A few weeks ago we gave ourselves gifts; last week we let go of things. This week I want to allow us to reflect on the community here. What has moved you this session? Is there something someone has done you wish to celebrate? What gifts would you like to give? What do you have that you wish you could share?
Session Goals
Bardiac
Semester goals:
1. Keep up with grading and class prep. (I'm teaching two classes I haven't taught in a LONG time, so they're pretty new, with new texts and such, and one class I'm pretty sure of.)
2. Keep up with prep and committee work
3. Do a good job chairing the committee I'm chairing, and working on two other big committee projects.
4. Write a big report.
5. Write a the statue paper that's part of the bigger paper.
6. Exercise three days a week. (Does mowing count?)
1. Keep up with grading and class prep. (I'm teaching two classes I haven't taught in a LONG time, so they're pretty new, with new texts and such, and one class I'm pretty sure of.)
2. Keep up with prep and committee work
3. Do a good job chairing the committee I'm chairing, and working on two other big committee projects.
4. Write a big report.
5. Write a the statue paper that's part of the bigger paper.
6. Exercise three days a week. (Does mowing count?)
Dame Eleanor
Hull
*Live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t the house.
*Finish and submit a very old R&R.
*Polish a chapter and write an introduction to my book-in-progress so I can submit it to the press of my choice.
*Keep up with grading and other administrivia so they get their due attention but not more.
*Keep up with exercise, stretching, FODMAP-safe cooking, and other necessary physical maintenance.
*Finish and submit a very old R&R.
*Polish a chapter and write an introduction to my book-in-progress so I can submit it to the press of my choice.
*Keep up with grading and other administrivia so they get their due attention but not more.
*Keep up with exercise, stretching, FODMAP-safe cooking, and other necessary physical maintenance.
Elizabeth Anne
Mitchell
Steal outright JaneB’s idea of setting an alarm for 45
minutes, so that I get up, move about, and take a break.
Instead of haunting the vending machines, make lunches the night before.
Declutter the work office, at least as far as to see the surface of the desk and to have all the books standing, not laying, on the bookshelf.
Outline the Aurelius project.
Edit the Illuminated project.
Instead of haunting the vending machines, make lunches the night before.
Declutter the work office, at least as far as to see the surface of the desk and to have all the books standing, not laying, on the bookshelf.
Outline the Aurelius project.
Edit the Illuminated project.
Heu Mihi
Research:
1. Proofs and indexing for my book. Due mid-Oct., and I need to start tomorrow. If I do 12 pages per weekday, I'll be fine.
2. Abstracts: Two due Oct. 1
3. Conference paper: For mid-Nov.
4. Edited collection proposal: ASAP
Self: Maintain good routines.
5. Sit a reasonable amount. I've had good luck these last two weeks meditating at 8:00, after Bonaventure (age 7) gets on the bus.
6. Language work: Finish this textbook already.
7. Daily writing/research/reading.
8. Don't prep on the weekends. (I hate, hate, hate prepping on Sunday afternoons. It makes me monstrously grumpy.)
1. Proofs and indexing for my book. Due mid-Oct., and I need to start tomorrow. If I do 12 pages per weekday, I'll be fine.
2. Abstracts: Two due Oct. 1
3. Conference paper: For mid-Nov.
4. Edited collection proposal: ASAP
Self: Maintain good routines.
5. Sit a reasonable amount. I've had good luck these last two weeks meditating at 8:00, after Bonaventure (age 7) gets on the bus.
