Sunday, March 1, 2009

Feeling off.

I seem to be slightly "off" this morning. I'm sneezing a lot and there's a weird smell in my nose, like dirt and mushrooms and maybe gym socks. A lot of pressure below the left eye. I really hope it's not a sinus infection, because I will do all I can to avoid visiting my new doctor, up to and perhaps including letting a sinus infection become a brain infection. I don't care for her, but I am on state insurance during my career transition, so what can I do?

I'm also weeping at small frustrations. Maybe one of them is really a larger frustration. See, I chose a teaching specialty, ESL, wherein it's impossible, in the end, to pass the state teacher certification until I've finished all my master's coursework. This is a highly unusual field in that way. So, schools are now posting their job openings for the fall, but I'm not a certified teacher yet. Which means another year, perhaps, of substitute teaching purgatory.

And then there are other small frustrations, like the ridiculous security measures of our Online Bank. These security measures often make doing banking with them a frustrating experience. But the rates are so good.

Earlier, on Weekend Edition, Scott Simon was telling us about a broadcaster who recently died. Peter Harvey might have been his name. I'd never heard of him before, but the touching tribute also made me weep.

Perhaps a lot of this frustration is residual from yesterday. My classmates in my master's program are fucking idiots. A quarter of them arrived 20-30 minutes late. I can understand 10 minutes, but this was a big waste of the time for which I am paying. A quarter of them showed up to class 4 hours late. Yes, the class runs for 8 hours, which is a long time, but it only meets for 7 sessions. In addition, only 2 of us brought the printouts we needed for class. And, my classmates, once they bothered to show up, took so long to grasp concepts that I had to sit there metaphorically twiddling my thumbs while I waited for them to get it. I sensed the other prepared classmate was similarly biding time.

The only consolation is that the professor and I commiserated in hushed tones about the lack of preparedness. Also, she reminded the morons to show up on time and to bring what they needed. I don't know how she did it without losing her mind. She came across as perfectly sweet and even-tempered. Of course, she's the one being paid to waste her time, not the one paying to waste her time. In two weeks (and we only have five left) we've covered only HALF of what we were supposed to.

I wonder if the natural foods store that sold me the concoction that cured my UTI within 24 hours has anything for sinusitis. Or for misanthropy and malaise.

6 comments:

Ann Forstie said...

Here's what I can't figure out: If you can't even be a good student, why are you studying to be a teacher? Showing up unprepared and FOUR HOURS LATE to a class should be grounds for dismissal, or at least a serious reprimand. I mean, for crying out loud.

Hope you feel better soon! Illness sucks. :(

kStyle said...

I know, it's crazy. Silver lining: The more lackadaisical my classmates, the better my chances of getting a job over them. Also, you'd be surprised at how the bad students can make great teachers. They can relate to the slacker students in class and therefore know how to motivate them. They are often gregarious and charming, too, giving them a charisma that the students like.

Thanks! I am a phlegmwad today, but maybe tomorrow will be different.

Larry Jones said...

Of course, if the slackers get jobs as good as your job -- and naturally, they will -- that will be further reason to be cranky.

Also, the guy's name was Paul Harvey. For decades he was a big deal on AM radio in the heartland. He had a little feature called "The Rest of the Story" in which he'd tell some yarn about a newsboy or something who had committed some extreme act of diligence or honesty or something. The story would end with something like "...and the name of that little boy was Winston Churchill, and now you know. . . the rest of the story!"

kStyle said...

Ah, but good is subjective, yes? Maybe they want the inner-city job, or kindergarten. I do not want kindergarten. And frankly, I like the well-run suburban schools. But true, there will be more reasons for crankiness, I'm sure.

Paul Harvey! Yes, that's the one. He was sort of a mentor to Scott Simon, according to the story, so the tribute was superbly touching.

Narya said...

I'd consider complaining--diplomatically, quietly, but still complaining--to the dean or whoever is in charge of the program. The 4-hours-late people may have had permission, but the others, probably not. And the lack of preparedness is rather appalling; if I were the teacher, I'd give a pop quiz in the first half hour that people who were prepared could complete easily.

kStyle said...

I'm going to see how it goes next session...I will mention this in my course evaluation at the end of the semester if it doesn't improve.