I don't actually remember how long this session is going to go, and it's late for a prompt-post, so I'm not going to go back and check. But I think it's safe to say that we're nearing the end of our session/museum tour.
So: What don't you want to miss? What room do you want to make sure you go (back) to before your time here runs out? Apply metaphorically to your life and/or work to the extent that you want.
Last week's goals:
Daisy:
1) Set 30 take-home exams, each student gets a personalized one (and regret making this an option)…
2) Make plan for next paper
3) Overdue reviews
4) Overdue Society things, three little ones, one big one
5) Lots of admin things, take a day and do them all
6) Grad seminar marking and feedback
7) My intentional thing for the week: buy a few pretty local-made gift things
Dame Eleanor Hull:
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade stray stuff.
*Research: work on revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading.
*Service: set up drafts for some recommendation letters; admissions; prep for Friday meeting.
*House/life: pay bills, order Xmas presents.
*Track time.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:
Translation study articles 1x4.
Write 300 words x 4.
Walk 2x4; meditate 1x4; something positive 1x4.
heu mihi:
1. 3 hours of writing/research
2. Catch up on journal stuff (again, forever)
3. Read and take notes on ch. 2 and 3
4. Catch up on all the "urgent" emails
Humming42 (held over):
1 edit a creative piece to prepare for submission
2 write weekly blog post
3 grade every day
4 write and submit current book review
5 finish reading next review book
oceangirl101 (held over):
1. Copy edits Ch 3-8
2. Review article, book series, and PhD
3. Walk/exercise x 4
4. Healthy meals
5. Vet for cat, set up Dr appts for me
Susan:
Teaching:
Grade the next part of the final projects
Touch base with the absent students
Get book orders in when I know which class I'm teaching
Admin:
One more memo to draft
Clear out emails
Be ready for whatever comes up
Research:
6 hours (3 x 2 hours) on Famous Author
Life:
Keep up with exercise
Get adequate sleep
Keep reading
Do things with friends, locally or distant
Help my mother with stuff
What a great question! I feel like I'm getting my head above water and can think about what I don't want to miss, as well as stumbling from week to week. I've been noticing lately how piecemeal my "oeuvre" is---I'm not an expert on any one author, genre, or work, but have worked on a number of things. Am I going to concentrate on something, or am I going to continue to be a butterfly? The translation points me one direction; the book that has been so long in progress points somewhere else. I could do those TWO things---but there are a couple of other essays I would really like to write, on different topics entirely. So although I would like to be A Name, I'm afraid it's not going to happen; I just can't seem to concentrate my energies in a single area. I read stuff, and Have Ideas, and don't get them written up fast enough to make an impression by sheer volume of output. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough. YES!
*Teaching: Grade stray stuff. YES.
*Research: work on revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading. YES to all! In fact, I finished the big long ILL book I've been working on.
*Service: set up drafts for some recommendation letters; admissions; prep for Friday meeting. NO, YES (as of this morning; I had forgotten till I saw it on my goals!), YES.
*House/life: pay bills, order Xmas presents. YES, YES.
*Track time. M-F, mostly; not on the weekend.
New goals:
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade All The Things.
*Research: work on revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; take notes on the big ILL book.
*Service: set up drafts for some recommendation letters.
*House/life: hang pictures, get hardware for cabinet, that Thing.
I think I'll give myself a week off from time-tracking. I'll try to list what I have done, and to work sensible hours, but I'm having a "dowanna" moment about serious tracking.
You did great on your goals, and you can't be held to something you forgot about! You've also earned a break from tracking your time as closely as you have for several weeks, so enjoy your less serious tracking.
DeleteWhile I completely understand your wanting a certain concentration in your scholarship, there's a lot to be said for being a Renaissance woman.
As a bit of an intellectual butterfly, I totally understand your approach!
DeleteThank you both! To run a bit further with the butterfly metaphor, wandering from patch to patch does allow for some interesting cross-fertilization.
DeleteAs it's week 13, or really 14, we should also think about the next session: when to start, who will run it, and will we have an intersession over the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI'd be willing to be a host again, if you're not sick of me!
Never sick of you! I love your posts. :)
DeleteI agree completely with heu mihi. Never, ever!
