Teaching

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:52 PM

I'm staring down the second week this quarter and trying to muster the strength to get back in the classroom. This is my first foray into teaching an upper division class, during the normal school year (not summer school), and it's been pretty good so far. I'm exhausted beyond all belief, but I think that's normal. I hope. I'm also deeply impressed with my students. Teaching and TA'ing for freshman and those who generally take the lower division anthropology classes has managed, over the years, to freak me out when it comes to the future of our nation. Thank heavens this class doesn't seem like that (so far). I'm much more on my toes teaching, and I love that. Well, with the exception of getting those random questions I don't know how to answer. Hate that. But yeah, I'm feeling a little better about the future of humanity :)

I'm also attempting to pull together my novella for the Samhain submission window. I've got to get that in soon, and have to finish my query and synopsis. I have drafts that I've worked to death, but I worry they aren't quite "there" yet. Not quite sure how to solve that, but I'm handing it off to a crit budy in hopes she has some ideas. I need to get this outah here though, as it's hit the point of negative returns (as in, if they don't like it, then I'll really hate myself for all the time I spent on it, when there's not a whole lot I can do with the dang thing). It's been fun to write, though, so that's always good.

I also finished WINTERGIRLS this morning. Whoa. I'm still reeling a little. It was a fascinating read, but I kept getting that feeling of "oh good grief I am a COW" while I read. I know this isn't the intent of the author, but yeah, I'll admit that I'm looking at my food a little differently (well, after this past weekend with all the family dinners we had, it's probably a good thing!).

Okay, bed! Off to the classroom tomorrow, hopefully it's a good week!