Like, I just thought it was some lame thing for losers to do.  And maybe I was right, but I found some interest in it.  How did I know that something so simple could be so enjoyable. 

Other than that, I'm simply looking forward to getting this semester finished.  I've come to hate my Africa class pretty badly, but luckily it's almost over.  It's just a combination of too many bad things, including:

1. The fact that I've taken over a class designed by someone else in mid-semester, which means in terms of schedule, book and policy, this was never my class and was never going to be comfortable.
2. I was given preliminary instructions to NOT (and repeat: NOT) deviate from that designed schedule in case the original teacher came back
3. I was originally hired as a three-week gig in the first place, which meant I was supposed to teach colonial history. Since then, the gig has been continually and quietly extended until the end of the semester a little chunk at a time.
4. The students at Stark are used to geography classes from only one prof.
5. I overloaded myself this semester.  Yep, that one was my fault for sure.
   
6. AND of course, the fact that even though I enjoy studying Africa a great deal it's probably only my second region of interest and knowledge after North America, partially because I have never been able to go there.

Put all of these things together, and it's a recipe for disaster.  Honestly, it hasn't been that bad, just mostly irritations from certain students who don't think they're getting their money's worth.  Well, honestly, tough shit for them.  I was hired as a sub, I'm only a sub.  I did what I could with what I had, and that's it.  If they'd taken World, US/Canada, Intro, Physical, Cartography, Intro to GIS, Hazards, Disasters, Indiana, Thought, Historical, Qualitative Methods, Ohio, Roadtrip Narratives, Economic, Political... any of these classes with me, they may have been happier.  But, this was the hand we were all dealt.

Then again, it's interesting to think about, in education, how much of your experience is left to chance.  For instance, if your prof is feeling like shit the one day he's/she's supposed to teach about some important concept and he/she forgets a couple points, well... that part of your education is gone, all because of a head cold.

It's somewhat terrifying to think about, but I guess the assumption is that it all balances out over a long enough experience.  I guess maybe that is why PhDs are so fucking crucial for college professors, because hopefully they'd filled in the holes by that point.

We'll see soon enough. 

Today, besides flying a kite with Amy, I managed to write final exams for my three classes.  I also wrote study guides, meaning I've only got to piece together my final Africa lecture (over refugees and such) and a grading rubric for student presentations, and my teaching semester is essentially finished.   I'll do that tomorrow.

I always look forward to the last day of the semester in the class I teach at Kent.  I always excuse the final for anyone who's got a solid A and perfect attendance for the semester.  The kids always like that.  One semester, I had eight kids get off easy.  I figure, by this point, they've already earned their keep.  In many cases, these kids also are mathematically guaranteed an A, since perfect attendance also gets them a half-letter grade bump to their final grade.

In terms of coursework, I've got to finish one more big paper for my gender class, then I get to write a cumulative essay for the "take-home" portion of the final, which is in addition to 2.5 hours of essay writing to happen during the final.  Dr. Hall is a little too demanding for my liking, but I am learning a lot in her class.  As for my aging class, I just have to prepare for the final, then I'm finished with the semester.  I should get around a B or B+ in both, which while it's not ideal, is certainly not the end of the world considering how rough this semester was.

I'm just ready to be finished, so I can concentrate on nothing but my dissertation (and maybe other papers to publish) for the summer.