DeleteOK, then maybe it'll be me & Daisy (see the end of her goals comment).
DeleteWarning: Gross mouth stuff in this first post. (I'm separating it from the rest of my check-in.)
ReplyDeleteLast week's gum grafts left me a bit discombobulated. The recovery for this one is definitely more painful than it was for the one prior. For that one (if you don't mind my being a little graphic), they went deep into one spot on the roof of my mouth to "harvest" (how I love that term) tissue to cover three side teeth; for this one, they went long and shallow to harvest a strip of tissue to cover my bottom two teeth. You're welcome for that delightful image! While I don't have stitches in the roof of my mouth this time--my tongue is grateful for that--it does feel like I have a massive, terrible burn up there. They gave me a mouth guard for the first 5 days, which cut into the side of my cheek, but now that it's out, it's really hard to eat, drink, bend over, straighten up...anything that aggravates or brings a change in blood flow to the roof of the mouth.
Tonight I remembered that they told me I could put the mouth guard back in to eat. I did so. It was the most pleasant meal I'd had in two days!
And now I'm going to end this comment and follow it with a second one that does not detail horrible mouth things.
I'm so sorry that you're suffering with this aftermath. I winced last week when you said you were having gum grafts, because these shallow, long harvests are what I had twenty years ago, and still remember as very painful. It will pass, but you have my utter sympathy.
Deletegum grafts are no fun. The pizza burn on the roof of your mouth feeling for 5 days or so is not ideal!
DeleteNon-gross-mouth check-in below.
ReplyDeleteAll of that was just to say that I felt pretty iffy about most things. However, I had set my goals low, so I didn't do too badly:
1. 3 hours of writing/research - 2 hours and 15 minutes, so improvement there
2. Catch up on journal stuff (again, forever) - some of it, but not most
3. Read and take notes on ch. 2 and 3 - YES
4. Catch up on all the "urgent" emails - I have no idea. Some of them?
What do I not want to miss...? I had things to say about this. Oh yes. This is all very situational, and not big-picture like Dame Eleanor's. I would like to re-settle myself somewhat. I've been feeling a bit unsettled: the surgery, of course, and end of semester stuff, and also the very early and dark nights (4:15 sunset!), which I don't normally mind too much, but having everyone in the house all day makes the evenings seem terribly long and a combination of boring and agitating. I haven't been sitting regularly, or doing my language study, or other things that I know are calming and satisfying.
Next week:
1. Sit x3
2. Reinstate exercise plan, plus some extra walking, since last week was so inert.
3. Catch up on journal stuff!
4. Write 3 hours
5. Grade all the things
It's easy to let go of the things that calm and center one when life intervenes, so I hope you can return soon to those practices.
DeleteHaving everyone around was beginning to be difficult last summer when at least I could go sit in the back yard. It is really hard now. The Philosopher has decided he really likes the garret where I work, so he has moved up there as well, which brings out all my curmudgeonly charm.
The dark days don't help--I have a post-it with the date of winter solstice on my monitor, which helps me feel a little more hope.
Just ten more days! Space is so important: much easier to be calm and centered when you have your own space to be it in.
DeleteWhat do I want to revisit? Dame Eleanor's response about her oeuvre resonated with me. I want to spend some time in a themed room thinking about where and with what theme I want to expend my time. I found my dissertation topic longer ago than I like to admit; in the intervening years, the little-known text has become much better known. It dawns on me now that my theme is studying the unappreciated, unloved, and/or unknown. I've been digging about in EEBO and think I may have found the next few projects. Now I just have to focus and keep them from becoming rabbit holes that never lead to articles.
ReplyDeleteLast week's goals:
Translation study articles 1x4. Only two, but I created 3 bibliographies, so I'm okay with that.
Write 300 words x 4. Only two, for each of the above articles.
Walk 2x4; meditate 1x4; something positive 1x4. Only 1x4; yes; and yes.
Next week's goals:
Translation study articles 1x6.
Write 300 words x 7.
Deal with all the paperwork--travel, research, grant, etc.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; something positive 1x7.
I know I said it last week, and I did read along as I could when I was gone, but I really benefit from this company. Thank you and float like mist, everyone.
