Hello everyone!
We have 4 sessions left before our 16th week, our last
one for the summer. So looking at it one way, there’s still 25% of the session
to go, which sounds good. I’m trying hard to focus on the “25% left” vs. the “75%
gone” part because every time I think of that version I want to hide under my
bed or run away, or ideally, run away and hide under a far-away bed… But we can’t
run away, at least not very far, so that brings up the question of the week…
What are we going to focus on to make the absolute most of the 25% of the session (aka summer) that is left? What will be the thing that makes us say “that was a success” when we look back at the session in a month or so? What are the things we can drop right now to make the next few weeks go more smoothly, and what are the critical things we need to hang on to in order to make it to the end of the session with a smile? (If those questions are anxiety-inducing, feel free to pass on any tips for how you would deal with that anxiety, or tell us about your favourite place to hide when it all becomes too much!)
Here
are all our excellent goals from last week:
Daisy
1) Finish off major committee draft documents and circulate
2) Finish off Society draft documents and circulate
3) Bonus points for data processing, but not holding my breath…
4) Fun thing for both: try out new kayaks I bought late Fall last year
2) Finish off Society draft documents and circulate
3) Bonus points for data processing, but not holding my breath…
4) Fun thing for both: try out new kayaks I bought late Fall last year
Dame
Eleanor Hull
Work 3-4 hours a day, five times, with some on each of research,
teaching, service.
Regular exercise, stretching, safe eating, fun things.
~2 hours a day unpacking and/or life admin.
Keep track of what I'm doing so I don't wonder where the day went.
Regular exercise, stretching, safe eating, fun things.
~2 hours a day unpacking and/or life admin.
Keep track of what I'm doing so I don't wonder where the day went.
Elizabeth
Anne Mitchell
New writing 1 hour x 5.
Proofread 1 hour x 5.
Call for doctors' appointments.
Go to doctor's appointment.
Record presentation.
Make hotel reservations for "medical vacation."
Take notes on 3-4 articles for the lit review.
Continue cleanup of paper and electronic files. 1 hour x 5
For fun: one new craft project 1 hour x 4.
Proofread 1 hour x 5.
Call for doctors' appointments.
Go to doctor's appointment.
Record presentation.
Make hotel reservations for "medical vacation."
Take notes on 3-4 articles for the lit review.
Continue cleanup of paper and electronic files. 1 hour x 5
For fun: one new craft project 1 hour x 4.
heu
mihi
(Carried
over)
1.
Read at least the first part of the 3rd chapter of the diss (ideally the whole,
very long chapter)
2.
Finish Mary book
3.
Write 30 minutes a day x 5
4.
Arrange cat care for trip; make various medical appointment-related calls
(nothing dire, just regular maintenance that needs to be rescheduled)
5.
Reread Fairy Tales and revise as needed
humming42
1 finish Square outline and lit review
2 keep up with grading summer online classes
3 submit next book review
4 organize and deliver online freshman seminar
5 consider editing a creative piece for submission
2 keep up with grading summer online classes
3 submit next book review
4 organize and deliver online freshman seminar
5 consider editing a creative piece for submission
JaneB
1) getting to bed before midnight at least 3 nights
1b) less mindless internet-noodling...
2) complete the workshop and be satisfied its working!
3) do all the set up stuff for my new appointments diary for the academic year to come
4) do at least two Summer Things off my fun ideas list!
5) spend indulgently on avocados and beef tomatoes!
6) rearrange my "work area" to give me a "filming space" which has a blank wall behind it not CLUTTER...
1b) less mindless internet-noodling...
2) complete the workshop and be satisfied its working!
3) do all the set up stuff for my new appointments diary for the academic year to come
4) do at least two Summer Things off my fun ideas list!
5) spend indulgently on avocados and beef tomatoes!
6) rearrange my "work area" to give me a "filming space" which has a blank wall behind it not CLUTTER...
