Courtesy of Microsoft, here is a list of shortcuts for Word 2002, 2003, and 2007.

Back in November, John Fea wrote a great piece on gratitude. As we enter a challenging part of the term, this article begs re-reading.

I applied for unemployment today.  Fortunately, California is rarely a problem in eventually coming through with the pay.  Unfortunately, the system is not easy to work with at times.  That is, they often mail their letters of notification to arrange telephone interviews or request information so that you receive it only one or two days before the call will be made or the information is due.  In short, if you attempt to make any plans while on the dole, it is quite likely they’ll be interrupted by your having to wait by the phone in a three hour window for a two minute phone call.

All that said, I am extremely grateful we at least get to collect unemployment.  Similarly, I am glad that I do not live in a “right to work” state and have the option of belonging to unions.

Posts have been a little thin the past couple of days. This is because I have been relaxing. Better said, I have been attempting to relax. It is hard to wind down after several months of the same sleeping and working routine–sleeping past six in the morning and staying up past nine at night have been a challenge. Similarly, I find myself confused at a lack of things to do.

It is ironic that, now, after months of wanting a break, I am not sure what to do with my break. When I am unsure of what to do, I resume my favorite patterns: reading, training, eating, and thinking. Of course, eating and training should balance each other out, but my indulging has been stronger than my training. What a surprise.

What I find most valuable about this time is that I am not attempting to do much of anything, and I am attempting to excell in my doing nothing. I get lost in books. Movies hold my attention. Each and every popcorn kernel I eat fascinates me.

This form of intense attention and relaxation, the chosen exclusion of academic texts and student related issues, will do me good. Every time I have opted to live like this for a few hours or days, I come out feeling stronger and refreshed. I like to think of it as emotional pilates.

Every now and then I stop and realize that I have accomplished nothing. After a momentary feeling of guilt, I feel satisfied. I am not supposed to be doing anything, and I like it.

I’m finishing up teaching six sections in one semester.  It’s been an instructive but exhausting run.

Having said that, I take my hat off to all of the adjuncts who are teaching similar loads every semester.  You have my respect.  There is simply no way to describe this kind of intensity without experiencing it firsthand.  The way this impacts your life, your teaching, your students, your finances, and your relationship is overwhelming and occurs in unexpected ways.  I cannot imagine doing this term after term, year after year.

Several things have helped save my sanity this term:

1. Reducing my physical training significantly — I could start to feel the wear and tear on my body, and this candle/human cannot burn at both ends forever.
2. Indulging in endless bags of popcorns while watching movies.
3. Watching plenty of action movies at night for mental shut down purposes.
4. Walking along the local river for at least 10 hours a week for the past couple weeks. 

I do not see any of the above decisions as options at this point.  I know where my mind, my spirit, my health, and my sociability were before I rested, went outside, watched a movie, or relaxed, and the difference between before and after are amazing.  I chose to make and take the time, and I am glad I did.  If I had not forced myself outside, I know that I would have been far less productive, my scoring would have been unfair, and my partner and friends would have become very, very frustrated with me.

Attempting to teach this kind of load and accomplish this kind of work without adequate relaxation has got to be impossible.

I just posted grades for both of my community college composition classes.  I was blessed with two great classes this term, and I am stunned at how well things went overall.  Really, I am counting my blessings at this point.  I am very glad that the term is done, but I am not leaving empty handed: my brain is full of pleasant memories and a number of significant lessons. 

Tomorrow is a full day of portfolio reading at my four year university.  I taught four sections there this term, and this is the final event.  I will post grades next week.  Again, this is a great relief.  And, again, I feel very blessed: all of my classes were incredible.  In some, my lessons were significant and I grew professionally.  In others, the relationships with students were unique, and I learned a great deal about how much students are capable of.

One of the lessons I am inadvertently taught every term is that no matter how clear I think I may be, there is always another way to present the information.

I love my job, but I am nearly exhausted.

As the term finishes up, it’s hard to find time to cook healthy meals between all the papers and tests. Still, it’s important to eat well. Doesn’t nectarine coleslaw, three bean salad, and beef stacks sound good? Each recipe requires only three ingredients!

More coverage of contingent academic laborers. The latest flurry of activity surrounds the AFT’s report about the increasing (ab)use of adjuncts in higher education. Fortunately, this report has received some mainstream attention. One view of this report is here at Inside Higher Ed. Dean Dad provides another perspective on this very same report (and at a blog reproduced by IHE). Neither last nor least, USA Today has an article about the presence and role of adjuncts in higher education. On top of these main venue discussions, my RSS feed is getting multiple hits on “adjunct” as a variety of blogs and online venues discuss the AFT’s report. Please do your part by visiting these sites and engaging in the topic!

Have you backed up your data from your hard drives?

Are there copies of all the documents on your thumb drives located on another drive?

Really, with final grades due soon, the last thing any adjunct can afford to do is lose vital docs at this time of the year!