Hello everyone!
This is it! The final week of our session is here, and we get to look back and reflect, and perhaps look forwards a little bit as well. So this week we can check in with our last batch of weekly goals, and with our adjusted session goals. For fun, tell us what you are most proud of for this session, or what you enjoyed the most, or what you were surprised by (or all three!). We can also think ahead to any changes coming our way in the next few months, the change-over from one session to the next always makes me want to look ahead a little…
And, if you feel so inclined, add whether you would like a new session for summer, when it could be, and whether you’d be a potential host…
Thank you for all the great posts and interactions, it has been great fun to watch fantastic cabins take shape and to chat about all kinds of interesting things along the way. We’ve collectively accomplished quite a bit and weathered a few storms, and I’m grateful for the lovely company along the way!
One last bonus point competition for checking in – what special
cocktail or drink are you planning for you first night in your fantasy cabin? Or special dessert or treat? Extra bonus if they are one and the same...
Last week’s goals
Daisy
Continuing conference wrangling – it is 3 weeks away and coming fast!
Student thesis edits
Paper edits
Start writing 3 conference talks and one plenary address
Go back in time to slap former self about signing up for three conference talks
Dame Eleanor Hull
Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 2 hours a day! Make progress on book: say, finish the frelling
section I've been on for much too long, and start the next one.
Teaching: grade one new assignment and any stray stuff that comes in late.
Order fall books.
Life stuff: do some gardening, bake something, mail a package.
Admin: fill in & file some forms.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell (carried over)
Really start on the faculty report.
Continue recycling paper copies of articles.
Brainstorm two article ideas.
Change the conflicting doctor appointment.
heu mihi
1) Read and prepare to discuss two papers for a
works-in-progress thing on Thursday.
2) Closely read reviewer notes on edited collection so that co-editor and I can
discuss them and send them out to contributors ASAP.
3) Start "writing" ch. 1. ("Writing" must be in quotes
there, because really. I am not ready to write, only to "write.")
4) Shorten Kzoo paper--this will probably wait till next week, but who knows.
5) Stretch nightly before bed.
Humming42
1 finish and submit book reviews: in progress
2 draft cfp for slash collection: in progress
3 organize judges for conference: done.
4 submit abstract for one-day conference: in progress
JaneB (carried over)
1) contact GP
2) prepare for week 11
3) make a list of the marking I have to do and see what might need delaying
4) other lists. Just make the lists.
5) move, eat reasonably, drink water, try to sleep at 'appropriate' times
Karen
1. Write 2 x NTRO pieces
2. Do 2 yoga classes
3. Block out marking time over the next week
4. keep VILE up to date, and make a start on next semester's VILE.
Susan (carried over)
1. Finish this chapter (doable) before trip to Library
2. Keep reading ms.
3. Do fun thing
4. Go to all the meetings
5. Keep up with exercise & good eating
6. Set up Mom's new computer (hangs over me . . .anxiety.)
ADJUSTED SESSION GOALS
Daisy
Stretch
goal: Finish my Albatross paper! This has been an ongoing goal for ages but the
paper keeps changing and is constantly being shoved aside for more urgent
things.
Analysis and paper on fun Local Project
Make progress on Small Book Project (delayed from old grant)
Get fancy new grant project started off well
Support students through thesis proposal and writing stages
Dame Eleanor Hull
Stay healthy, sleep a lot.
Grade efficiently.
Finish WH chapter, work on FC chapter, work on introduction, write prospectus.
Write conference paper for April.
Do fun stuff!
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Connection
Gratitude
Self-care
heu mihi
1) Things that will happen, because they must:
a) Invited essay due in February
b) Kalamazoo paper due in early May
c) Stay on top of new graduate seminar
2) Research and write a series of vignettes. Make steady progress; work on this
weekly.
3) Establish a good early-morning routine, with full awareness that this will
change once it gets light enough to run in the mornings, and/or that it may not
be identical every morning of the week. Build in flexibility, in other words.
4) Stretch and write in my journal at least every other night.
5) Keep the step-counter in perspective. It serves me; I do not serve it.
6) Sabbatical prep: Rent an apartment in France; rent out our house; apply for
visas; enroll Bonaventure in school or, if that's not possible, create a
concrete plan for doing so.
Humming42
1 write Boredom chapter
2 write Food chapter
3 write Roma conference presentation
4 organize all the Tiny Project drafts
5 submit DQ proposal
JaneB
1) Survival-with-kindness in teaching
2) self-care - the big thing to deal with here is putting
time for things I enjoy ahead of spending time on not-100%-essential-things for
work (reusing some of last years recordings, not always fixing the
auto-captions...)
