Reflections on Teaching Loads & Other Stuff

Last eve, I received a lengthy post from Tom Terrific in WI. Tom mocked my teaching load. Hell, no one can do justice to more than 3 courses, let along 5. Of course, the High Poo Bahs at Amarillo College entertained the idea of 6 (SIX) courses constituting a full load each term. If I maintain that students must put in 3 hours of study for each hour in class, I ought to be doing the same thing (in all truth). So, a student carrying a 15-hour load must spend 45 hours in preparation that week. 45 + 15 = 60 hours on coursework each week. Hell, most of 'em won't spend 60 hours during the entire semester! Now, if I teach 15 hours, that means I should be spending 60-hour weeks. If I taught 6 courses per week, that would mean a 72-hour week. That is why the flagship institutions do not ask any of their faculty to teach 5 courses per week. Is that because the institutions want to perpetuate sloth? Hell, no. They expect some quality in the classroom. Why not go to 6 classes at Amarillo College? It can't get any worse or inept. One of our department chairs issued a handout this term (I saw it in a photocopy machine) that used you're for your. From the same department, I saw a class handout on lab safety from another ace. "Maintain a safe distance from the Bunsen burner, otherwise your cloths might catch on fire." Might as well let 'em teach 6 courses. We have an academic dean who wrote "Don't loose something or other." to an acquaintance. Enough of this (fair & balanced) treason. Read what is going down in WI.

Neil,

I can't believe that Armadillo College would give you five classes! I think it's the old "let's give the old liberal a heavy load so then he'll have to retire, then we can save big bucks by hiring some young stud muffin at $5.50 per hr. and Prof. Sapper can devote his life to 'Rants and Raves.'"

I checked the U.S. NEWS college rankings carefully and didn't find Armadillo State anywhere, the poll must have been an oversight. Maybe your new Prez. will straighten things out. In fact, for a state as big as Texas, I'm surprised Rice was the only Top 50 school and U.T. and A&M were in the next 50. Maybe Baylor was in the mix too. I"m sure with the new "no student left out of college" policy they've adopted things will improve -- NOT.

The cheesehead state only had two in the major university standings, UW- Mad. City was 32 (third in the Big 10 again) and Marquette on the second page. I was proud to see my alma mater was in the Top 10 in PhD institutions. Makes me happy my alumni donations are paying off. The other state educational institution that sucked major bucks out of the Robertson family in the last 10 years, Beloit College, ranked 52 among Liberal Arts Colleges.

The "really important" college rankings begin this weekend when the Badgers play the Mountaineers to kick-off the college "fubawl" season. The big question is: will Jim Sorgi ( 0 - 5 in five starts) be able to win a game as successor to Brooks Bollinger (the surprise of the Jets training camp)? or will Anthony Davis be able to pass Ron Dayne as the all-time rushing leader? or will they be able to play defense? or can Barry Alvarez succeed as coach and Athletic Director? Stay tuned Badger fans.

My Super Bowl prediction is . . . the Packers WILL NOT BE IN IT.

Sandi is back at work this week so I'm adjusting to the lack of hyper-activity around the house. Next week I'm staying up at the cabin and fishing for the four days after Labor Day. I'm determined to catch a big muskie this fall.

It's drier than an armadillo's turd around here right now. We're having the worst drought since 1988. Makes me glad I"m not a farmer and happy I don't have to mow the lawn.

Make sure you're "fair and balanced" when you grade your students.

Venustiano Carranza (he won)

© Copyright 2003 Tom Terrific