The Beginning of the End

[joshuapalmatier]

This past Wednesday . . . the Fall semester at Oneonta started. *sigh* So much for summer.

This semester, I have three courses to teach, totalling 11 credit hours. The typical load is 12 credit hours, but I did 13 in the Spring, so I've made up for the one credit lack. Those classes are:

Calculus I
Discrete Mathematical Structures
Ordinary Differential Equations

I've taught all of them before, somewhere, but only Discrete and ODEs here at Oneonta. So far, the semester is going well. I did not have any panic attacks or sudden chest pains before classes began. In fact, I just kind of strolled into the rooms and began by handing out the syllabi, as if I'd never stopped teaching. Does this mean I'm settling into the teaching role? Who knows. At least I seem somewhat relaxed.

My schedule this semester has the added benefit that I do not have any classes on Fridays. Three day weekends all semester! Yay! However, we don't have a break until mid-October. Yes, I do have to work this Labor Day. *sigh* (I know. I can feel the pity from all of you that only get 2 or 3 weeks off during the entire year.) But I'll survive.

This coming week, we hit the first quiz. This is where the laid back, jovial students suddenly turn vicious, their true inner selves coming to the fore. I'll enjoy my last few remaining days of calm. I do have one student already coming to office hours, which is fine; that's what office hours are for! I also have one student (a different student) who, in the course of two classes, has managed to annoy me. Most of the students are still a little shell-shocked by the return to classes and won't start being active until this coming week.

And that's the update on the past week. Oh, besides starting up the new dawbooks community of course. If you haven't checked it out, there's quit a few DAW authors hanging out there. Stop by and say hi.

Also, that top secret news that I mentioned a while ago that I'd love to tell everyone about but can't yet . . . is halfway to being revealed. I'll let everyone know as soon as I can. I'm dying to tell everyone.

And now, back to the beginning of the end of this semester. I have two colleagues "visiting" my classroom this week, along with meetings out the butt. *sigh* But again, I'll survive.

Comments

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Cal 1 is a nice step away from "Math for Liberal Arts Majors" ;o)

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

I probably shouldn't admit I don't even know what two of those course titles mean...

Good luck, Josh. Try and bear up under the weight of all those three day weekends. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Have a good semester.
My brother is a proud SUCO grad. May your students be bright. Though I can't imagine the party-minded taking any of those.

[ladyshina.livejournal.com]

I loved Calculus I (back in high school) and Ordinary Differential Equations (last year, with my favorite professor at university so far :)), but I imagine teaching them can be tiring. Good luck; I hope you'll have a good semester teaching. :)

The new Calculator

[vespican.livejournal.com]

My daughter has used the same fancy programmable calculator through all previous three years of high school. Now, because she will be taking Calculus in her senior year, we had to go by her the specific brand and model required for the class. But at least students these days have the availability and ability to use a calculator. It sure must save on all the scratch paper we went through when I was in school!
Dave

[misunderstruck.livejournal.com]

Who is required to take Calculus I? Is it math/engineering/science majors only or is it a broader population?

I think I have been programmed to shudder at the mention of ODEs, even though I remember (or seem to remember) doing quite well with them in undergrad.

[ceibhfhionn22.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone can do math, because I certainly have enough trouble with it! And I'm only in high school! It takes me forever, but this coming year, which starts Tuesday, I have the best math teacher at the school for Trig/Advanced Algebra. Maybe I'll be able to scrape out A's again all year.