6. Language work: Finish this textbook already.
7. Daily writing/research/reading.
8. Don't prep on the weekends. (I hate, hate, hate prepping on Sunday afternoons. It makes me monstrously grumpy.)
Humming42/Linda
1 Complete and submit five book reviews
2 Complete two article reviews
3 Submit grant proposal
4 Submit residency proposal
5 FInish and present Perform
6 Write and submit DQ paper
7 Write and submit December paper
8 KR abstract
2 Complete two article reviews
3 Submit grant proposal
4 Submit residency proposal
5 FInish and present Perform
6 Write and submit DQ paper
7 Write and submit December paper
8 KR abstract
JaneB
1) self-care. key features here are sleeping enough (or at
least spending enough time in bed, if I can't sleep), moving enough my stupid
joints/back don't get too noisy, saying "no" or "not now" more
often, working on slowly getting my house and finances into order, and taking
some quality time to think about what I might do if I do lose my job and
identifying some practical steps (I think, and my most pessimistic and
university-politically-savvy colleague thinks, that academics in our area are
probably safe from involuntary severance until Summer 2021, and that our
subject area is likely to survive if the university does - but who the hell
knows in this world of Brexit and Boris-the-career-liar-who-can't-stop-lying
being our prime minister and the general cultural turn against experts and what
feels like a big looming recession?) (this means a) working on preparing some
job materials which manage to sell my strengths (I am very experienced at preparing
new teaching, especially in the unpopular areas of "skills in the
discipline") and explain my weaknesses (lack of grants) as contextual (new
teaching every year, lots of papers despite lack of people) not personal and
looking for jobs (unlikely, but...) and b) probably doing one of those short
courses in editing or proofreading or indexing, as my specialist writing skills
seem like the most potentially non-academic lucrative skills I have (given my
creakiness and age, and that even at senior levels industry positions in my
research field are both very badly paid and involve quite a lot of outdoors
work, hiking and mud and travel)
2) Research: finish and submit at least one substantial grant application, complete benchwork on FavouriteIslands samples, get the paper ProblemChild1 submitted somewhere and FlatProject1 fully drafted and ready to go, and do the equivalent of another paper's worth of data analysis and writing (lots of options, mostly depending on others).
3) teaching: I am leading a complete redesign of the two key first year modules (which will save quite a lot of money as we change out the field trip venue), I have to look after all exchange students going out or coming in, I'm supposed to be setting up a new programme with industrial placements... this trimester I also have a solo honours module which I taught for the first time last year (but it's moved trimester, which changes the timing of everything, there's a big timetabling problem which messes up my teaching plan, and chunks of it were taught by Incoming last year so need to be rewritten so I can teach them - his materials are scrappy & students were not happy so starting over will be easier) and also will be covering some gaps in modules related to my primary research skills (we hired someone who said they could do it all, but I said they couldn't, and I was right, and now I'm the only person left who can cover some parts of what we need - and we can't change ANYTHING of the advertised content this year, so we have to manage), and looking after the final year project module for the big cohort of needy students and the tutorial/study skills support programmes for the other years. Whine whine! (But I am only on an 80% contract so I do feel kind of whiny!). And next semester will be worse. So, goals for this semester are: resist the urge to get fancy with the redesign of the first year and third year. Get the new degree programme to the stage of either progress to full paperwork or denied. Rewrite all the stats teaching for the second semester module so that it is as close to ready to go as possible. Be responsive to students, and focus on a pedagogy of kindness approach (because I will need kindness, my colleagues will, and often the best way to get is to give out. Plus students tend to be forgiving of slip-ups if they feel genuinely cared for, and kindness is a good way of summarising all the things that make them feel like that).
2) Research: finish and submit at least one substantial grant application, complete benchwork on FavouriteIslands samples, get the paper ProblemChild1 submitted somewhere and FlatProject1 fully drafted and ready to go, and do the equivalent of another paper's worth of data analysis and writing (lots of options, mostly depending on others).
3) teaching: I am leading a complete redesign of the two key first year modules (which will save quite a lot of money as we change out the field trip venue), I have to look after all exchange students going out or coming in, I'm supposed to be setting up a new programme with industrial placements... this trimester I also have a solo honours module which I taught for the first time last year (but it's moved trimester, which changes the timing of everything, there's a big timetabling problem which messes up my teaching plan, and chunks of it were taught by Incoming last year so need to be rewritten so I can teach them - his materials are scrappy & students were not happy so starting over will be easier) and also will be covering some gaps in modules related to my primary research skills (we hired someone who said they could do it all, but I said they couldn't, and I was right, and now I'm the only person left who can cover some parts of what we need - and we can't change ANYTHING of the advertised content this year, so we have to manage), and looking after the final year project module for the big cohort of needy students and the tutorial/study skills support programmes for the other years. Whine whine! (But I am only on an 80% contract so I do feel kind of whiny!). And next semester will be worse. So, goals for this semester are: resist the urge to get fancy with the redesign of the first year and third year. Get the new degree programme to the stage of either progress to full paperwork or denied. Rewrite all the stats teaching for the second semester module so that it is as close to ready to go as possible. Be responsive to students, and focus on a pedagogy of kindness approach (because I will need kindness, my colleagues will, and often the best way to get is to give out. Plus students tend to be forgiving of slip-ups if they feel genuinely cared for, and kindness is a good way of summarising all the things that make them feel like that).