Susan
1. Finish manuscript review
2. Two hours on Famous author
3. Finish adapting welcome module so I believe what it says
4. Spend more time with potential add-on in canvas to see if it will work (If anyone here has used Perusall, comments are welcome.)
5. Take time off on weekend
6. Plan short trip to the beach - get a hotel where my room looks out on the water so I can eat takeout and read novels and take walks. At least a change of pace...
7. Keep walking
8. Decent sleep habits (last night was bad, so)
9. Read for fun
2. Two hours on Famous author
3. Finish adapting welcome module so I believe what it says
4. Spend more time with potential add-on in canvas to see if it will work (If anyone here has used Perusall, comments are welcome.)
5. Take time off on weekend
6. Plan short trip to the beach - get a hotel where my room looks out on the water so I can eat takeout and read novels and take walks. At least a change of pace...
7. Keep walking
8. Decent sleep habits (last night was bad, so)
9. Read for fun
oceangirl101
1. Prep house for surgery (won't be able to bend down so move things in
easy to reach areas), stock fridge etc.
2. Have surgery
3. Rest and follow Dr. orders
4. Read and watch Netflix while resting
5. Stay off of work email
2. Have surgery
3. Rest and follow Dr. orders
4. Read and watch Netflix while resting
5. Stay off of work email
Oh boy… Thinking about 25% left is hard… It is a significant chunk of time but it feels sooooo short! The two things I would want to be able to say at the end of the session would be “child had a good summer” and “I finished Paper X”… I’m well on my way to the good summer one even with all the restrictions, the second one is a bit sketchy but I think there will be some time for that.
ReplyDeleteI had an ok week with some half-day breaks and extra reading for fun, and there was lots of work but I’m not totally sure what it was. I know I did a lot of reading about teaching and did some prep for the Fall. There was a ton of form-filling and admin stuff too, those suck up a lot of brain power and time!
Last week’s goals
1) Finish off major committee draft documents and circulate NOPE
2) Finish off Society draft documents and circulate ALMOST
3) Bonus points for data processing, but not holding my breath… DONE! FOR 2 PAPERS, YAY!
4) Fun thing for both: try out new kayaks I bought late Fall last year AWESOME!
I’m taking a camping trip with kid to local island areas this week and next so these goals are for the next two days before leaving… That’s the one thing she really wanted to do again this summer, last year’s trip was fantastic. Camping near oceans is an excellent isolation activity so it should work well and be fun. And it will be a change of scene!
This week’s goals
1) Finish and submit three abstracts/registrations
2) Finish and submit invited keynote abstract
3) Finish off major committee draft documents and circulate
4) Fun thing for both: long camping trip!
Have a great 2 weeks everyone!
Enjoy the camping trip, Daisy! It sounds wonderful to camp near water.
DeleteThat sounds like a lovely trip! I hope you both enjoy it as much as last year.
DeleteMay the weather be delightful and the bugs lazy and non-bitey!
DeleteThe camping sounds great! Have fun!
DeleteTopic: What do I want to keep for the last 25% of the session? Like Daisy says in her comment, I want to be able to say that some good things happened this summer. I will prioritize my physical and mental health; rather than concentrating on one paper, I’d like to bring them all to a point where I can finish them up in the interstices of the semester. I must add that I admire all of you going into a virtual teaching environment for the fall. It has been a long time since I taught more than one class at a time, but I remember the preparation very well.
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals:
New writing 1 hour x 5. Yes.
Proofread 1 hour x 5. Yes, but only x4.
Call for doctors' appointments. Yes, but only one.
Go to doctor's appointment. Yes. Waiting for test results.
Record presentation. No. Have emailed for clarification.
Make hotel reservations for medical vacation. No, as the dates are still murky.
Take notes on 3-4 articles for the lit review. Yes.
Continue cleanup of paper and electronic files. 1 hour x 5 Yes.
