Week 15: Collective wisdom

Hello everyone!

Happy Easter weekend to all who celebrate, and even if you don’t I hope you got a quiet day somewhere in there! Definitely a good time of the term/semester/session to have a little breather… I promised myself that I would have at least one day where I did not switch on my computer at all, and it looks like I will manage to keep that promise. Always so much harder to keep promises to myself than to other people!

I enjoyed everyone’s pick-us-up ideas last week, so in a similar vein this week I want to hear examples of “the best advice you ever got”! Can be for anything, career, writing, personal, child-rearing, cat wrangling, gardening, baking, really anything that springs to mind.

And because we are nearing the end of our cabin-building adventure, what have we missed? Is there anything we need in our cabins that we have not thought about yet?

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Last paper’s edits and submission, so close!!!!

Accounting

Read student’s complete thesis, very exciting!!!

Program book for conference

Continue budget-wrangling

Continue spring cleaning

Dame Eleanor Hull

Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 2 hours a day! Write sabbatical proposal.
Teaching: grade ALL THE THINGS.
Life stuff: deposit a check, do some gardening, maybe bake something.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Start thinking about what to teach the summer intern.
Write talking points for the meetings with higher-ups.
Go to dentist and doctor appointments.
Change the conflicting doctor appointment.

heu mihi

1) Come up with a rough outline of chapter 1 in order to clarify my sense of what I ought to be doing right now.
2) Read dissertation prospectus.
3) Do as much as I can with the three journal submissions I have to deal with

Humming42 (carried over)

1 oh those two book reviews
2 make progress on grading
3 start work on April conference presentation
4 twenty minutes a day cleaning office
5 some tree trimming

JaneB (carried over)

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me
2) do teaching prep for week 10
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) move intentionally 10 minutes a day
6) read & comment on second half of draft text for grad student
7) continue grading two lots of projects from the fives
8) grade essays for the fours
9) write comments for the fives on their project ideas

Karen (carried over)

1. Fill remaining VILE content gaps for next week before the weekend, keep boards under control
2. Make a plan for upcoming school holidays
3. Finish postgrad exegesis feedback
4. 2 hours of my writing

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.)

Week 14: Emergency pick-us-up measures

Hello everyone!

I feel like this part of the session is always the hardest section… It is a long way from the beginning but still quite far to the end, and given how academic terms work there are always quite a few obstacles scattered around over the next few weeks. It is a long stretch and we need a little pick-me-up, or really a little pick-all-of-us-up for the week I think!

So, for this week’s check-in if you feel like it, share your weirdest, most unusual, or just your favourite pick-me-up tip, and we will run a little challenge: bonus points for everything you try off some-one else’s pick-me-up list and you report on next week! Can be big, or little, or one for those moments at your desk when you just want to cry/yell/curse…

And of course we cannot forget the cabins, so, think about how we can build a pick-me-up into a physical space to help with the mental part!

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Finish equipment and software purchases
Last paper’s edits and submission
Student chapters
Get other people’s budgets sorted
Do something with friends
Start spring cleaning

Dame Eleanor Hull

Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime, eat safely.
Research: talk to as many people as possible at the conference, have a good time.
Teaching: grade one longer assignment and two short ones.
Life stuff: do necessary hunting and gathering in unfamiliar town, do Covid test before flight, get to airport on time.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Ask for help on the early education search.
Cook with the unusual ingredients for my diet.
Shovel off the home office desk.
Start the faculty activity report (sigh).

heu mihi

1) Finish school registration, if possible
2) Determine (and start on) next research steps
3) Grade a batch of papers
4) Next sustainability group task

Humming42

1 oh those two book reviews
2 make progress on grading
3 start work on April conference presentation
4 twenty minutes a day cleaning office
5 some tree trimming

JaneB (carried over)

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me
2) do teaching prep for week 10
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) move intentionally 10 minutes a day
6) read & comment on second half of draft text for grad student
7) continue grading two lots of projects from the fives
8) grade essays for the fours
9) write comments for the fives on their project ideas

Karen

1. Fill remaining VILE content gaps for next week before the weekend, keep boards under control
2. Make a plan for upcoming school holidays
3. Finish postgrad exegesis feedback
4. 2 hours of my writing

Susan (carried over - we are thinking of you and hope you are ok!)

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.)

Week 13: Making ourselves comfortable

Hello everyone!

Our cabins are coming along beautifully! I would say they are getting close to being move-in ready. So this week we can think of what makes you feel at home in a place… Like when you are staying with someone and they do one little thing and you feel “ok, I’m comfortable here”. How can we bring that feeling into a place for ourselves?

For real life, what do you need to focus on for the last segment of this session? What do you need from other people?  What do you need from yourself to feel like you have it under control for the last bit? What is the one thing that will make you feel “ok, I’ve got this!”?