3) be ready for Teaching Toolkit and Society Course by the end of this block
4) work steadily on Why and Annoying Chapter, & resist the urge to feel too responsible for any delays
Karen
1. Submit co-authored KL article
2. Have VILE (also love and am adopting that misread acronym) ready for sem 2 unit
3. Have all marking for sem 1 turned around in two weeks
4. Have winter garden planted and cared for
5. Finish one making project per month
Susan
1. Finish first draft of famous author, begin revisions
2. Start drafting essay for June conference related to Persistence
3. Keep up with teaching, don't get overwhelmed.
4. Do stuff for professional organization
5. Do garden stuff so I can plant new tree
6. Spend time with my mother
7. Spend time with friends
8. Read for fun
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteStarting at the end...
ReplyDeleteThe cabin-building has been a fantastic theme, thank you so much for creating it and for keeping us going all season! It's been fantastic, even when I haven't actually done a great job of writing anything, just 'listening in'.
For my first night in the cabin, assuming it's this sort of spring-like season, I'm going to make a really good hot chocolate - my version of the fantastic drink I had in Estonia once. I'm going to toss orange wedges, cardamon and a cinnamon stick into milk as I heat it, and add a fairly large amount of grated good quality dark chocolate and maple syrup (the original had a simple syrup). And whisk so that the result is thick and creamy, and serve it in thick, glazed, handmade pottery mugs, the sort which are gently rounded and feel comforting to hold even when they are empty, with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.
I would much appreciate a new session for the summer of whatever length! and could potentially host (it would be Good For Me...)
LAST WEEK (carried over from Easter)
Delete1) contact GP did so, am signed off until Wednesday coming and unless a miraculous recovery happens will be asking for longer. GP says stress - I think in many ways it's a "make the problem go away" GP response in a very, very stretched system, but he listened to me and offered either a break or starting a medication change, so, I'm taking a break. I guess 25 months of pandemic emergency crisis teaching/academic-ing was as much as I could do... the last 6-7 weeks when I had to do 5 days a week without the late start, the last year when understaffing really hit home, whatever. The stress canary fell over. The stress canary is not the only person in my department who is either off or having a string of sick days at the moment - the others are all post-COVID or COVID. It's really tough on everyone else, but...)
prepare for week 11 nope! Wrote a hand over list and shared a folder of stuff and practiced Letting It Go)
make a list of the marking I have to do and see what might need delaying just dropped it all in a heap! If I do get more leave, that will need addressing...
other lists. Just make the lists. not really! Again, I just emailed the people I could think of to do a handover. I just... couldn't.
move, eat reasonably, drink water, try to sleep at 'appropriate' times ish! at least I'm getting caught up on sleep, just NOT at the appropriate times.
I'm feeling better enough, have got enough sleep and enough perspective on myself to realise how not-normal I currently am. I'm really not getting much done, despite all the things I need to do around the house and for life stuff, regardless of work, because I only have a couple of hours of decent 'executive function' (get up and go) a day. Today (Sunday) I spent them on playing D&D with my nibling and their friends (they're all going into end of year exams so a couple of hours of imaginary silliness was much needed by all of us). And I'm acutely aware of my privilege, but just because I have it doesn't mean I shouldn't use what it offers... (I'm reassured too by a couple of colleagues from other departments who have both shared their own stories of having needed stress-related leave during the last two years and really emphasised that I should not rush to come back, that people will cope one way or the other, that I've been part of the coping for other people for years).
SESSION GOALS:
Delete1) Survival-with-kindness in teaching Did quite well, I think, and it was finding this harder and harder that finally pushed me into going to the GP. I'm still supporting some students - I've been doing 'email triage' every 2-3 days to ensure that nothing important is missing and as a stress reduction exercise (going back to the unknown is HARD) - if I was really incapable of accessing email then people would cope, so I'm not, so I will triage. And that lets me continue to support a few students who I know are having a very tough time, or are feeling unable to talk about their academic struggles with their families, because I don't want to add to their stress (and to be honest it feeds my need to feel useful).
2) self-care - the big thing to deal with here is putting time for things I enjoy ahead of spending time on not-100%-essential-things for work (reusing some of last years recordings, not always fixing the auto-captions...)
well, I did the bare essentials of work, and yet I still don't have much time for other things, it feels - not enough actual good quality executive function kind of time, that is. I am reading a little more than I was, have kept up playing a little D&D most weeks (and when we don't play, either hanging out with the nibling - last week no-one else was able to play so we got on a video call and just doodled whilst the nibling updated me on all their gripes with school, parents etc. - or doing a bit of D&D prep such as creating a map or making a pen and paper version of a letter they will find so I can share that rather than just the words - fun things), and I've done some fairly consistent journalling.
