Senior-itis

I cannot seem to concentrate on my school work. I have so many distractions, both fun and work related. I don't know which to focus on first. Most can be put off until this semester ends for me on May 10th. The trouble is that I don't want to focus on the one paper that I have to write to end my course work for my doctorate. I have 14 pages on paper, most of which are quotes from my primary sources with very little analysis or secondary literature to back up my weak/lacking analysis. I haven't touched the paper since Wednesday. I want to get it done, I just have no motivation. This is not good. I want to work on projects that I'm interested. This kind of bothers me for heading into the phase of exams and dissertation.

Part of this I think stems from the fact that in one class I am writing a paper about Girls' Tech's ideological origins and in my other class we are just talking about writing in general. I have this on top of teaching two different courses, my IT job, and developing four courses online. It's just a lot to keep jumping between.

However this fall I am teaching 4 different courses at 2 different schools. While I am looking forward to doing this, especially developing and teaching a course on gender and sex, I am a little nervous to do all of this and my It job while writing my qualifying exams (DQE). My goal is to read all of the books this summer, hardcore, and be ready to defend my DQE around Christmas. I want to fast track as much as I can this summer. I know it is a lot, but if I get it done now, I can be that much closer to getting those three little letters.

Happily, though, I was reimbursed for my trip to San Diego to present my co-authored paper. I had a nice break from reality and my husband came along for the ride. I love education conferences. They are so much more relaxed than the history conferences I have attended. I presented at a roundtable, which means that we just sat around and talked about the ideas in the paper. I can't stand listening to someone read directly from their paper for 15 minutes.

I think I have rambled enough for now. I hope to come back more often this summer, if only to complain about the DQE books that I am reading.

I'm Back

I know it has been a while since I have written. I find I have so much to say, but no energy to write some days.

I survived my stats class with an A. I was so worried about this course, but it was all theory, and no math what so ever. I can memorize theory with the best of them. It made for an interesting course. It was made easier that the only other person from my program in there is a former math teacher.

On a happy note, I am 1-3 on proposals. The paper that I co-authored was accepted to be presented at a round table at a conference in San Diego. I get to spend a week in San Diego just as the Midwest is coming out of winter. I am looking forward to presenting the paper, as well as traveling. I hope that I can get some reimbursement from the university, but I know that travel budgets were one place where the university had to make cuts, rather than less financial assistance for studying.

Spring semester is starting to fill up already with projects. I am putting the finishing touches on my syllabus and preparing to order the books for my last two courses on my program. I am very much looking forward to my course work this semester, though slightly apprehensive in that I have not written an academic paper since the spring semester. Time to get back on the horse!

I'm Back

I know it has been a while since my last post. I will try and keep this short. I finished my semester, all of my work turned in, with little time to spare, and yet this procrastination was rewarded with A's from both of my professors. This is slightly disturbing to me, I feel like I should be punished for my slacking, but I guess that school is just coming way too easily for me. On top of this, grades don't count at this level any more. No employer is going to ask my GPA, just verify if I indeed received my PhD.

I am still figuring out my fall semester, but hopefully now I will be able to get this taken care of. I was on vacation last week, one wonderful week in the Caribbean, and a very interesting weekend on Miami Beach, was needed to help recharge my batteries and get me focused on a summer of reading DQE books.

There are other things running through my mind about what to write, but I will save that for another day. I did join Twitter while procrastinating the last weeks of school. I find it to be similar to a stream of Facebook status updates, and just as addictive. Check out my page if you are interested.

Finals Week

I know you worry when I don't post updates on my to-do list. So here it is:

• 12-15 page historiography - due Monday
• 3 page book review (still need to read that book) - due Monday
• Add a paragraph or two to the Title IX paper - due Monday
• Finish grading the last 6 portfolios and about 6 projects - Grades due Monday
• 1 Final exam (which is now a take home!) - due Friday
• Grade 19 lesson plans

Once that is done, it is sweet freedom until classes resume August 31st. When all this is complete I will have 30 doctoral credits! I still haven't gotten this fall figured out, but my advisor doesn't seem to be worried about it. He told me that we can figure it out during finals week, which is next week. I am a little paranoid, but that is my nature. I like to have things like this planned out. The last conversation I had with Pablo made me happy. He told me we would look for a master's course that would cover, leaving me with 9 credits left to take! I don't want to get my hopes up, but that would be fricking awesome.