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Paper edits for THREE papers now
Accounting
Student chapters
Order equipment and software

Dame Eleanor Hull

Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: edit/develop conference paper, book 20 minutes x3, dead languages x2 each.
Teaching: write the last 5 assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade 1 short assignment and two longer ones.
Life stuff: book one night's hotel, pack, pay bills, write a condolence note.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Continue recycling paper copies of articles I can save electronically.
Request the articles from the education of 16th-century women search.
Go to the (relatively) far away grocery store for the unusual ingredients for my diet.
Pull together a nice draft of the collection guide for a mockup to show my colleagues.

heu mihi

1) Plan Kzoo paper (read the essay that it's going to come out of and figure out what part of it will be the conference paper)
2) Edit one more journal article
3) Required title IX training; sustainability committee work
4) Read two articles for research; figure out next mini-unit for myself
5) Try again to make some progress re. school registration in France

Humming42

1 oh those two book reviews
2 make progress on grading
3 start work on April conference presentation
4 twenty minutes a day cleaning office
5 some tree trimming

JaneB

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me
2) do teaching prep for week 10
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) move intentionally 10 minutes a day
6) read & comment on second half of draft text for grad student
7) continue grading two lots of projects from the fives
8) grade essays for the fours
9) write comments for the fives on their project ideas

Karen

1. Keep up with VILE boards, survive all the teaching
2. Spend 2 hours on my own writing
3. yoga x 2
4. process tomatoes and make sweet chilli sau

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.)

Week 12: Signs of spring

Hello everyone!

After reading about everyone’s crisis responses and roles I decided that I would be very relieved to be stuck in a crisis with this group! Lots of varied skills, we have a little bit of everything!

Signs of spring are creeping up on us, even up where I am the birds are singing their little hearts out… No flowers yet, those don’t show up till much later – crocuses generally flower mid-April and daffodils and tulips don’t hit their stride until May, when they usually get snowed on at least once… So I have a way to go but there is definitely a feeling in the air that it is coming.

How do you mark the change in seasons? Do you have special things that you do to make it feel like a particular season? What the best signs of spring where you live? (Southern hemisphere can switch for Fall of course!)

Does spring inspire you to decorate your fantasy cabin? What is your indoor theme for your cabin? Scandinavian chic? Country cabin charm? Island colour explosion? Tell us what you would love even if it is impractical!

Bonus points this week: buy a batch of your favourite spring flowers for no reason at all!

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Survive until Wednesday
Finish/give research and teaching talks (see point above)
Paper edits
Accounting
Student chapters
All the stuff I owe everyone?

Dame Eleanor Hull

Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio x6, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: draft conference paper, do at least one thing for book, dead languages x2 each.
Teaching: write the last 5 assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade 1 short assignment.
Life stuff: spend time with visiting friend, decide where to stay on one unbooked night, tidy house at least a bit before friend's visit.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Life stuff: Write doctor re osteoporosis appointment; make other two doctors’ appointments.
Finish weekly meal planning pages.
Take notes on a couple of articles—this is a bit of a cheat, but I want an easy win!
Search ten articles I have in paper to replace with electronic copies.

heu mihi

1) Deal with at least one journal article.
2) Finish up the Aquinas loose ends.
3) Read for next week's grad class (I'm not ahead anymore!).
4) Grade papers.
5) Various sabbatical-related emails.

Humming42 (carried over)

1 write and submit extended abstract
2 submit upcoming and late book review (the one that was upcoming last week is late this week)
3 promote upcoming virtual conference with tremendous enthusiasm (not that I can ever muster that)
4 write and present morning talk that I regret agreeing to do
5 review R&R for journal way outside of my primary field

JaneB

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me
2) do teaching prep for week 9, start week 10
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) do a little more advertising about the May Training Course
6) move intentionally 10 minutes a day (assuming I will Go Flop as per usual)
7) read & comment on draft text for two grad students
8) start grading two lots of projects from the fives (mine & the set for the colleague who's been cool with me doing the prep and the online version of our shared classes and him doing the on campus versions).

Karen

1. Keep up VILE boards, have weeks 6 & 7 content checked and automated, get first assessment task marked and back
2. Finish off postgrad edit saga (chapter 3 and conclusion)
3. Write exhibition proposal and send to writing group
4. get to yoga class x2

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.)

Superpowers in a crisis

 Hello everyone!

Many of us had March break this week. I hope everyone who had one took advantage of it for at least a little bit of rest and recovery. We’re almost into the last quarter of the session and the ends of various academic terms are now closer than the starts. OBEs abound, and I know I feel like I’ve been lurching from one crisis to another over the last few weeks… So I thought we can reflect a bit on our typical crisis-mode adaptations and skills to remind ourselves that we have them, sometimes they feel kind of far away…

What is the thing that you bring to a crisis? What is your internal crisis superpower? If you were stuck in on a mountain (or spaceship!) with a lost crew what would your role be? Peacemaker? Planner? Morale officer?Compliance officer?

