After checking my campus mailbox yesterday, I was a little sad to see I'd lost two students during last week's add/drop period. The class must've varied too far from their expectations, which I completely understand, but still, wah.
It's so different being on the other side of the academic fence; as an undergraduate, I never gave a thought to the personal feelings of my professors. They always came to class prepared to share some big-picture insights about the world around us, and for the most part, I trusted their direction. How odd to think they must've started out the way I am now, navigating through material I have yet to master, trying to create an atmosphere conducive to thoughtful participation, worrying about filling class time. Which I did, by the way, and let me tell you, the time between 6:00 and 8:30 literally flew by. I only glanced at the clock on my cell phone a few times, and at one point I actually questioned whether or not we'd make it through my entire lesson.
Of course, I'm still discovering the many ways in which I can improve my teaching style. This week, I prepared for class the way I might've in graduate school: read, read, read and take lots of notes, with some extra attention paid to forming possible discussion questions for each chapter. However, being a diligent note-taker does not an expert make, so sometimes I'd repeat a concept or definition several times until I found the wording that seemed to make the most sense to my students, and even then I sometimes realized that my understanding of an idea wasn't as rock-solid as I thought.
This week was probably a bigger challenge than most will or should be, seeing as we primarily focused on technical resources available to bloggers, and my acquired knowledge in that area is self-taught and fair at best. There was an awkward moment when a student asked to see an example of a TrackBack and I didn't have one to show him. Normally I'd just pull up a Web site that featured what we were talking about, but you so rarely see this function used in the blogosphere--at least on the blogs I read--that finding one on the spot wasn't an option. Next came the brilliant idea that oh! I'll just log in to my TypePad account and create an entry with a TrackBack right now! Only that didn't work out, either, because apparently I'm an idiot. I'll definitely become better acquainted with TypePad's stellar customer knowledge base before next Thursday, because by George, I WILL make the TrackBack my bitch.
Despite my rookie mistakes, I consider last night a success. Teaching this class is a wonderful way to keep my mind occupied as my stomach continues to grow at an alarming rate, and it's hard to believe that by the time we wrap things up, Luke and I will be one month away from meeting our baby.
Here is The Belly at 25 weeks. No, I'm not carrying twins, thank you so much for asking and making me feel like a big fat cow.
But wait! I have more graphic goodness to share.
This little guy is Roxy, one of two kittens recently adopted by my family. Our beautiful German shepherd, Styx, was put to sleep back in January (on my birthday, which I so appreciated), and since then my mother's been lonely for animal companionship; when they learned my grandfather's cat had recently given birth, my sister Ryan convinced my father to bring two of them home for her, which surprised us all, because for YEARS my mom's talked about how much she hates cats and they can't be trusted and let me tell you about the time when Samantha was a newborn and I found one sitting on her face.
Viewed in that light, I suppose her "distaste" was somewhat warranted.
As it turns out, my mother quite enjoys felines when they're not threatening to suffocate one of her children. The one above is her favorite, I think. She named him Church. As in, the resurrected cat from Pet Sematary. Because that's not disturbing at all.
P.S. Is nobody interested in summing up part two of TLF? The soundtrack you'd receive in turn would be totally awesome, I promise.
I don't even know what a trackback is, really (and the wiki page didn't clarify much since I'm kind of slow), all I know is you're supposed to turn them off or suffer pornographic robot comments on year old posts. Or something. Tell your students THAT.
Posted by: Operation Pink Herring | August 31, 2007 at 10:21 AM
So sorry! The week flew by so fast! I promise to work on it next week. As for the trackback, once I'm off the bus and in my office I'll make sure you have one handy.
Posted by: David McNelis | August 31, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Church? For real? That's just creepy. She's seen the movie, right?
And I think your belly looks awesome. Good work. The one year I was an adjunct at USI, I had just the epiphany you did - but came to the conclusion that surely, my professors were not the clueless idiots I so definitely am.
