Sunday, November 19, 2006
for my family
and in honor of my aunt
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I do not die.
-Mary Frye, 1932
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Monday, November 13, 2006
Hello from the Pit
I'm not sure what I mean by that subject line, but I feel obligated to say something.
There never seems to be enough time. Lately, I find myself routinely leaving school at 6 o'clock with very little to show for it; when I get home, all of my personal work--planning for my classes, grading--still has to be done. I guess the job of leading the Middle School Academy is sinking in, although the reality of it hasn't. I guess I didn't do this much for the school or for the MSA last year, but at the same time, I still don't feel like I actually do a lot more than my colleagues on the team, I'm just technically responsible for more, responsible for providing oversight and remembering what we have to do and when, but not for actually doing much more; anyway, I surely don't do 2 more hours of work a day, which is the extra time that I have from 8:30-3:30 (I taught two more classes last year). On the other hand, I guess I must; where else could the time be going??
I definitely prefer this position to the one I had last year, teaching full-time; but on the other hand, it's hard to say, because even the teaching part of this year is a lot better than it was last year, in large part due to the fact that this is my second year and I'm a little more together. Actually I'm not sure why my classroom experience is so qualitatively different, but it is. And it's much better. But anyway, although it was never my goal to be an administrator, I enjoy being an effective administrator, and my colleagues give a lot more recognition than my students do. ;) It is still not a goal of mine to continue in administration except insofar as I am also able to teach, or pursue other academic work (research, I suppose).
So, I come home later, I bring more work home, I have made only a very small dent in the grading that I have to complete by the end of tomorrow. But I am blogging to let you know that I am still alive. :) And not that unhappy, just a little overwhelmed and a little tired. But not unhappy, really.
I can't wait for December and returns to California. I get to visit twice: once at the very beginning of the month, for a math training in Monterey, and once later for Christmas and family reunions. For Thanksgiving, we're heading to Indiana to spend some time at Patrick's paternal grandmother's house with that part of his family (his dad and stepfamily are flying in from Florida) ... I'm sure it will be a good time, but I'll miss the no-mai-fon. Maybe I can get some sticky rice in Chinatown and make my own. But it just won't be the same. Especially since I don't think I could bring myself to buy and cook laap cheung (being vegetarian and all).
Yeh-yeh, I'm sorry I'm missing your birthday. I made you a card and I'm putting it in the mail tomorrow.
As if he reads a) my blog, b) anything on the Internet, c) English. Well, please pass along the message, wonderful family o' mine.
Love ya!
There never seems to be enough time. Lately, I find myself routinely leaving school at 6 o'clock with very little to show for it; when I get home, all of my personal work--planning for my classes, grading--still has to be done. I guess the job of leading the Middle School Academy is sinking in, although the reality of it hasn't. I guess I didn't do this much for the school or for the MSA last year, but at the same time, I still don't feel like I actually do a lot more than my colleagues on the team, I'm just technically responsible for more, responsible for providing oversight and remembering what we have to do and when, but not for actually doing much more; anyway, I surely don't do 2 more hours of work a day, which is the extra time that I have from 8:30-3:30 (I taught two more classes last year). On the other hand, I guess I must; where else could the time be going??
I definitely prefer this position to the one I had last year, teaching full-time; but on the other hand, it's hard to say, because even the teaching part of this year is a lot better than it was last year, in large part due to the fact that this is my second year and I'm a little more together. Actually I'm not sure why my classroom experience is so qualitatively different, but it is. And it's much better. But anyway, although it was never my goal to be an administrator, I enjoy being an effective administrator, and my colleagues give a lot more recognition than my students do. ;) It is still not a goal of mine to continue in administration except insofar as I am also able to teach, or pursue other academic work (research, I suppose).
So, I come home later, I bring more work home, I have made only a very small dent in the grading that I have to complete by the end of tomorrow. But I am blogging to let you know that I am still alive. :) And not that unhappy, just a little overwhelmed and a little tired. But not unhappy, really.
I can't wait for December and returns to California. I get to visit twice: once at the very beginning of the month, for a math training in Monterey, and once later for Christmas and family reunions. For Thanksgiving, we're heading to Indiana to spend some time at Patrick's paternal grandmother's house with that part of his family (his dad and stepfamily are flying in from Florida) ... I'm sure it will be a good time, but I'll miss the no-mai-fon.
Yeh-yeh, I'm sorry I'm missing your birthday. I made you a card and I'm putting it in the mail tomorrow.
As if he reads a) my blog, b) anything on the Internet, c) English. Well, please pass along the message, wonderful family o' mine.
Love ya!
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