And in a lighter vein, for the cabins we’re picking entertainment this week. What are you bringing along for pure entertainment? I’m going to go right ahead and assume we’re ALL bringing what other people might consider a stupid number of books, so those don’t count!

A batch of old movies? Playlists? Puzzles? A new hobby you’ve always wanted to try? Is your cabin entertainment in any way related to your crisis role?

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Paper edits (if I keep putting it here maybe they will get done?)
Prepare and practice research talk and teaching lecture for next week
Grant accounting and reports
New grant planning session
Edit student chapters
Lunch with friends

Dame Eleanor Hull (carried over)

Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio daily, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 30 min x6 (2 projects), dead languages x3 each.
Teaching: write more assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade 1 short assignment and two sets of papers.
Life stuff: collect tax stuff (now urgent), do something fun.

 

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Put into place the “Task List” and “Project” pages of the planner.
Take notes on a couple of the articles for the potential article.
Search ten articles I have in paper to replace with electronic copies.

heu mihi

1) Power through Aquinas research. This is not going to be very important, so the fact that I've never even actually read Aquinas shouldn't matter much (I'll try to read what I have to this week, and then come back to it as needed as I'm writing).
2) All course maintenance, etc. Prep grad class. Read for subsequent grad class.
3) Get on top of both journals.
4) Run a few times.

Humming42

1 write and submit extended abstract
2 submit upcoming and late book review (the one that was upcoming last week is late this week)
3 promote upcoming virtual conference with tremendous enthusiasm (not that I can ever muster that)
4 write and present morning talk that I regret agreeing to do
5 review R&R for journal way outside of my primary field

JaneB

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me (and because Friday I finally have NOTHING IN MY TIMETABLE plus next week is fieldtrip week and I'm not much involved so I am able to take a call if needed at any point)
2) do teaching prep for week 9 (yay getting ahead - I have a LOT to do as my contribution to field teaching is actually in week 10 and after Easter and we just haven't even looked at it yet, so...)
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) do a little more advertising about the May Training Course
6) move intentionally 10 minutes a day (I'd put this up to 15, but if I have feeling ill days I know I can do ten from this week, so lets stick to focusing on things I know I can succeed with even in a bad week).

Karen (carried over)

Make master plan of all due dates for teaching and honours supervisions
2. VILE boards done each day, and week 3 and 4 fully ready to go.
3. Feedback done for postgrad article, finish chapter two in the ongoing saga
4. 500 words on KL
5. Weather permitting, paint window frame

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.)

Week 10: SHINE!!

Hello everyone!

So nice to read about all the things everyone does to make the world a little better every day. Keep at it, keep doing little and big things. As a character in beloved, recently re-read book pointed out “if you cannot shine like a star, then shine like a candlestick”….

Quite a few of us are on break this week, so I hope you get a little bit of a breather, time to rest, time to regroup, and time to do something enjoyable!

So, in that spirit… Can you pick out something for a place of pride in your cabin that is entirely frivolous (or deeply important, sometimes those are the same thing!) and will be there only because you love it? Bonus points if it has no practical use and no utility for work and takes up space that can be better used elsewhere and exists ONLY to make you happy! Extra bonus points if the rest of the world thinks it is ugly and useless and your nearest and dearest would like it to disappear!

Quote I cannot remember the source of: “it is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness”… Keep shining your light!!!

Last week’s goals

Daisy

Paper edits maybe???
Be extra kind to students when editing/rewriting things
Conference meetings and abstract wrangling, make program
Something fun with kid

Dame Eleanor Hull

Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio daily, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 30 min x6 (2 projects), dead languages x3 each.
Teaching: write more assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade 1 short assignment and two sets of papers.
Life stuff: collect tax stuff (now urgent), do something fun.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Finish putting the ADD pages (mostly the goals section) into my planner.
Search ten articles I have in paper to replace with electronic copies.
Take notes on a couple of the articles for the potential article.

heu mihi

1) Read at least 2 articles
2) Draft issue intro for journal (with co-editor)
3) Revisit full project plan and prepare for break
4) 1 Gen Ed review
5) Read essay for grad class that's happening after break

Humming42

1 Attend March conference, present paper, talk to editor
2 It’s spring break, so catch up on grading and writing new assignments
3 submit upcoming and late book review
4 write and submit extended abstract, time permitting. It's a thing about Ukraine, so it might fit in with doing a good thing

JaneB

1) call GP about anxiety etc. because this is not going to defeat me
2) do teaching prep for week 7
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Send an email to the "Why" author group
5) do a little more advertising about the May Training Course
6) Respond to reviewers comments on Group paper
7) move intentionally 10 minutes a day

Karen (held over)

Make master plan of all due dates for teaching and honours supervisions
2. VILE boards done each day, and week 3 and 4 fully ready to go.
3. Feedback done for postgrad article, finish chapter two in the ongoing saga
4. 500 words on KL
5. Weather permitting, paint window frame

Susan

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.)