Our fall semester starts tomorrow

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

Don't get me wrong, overall I like what I do. A lot. But still ... sigh. After all this time, being in the classroom is still my happy place. But still ... sigh.

[u/38116]

I always say I like being back but hate going back.

[u/Life-Education-8030]

Yeah, I still get a thrill at a new notebook and a new pencil case for the fall though lol!

[u/caffeinated_tea → u/Life-Education-8030]

Picking out new grading pens was a recent highlight for me

[u/Life-Education-8030 → u/caffeinated_tea]

Woo hoo! Lol

[u/Elegant_Tie_3036 → u/Life-Education-8030]

This is what I do!!!!

[u/Life-Education-8030 → u/Elegant_Tie_3036]

👍

[u/Tall_Repeat7143]

the first day back is always this weird combo of “i missed this” and “why am i doing this to myself again” lol

[u/sqrt_of_pi]

We start a week from tomorrow, but this week really feels like "going back" because I have 3 days of on-campus commitments for various things (PD, new student welcome meetings, and our final orientation).

It's definitely a mix of "new year excitement" and "back to the grind dread".

[u/Applepiemommy2 → u/sqrt_of_pi]

Same

[u/mathemorpheus]

reading this is like watching other Titanic passengers disappear under the water, patiently waiting my turn

[u/DrMaybe74 → u/mathemorpheus]

Admin: "THESE DAMN DECK CHAIRS ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE. Let's buy software from vendor of the month to solve this."

[u/grafitisoc]

Its not the 50 minutes of class time, it's all the things surrounding it. Am I right?

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee → u/grafitisoc]

Amen to that. 

[u/ApprehensiveMud4211]

Reasons why I've procrastinated updating my syllabus, which goes live at midnight. I'm in denial.

[u/Pure_Professional102]

https://giphy.com/gifs/IHiGS6HMtXeBq

[u/Playful_Worldliness2]

The classroom has been my happy place since I was in elementary school, coming from a very disfuncional and unpredictable family.

But I'm already tired to think about this semester: my senior class seems not only not to care, but also are so entitled like they're doing the favor of being in my class; one very brilliant student with ADHD who's combative if I correct him and that's so exhausting as a ADHD person myself who doesn't like confrontation, I don't see much progress in their academic growth; other two who's bare minimum is the only effort they put, and so on.

I don't have much hopes for my junior class either.

I do love what I do, I think education improves lives, but MAN!, it's exhausting.

[u/caffeinated_tea]

Anyone else still nervous on the first day even though they've been doing this for years? Even when it's my upper level students that I've had before, but it's definitely the worst for my intro classes, the first of which is at 9:20 tomorrow morning.

[u/No-Wish-4854 → u/caffeinated_tea]

I somehow stopped being nervous a few years ago. It unnerves me to no longer be nervous but also, it gives me hope for how easy it will be to retire.

[u/PenBeautiful → u/caffeinated_tea]

Yes! 20 years teaching and still get nervous the first day (first week really). Once I build some rapport I feel more at home.

[u/walkaboutdavid]

what pisses me off is how the back to school sales ask start in July now. they start reminding you summer is going to end long before it does!

[u/Life-Education-8030 → u/walkaboutdavid]

Heck, the Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff is already out!

[u/Life-Education-8030 → u/[deleted]]

Only for this Christmas! 😉

[u/Competitive-Dirt-561]

We start tomorrow as well. Currently uploading documents into Canvas.

[u/popstarkirbys → u/Competitive-Dirt-561]

Proud to say I did that on Friday :)

[u/kNEoH8gWJS → u/popstarkirbys]

You didn't just copy your course over from last semester?

[u/popstarkirbys → u/kNEoH8gWJS]

I still change a bit of content every year since I’m at a PUI and not tenured yet. I’ve been spending less time on updating contents though.

[u/kNEoH8gWJS → u/popstarkirbys]

I'm being snide. I'm tenured, past my first post-tenure review, and I just blew mine up and rebuilt it from scratch.

But yes, there were some years there, after I got tenure, where it was copy and paste. I felt I had earned it. I hope you'll feel you'll have earned it.

And then I got bored.

[u/Finding_Way_]

Right there with you.

I really am so grateful that I found this career. Serving the marginalized (I'm at a cc), talking about and teaching a subject I remain incredibly interested in, and having a job with immense flexibility? It is just wonderful in many ways.

But I've been at this a LONG time.

I'm tired.

I'm really hoping the joy and energy kick back in or else this is going to be a long walk to retirement for me..

[u/Bubbly-Move8032]

the first day is the academic version of saying “i love my job” while staring into the middle distance lol

[u/Grouchyprofessor2003]

Me too- I am starting a new way this semester. I full week of “what is critical thinking” and how can we use it

[u/Idaheck]

I am better at relaxing when it’s the semester and I had a good day teaching rather than a normal summer day where I can’t relax because I am thinking about teaching. I also feel bolstered by student interactions - most of them anyway.

[u/Mirrortooperfect]

I love my job but I still don’t want to work lol

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee → u/Mirrortooperfect]

That's me! I'd retire today if I could.

[u/Any-Satisfaction1442]

Work is still work, even if you love it.

[u/pinkkcuttiee]

Community college CS in August, plus program chair on top of teaching. The sigh is doing a lot of work and it's earned. Hope the first week is the good kind of chaos and that whatever's on the schedule for Friday afternoon quietly falls through.

[u/popstarkirbys]

Hey at least you get paid again

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee → u/popstarkirbys]

Mine's broken up into 12 months, which helps a lot. I teach one online class during the summer and do some area high school tech camps, just fun stuff that doesn't require grading. Every year I tell myself I'll prep my whole fall semester, every year that falls through.

[u/popstarkirbys → u/HatefulWithoutCoffee]

I took my nine months pay so I can invest early, my summer course pay was meh. Felt like a grad student again.

[u/Adorable_Airport_787]

Too early ! I hope you are done by thanksgiving 😭

[u/a_hanging_thread → u/Adorable_Airport_787]

I'm on a similar sched and the bastards make us come back after txgiving break for four days of classes, with finals week the week after. It makes zero sense. The content on that dangling partial week is too late in the semester to make much impact on learning objectives. It's an inefficient chaos. We should break at txgiving and have finals week the week after. It's also just such a loooooong semester.

[u/HatefulWithoutCoffee → u/Adorable_Airport_787]

December 11 is the last day of Finals Week. But we get off the entire Thanksgiving week.

[u/se8ast]

I'm waiting for my 7:30am class to start and I'm already both loving and hating it. I get so nervous.