And 15 weeks later, we've reached the end of our session! Time to celebrate the wins, roll over the on-going efforts, and release the goals that no longer serve us. Also to make plans for the new year! I expect we'll have at least one "interim" post for checking in and chatting during the holidays, and we'll need to get one or two volunteers to manage the first session of 2025.
We'd love to have any former members of the TLQ collective visit the party and let us know how you are and what you have been up to!
OK: champagne fountain, check; chocolate fondue with assorted fruit and cake chunks to dip, check; little pecan tarts; lemon squares; cheese and charcuterie board with crackers and baguette slices, also vegetarian paté on separate board, check; tea and coffee station, check; table for homemade cookies and other treats brought by participants, check; cups, glasses, flutes, plates, linen napkins (this is an upscale party!), flatware, check.
And now for the checking in, last week's goals first, then the session goals. How did things go?
Last week’s goals
Daisy
Mark exams and submit grades
Sample prep and training with students
New student orientation and organizing
Practice for last shows of season
Grad student nomination letter and application edits
Organize something with friends
Dame Eleanor Hull
- Grade All The Things (and pace myself)
- Process grad apps
- Write two letters of recommendation
- Some scholarly reading/note-taking
- Re-establish regular bedtime
- Gym x6, yoga x5, weights x2
Heu mihi
1. Editor's edits of short essay
2. Tie up all the email loose ends, seriously
3. Grade last essays
4. Send judiciously but not overly reassuring, yes-there-will-be-a-curve-but-you-need-to-study-anyway email to students (about the exam--I did a sample multiple-choice section today, and they bombed)
5. Process *other* new journal submission
6. Finish reading that biography of a 12th-c. monk that I've been dragging through forever, just because
JaneB
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) do D&D planning (neither game is scheduled)
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
(v) counselling appointment and other appointment
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) catch up on dishes
iii) wrap close family gifts, work on more UK cards, get friend gifts and first batch of UK cards into the post.
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) notes for putting teaching "to bed" from this trimester
ii) marking - finish big assignment
iii) chase up all students who did not make an appointment/did not attend their appointment for end of term check ins. SIGH
iv) if possible start commenting on grad student chapter.
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback
iii) meeting for rejected paper
iv) last week with international visitor - get the short report ready to submit, plan journal article, make sure we have a Plan for what next.
v) review overdue paper for journal
Julie
1. Day in library, read book, work on article.
2. Teach final sessions
3. More marking.
4. Whatever end of term admin needs doing.
5. More Xmas.
6. One final mock university admission interview.
Susan
1. Three chapter revisions for Famous Author
2. One day on big talk
3. Last set of expenses
4. Pick up old computer from repair shop
5. Enjoy shopping expedition with colleagues who have promised to provide me with a "kick-ass outfit" for my public lecture
6. Send half my Christmas cards
7. Prepare for party next weekend.
Session goals (in some cases updated at midterms)
Daisy
Get back into a consistent exercise habit
Get half-done paper into decent shape
Revise 80% done paper
Organize my samples and lab space properly
Get student through thesis and defense
Dame Eleanor Hull
- spend time with Basement Cat, make his life as pleasant as possible while we have him.
- Draft an essay due at the end of January
- tinker with what was supposed to be my sabbatical project)
- grade All The Things in a timely manner- provide helpful feedback for students
- keep up with reading/notes for the new course
- read All The Things for the major committee I'm on
- continue to indulge my exercise addiction and refuse to feel guilty about the time I spend in the pool/at the gym
heu mihi
1. Deadlines: Last-minute tenure letter due Oct. 1, short weird experimental essay due Oct. 13.
2. Research:
a) Submit book manuscript!!!!!
b) Start planning essay due in April (which I think I'm also supposed to give a talk on next semester...maybe try to get out of the talk, that would also be good).
c) Submit proposal for festschrift.
3. Enjoy Italian! Remind myself that I'm learning and it's great!
4. Exercise: make this my priority. Possibly join a gym (with a pool!) when it gets too dark to run in the morning.
5. Graduate students: Get X defended and out; support G; work with R towards spring defense; others as they arise.
JaneB
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing each week (draw, diamond painting, colour, paint, knit, crochet)
(ii) read three non-fiction books this session and at least three novels
(iii) at least one social/creative-with-words thing each week (playing D&D, writing for fun, talking to people on the phone or a proper chat online, writing a social letter)
(iv) journalling through a "self-care for autistic adults" book.
(v) building a more solid exercise habit
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) working on getting better at the regular chores
ii) at least one additional care-for-home-environment thing every week
iii) working on financial things that both bore and scare me
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) successful teaching delivery (TRQ)
ii) prepare the rest of this trimester and for next trimester (one-two teaching blocks a week which are not about the immediate needs of the week)
iii) stay in my lane given my changed responsibilities
iv) support my senior grad student to submission of her thesis at the end of December
4 RESEARCH
i) make measurable progress on at least three papers
ii) write a fairly small grant application to buy out some of my time
iii) find out my committments within small cog project and meet them.
Julie
1. Teaching/admin
(i) Revise second-year module to a new format, but keep manageable.
(ii) Keep on top of first-year module and try to maintain energy/enthusiasm without setting myself impossible standards (I co-teach with someone who is a bundle of energy so I always feel students are comparing us unfavourably).
(iii) Three PhD students: one submitting in December, so a lot of drafts to read; one seems to be worryingly AWOL when he should be writing; one about a year from submission.
2. Research (TLQ!):
(i) If grant application gets through first round, write longer version. If it doesn't, put Plan B on hold until next session.
(ii) Write journal article for January deadline. This is the most important session goal.
(iii) Work on call for papers for possible collaborative workshop.
3. Kids
(i) Work out new routines, be as present with them as possible and as much as they will tolerate!
4. House/life admin
(i) One big project: new bathrooms.
(ii) Decluttering & small to medium projects.
5. Self-care
(i) Reading
(ii) Exercise: improve fitness
(iii) Healthy eating & more sleep.
(iv) Fun stuff - see friends, try to do more creative stuff.
Susan
Research:
1. Make progress of Rest of Life (RoL) project, or at least phase 1 of it.
2. If the press takes Famous Author, I will need to add some words. Do it.
3. Do any last work on Big Collaboration that needs doing.
Life:
1. Figure out an exercise routine that makes sense and is manageable.
2. Try to not work weekends and evenings
3. Read books for fun
4. Keep up with tapestry projects
5. Buy new car (maybe new used car)
