Thursday January 10, 2013
Professor is currently on day #4 of faculty in-service week. Over the past few days, the professor has answered emails, organized syllabi and begun loading course content on Blackboard. Below is a rough timeline of her day:
11:00 AM- Arrive at office.
11:05 AM: Check email/voicemail.
11:10 AM: Make “To-Do” list for the day.
11:15 AM: Begin prepping online American Lit course (this is the third day of prep for this course).
12:00 PM: Finish prepping online American Lit course.
12:05 PM: Make list of questions for course coordinator about online American Lit course.
12:06 PM: Email course coordinator with list of questions.
12:10-12:15 PM: Chat with office mates.
12:15 AM-2:00 PM: Continue to prep other courses for spring semester.
2:30 PM- Receives email from American Lit course coordinator that the professor’s section has been CANCELED due to low enrollment.
2:31 PM: Professor’s head hits desk.
2:33 PM: Professor goes in search of interim chair so she can pick up another course.
2:35 PM: Finds interim chair. Only courses left are introductory composition courses at inconvienent times.
2:36 PM: Professor’s stomach starts to churn.
2:37 PM: Professor resigns herself to taking a section of composition that meets Monday/Wednesday night.
2:38 PM: Professor shuffles back to her office.
2:40 PM: Professor realizes none of her composition files are on campus because she has not taught this particular course since 2010.
2:41 PM-3:00 PM:Professor commiserates with colleagues about the annoyance of it all.
3:05 PM: Professor drives home. She is muttering to herself the entire way.
Friday January 11, 2013
9:30 AM: Professor arrives for day #5 of in-service week. She is armed with all her composition files collected from home.
9:35 AM: Professor vows to remain optimistic. She’s taught this course many times. It will be OK.
9:37-9:40 AM: Professor reviews composition textbook. Optimism takes a hit. Textbooks are boring.
9:45-10:00 AM: Professor begins to review/update composition syllabus. She has not taught this course since summer of 2010. Optimism takes another hit.
10:00-10:15 AM: Professor looks over assignments. 20 journals? 5 essays? 5 revisions? Optimism takes another hit.
10:15-10:30 AM: Professor realizes she cannot take her favorite turbo kick class now because she will be teaching class. Optimism is gone.
10:30-10:45 AM: Professor commiserates with collegaues. Again.
11:00-12:30 PM: Liberal Arts & Sciences Department Meeting.
12:30 PM: Meets with two colleagues to discuss creative writing student group
12:35 PM: Professor realizes that one of these colleagues had to drop a creative writing course due to scheduling difficulties. Said colleague offers this class to professor.
12:36 PM: Professor RUNS up to interim program chair and asks for the creative writing class to replace composition course.
12:37 PM: Interim chair agrees and makes the change.
12:38 PM: Professor sings praises of colleague who gave up her class. She offers her chocolate, wine, books, her first born child, whatever this woman desires. Colleague is just glad to help. Professor is ELATED.
12:38-1:40 PM: Professor chats with colleagues about how optimistic she is for the beginning of the semester.
2:00 PM: Professor arrives home and collapses onto her couch. Classes begin January 14th.
Brianna Pike 
now that was precious 🙂