Oceangirl101/Jenny
1) Transform two conference papers into two chapters for
edited volumes (due end September), finish Ch 7 of book
2) Writing three times a week, lab work one time a week
3) Do Master Naturalist class (one night every other week and one Saturday a month)
4) Decorate house with things from my parents
5) Exercise x 3 a week
2) Writing three times a week, lab work one time a week
3) Do Master Naturalist class (one night every other week and one Saturday a month)
4) Decorate house with things from my parents
5) Exercise x 3 a week
Susan
Academic
1. I will send off what I think are final revisions of Violence (the essay that would not die) this week.
2. I have a short blog post to write that will close a series on a major book in my field.
3. I'm speaking at a session celebrating 50 years of a journal in my field, so I have to read all 50 contributions to the special issue of the journal, and think about what I want to say. I'll call this journal
4. Start revising an essay I wrote a few years ago that needs rethinking. I'll call this "Race"
5. Keep working on Big, the edited volume I'll be involved in.
6. I'm likely to get another essay back from editors, so there will be time for a small amount of work on memorial.
7. Keep up with teaching. Neither of my classes is difficult, but both are semi-new to me, and involve a fair bit of thinking.
Life:
1.Take one day off each week
2. Keep walking - 10,000 steps a day is a goal
3. Start reading instaed of iPad at bedtime.
4. Try for 7 hours of sleep
1. I will send off what I think are final revisions of Violence (the essay that would not die) this week.
2. I have a short blog post to write that will close a series on a major book in my field.
3. I'm speaking at a session celebrating 50 years of a journal in my field, so I have to read all 50 contributions to the special issue of the journal, and think about what I want to say. I'll call this journal
4. Start revising an essay I wrote a few years ago that needs rethinking. I'll call this "Race"
5. Keep working on Big, the edited volume I'll be involved in.
6. I'm likely to get another essay back from editors, so there will be time for a small amount of work on memorial.
7. Keep up with teaching. Neither of my classes is difficult, but both are semi-new to me, and involve a fair bit of thinking.
Life:
1.Take one day off each week
2. Keep walking - 10,000 steps a day is a goal
3. Start reading instaed of iPad at bedtime.
4. Try for 7 hours of sleep
Goals from last week:
Dame Eleanor
*sleep, stretch, exercise, dentist, haircut.
*write one exam, grade All The Things, post grades.
*make research plan, work on something, dead languages.
*pay bills, reserve car, pack, deal with family.
*write one exam, grade All The Things, post grades.
*make research plan, work on something, dead languages.
*pay bills, reserve car, pack, deal with family.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell (from 2 weeks ago)
Begin carefully organizing the new cubicle with writing space
in mind.
Write my three statements for tenure and award meetings.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Plan the timing of my research trip.
Write my three statements for tenure and award meetings.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Plan the timing of my research trip.
Heu Mihi
1. Read 30 minutes x3.
2. LANGUAGE x3, damn it.
3. Everything for classes except the final grading.
4. Design syllabus for new spring class.
5. Knit a bunch of the first sock for a Christmas gift.
2. LANGUAGE x3, damn it.
3. Everything for classes except the final grading.
4. Design syllabus for new spring class.
5. Knit a bunch of the first sock for a Christmas gift.
Humming42/Linda
1 Step up and ask for extensions
2 Grade, grade, grade.
3 Write a bit every day
2 Grade, grade, grade.
3 Write a bit every day
JaneB (implicit in her report last week)
Working computers
Some sanity among PTB
OceanGirl101/Jenny
1) submit grant
2) page proof edits
3) 2 article reviews
4) comments to two collaborators
5) exercise x 2
6) make some social plans for the next 2 weeks
2) page proof edits
3) 2 article reviews
4) comments to two collaborators
5) exercise x 2
6) make some social plans for the next 2 weeks
Susan
Teach last class tomorrow
28 rough drafts back by Friday
Set up grades so final grades easy
Make committees
Use weekend to clear desk
28 rough drafts back by Friday
Set up grades so final grades easy
Make committees
Use weekend to clear desk
Topic: This group provided me with a glimpse beyond the funhouse mirror that I was inhabiting most of the session, and I am very grateful for that support. It helped that several of you were upset by how I was being treated. It also helped me hang onto the fact that I was not crazy, and truly did not deserve the harrassment. I would like to celebrate that support.
