midterm

last time i wrote i was poised to begin the quarter; now i'm muddling through the middle. when i say "muddling," i can point to the fact that i have twelve student papers in bag, begging to be graded. *sigh* and then there are the student emergencies and excuses--so many in such a short period of time! i'm still trying to figure out how to be compassionate and also fair.

fortunately, there are some better aspects of being a professor. tonight, for example, i was invited to be a judge for a chicano/a talent show. it was great to see a different aspect of the students' lives. some performed spoken word poetry, others performed music that they had composed; there were dancers and singers. i was happy to have a part in it, though it was difficult to judge!

in any event, i am five weeks away from the end of my first year as a professor. so far i've managed to keep my head above water. next year i hope to progress from treading water to swimming. even if it's just dog paddling. ;)

@>-->>---