Tonight

It's been a fairly long day, but not bad. I haven't been "discovered" yet, and I'm not sure how to discover others on here either. I'm sure to find out. Guess I'll know if anyone's peeking if I see any comments or votes on my survey.

Teaching is interesting. Universities these days have ceased to be seats of learning. Instead, they are training factories, churning out workers for the moguls of Wall Street and their industrial partners in crime. The MBA is king of the hill. And about as useful as a belly button. Everybody's got one, but they have no purpose after you're born. What happened to a good liberal education? Can't take art appreciation or literature - classes cost too much and they are of no use in my "career," many would say. And after all the classes, folks have to jump through a few more hoops by taking tests that have no use other than making ETS rich. Teachers don't major in real subjects. They're too busy preparing so they can pass the PRAXIS for their certification. What's the use of taking all those courses? Oh I see . . . to keep the school of education in business.

To prove how customer friendly we are, the students get to stick it to us with their course evaluations, which department chairmen actually read! My two worst students write that mine is the worst course they have ever taken. They hate the content and it doesn't relate at all to the course description. Never mind that they are chronically late when they bother to come at all, talk through lectures and discussions, always sit on the back row, generally act bored, and often walk out early, complain about Cs on their work and generally blow off the classes. Hell, they've already defied the attendance requirement and still expect to pass and intend to makd my life hell if they don't. But then, it's really hard work living in a society of victims.

As I said, it's been a long day and I'm tired and cranky. Maybe I'd better wait for a good night's sleep before continuing. I'm in my life's-a-bitch-and-then-you-die mode. But it'll pass, just as soon as I get home and make myself a turkey salad sandwich.