ReplyDeleteIf I could, I would invite everyone to my house for a party like those I used to have at the end of the semester in grad school--lots of conversation, food, and emotional support. I am a pretty good baker, but the products of that skill do not translate virtually. I could offer a gift of editing, but am not widely conversant beyond the core humanities. Because of my recent move to a better position and department, I can listen and support far better than I could a few months ago, and would be happy to return the favor so many of you offered me.
Session goals:
Steal outright JaneB’s idea of setting an alarm for 45 minutes, so that I get up, move about, and take a break. Not perfectly implemented, but better than I had been.
Instead of haunting the vending machines, make lunches the night before. Not perfectly implemented, but better than I had been.
Declutter the work office, at least as far as to see the surface of the desk and to have all the books standing, not laying, on the bookshelf. Yes
Outline the Aurelius project. No
Edit the Illuminated project. A bit
Last week’s goals:
Finish setting up the new space. Mostly. I still have some weeding to do
Recycle what I don’t need, and be brutal. Yes
Call two doctors for appointments. Yes
Go to one doctor’s appointment. Yes
Finish tree skirt and put up tree. Yes, and no.
Analysis: Like many of us in this group, I had a difficult semester, one not conducive to research. I think I was just fed up with the situation and the apparent unwillingness of the administration to move toward a solution. I plan to come back from my vacation this next week with a renewed commitment to the Illuminated project, which will be the first project of the next session.
The only session goal that was an unqualified success was the decluttering of the work office. While I did make some effort to achieve that goal, having to pack everything and move to a different building made it happen. In the past two weeks, I have spent a lot of time taking stock of what I really need to have at hand, and can see that I need a lot less stuff in my office than I would have imagined.
Although far from perfect, I was much better at self-care, both in eating better, a session goal, and in making doctors’ appointments, a goal from last week.
I am taking off to visit our eldest daughter at the end of this week. I hope all of us have a good break, enjoy whatever holidays we may celebrate, and come back renewed. Float like mist, everyone!
I"m in for virtual baking!
DeleteAnd I'm so glad you have a new office, and can go visit your eldest daughter...
I have definitely felt supported by your calm and thoughtful comments, and inspired by your ability to deal with the madness on your end.
DeleteThank you Susan! Sorry for disappearing - it's been a semester, and you can add a LOT of adjectives to that. Some are even positive ones (I didn't actually get properly sick, so that was a win. And there was no Incoming...).
ReplyDeleteQuick goals review:
1) self-care. This was actually pretty good until my parents' 60th anniversary weekend, since which it has all come apart. Time to start over. But that was actually a really good run for me in a teaching trimester, so...
oh, and work was so full on (and politics etc.) that quality thinking time was in very short supply. I guess I'm still thinking something editing related, but... ???
2) Research: hahaha. Most weeks before the mid-November collapse I managed maybe an hour a week once teaching started, and most of that was supporting other people. One big grant done... well. I have a draft-done-apart-from-a-picture. I've been contributing to a big grant somewhere else where I would not get money but would get to be part of some cool stuff and papers which feels like the best I can do right now. complete benchwork on FavouriteIslands samples haven't even sorted the damn samples out get the paper ProblemChild1 submitted somewhere no because there is so much ridiculous politics going on around this about where to publish and who will be first author (hint: not me, although it is my turn and formerPDF and I did nearly all the work and it won't be her either but I am now so sick of it I just want DONE WITH THESE PEOPLE, FlatProject1 fully drafted and ready to go nope! nowhere near, and do the equivalent of another paper's worth of data analysis and writing I did some of this helping out others, but not a whole paper's worth.