Posted by: Michelle | August 31, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Kitties! I loves me some kitties!! :)
I'll see if I can put together a lil Frema worthy recap of TLF: The Sequel. :)
Have a good holiday weekend!
Posted by: Jessi | August 31, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Another thing, too, is a lot of personal blogs have trackbacks disabled (my running blog does, and I'm pretty sure my general and brew blogs do, too), because it's just another way for the spammers to get you.
But yay kittens! They are way cute.
Posted by: Dawn | August 31, 2007 at 11:21 AM
I could find a few trackbacks on my site and send them your way if you need examples for your class.
I have had a really busy week and completely spaced summarizing TLF. Can I get an extension until Tuesday, Professor Frema? Pretty please?
Those kittens are almost as adorable as your pregnant belly.
I didn't see Pet Cemetery until I was in college, and it disturbed me deeply. In no way am I even remotely okay with 3-year-old boys laughing while they kill their parents. I was so upset after I watched that movie -- especially because I was expecting it to be about, you know, PETS.
Posted by: Audrey | August 31, 2007 at 12:31 PM
The vertical stripes are so slimming!
I haven't the faintest what a trackback is. (And only recently did a friend explain what de.lic.ious and digg.this and whatever else those things are, are. Apparently just a whole nother way to obsess and, presumably, monetize.) I think I did get a track back once - totally spam. I'm not really sure what the point of it was, though.
Posted by: TasterSpoon | August 31, 2007 at 01:29 PM
Basically, TrackBacks provide a way to let a blogger know you've referenced one of their entries in your post. When we link to blogs using permalinks, our readers know that we're referring to another blog, but the blog author has no idea. The TrackBack puts a link on their entry to yours. So it's good advertising for you, too.
Posted by: Frema | August 31, 2007 at 01:31 PM
You look great!! The baby belly is adorable!
So are the kitties.
Posted by: Rachel | August 31, 2007 at 02:55 PM
oh my god
Posted by: auntie betty | August 31, 2007 at 02:55 PM
your belly is beatiful.. good luck with school;)
the cat thing? creepy totally
Posted by: wolfbaby | August 31, 2007 at 04:13 PM
Got here thru Mandajuice, just wanted to say hi. Cute kitten and belly pics!
Posted by: Henny Penny | August 31, 2007 at 05:27 PM
So much cuteness in one post...cats, your shirt, your uber-cute belly. The section of you featured in that photo looks absolutely fabulous! Freka's big debut will be so amazing!
Posted by: Lindsey | August 31, 2007 at 11:21 PM
What cute top surrounding our sweet baby... The cats are very cute too. Your mother certainly has a knack for naming the pets.
Posted by: mjd | September 01, 2007 at 08:39 AM
The teaching of new knowledge is best done by the knowledge creator. I think that gives you a big edge in your present class. You are and were right on the start of the blog mode of communication.
Cat are fun, but the baby is better.
Posted by: daddy d | September 01, 2007 at 09:07 AM
Oh my stars, the cuteness, so much of it at once!!
Posted by: Brie | September 01, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Don't take it personally about the drop-outs. (Gawd what an awkward sentence,sorry!) I scared away 3 students from my summer class, and countless members of my 4 classes this semester. I think the others stay just to witness the madness. And who knows, you may just pick up some new students this week!
Posted by: Professor Art Nerd | September 02, 2007 at 11:11 AM
De-lurking here to say congrats on your baby, your belly isn't big at all you look great!
Posted by: emmakirsten | September 02, 2007 at 06:16 PM
You look spectacular!
Also, my mom hated cats until we adopted our first one about twelve years ago. Within a couple years of that? They had FOUR. Cats are the best. :o)
Posted by: Molly | September 02, 2007 at 10:37 PM
Your belly is so cute and round. It makes me miss pregnancy. Sniff.
Your class sounds great!
Posted by: Brittany | September 03, 2007 at 10:33 PM
It is funny that this cat has kept a creepy name. We had called him Satan LOL becuase he used to spit at anyone who tried to touch him.
Posted by: The Ibro | October 02, 2007 at 10:05 PM