For fun: one new craft project 1 hour x 4. Yes.
Analysis:
It was a mixed week. I got a lot of organizing, recycling, and shredding done, and a lot of reading and crafting, which was good. On the other side of the spectrum, it was unbearably hot here, and the little a/c unit in the attic was overwhelmed, so I spent a lot of time wilting. As for the presentation, I got another email that seems to indicate that I should have let them know in June about presenting virtually, which, since I didn’t get that email (it went to my professor), I did not do. I emailed them an apology and request for clarification.
Also, the medical appointments are proving difficult to schedule. One office doesn’t answer their phone, and others are scheduling months away. I want to see several doctors in NYC, but want to coordinate with my research leave, and that requires a professional juggler, I think.
And, the cherry on top is that our Dean of Public Health said (rather publicly) he expected we would have to return to all virtual classes by October 1--not a reassuring thing at all. My department head has exempted me from staffing our reading room, given that I am in a vulnerable population. I hope to be able to continue to work from home at least several days a week, but offered to gather materials for researchers, in order to help out in a behind the scenes way.
Next week’s goals:
New writing 1 hour x 5.
Take notes on 3-4 articles for the lit reviews.
Continue cleanup of paper and electronic files. 1 hour x 5
For fun: one new craft project 1 hour x 4.
As we enter the homestretch, may the waters be calm and clear, without rocks, rapids, or rough waves, so that we can enjoy the scenery. Float like mist, everyone.
I'm sorry the appointment-scheduling is so difficult. I hope you are able to keep working from home, and that work goes even better because of the headway you've made on sorting, shredding, etc. You've done really well on all of the goals from last week that were wholly in your control.
DeleteThanks for the sympathy. I understand how busy doctors' offices are, but it is frustrating. And I appreciate the comment that I did what I could control--I try to concentrate on that aspect.
DeleteI appreciate the thought that we still have 25% to go; it may help to ward off "oh $h!t it's August" syndrome (https://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/its-august-panic-stations/), which is scheduled to hit next weekend or so.
ReplyDeleteSo, let's see how I did last week.
Work 3-4 hours a day, five times, with some on each of research, teaching, service. YES, on average (but weirdly clumped).
Regular exercise, stretching, safe eating, fun things. MOSTLY: more trouble with food (quantities/combinations, I believe), hence trouble sleeping, hence some very brain-foggy days, hence the weirdly clumped work.
~2 hours a day unpacking and/or life admin. NO. Not a lot done around the house/garden, in part because of waiting for Sir John to succeed at writing a program that would optimize the arrangement of bookshelves. That is now done, so let's hope this week sees more unpacking.
Keep track of what I'm doing so I don't wonder where the day went. YES, some days better than others. It is quite motivating to keep track of what I'm doing and how long things take.
The main thing I completed last week was the work for my online course about teaching online, which means that now I have a mostly-complete syllabus for one of my fall courses. It still needs some tinkering, and I still have to work up the other class, but it is a great help to have that done.
Here I will say that (for once) I am really pleased with the way LRU has handled planning for the fall. They decided early to go mostly online, and the training and resources provided are actually helpful and provide good examples. I haven't seen a lot of chopping and changing, such as seems to be happening elsewhere. Since I often complain about the place, let the record show that I think admin is earning their keep at present.
New goals:
Work 3-4 hours a day, five times, with some on each of research, teaching, service (have to finish promotion review).
Regular exercise, stretching, safe eating, fun things.
~2 hours a day unpacking and/or life admin (try to clear out some significant number of energy-sucking undone life admin tasks).
Keep track of what I'm doing so I don't wonder where the day went.
Where DO the days go?? Sigh...
DeleteSo glad you've had the right kind of support!