3) teaching: complete redesign of the two key first year modules the first one of those was this trimester. It went pretty well considering. The second is next trimester... we have a plan at least, look after all exchange students going out or coming in coming in ones fine. Going out - we've had crises, I've been doing a lot of emotional support, setting up a new programme we still don't know what the process will be. But it has to be done asap?, solo honours module could have been worse, but wasn't my best and covering gaps in modules related to my primary research skills supposed to be 2 classes, ended up being 7 plus a pile of marking which is so far making me feel like the most incompetent academic ever, and looking after the final year project module no big crises here, but I have 17 students to look after personally and it's a LOT OF WORK, especially as many have been affected by half our technical support leaving in September and the tutorial/study skills support programmes for the other years this has gone quite well for once. next semester will be worse still true, PLUS I'm taking on extra admin.... goals for this semester are: resist the urge to get fancy with the redesign of the first year and third year yes. Get the new degree programme to the stage of either progress to full paperwork or denied nope. Rewrite all the stats teaching for the second semester module so that it is as close to ready to go as possible NO TIME. But what I needed to do for this trimester worked, so at least I am moderately confident of my rewrite plans. Be responsive to students, and focus on a pedagogy of kindness approach as best I could, but am currently dealing with a really lazy and silly multi-student plagiarism case which is really eroding my capacity...
Um . . . yay for no Incoming and not getting sick? And for pretty good self-care! I hope that this base makes it easier to cope with all the rest, and that next session will be very much better than this one.
DeleteProblemChild1 was submitted on 23rd December to a rather good journal (after much last minute editing and tweaking), and desk-rejected on 2nd Jan. So that was efficient, at least?
DeleteWhy *was* this such an impossibly difficult term? I didn't have any crises, but just seemed to be overly busy all the time, and was grumpy and fed up with all of it. Carving out some clearly delineated space for non-teaching, non-service work next semester will be vitally important. I've managed to arrange my schedule so that I can still go to my favorite yoga classes on TTh mornings, and yet not teach MF (which are supposed to be running days), so I have high hopes for re-centering exercise, as well.
ReplyDeleteThis group gives me a lovely bedrock of support and the knowledge that I'm not in it alone. Even though I don't often comment much on everyone else's posts, I care about what everyone is going through, and I hope for the best for everyone. This community is strangely important to me.
You all also give me accountability, of course, which always makes me get more done than I would on my own! So thanks for that.
Session goals:
Research: **I managed all of these, mostly because they had clear deadlines. The edited collection proposal was the only one that didn't, but it's co-edited, so we pushed each other!**
1. Proofs and indexing for my book. Due mid-Oct., and I need to start tomorrow. If I do 12 pages per weekday, I'll be fine. - Yes
2. Abstracts: Two due Oct. 1 - Yes, both accepted
3. Conference paper: For mid-Nov. - Yes, given
4. Edited collection proposal: ASAP - Yes
Self: Maintain good routines.**Very mixed. Next session's goal will be to re-instate the good routines that I used to have.**
5. Sit a reasonable amount. - Pretty good with this until the last few weeks, when I gave it up in order to deal with end-of-semester-ness.
6. Language work: Finish this textbook already. - No, but maybe I'm back on track with semi-regular work?
7. Daily writing/research/reading. - NO, and this really bothers me. Absolutely needs to be a priority next semester. Even though I have a new class coming up, next semester does promise to be a lot less busy (no first-year seminar to teach, for one thing).
8. Don't prep on the weekends. - Mostly did OK with this, or at least kept the prep to a manageable level.
Last week:
1. Read 30 minutes x3. - Yes.
2. LANGUAGE x3, damn it. - YES, finally.
3. Everything for classes except the final grading. - Yes.
4. Design syllabus for new spring class. - Tuesday of this week, sort of, but hey, it's there.
5. Knit a bunch of the first sock for a Christmas gift. - Also finished this last night. Someone's getting 1.5 socks for Christmas!
I'm impressed with all the research that you did, and that you were mostly able not to prep on the weekends. But like you, I'm a bit baffled as to why this semester was so resistant to good routines.
DeleteHi Everyone.
