End of another semester

Well, here it comes. If you want the snark, you need to go to another blog. Here, its just exasperation.

I'm an adjunct. Just as my career was about to kick in, I had life happen, so here I am. And I can tell you, it gets very frustrating this time of year. At the end of spring, you find out your fall schedule, and try to wrap up another year of academic fringes. Students start to cuss you out, especially online (hint: don't start snarking me on Rate My Professors until AFTER the grades are turned in. I can kinda tell who you are by what you complain about.)

Funny, but the vocally negative students are the ones you wanted to smack upside the head most of the semester. Who continues to read a book after the professor finishes roll call and steps forward to start the lecture? Who goes three weeks into a semester without either buying the textbook or locating it in the library, and thinks this is a legit excuse to have deadlines extended? What is the point of being a good teacher if people are going to complain that you actually expect them to do work, and do it by the due date. Do these kids really think their future employers are going to accept unproofread work, or late work? Talk about the fast track to no where- or more likely, the unemployment line.

And hey, our new department head seemed really happy with the student reports about my teaching, so much that she mentioned it at a faculty meeting... but it looks like I'll have fewer classes in the fall. How does that work?

Someday, I will get a real job. That day is coming. I can feel it. I was kinda hoping it would be at one of these local colleges, actually, because I grew up here. This is home, and I want to really be adding to it. But if this is the way it is going to be, maybe a change in career is in order. Adjuncts are a dime a dozen anyhow.