3) be ready for Teaching Toolkit and Society Course by the end of this block nope and nope. The latter is later in May and I've just handed over to the rest of the group for now, will see if I'm well enough to attend, but I'm not going to push myself... Teaching Toolkit, we only got the paperwork signed off just before Easter (the grant started last July & I have been able to do NOTHING on the project until mid-April this year. Which is super stressful, especially as we had a week and then I went off sick. AAAAAAAHHHH! Not thinking about it right now).
4) work steadily on Why and Annoying Chapter, & resist the urge to feel too responsible for any delays very little got done...
I give myself a C or a C- overall - I passed the trimester, but not exactly WELL.
I hope the time off is truly restorative. You need a break.
DeleteDo not feel even a bit guilty for your time off - it is so necessary. We cannot fix all the big things, but if we run ourselves completely into the ground we can't even fix little ones, so take the time you need and rest! This term was the last straw for for a lot of people, just too much on top of too much wrapped up in a pile of too much...
DeleteI'd be up for hosting or co-hosting, starting around mid-May.
ReplyDeleteThe most fun thing was the conference in the UK. It was wonderful to be there, I enjoyed talking to people, I met someone with very similar food issues to mine and was able to offer helpful suggestions and a recipe, and I got a sabbatical proposal out of it, which has been approved at the department level.
How I did, this last week:
Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime. YESx3
Research: 2 hours a day! Make progress on book: say, finish a section and start the next one. ON AVERAGE, 1.5 hours/day, which is very good. The section is almost done, but not quite: maybe this week.
Teaching: grade one new assignment and any stray stuff that comes in late. Order fall books. YES, SOME, NO.
Life stuff: do some gardening, bake something, mail a package. YES, YES, NO.
Admin: fill in & file some forms. NO.
How I did, session goals:
Stay healthy, sleep a lot. MORE OR LESS. Sleep is always iffy, with me.
Grade efficiently. YES: got a bit behind post-conference, but caught up.
Finish WH chapter, work on FC chapter, work on introduction, write prospectus. NO (but progress!), NO, NO, NO. Sigh.
Write conference paper for April. YES.
Do fun stuff! YES: mostly the usual, reading, baking, some puzzles, eventually some gardening.
I'm looking forward to the summer. I have plans. There will be some short trips, and a lot of writing.
So glad you had the fun trip this session, with some travel planned for the summer too. You got great things out of that trip for your sabbatical planning too, so extra bonus! I'm still very impressed with your consistent routines for all things!
DeleteOkay....
ReplyDeleteI feel like I went off the rails a little bit mid-session, just in general--this stretch between spring break and sabbatical was a period of rather shockingly low motivation, teaching-wise, and I sort of lost research focus for a while. But classes end on Wednesday; my last university obligation is on the 21st; and I'm oh so very ready for the glories of summer.
Last week:
1) Read and prepare to discuss two papers for a works-in-progress thing on Thursday. - DONE
2) Closely read reviewer notes on edited collection so that co-editor and I can discuss them and send them out to contributors ASAP. - DONE
3) Start "writing" ch. 1. ("Writing" must be in quotes there, because really. I am not ready to write, only to "write.") - Technically, I did this, but I'd give myself a grade of "poor," I think; what I wrote was a step up from nonsense, and I probably spent about 30 minutes on it (tops). Still, something.
4) Shorten Kzoo paper--this will probably wait till next week, but who knows. - DONE!
5) Stretch nightly before bed. - 4/7 days. Middling.
Session goals:
1) Things that will happen, because they must:
a) Invited essay due in February - DONE
b) Kalamazoo paper due in early May - DONE (I mean, mostly; I need to reread/edit, but it's down to 10 pp.)
c) Stay on top of new graduate seminar - DONE; there was no choice!
2) Research and write a series of vignettes. Make steady progress; work on this weekly. - Did not work on this weekly. I did write a few vignettes, though, and I have an outline (of sorts) of chapter 1. I know that it'll change a lot, but it's giving me something to start working on.
3) Establish a good early-morning routine. - Did pretty well. I started sitting in the mornings before anyone else was up; now that it's getting light at 5, I've re-introduced (occasional) morning runs.
4) Stretch and write in my journal at least every other night. - ISH. Pretty good with the diary (sometimes it's just my line-a-day five-year diary, not my full diary, but I've counted that); less good but okay with the stretching.
5) Keep the step-counter in perspective. It serves me; I do not serve it. - YES, although I sense that I'm backsliding on this one.
6) Sabbatical prep: Rent an apartment in France; rent out our house; apply for visas; enroll Bonaventure in school or, if that's not possible, create a concrete plan for doing so. - YES! MOSTLY! We have an apartment; we've rented out our house; Bonaventure's registration has been submitted (and has been "under review" for a month). We can't apply for visas until May, as it turns out, so I'm not even behind on that.
Thanks for a great session, everyone! I may change my approach to TLQ while I'm in Europe (August - December), but I still plan to check in, and a summer session would really help me with writing and house/yard goals.