Delete25% of this left, 6 weeks before we have to have everything online for the first seven weeks of the trimester ready for checking. Ugh. And we still don't have all the changes we've made to deal with the situation approved yet and I really am running out of time to pretend there's plenty of time so I don;t have to worry yet. Only three new computer systems to learn as well, I think. I THINK. There are fruitflies in my house, I don't know what from, and they keep flying past and annoying me, plus I bit my own tongue and have an ulcer, so this evening I am Very Distractable
ReplyDeleteWhat do I need to do to make the rest of the session good? eat better, spend a bit more time outside, play D&D with my niece, get on top of the teaching prep, and get community thing and workshop thing into better order. Ugh.
LAST WEEK
1) getting to bed before midnight at least 3 nights I think so
1b) less mindless internet-noodling... maybe?
2) complete the workshop and be satisfied its working! yes, and it seems to have gone really well. it was so nice to spend time doing one thing, which I knew how to do, and knew how to cope when things went wrong (which they did in patches, naturally). Hard work, but it WAS nice
3) do all the set up stuff for my new appointments diary for the academic year to come yes. I enjoy setting up systems. Would be better if I used them consistently, but, you know...
4) do at least two Summer Things off my fun ideas list well I did one of them. I think. I also bought myself a new hoover and a rather expensive book which is only tangentially work related (an atlas of an old city over the last 2000 years) and rather more D&D related (well, ish. Longish explanation will ramble
5) spend indulgently on avocados and beef tomatoes!YUM
6) rearrange my "work area" to give me a "filming space" which has a blank wall behind it not CLUTTER...well, sort of. I moved stuff around and now have a comfy chair against a blank wall in front of a place where I can put the laptop. Which will do! Asked our local "expert" how he makes videos for teaching. He uses a mac :-( We're a non-mac uni so... not an option for me).
Anyway. This week I have 1-2 meetings a day, which is a reasonable amount of structure and work time, so hoping for a decent one (Monday was limited work time because of re-entry from feeling competent the week before, Friday is forecast to be Very 'Ot, so...)
To DO
1) get to bed before midnight at least 5 nights
1b) do something Not Work and Not Noodling every evening
2) Do workshop follow-up stuff (we have a follow-up meeting on Friday afternoon. In the 'ot. And my desk is in the hottest corner of my house. SIGH). Do comments on manuscript for post-grad.
3) do all the set up for transitioning into my next bullet journal...
4) do at least one more Summer Thing off my fun ideas list
5) be ready to start gaming with niece...
6) make some progress on at least setting up the VLE pages for the new academic year...
One of the best things about summer is fresh tomatoes. I've been having tomato sandwiches for lunch almost every day and it's heaven.
DeleteNot quite tomato season here...can't wait!
Delete25% left: what will make it a success? Well, in 4 weeks our semester starts, so there are some TRQ things (get my course sites up, make a few of the intro videos; the workshop on how to make a video is next week, so. Figure out the transcript/closed captioning). I have high levels of anxiety about this, especially as the teaching workshop last week dropped casually that we need to have transcripts of all our videos. And no, if there is anything in another language, the systems don't work. Otherwise, I want to create patterns that I can keep up with:
ReplyDelete1. Start spending an hour a day on famous author. I may -- as I did today -- just stare at it, but I'll make progress.
2. Stop twittering when I go to bed, and instead read one of the many books I actually want to read. (I've started this, and a few nights I've managed to read 4 pages!)
Finally, I have some recreation planned: this weekend I'm joining my brother's family up in the mountains at a "camp" which is mostly empty and all socially distanced/masked. I'm told I can hike, but also sit by the pool reading. Then I'm going to plan my getaway to the coast for two days.
Goals from last week:
1. Finish manuscript review YES
2. Two hours on Famous author YES
3. Finish adapting welcome module so I believe what it says NO
4. Spend more time with potential add-on in canvas to see if it will work (If anyone here has used Perusall, comments are welcome.) NO
5. Take time off on weekend YES
6. Plan short trip to the beach - get a hotel where my room looks out on the water so I can eat takeout and read novels and take walks. At least a change of pace... NOT YET - trip got delayed, and looks like you get better hotel deals closer to the time.
