RBOC (tm Ianqui), prose edition*

I hope to post something with actual content this weekend. For the moment, more random updates on my life...

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, way out at the Big Hospital. I even called my own doctor's office (who'd made the appointment) to confirm the time/date. But when I get there, they tell me that they have the appointment written down for... October 11. Now how does that happen??

However, while I was waiting for them to figure out that I wasn't supposed to be there, I was reading some material for class, and the woman next to me asked me what I was studying. I told her it was material for a class I was teaching, and she said, "Are you a grad student?" I said, "No, I'm a professor at [my school]." Her response: "You're a professor?" So I guess it's kind of nice to know that I either still look young enough, or at least not geeky enough, that I don't look like the stereotypical professor.

My students are having interestingly diverse reactions to Important Medieval Philosopher Who Weighed 300+ lbs When He Died. Many have the reaction that I always have to first reading this guy: Huh? They're confused; they don't understand. (Believe me, I sympathize!) Others, however, are glad to read him because they feel that "at least he's talking about something important, rather than about holing up in a community and praying." (The stuff we read prior to this guy was all about religion/religious figures.) Either way, however, they seem more connected to the material than I'd expected. (Probably because IMP isn't my favorite subject by ANY means, so I project my disinterest onto them.) Even when big chunks of class entail me dissecting/translating IMP's arguments for them, many of them are right there with me, following along. So I think overall, it's good.

Third-year review requirements loom on the horizon. Interestingly, however, I see no indication anywhere that I actually have to write up some kind of statement/summary of my career to this point. I choose names to submit for people to evaluate me, I get observed in my teaching (quite a lot, I believe!), and a bunch of people write about me, but I just can't find anything that says that I write anything. This seems very odd to me, so I'm going to confirm it with my chair. Frankly, I'd almost like the chance to say something on my own behalf, but I'm not about to try to change the system.

Okay, time to start the day. I teach today, I have a meeting and a talk to attend, and I'm planning to spend 30 minutes on my current chapter - wish me luck. Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

*This is what you get when you're too lazy even to use bullet-points.

Comments

[meg]

Okay, what IMP weighed 300 lbs? I've read plenty of MPs, but I didn't take measurements.

I'm all done with my portion of the contract-renewal foxtrot. The worst part of it was the personal statement, so I indeed hope that you don't have to write one.

[Dr M]

I'm guessing that the philosopher was David Hume. He was HUMONGOUS.

[Wegie]

Hume may have been blooming fat, but I'd hardly call him medieval ;-)

NK, I'll swap your teaching, meetings and writing for my packing, any day. I *hate* packing . . . especially when I've got to my own as well as my husband's . . . a double dose of hideousness.

[Pilgrim/Heretic]

It is weird that they haven't asked you for a third-year "packet"... my previous SLAC had me compile a whole giant binder of stuff, almost more than Current Employer wanted for my tenure file. It was kind of a pain in the ass at the time, but boy, it made life easier come tenure time.

[New Kid on the Hallway]

Oh, we do produce a "notebook," and we have to include examples of all our teaching stuff and all our pubs, I think, and then there are letters from all the senior fac., from the outside people who evaluate you, and stuff from students. So lots of stuff gets created. But I don't think there's an intro kind of statement from me to sum it all up... I will have to go and check this, mind you! (I'll be astounded if they don't want my teaching philosophy!)

[peripateticpolarbear]

I don't think you look a day over 25!

[New Kid on the Hallway]

hee, I am only two years younger than you, after all!

[New Kid on the Hallway]

Oh, I forgot to comment on the IMP. He wrote up the great big summation of things theological. (I'm just trying to avoid leading googling students this way...!)

[Another Damned Medievalist]

I was going to say ... It's the Big Dumb Ox, right? I was talking with Cranky the other night, and he told me that the Dumb Ox's heart is at St. Sernin, in Toulouse.

And wow, we have to turn in a big, honking binder that includes self-evaluation.

[New Kid on the Hallway]

Well, I've never heard him called that, but yes, that's where he is! (Though I can't find any reference to just his heart - my google search has his whole body there!)

I better check on this self-evaluation thing...

[helenesch]

How interesting that you don't need to write up a self-evaluation. For my 3-year review, I had to do this, but I didn't have *any* letters from outside reviewers, or anything that anyone else wrote about my teaching (no students or faculty). At the tenure review there were letters from outside reviewers, but still no one has ever (and I mean *ever* in my entire career) officially evaluated my teaching. It's interesting to hear how different the process is at other schools.

[New Kid on the Hallway]

Heh. We have a "teaching committee" of sr. fac. who observe us teach at least three times; all the other sr. fac. in the dept. are encouraged to observe us as well; we nominate 6 students to write for us, and the institution does a random sampling of all students who've taken our classes. And also our advisees. Conversely, there aren't any outside research people till the tenure review.