I'd say you've had a great session, and only losing research focus for a bit in the middle is doing better than a lot of people! It's exciting that you have your French plans mostly sorted out and can look forward to just getting there and doing the work you want to do.
DeleteI agree with Dame Eleanor! You did a lot, and got into some great routines, and organized things for the Fall, all of which will pay off in the long run. You have a lovely adventure to look forward to!
DeleteFor the first cabin night I definitely want some local sparkling cider! That always feels like a celebration to me. And cheese, lots of cheese! Then I want to sit on my fancy deck and listen to the crickets and frogs and the sound of waves on the nearby shoreline…
ReplyDeleteThis week’s goals:
Continuing conference wrangling – it is 3 weeks away and coming fast! ONGOING
Student thesis edits DONE
Paper edits NOPE
Start writing 3 conference talks and one plenary address STARTED
Go back in time to slap former self about signing up for three conference talks I WISH…
What a term… This was the busiest I ever remember being, even while not officially teaching… I did a lot of the things I was planning to, but a lot of the rest was unexpected and surprising. Some of the highlights were medical (some good, some bad, could have really done without getting covid in April!), others were work-related.
Session goals
Stretch goal: Finish my Albatross paper! This has been an ongoing goal for ages but the paper keeps changing and is constantly being shoved aside for more urgent things. HAHAHAHA YEAH NOTHING – I don’t think I even opened this. The main co-author for this one retired unexpectedly and basically disappeared so that didn’t help with my priorities…
Analysis and paper on fun Local Project YES! Got started, got a lot of things done, doing talk/paper on it over the next month or so
Make progress on Small Book Project (delayed from old grant) NOTHING except for setting up a contract for translating work that doesn’t’ exist yet…
Get fancy new grant project started off well YES SORT OF… Many delays from the government funder side, so much slower than planned, but still moving so I will take it as a win.
Support students through thesis proposal and writing stages YES!!!! One successful thesis, one through course-work and planning the rest now, so definitely good!
Non-goals but important other things are a few other papers that managed to get done, the conferences, national society work that is drawing to a close, lots of mentoring, and the usual kid and personal stuff…
The big news… That job I was unexpectedly interviewing for in March? I GOT IT!!!! It is a life-changing one – going to a department I know well and have been working with for years, and most importantly, they have full undergraduate and graduate degrees with majors in my field. My courses will finally be in my specialty again, and I will be teaching everything I love. I am really happy in my current place, but being without majors in my field in a mostly service course role was challenging and became increasingly frustrating over the years, and I’ve been trying to get a different position for a while now. In the new place I will be able to build my own lab, supervise undergrads and grad students (all my current ones are actually there already!), and best of all, continue all my local research because it is in the same province. I’m absolutely thrilled, I finally managed to write/publish/work my way into a position where I can work in my real field! So this summer will look very different than I thought even a month ago, there will be house-selling/buying, and a giant move… And a big new adventure at the other end!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! That is fantastic, Daisy, wonderful news! Yay you! And woo-hoo! new adventures ahoy! Good luck with the packing and moving---I can't imagine that being anything but a headache, but I hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
DeleteThank you! I'm really excited and extremely grateful to have this chance!
DeleteCONGRATULATIONS!!
DeleteEverything that was in progress last week is mostly still underway, with the exception of submitting an abstract for the one-day conference. So I will move on to session goals.
ReplyDelete1 write Boredom chapter: no
2 write Food chapter: no
3 write Roma conference presentation: yes
4 organize all the Tiny Project drafts: yes
5 submit DQ proposal: no
I wrote and presented the Roma paper and I organized the Tiny Project drafts. I submitted a draft of Tiny Project to a competition from a big writing group and paid extra for critique. I was disheartened that the rubric for the critique was completely inappropriate for Tiny Project: it will not have any dialogue and it does not have the presence of a first person narrator. I know I need to take that project to a small press or maybe an academic press when it takes shape.
Boredom chapter and Food chapter both have due dates now which are in August. So those will transform into summer projects. I hope to get the DQ proposal submitted by the end of May.
I feel like I don’t really know what I did during this session--it is a blur. But I have recently done better with one of my goals for the year, which is to not do All the Things. I’ve decided against submitting to three different one-day, online conferences: even if a conference is short and no travel is required, it still demands the same amount of work for a 20-minute paper presentation. And, these were topics on my “maybe one day” list that I don’t have the lit review for, so they would have required much more significant time commitments.
I am grateful for you all being here, as ever. Looking forward to good things to come.
Blur or not, you did lots of things this session! And congrats on deciding NOT to do some things, that is equally necessary as deciding to do them. And sometimes just as hard. Sorry to hear your Tiny project drafts did not find their intended audience with the big group, that means the ideal audience and feedback providers are still out there, so good luck finding those!
DeleteHappy summer!