Teaching Assignment For Winter Term '11

I just found out what my Teaching Assignment will be for Winter Term 2011 at PSU. As there was much confusion at the beginning of the year as to what I would be doing in the classroom, now it seems that I will be stuck doing that same thing for the rest of the year. (Make me worry up front, then do nothing different for a full year.) So it goes. Here's the lowdown:

45861: UNST 212G: "American Studies: The 1930's" w/ Scott W. Parker. MW, 17:30 - 18:45
(Main Session Course. So far, it looks like we have 8 Students Registered.)

45862: UNST 212H: "AS: 1930's Mentor Session" w/ Cody Rich. M, 19:00 - 19:50
45864: UNST 212H: "AS: 1930's Mentor Session" w/ Cody Rich. M, 20:00 - 20:50
45863: UNST 212H: "AS: 1930's Mentor Session" w/ Cody Rich. W, 19:00 - 19:50
(The Accompanying Course that I'll be teaching. So far, it looks like I have 8 Students Registered in the first section.)

Scott and I have worked out a pretty sweet course for next term, after having spent this term fine-tuning the material we wanted to get through this term. Since it is an overview course, you won't be doing any in-depth historical research, nor will it be much like a typical history class. And Scott is usually an acting instructor, which means that we tend to focus on creative assignments, which involve some amount of theater sports. But you do writing weekly papers that engage with course material, and there are other larger assignments that do involve research. It's sort of a hodge podge of 1930's American History and Culture. Expect something about Hard Boiled Detective Fiction, Music and Film from the era, and other assorted bits and pieces. It's the way I roll.

If you are a PSU student, and need another Sophomore Inquiry Course, I recommend this one. Scott and I are a pretty good team.

New Assignment

Well, after much confusion and whatnot, it appears that I have a re-assignment at PSU for the 2010 - 2011 school year. Given that they had to cancel a number of FRINQ courses this year due to low enrollment, and given that I am about 15 years older than most everyone else that teaches in the program, they decided to allow me to teach SINQ courses instead. This is a bit of a promotion; normally, they only allow Grad Students to do this. There are still openings in the course if you happen to be looking into taking SINQ courses at PSU this year. Here's the lowdown:

UNST 213G (CRN 16522): American Studies w/ Scott Parker & Cody Rich (Main Session)
UNST 212H (CRN 16521): Mentor Session 1 w/ Cody Rich
UNST 212H (CRN 16520): Mentor Session 2 w/ Cody Rich
UNST 212H (CRN 16519): Mentor Session 3 w/ Cody Rich

This is a huge relief for me, as for a while it seemed like I might not get a course assignment this year. Regardless, I will do my best to make American Studies as interesting and entertaining as possible.

The other piece of news about this is: I will be teaching three distinct courses this year, one each term. I have no idea what they will be during Winter or Spring Term, but I will be working as hard as I can to get something a little more my speed.

Whoops

It appears that PSU has over-scheduled freshman courses this year. So, apparently, I will not be teaching during Fall term.

Watch this space for more info as I get it myself.

I am not happy.

'10 - '11 Teaching Assignment

So, after much patient waiting and gritting of teach, I have gotten my teaching assignment for the following year at PSU. This is a huge change of pace from last year, where I was teaching a Poli Sci class (outside my area of expertise) to a number of uninterested students, working with a Professor who has a very, VERY different teaching style than my own. First off, it's an Art Class. Second, I'll be working with a Professor who I had as a student myself. So far, so good.

Like last year, the students meet twice a week, all together, with my faculty partner, Sarah Newlands, a local artist and Assistant Professor in the University Studies Dept. Prior to this class, I will be teaching three sections of a Mentor Session, that complement the work they do in her class. The focus of this course will be studying, analyzing, and producing art, with concurrent projects that focus on the core competencies that all PSU students need to graduate (Quantitative Literacy, Computer Literacy, The Diversity of Human Experience, and other hippy-dippy things.) This is a Freshmen course, but like last year, there will be a few exceptions here and there. (I had a handful of students that were in their mid-to-late 20's, and one in his 30's.)

If you are going to be attending PSU as a Freshman during the '10 - '11 year, and need to take your Freshman UNST Requirements, why take The Work of Art, with me? All three sections still have plenty of openings.

The Work Of Art Course Description & Faculty Bios

The Work Of Art: 15151 UNST 131L-001. Mon. & Wed. 12:00 - 12:50
The Work Of Art: 15152 UNST 131L-002. Mon. & Wed. 13:00 - 13:50
The Work Of Art: 15153 UNST 131L-003. Mon. & Wed. 14:00 - 14:50

Classes start September 27th. See ya then!

Totally

"I don't know what's the matter with people: they don't learn by understanding, they learn by some other way — by rote or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!"

- Richard Feynman.

Here Goes

Today was my first paid day at PSU, prepping for the classes I'll be teaching in a couple weeks. Not a whole lot to report; there was some paperwork, some "Welcome" speeches, and we met a slew of people that it will take weeks to learn the names of, anyway. My favorite moment involved the discussion about trying to create low-paper-use classrooms this year, proceeded by the distribution of about 10 documents, all of which were also available "on-line" in case we lost them.

Some things about work never seem to change.

It's a little too early to tell how I feel about it all, but so far, so good. I haven't had a job in almost nine months, and haven't really interacted in large crowds like that since classes ended in Spring Term, so it's a little weird. While I was milling around today, I managed to sort out my bus pass for the term, and re-connected with other people who will also be teaching, all of whom I met in the Spring.

The biggest change is the morning routine. I haven't had to get up early for any particular reason in a while, and I forgot how quickly the morning can slip away from you when you have to be somewhere before noon. I need to get back into the habit of waking up at 6 AM again, but I have a feeling I'll be fighting that one for the first couple of weeks, at least.

I do find it fairly hilarious that, on the first day of my school year, the Fall Weather took hold of Portland again. We've already had the first few portents anyway, so it's not at all surprising that it rained. But the last few days of my summer were so pleasant, it only made sense that it should turn to crap the day its over.

Personally, though, I'm looking forward to Fall & Winter. This Summer has been depressing in a way I had previously thought impossible, punctuated with extreme poverty, loneliness, and an endless string of watched DVDs that ultimately left me unfulfilled, and empty. After three months of that, any change is a welcome one.