ReplyDeleteI echo the other comments above. This group is a foundation for non-critical support which I often need. It also allows me to track longer trends of accomplishments which I am not so good at on my own. It also makes me feel much less alone in trying to manage the competing needs of excelling at work while trying to lead a more balanced life. I too would love to host a party to gift all of you with the sharing of a meal, but the sharing of thoughts and concerns here really does make a difference, even though I do not post all that much on other people's comments. I wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season, with thoughts for balance in the New Year.
How I did on the session goals:
1) Transform two conference papers into two chapters for edited volumes (due end September) YES finish Ch 7 of book NO
2) Writing three times a week, lab work one time a week YES
3) Do Master Naturalist class (one night every other week and one Saturday a month) YES
4) Decorate house with things from my parents STARTED
5) Exercise x 3 a week 2-3 x AT THE MOST, SOMETIMES NONE
I am not going to my tropical field site to see my adopted family over the holidays- in the hopes that I can finish Ch 7 of the book over break. It will be lonely but the trade off, being less stressed about the book, will hopefully make it worth it.
This sounds like a very good session! Congratulations, and best wishes for good book progress during the break.
DeleteInspired by EAM, I’ve gone through a list of things in my head: bake, have a slumber party, have a spa day (which I have never done), go to high tea. I am ever grateful for the ongoing support and kindness that happens here. I wish you all a peaceful rest of the year, with whatever celebrations, adventures, retreats, or good books are restorative.
ReplyDeleteSession goals:
1 Complete and submit five book reviews: yes
2 Complete two article reviews: yes
3 Submit grant proposal: no
4 Submit residency proposal: yes
5 FInish and present Perform: no
6 Write and submit DQ paper: no
7 Write and submit December paper: no
8 KR abstract: yes
Last week:
1 Step up and ask for extensions: December paper editor wrote, offered extension
2 Grade, grade, grade: Done. Semester over.
3 Write a bit every day: Some. Not tracking things well.
I like the idea of high tea, the sort offered at fancy hotels and museum restaurants, with champagne as well as the tea of choice, and one of those tiered servers with little sandwiches and petits fours. Let's just imagine that there are safe options for me! Thanks for the good wishes, which I in turn offer to you.
DeleteI'm back from visiting family (plus a lovely slothful day of reading novels with a cat on my lap, when I got home), so I will finally report in.
ReplyDeleteHow I did (last week):
*sleep, stretch, exercise, dentist, haircut. YES, all good.
*write one exam, grade All The Things, post grades. YES: DONE.
*make research plan, work on something, dead languages. NO.
*pay bills, reserve car, pack, deal with family. YES. Trip went fine, which considering my family, translates to roaring success.
How I did (session goals):
*Live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t the house. House stayed off-market while we dealt with paperwork etc related to Sir John's retirement. Things silted up a lot; I'm going to have to do some de-cluttering between now and February.
*Finish and submit a very old R&R. No. This is my primary goal between now and the end of the year.
*Polish a chapter and write an introduction to my book-in-progress so I can submit it to the press of my choice. So not. I did a bit of reading related to this project, but never got into good research habits this term.
*Keep up with grading and other administrivia so they get their due attention but not more. I certainly kept up well. Did this get too much attention? I don't know. Certainly keeping up with these things kept me from stressing over them, which seems like a win.
*Keep up with exercise, stretching, FODMAP-safe cooking, and other necessary physical maintenance. YES, and I'm realizing how much time and mental energy the cooking takes. It's just not possible to say "I have a busy week, we'll get take-out or eat frozen dinners." When your top no-go foods are wheat, dairy, onions and garlic, with a host of others to avoid as well, the amount of time spent reading ingredient lists and negotiating with waiters is non-trivial, and it's less stressful to cook for myself and know that the food will be safe.
Some other points of note: one of my spring courses was cancelled and I was threatened with another MWF term, after finally managing a two-day schedule for the first time in years. But I negotiated a reassignment to advising! So, yay: two-day schedule saved; more time, I hope, for both research and cooking.
On the family front, one of my brothers has managed to get my dad to sign updates to important documents, which takes a load off my mind. We remain divided politically, and for some reason both of my sisters-in-law brought up politics while I was visiting (usually only one of them is tactless enough to go there); I ducked, dodged, deflected, and in one case texted Sir John with a desperate plea to call me so I could leave the room. We're all still speaking to each other, so I'm calling this trip a win.