And Then There Is Grading Season, Right Before Holiday Season, All While Teaching a Winter Session to Blur All the Seasons (I'm the Ghost of Higher Education Present)

I'm a sucker for students, especially if I know them. When I learn they don't have anyone to teach two of their most important classes in a program (ones to be axed in a refiguring because, well, lower expectations), I raise my hand. If I can have anything to do with raising the bar and preparing them for the complicated careers they'll have ahead, then I will.

So, I must have grades in this week only to begin an impossible two-week, 30-hour winter session course. Lucky for me, I've taught it several times before and my humor, pacing, technological skills, and willingness to meet them halfway on everything has proven to be one of the highest-reviewed classes of my teaching). I'm in.

But first I need to finish and in the good ways of higher education, meetings are called non-stop as if we who are teaching have any time for such meetings. They truly should have a DO NOT CONTACT FACULTY clause for the last two weeks of every semester. Leave us alone. Let us get our jobs done. Your lack of planning never constitutes our emergencies. 

I believe, because I canceled the rest this week and next, that I'm without meetings from now until the spring semester. Praise be the lord, o'mighty who will be birthed once I take the covid mask off of him in my nativity scene. I was reprimanded for having an exposed Jesus before Christmas Day. How am I supposed to retain all these rituals and rules?

Well, look what the cat dragged in? The devil himself who has been showing signs of himself in these parts (while wearing supposed Sheep clothing). 

I know thee, Satan. You're too obvious. 

And onward.