It is finally over

Finally I think you got the hint.

After showing you YOUR averages vs. the CLASS averages, um yeah, I think its you and NOT me. Sorry to have burst your bubble of pride and entitlement. Oh and all those "problems" you cited and implied were MY fault. Nope, those are your fault too. In fact um, I think all the decisions you make are your own and no one can take responsibility for them but you. Yup, you. You, you, you, you. Oh and for your information, nurses can't be too stupid cause they at least passed my class which is a whole lot more than I can say for you. Oh and I think my sister would have so chewed you up one side and down the other and then kicked your a$$ thoroughly for that comment. She is a nurse and an incredible one at that. Oh and she has a BA degree, and a Masters degree, oh and her BSN! Which is more than you will ever have, so I'd shut the hell up before I had to eat my entire leg if I were you. Ignorant jacka$$.

Thank God you are gone, now I can get back to my regularly programmed life.

Oh and you had better not come back, I will tear you up so bad you will be inside out after I'm done with you, so let's not go there shall we?

Thanks,
Fox

my personal Christmas Card issues

I effing hate Christmas cards.

Which is extreeeemely ironic since I like making cards to give away (when I have time, which is never). In fact I'm making some Christmas cards today.

I don't hate getting Christmas cards, in fact I rather enjoy that alot.

I don't hate sending Christmas cards, except for the deadline factor of it all (did I mention I'm a procrastinator?). Oh and having to send them out of formality, like to my husbands coworkers. I hate them, I mean really, h-a-t-e, hate them. I do not want to send them anything. I already don't like having the amount of contact I have with them, why put up any pretense that I like them and would like more contact with them even in U.S. Postal mail form? It's just a farce really.

Anyway, the part about Christmas Cards I don't care for is the writing of them. What do you write? Especially when the card already says it all: Merry Christmas! I hate to just do the exceedingly impersonal same old thing in everyone's card. What is the point? If I can't even personalize your card, then what meaning does it really have? *sigh* I don't know.

Oh, and the other issue is my handwriting. It's horrible. It's not cute, I don't have some kind of interesting look to my scrawl. It is simply not good. It looks like a 4th grader filled out the card. My first grade teacher Mrs. Simenou told me "Now redfox, why don't you have nice handwriting? Look at Andrew here, he has such nice handwriting."

Thanks lady, I'm scarred for life.

Anyway, I would prefer it if I could just run my cards through my printer, I have tons upon tons of cute/lovely/appropriate fonts available and then I could write something witty and sweet. But no, I have to scrawl some kind of something in my own handwriting on these d*mn cards. Then I thought I had some labels I could at least use to address them. Nope, all out of labels. I suppose I will handwrite those too. I wouldn't be surprised if they all ended up in Uganda, or Kazhakstan or something.

In scrapping, there has been this trend to go back to your own handwriting on your LO's. Ummm, no. Yes I know my descendents may want to see my very own handwriting, but you know what? I don't care I'm making most of these LO's for myself anyway (scrapping heresy!!). I don't want to write on them, I want someone elses writing on them.

Ok tangent over. And those are my personal Christmas Card issues.

-fox

This is all I have to say

How dare you. How. Dare. You.

You have questioned my integrity, my committment to my profession and basically my personal ethics.

Go ahead, add up the math yourself.

I think you'll find the only thing lacking will be your own intelligence*.

Too bad, so sad. I don't particularly care about your sob story, everyone's got problems and yours are no more significant than mine or the next persons. However do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, take your personal insecurities out on me.

I just want my f*cking vacation and YOU are impeding that.

Get out of my office, you disgust me.

-Fox


*1. capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
2.manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.
3.the faculty of understanding.

Animosity and Guilt

Westtexgirl's recent entries have prompted me to make on of my own. Not necessarily on the topic of evaluations (though make no mistake, we agree on the stress inducing and esteem shattering nature of those awful "tools of evaluation") but on the topic of student animosity. I've had a curious thing happen this semester. I've improved my course I believe and I've increased the rigor of my course. Yes I have made it more difficult. I had had the sneaking suspicion that I was being labeled "the easy one" (in reference to my class of course), hell suspicion nothing. I had a student tell me that the reputation of my class had become that of the easier instructor. Well here's a secret about those in my chosen profession, no one and I mean NO ONE wants to gain the reputation of being "the easy one". That is the equivalent of saying, you are a doormat. It's almost like being branded stupid, probably because stupid people could pass your class, hence you must be stupid. Our classes are a reflection on us. Our reputations are in most part, the reputation of our classes. Students talk and they tell each other about classes. "Take X professor, he/she hands out review guides" "Don't even think about taking professor X, I hated her class and she was a biotch!" I'm afraid I'm getting the latter reputation. Ok well not really, I know not all my students (not even most) are saying that. Though in reference to the title of this post, I have been feeling a fair share of student animosity as of late. Students giving me evil glares and not talking to me. No I don't hang my esteem on my students feelings, but you know, for an approval junkie like me, its hard to see people disappointed or angry, specifically because of something they think I did. I say they think I did something to them because make no mistake I simply grade their papers, I don't "give" them grades, they "earn" grades. I know not all my students hate me or hate my teaching style etc. Nor do I think I'm too hard. I had a couple of people make 100% (or more) on the last exam I gave and several people made A's. So no I'm not changing anything, I'm very happy with how I've changed my class, it definitely kicks some butt and thats what its supposed to do. The purpose of my class is to challenge people to work hard, and LEARN something (shocking!). Though it just feels funny for someone who desperately wants to be liked, to do things that could inspire other people to give mean "go to hell" looks. I've always been shocked when I hear someone doesn't like me, it used to crush me, but now it just makes me wince. Anyway, I'm not trying to play the pity card here, or anything, just making the observation. Like I said I know not all my students hate me (not even most). In fact, just had a group of students invite me out to dinner after I turn in their grades. Oh and by the way, they are the smart ones. Funny how those students compliment me all the time on my class. ;) Guess I am doing something right after all.