Summer for me this year is beginning to look more interesting. I am going to watch my youngest nephew this summer, about 4 days a week. He will be two this June and is just a riot at this age. Since my other jobs are 10 month contracts, I am free this summer. I will be trying to get my DQE books hammered out this summer. On top of that, there might be two more courses that I can develop online. If the money is anything like this past semester, that would be fantastic. Speaking of development. I still have one more course to finish up, which I can do next week. The course doesn't begin until after Memorial Day, so I have a little more time to finish the second half. I just need to light a fire under my own behind, then get on the professor's case.

Lastly, I had a doctor appointment yesterday. No I don't have the swine flu, I just went for a check up. I am officially down 24 pounds since surgery. I am happy with that, but I am trying to figure out how my height shrank one entire inch.

How I Spent This Past Weekend

Anyone who teaches understands this one. I am just frustrated as i get through the last few chunks of grading. My final grades are due on May 4th, along with my papers. Here is what is left on my list:

• 12-15 page historiography
• 8-10 page paper on Title IX
• 3 page book review (still need to read that book)
• 1 final exam
• Grade 19 final lesson plans
• Grade the inch of late work turned in
• Grade 30 portfolios
• Grade 19 final projects

I know I added more to the pile because I had previously lumped the grading together. Now that my course work is thinning out it is time for me to concentrate on what needs to be graded. Once all of this is done I have to finish one of the courses I am developing. One has been completed for over a month; the second one is about half-way done. The professor teaching the course is also very slow in getting me the material. Either way, I know I can hammer it out during finals week.

Last Weeks of the Semester

To best explain graduate school to you, I have found this cartoon:
Yep, that's about it for now. The brain is a fine grated parmesan, but one more thing can be crossed off my list, but I keep forgetting to add the grading of student work to the pile.

• 12-15 page historiography of girls' secondary education (Got the due date moved to Monday of finals week, giving me an extra weekend to work on it! Now due Monday 4 May)
• 1000 word paper on HPV and a group presentation on it (Due Tuesday 28 April)
• 8-10 page paper on Title IX (Due Monday 4 May)
• 3 page book review of Oakes' Keeping Track (Due Wednesday 29 April)
• 1 final exam (Friday 8 May)
• Grade all of my students' work and portfolios, grades due Monday 4 May

Update

I know that you are all concerned about how I am doing with my work load with a little over two weeks left in the semester.  I have finished two of my assignments, the 250 word paper on childhood in the 1950s and a 500 word essay on the history of Play-Doh for my show and tell.  My show and tell got moved to next week, but those two papers are done.  The group presentation on HPV is done, now to hammer out the 1000 word essay on it.  Below is my list of my own work to take care of by the end of the semester.  It helps me to make lists of what needs to be done.

• 12-15 page historiography of Girls' Secondary Education
• 1000 word paper on HPV and a group presentation on it as well.
• 8-10 page paper on Title IX
  
• Six 1-page legal briefs
• Three page book review of Oakes' Keeping Track
• One final exam

I also have a pile of grading to take care of for the courses that I am teaching.  I was able to catch up on some of the work, but I just feel a little overwhelmed.  I know things will get done, but I felt the need to complain here. 

On the other hand, it has been 5 weeks since my surgery.  I have lost 17 pounds.  I feel back to normal, I just need to find the time to get back into a workout routine.  

For an update on the stats situation, I have enrolled in the stats class that will work for my program.  The faculty member believes that this class should work for me, as long as I am willing to read earlier portions of the book when I get lost.  I had to drop the other course that conflicts with the stats class.  I am waiting for Pablo to write me back and let me know what I can do.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that they move the course to another night so I can have it all fall into place.  I am not too worried, I was the only student registered for the course.  I just like having this planned out a head of time.  It is one less thing for me to worry about.

I Hate Statistics, and You Should Too

If you have not noticed by now, I am not a scientist or a mathematician. I am a trained historian and an educator. The program that I am in requires all of its students to take a graduate level statistics class, and is very specific about which courses qualify. There are two courses in the entire university that qualify, as far as I know and have been told. I understand why they want their students to have a background in statistics, it doesn't mean that I have to like it. What happened is that I met with my advisor, Pablo, and it went very well. If the graduate school accepts one of my master's degree courses for credit, I have 12 credits left. Four classes, two each semester, and I am done with all the course work for my doctorate. It is a scary thought. One of these classes is the stats class that I have been putting off since I began this program in the Fall of 07. I have very little wiggle room for the four courses left. I have registered for one course this fall and I am trying to get into the one stats class that will let someone like me, who has not had stats since 1997, take the course. I have to get permission from the instructor who has never taught this particular class and is not completely sure if she will cover any introductory material. She is being really good about trying to help me determine if I want to attempt this course without a refresher. Here is the problem I am faced with now. The stats class is offered on the same day and roughly the same time as the only other class that I will be taking this fall. The two that I will take in Spring of 10 are not offered until Spring so there are not really any other options that I am aware of at the moment. Pablo told me to worry about the stats first and the other class will figure itself out. I have a great advisor!