I hear you! I like to work on un- or under-appreciated MSS, and one of mine has become a hot topic in the past decade, while I was working on other things, dang it---particularly annoying because the other things were ancillary to or spin-offs from work on that MS.
DeleteDang it, indeed! How annoying and frustrating for you!
DeleteWhat do I not want to miss? Some of the surprising paintings that hang around in small rooms in the forgotten corridors of the museum… In real life I really want to make sure I take note and remember some of the actual successes of the teaching part of the term. Most of it was such a hideous dumpster fire that it is easy to forget that some things did actually go well and that some students really did get something out of the term. I need to remember that otherwise I will be curled up in a ball drinking whiskey through a straw when I have to start next term’s class!
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals:
1) Set 30 take-home exams, each student gets a personalized one (and regret making this an option)… DONE and REGRETTED…
2) Make plan for next paper DOES “SIT DOWN AND WRITE IT” COUNT?
3) Overdue reviews DONE
4) Overdue Society things, three little ones, one big one DONE
5) Lots of admin things, take a day and do them all MOSTLY DONE
6) Grad seminar marking and feedback NOPE
7) My intentional thing for the week: buy a few pretty local-made gift things DONE
It a good week for getting rid of list after list of admin things, I’m happy with how many things I cleared away… A mixed week for research, one paper submitted early in the term was accepted with minor revisions so happy with that, but one submitted in summer came with “revise and resubmit” so that was a bit disappointing. My submission from last week is officially in review now too so that’s good.
This week’s goals:
1) Grade/nag for assignments to get submitted/grade/nag/grade/nag rinse/repeat ad nauseum…
2) Set exam for big class
3) Help extremely marginal grad student with defense talk and corrections
4) Make a list of teaching successes vs. failures while it is still fresh to use when doing next term’s planning
5) My intentional thing for the week: local shopping for fun food things or pretty gift ideas
I would be happy to be an additional host in the winter term if needed :)
I need an admin day. Ugh.
DeleteLooks like you got a good few things checked off the list, so that's nice! I love buying locally made stuff; that's a fun goal.
It's very useful to have your confirmation that students do better in online classes when they mimic F2F classes as much as possible. I had observed that in my own classes but wondered if it was just me.
DeleteIt would be lovely to host the next session with you! I think we could give everyone a good time. :-)
It's Thursday, so a late check in.
ReplyDeleteIf this is a museum I know, I may have an old friend to visit and sit with. Otherwise I don't want to miss sitting with one work for a time, and letting my mind wander. There's something about focus/not focus that is very restorative.
How I did:
Teaching:
Grade the next part of the final projects YES
Touch base with the absent students YES
Get book orders in when I know which class I'm teaching STILL DON"T KNOW
Admin:
One more memo to draft DONE, now another will come up
Clear out emails NO
Be ready for whatever comes up SORT OF (pay cuts, now protest)
Research:
6 hours (3 x 2 hours) on Famous Author 5 hours (2+3)
Life:
Keep up with exercise YES
Get adequate sleep SOME
Keep reading SOME
Do things with friends, locally or distant YES
Help my mother with stuff YES
This was the last week of teaching, so it's done. My students were grateful for kindness: one of the things I did for the first time was no late penalties. So lots of late work dribbling in, therefore the grading is never really done. Final projects for both classes coming in Tuesday, so my goal is to finish grading by Thursday. I'm just so tired.
This morning I gave a talk in Sheffield, UK. It was fun to do, but very strange not to be able to go to the pub after.
Otherwise, we're under strict shelter in place orders now, with 5 % ICU capacity. My mother and I have just agreed that we will not gather on Christmas: stay at home means stay at home. I'm bummed, but just think we have to do the right thing. I have a feeling there will be a series of zoom parties!
Anyway, goals for what remains of this week:
1. 2 hours on famous author
2. Catch up on rest of grading
3. Write 2 references for grad school
4. Write memo protesting pay cuts
5. Have a serious email purge
6. Get and trim tree: I need something to cheer me up!
7. Drinks parties
8. Plan some baking (trying to figure this out, but thinking of baking and bringing cookies or other goodies to people.)
9. Start on Xmas Card
I hope the grading is progressing rapidly! Nice to get to give an international talk, as well! Sorry to hear about the current situation where you are, and I hope the tree-trimming does its job.
Delete