7. Keep walking YES
8. Decent sleep habits (last night was bad, so) YES
9. Read for fun YES
Goals for this week:
This is a very short week because in addition to multiple medical appts for mom, tomorrow the new floors are being put into my bedroom and the REVOLTING carpet will be gone forever. So *very* limited goals:
1. Adapt welcome module
2. Sketch out shape of standard week in undergrad class, module structure
3. Spend time with Perusall, decide whether it will work as I want it to
4. Spend one hour on Famous Author
5. Keep walking
6. Read for fun
7. Have fun in the mountains
I should add to this list that the bedroom floor means getting everything out of my bedroom and off the floor of my closet, so there's a lot of physical labor. Maybe also leading to getting rid of things, which would be good...
DeleteEnjoy the mountains! And how lovely to have new floors and no more revolting carpet! Only get rid of things you really don't want or won't use: you don't have to be a minimalist.
DeleteI’m really surprised to discover that I am content with a few accomplishments this summer, so I’m thinking that if I can get a couple of other things done that are lingering and should have been done back in June, then I will be quite happy. I would like to have a list of things I can let go of, but trying to do *everything* is always my downfall. August will be intense. I hope I can sustain enthusiasm and energy.
ReplyDeleteI had a strange experience today. My drivers license expired last month and the Department of Public Safety finally reopened for appointments. I thought that since this will be my primary identification photo until 2028, I should put on some makeup...for the first time since early March. The appointment went fine but I’m not so sure about the makeup.
Last week:
1 finish Square outline and lit review: somewhat
2 keep up with grading summer online classes: somewhat
3 submit next book review: don’t think so
4 organize and deliver online freshman seminar: yes
5 consider editing a creative piece for submission: no
This week:
1 finish Square and submit
2 keep up with grading summer online classes
3 finish reading next book for review
4 consider editing a creative piece for submission
Be safe. Be well.
I was just thinking that I haven't worn makeup since March, and maybe I'll put it on when I'm teaching? Or for prep videos?
DeleteAlso looking at all my shoes (especially dress shoes) and wondering when I'll need them!
Try to figure out what your biggest energy suck is (the thing that you feel bad about not having done) and get it out of the way. When I do that, the relief tends to make me way more energetic afterward.
DeleteI'm giving my general interest talk at the public library (via Zoom) this evening; that's been the Big Thing hanging over my head all summer (which is silly, because it's not even academic work, but it's a new-to-me activity, so I'll be glad when it's over). Aside from that, I've already put research work on hold for the time being. I have enough to do right now with journal work, reading grad students' materials (I have three defending in August!), and preparing for online teaching--especially since we've moved the start of the semester up two weeks, to Aug. 24.
ReplyDeleteSo what I want to do over the next four weeks is to 1) stay (or get) on top of journal editing--our first issue as new co-editors is due at the end of August!; 2) be a good graduate student committee member and get comments to those who need it; and 3) pre-record lectures for the first 3-4 weeks of my big class. I've been redoing my PowerPoints (which badly needed to happen anyway), so that shouldn't be *too* much work, right? Except that at least 3 lectures are on all new material, so.
My uni is giving us non-monetary gifts for redoing our classes as online courses: we get a future course release for each, or--the option that we're "expected" to take if we're tenured--a year's credit towards our next sabbaticals. I'd prefer the course releases but I'll take the credit (especially since I'm getting course releases in the coming years for Big Service Thing). In any case, it all makes me feel better about sidelining research for the time being and really trying to develop decent online courses.
We had a great time at the beach, by the way, and I did almost nothing work-related (just answered a couple of emails). It was so nice to get away. But man it's expensive when you're not splitting the cost with other people! (We normally share a big house with both of my parents and my brother and his family.)
Oh, and I'm checking in so late because I have 12 hour-long Zoom advising appointments this week--I had 4 on Monday, 6 on Tuesday, and I have my last 2 this afternoon. NEVER AGAIN.
This week:
1) Finalize big course syllabus, finish up 2 more PowerPoints, and test the video recording and uploading system
2) Review article for journal
3) Read MA student's 1st chapter
4) Call carpenter about fixing greenhouse
Public interest talks are fun, and you get great questions from left field. Enjoy it!
DeleteAnd so nice you're being given *something* for all the work. (Though I got to reclaim my sabbatical credits because COVID wrecked my sabbatical.)
I hope you enjoyed doing the public interest talk--I am always happy to hear that academics are doing that, since it improves our street cred, lol!
DeleteAlso, have fun with co-editing the journal--getting to see new work is usually a bonus.
All the best with three defenses--yikes!
And I agree with Susan that it's nice you're getting something for the course conversion. Our shop is ofering nothing, to my knowledge.
Hi All,
ReplyDeleteIts been a touch week recovering from surgery while also being on steroids and antibiotics per Dr orders. I don't do well on steroids- ie, they bring lots of hyped up behaviour, mood swings, problems sleeping, appetitite issues, swelling, sweating, etc. While I know it was the best time to get the surgery done, before school starts and perhaps before our COVID numbers really go through the roof and hospitals are less safe, it did seem like too soon to be feeling unwell again and stuck at home in recovery mode. The heat and the isolation are getting to me. I will be super happy when August is over and things cool down. Hopefully my sinuses will be more happy with spending time outside then too.
For the next few weeks my goals are to 1) focus on final editing/finishes of Ch 7; 2) outline CH 8 and start writing it, I would ideally like about half of it to be done before school starts (although a quarter done is more likely); and 3) leave the revising of my syllabi until the week before/week of classes. The wait to revise my syllabi is causing me a bit of stress, so I might take quick peak at them this weekend. But overall I think getting the most thinking/work done on the book now before the semester starts is really key.
Last week:
1. Prep house for surgery (won't be able to bend down so move things in easy to reach areas), stock fridge etc. Yes
2. Have surgery Yes, first two days after were super rough, then I was better, then the steroids kicked in and its been tough again
3. Rest and follow Dr. orders Yes
4. Read and watch Netflix while resting Yes
5. Stay off of work email Yes
This week:
1. Director of Grad Studies stuff- prep new student orienation materials
2. Copy edit Ch 7 and finalize data analysis bits that are still left to do or to polish up
3. Dr post op appt
4. Read things for grad students
5. Prep bit of data for collaborative paper
6. Don't overdo it in steroid induced energy swells!
At least you got the surgery over with, and did a good job preparing for it last week! How long does the course of steroids last? I wish you well in not overdoing things, and hope you have an uneventful recovery.
DeleteI think you are right to prioritize the book, even if it does fray your nerves a bit to put off the syllabi. I join Dame Eleanor in wishing you an uneventful recovery.
DeleteSteroids are done thank god! It was ten days of hell. My recovery has been going well and the Dr. confirmed in my post op meeting how great it was that I got this done before hospitals locally see large rises in numbers. So it was the right thing to do. Thanks for everyone's support.
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ReplyDeleteI meant to report on my water-related activities, last week. I had hoped to drive to a bigger river, but didn't manage that; however, I found that there is a small river within walking distance of my new house, flowing through a public park. Its banks are not very accessible (lots of native plants growing on the banks, I suspect deliberately maintained to keep people from wading/fishing/whatever), but there is a path alongside it, and some bridges over it, so that was a very pleasant mini-escape. I hope before the summer is over to get to a more significant river, but this one will do if I can't find the time to get farther afield.
ReplyDeleteYour local river sounds lovely! I grew up a couple of blocks from a very small lake, and love walking and thinking along water.
DeleteYes, a local river does sound quite lovely!
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