Hello everyone, I hope you all had a decent week. the leaves are turning properly now making the drive home from work in the afternoon on sunny days much prettier than usual, and the students are well into sharing around the Freshers' Flu with staff, another well known seasonal marker! So far I've avoided it but I am firmly masking and when I had to teach a couple of lab sessions I improved the seal with wardrobe tape - the teaching room is nicely laid out but has no open windows (some CAN open but only if people climb on benches to make it happen manually - old building retrofitted somewhat thoughtlessly, doubtless by the cheap bidder), no air conditioning, is on the afternoon-sun side of the building... so it gets both hot and stuffy. And we could hardly open the doors to the corridor because firstly, setting a bad example, and secondly, the practical involving grinding and sieving soils then measuring out a lot of fine soil powder for various tests, and this was our first years first introduction to laboratory work, so the corridors would not have stayed clean either. We use non-contaminated soil from a nice local nature area, it's VERY visible when they do spill anything on tables, floors or their lab coats, and the only chemical involved in this first class is water, so it's a perfect first practical in terms of minimal risk, easy to see if they have or have not spilt a bit or followed the rules about cleaning up as they went AND it yields useful data for later in the course (IF instructions were followed. I got three reliable-looking datasets from about ten groups this time). But it was definitely something of a germ party and a dust storm in there!
For stationary this week let's talk about what we use for ephemeral notes. Despite all my notebooks, I do tend to still need some less permanent writing surface - to remind me to do something in 5 minutes, jot down a number I need in a different software package to look up a student, to make a to-do list for the afternoon, to write down a book name or sketch an explanation for a student. Do you do all those things electronically, use a whiteboard, use sticky notes (branded or not? shape and size?), use the backs of old handouts and envelopes, keep a reporter's notebook on your desk... many options! I look forward to hearing what you do!
Two Shoutypants pictures this week - the boy attempting to psychically persuade me to get out the treats, and a clearer shot of the begging/threatening paw he often offers as part of the process(he has very large murder mittens at full spread, but they are very hard to photograph!). He likes to spread his toes so aaaaallll the very white claws come out then gently pat my leg with just the paddy part underneath, it's somewhat unnerving the first time he does it!
LAST WEEK'S GOALS:
DAISY
Record talk
Paper outline and section points to go with talk
All the marking
Web posts
External committee wrap-up
Accounting
DAME ELEANOR HULL
- grade the rest of the undergrad essays, prep for grad class, write another grad quiz
- read another essay submission
- read the rest of the files for committee work
HEU MIHI
2. Consider writing LOR, but without a deadline, this may get pushed
3. Read 35 pages of Italian
4. Spend Saturday helping Mom declutter some part of her house
JANEB
a) intentional movement for at least 15 minutes three days b) making a couple of times a week in addition to Inktober,
c) two gently social things (D&D hopefully)
d) keep up reading for pleasure
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT
a) 75%+ of the weekly list of chores
b) make a plan for the shelving in the living room
c) don't make clothes worse
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) get week 4 and 5 materials ready to go, and STOP THERE (after this week I'm only coordinating the first years, not teaching the classes, for a couple of weeks - a bit of a breather before things get seriously busy - but I need to focus on research not on teaching this week),
b) limit teaching and admin to 5 hours at weekend
c) review processes for graduate student applications and catch up on relevant emails
d) do appraisal training (new system. SIGH)
RESEARCH
a) multi-author paper (due 15 October) meeting, at least half a day of work.
b) test the computer stuff we set up two weeks ago
c) edit/precis box text using comments.
d) talk about viva preparation with junior PhD student, and post-wildfire issues with junior MSc student.
e) continue to work on budget planning following a meeting last week
JULIE
2. Maximise rest of time in Barcelona
3. Celebrate my dad's birthday tomorrow.
4. Squeeze in as much time as possible walking around my favourite bits of the city.
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