On another front, I am working on hammering out my pile of grading. I think that I have let the students suffer enough agony waiting for their graded work to be returned. Today is a day of marathon grading. Then I will turn to getting my papers done. Here is the last few things I have to complete this semester:

• 12-15 page historiography of Girls' Secondary Education
• 1000 word paper on HPV and a group presentation on it as well.
• 250 word paper on childhood leisure activities in the 1950s
• 500 word paper on a toy and a show and tell presentation (I still need a toy)
• 8-10 page paper on Title IX
• Six 1-page legal briefs
• Three page book review of Oakes' Keeping Track
• One Final Exam

There is three weeks of classes left, so I have my work cut out for me. I will be very happy when I can start crossing these off my list.

5 Weeks and Counting...

Today it has been 3 weeks since my surgery and I am really feeling like myself again. Food is still entertaining, and I still have protein shakes to scarf down, but it is a little easier each passing day. Things are looking up.

As for the academic side of my life, I have been trying to plan what should be the last year of coursework! I have 12-18 credits left to take. Three of which are proscribed by my program and I am not quite sure about the other 3-9 credits. I meet with my advisor, Pablo, Thursday to hammer out the finale to my academic career. It is very exciting to see the halfway point in the marathon that is my doctoral program. It is also an odd feeling to think that after the coursework is done, I will be on my own, with no net. There isn't someone setting deadlines as to when my drafts are due or I will fail a course.

On the subject of deadlines, I have been way too good at procrastinating this semester. That 1000 word paper, got an A. I know that this school should come easy to me after 10 plus years, but it is a little scary that I can do this without putting in the effort. It worries me. I have a few papers and projects that I am putting off, alongside all of grading that I have piled up. I need to find a way to stop doing this to myself. Any suggestions? With 5 weeks and counting left to this semester I need to find something to kick me in the butt.

Back in the Saddle

So my surgery is over. I stayed one night in the hospital, just to help control the pain and make sure I was strong enough to get home. I have asthma, so I worry about making sure my breathing is consistent and not too painful. I have been mending slowly but each day is a better improvement. The toughest part now is to stick to the very strict diet attached to the recovery. I am only allowed to eat pureed food for the next two weeks and also have to consume 3 protein shakes a day. I feel like I am always preparing, measuring, or eating/drinking. I have to try and keep to a more consistent schedule, and this requires me downing the protein shakes while teaching. Let me tell you that they do not mix. I am not one to drink lots of shakes, so doing this three times a day is becoming problematic. I just have to get over this dislike of eating/ingesting these in front of my students. I have disclosed to them the nature of the surgery and why I have this going on, and they are fascinated by the whole process.

On other news, I am procrastinating from writing a 1000 word paper that is due on Thursday morning. I am just wiped out from my first day back after spring break surgery. I just cant seem to find my motivation to just get it done. I have 6 hours in my office tomorrow to work on it, plus all night tomorrow. I do have some other homework due on Wednesday that has to get done as well. Instead of working on these things, I am writing about it. I feel like this is becoming a broken record with me. I want to know where my motivation went. How can I get my energy and focus back? Anyone have any ideas?

Tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays, St Patrick's Day. I don't say this because it is an excuse to drink, but I am of Irish descent, and it is a day to help people understand Irish culture. I will not be able to partake in my traditional events, I am not allowed to drink alcohol for a year, and I cannot have my Reuben lunch that I traditionally share with a friend. Well I could, but it would have to be pureed and that is just the desecration of the blender. So the only way to help me get into the spirit of the holiday was to look yet again at my photos from my trip to Ireland. The last two I posted were well accepted.

Here is a photo of an area called the Burren, County Clare:

Here are the Dublin steps. This is the old entrance to the city and reportedly the most haunted site in Dublin. Do you see any thing?

An lastly for you all is the Irish version of the dollar store: