Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. I worked as a faculty member for three university campuses. I only recall my first day at one of them because it included something quite bizarre. There were the usual welcome speeches from lower level administrators and upper level staff,Continue reading “On the First Day of…Oh, God, It’s a Cult”
Tag Archives: university
Health Again
I’m releasing this blog post on the day of my scheduled echo and stress tests. I’m hoping they find nothing abnormal, give me the proverbial clean bill of health, and that the strange sensations I’ve been experiencing are just me being hyper aware of my body, or perhaps the effects of mental stress. I’ve notContinue reading “Health Again”
Forget History?
What historical event fascinates you the most? I’m sitting here with my bowl of breakfast cereal and pondering this prompt: “What historical event fascinates you the most?” I’m not sure, as I mentally fast-forward through the timeline of history, that I can pick out just one, the most fascinating, event. Now, it’s not that I’mContinue reading “Forget History?”
Speaking of Motivation
What motivates you? There’s the old joke about the actor who constantly asks, “What’s my motivation?” It’s part of the actor’s job to figure that out, not to be spoon-fed the answers by the director. In one instance, when an actor was told to cross from one side of the stage to the other, heContinue reading “Speaking of Motivation”
I Profess!
What profession do you admire most and why? This is an interesting prompt from one perspective: I guess I’m supposed to pick some particular profession, like the old rhyme/song: Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief,Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Sorry, that’s a remnant from my less socially aware childhood. It should be Native American chief,Continue reading “I Profess!”
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world? Once again, the prompt kicks in an earworm that will be with me the rest of the day. As for the prompt itself: I’ve become a bit cynical over the years about effecting change in the world. I spent 31Continue reading “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes”
Rod Stewart Again?
What makes a teacher great? The answer to today’s prompt also prompted a return of the Rod Stewart earworm from a few weeks ago. “Passion.” I always read my student evaluations, and of course always reacted poorly to negative comments. I think most college professors are more sensitive to those than the positive ones. WeContinue reading “Rod Stewart Again?”
Job? What Job?
What’s a job you would like to do for just one day? I recently retired from academia after 31 years of teaching. I found my life as a university professor fulfilling overall, with minor exceptions for policy changes that entered into the equation over the years, and for a decline in both enrollments and studentContinue reading “Job? What Job?”
Advice?
List the people you admire and look to for advice… This is a difficult prompt. “List the people you admire and look to for advice?” Well… That seems to be two different categories. There are a lot of people I admire, but I don’t have access for communication. Many are dead; Charlie Chaplin, Joseph Campbell,Continue reading “Advice?”
Life Fertilizer
What experiences in life helped you grow the most? I chose the title above because sometimes life gives you you-know-what (a four letter word for fertilizer, that is), but it changes a person’s direction and helps them grow. As. Mephistopheles says in Goethe’s Faust, “I am a part of the power which eternally wills evilContinue reading “Life Fertilizer”
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