cart and took 3 loads out to my car. I took these home to my tiny cottage. Grades were due - NOON Dec. 26th.

Now, originally the projects would have been in my hands in a gradual hand-in progression, and although daunting, certainly a bit more manageable than getting these all at once. Oh...did I mention I had 40 students in one class? 25 in another? etc.....etc.....

I had plans to be with family on Dec. 21st and 22nd....so those days were not available for grading projects. Dec. 23rd was, although I also had to get ready for Christmas with my daughter. Since I was living by myself, I worked from sun up to sun down on those portfolios and papers. What sticks so graphically in my mind is my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was alone, so I sat on my loveseat in my small livingroom, surrounded by those boxes, and steadily plowed thru grading all of those projects, while watching TV. I had friends that were like a mom and dad to me, so they would call every so often to see how I was doing. On Christmas Day, I was still working on the pile. I worked at a feverish pace...and around 3 p.m. on Christmas Day in 1996, my friends called me up and insisted I go out to dinner with them. They came by to pick me up....trundled me out to the van, and away we went. In my hands were the last of the papers. I had about 5 left to do. I insisted on taking them, as we had about a 20 minute drive. I sat in the back of the van, grading the last of the papers. My friend "mom" kept shaking her head. I finished that last little stack.

After our marvelous dinner - we went to a Christmas buffet - I was nearly to the point of having some time for myself. Late Christmas night, I finished averaging up the grades, and on Dec. 26th (exhausted) I drove the 22 miles to the college and submitted my grades before the noon deadline. I then drove 300 miles more (with a lighter spirit) to go and pick up my daughter for her Christmas visit. It felt so good to finally have some time off to spend with friends and family until the first full week of January.

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As I planned the Spring 06 courses, I tried diligently to make sure that the projects and papers are not going to bury me the first week of May, that they come in gradually across the semester...but, in reality....they will still bury me at the end.

~S

P.S. On a side note...I always wondered why a professor I came to know (Reno Parker) was ALWAYS at college during Christmas Break and Spring Break.....Now I think I know!!!!