Insanity Comes Quietly to the Structured Mind
The title of this post is from a very old Janis Ian song. It's also been a reminder to me that one's obsession with trying to make sense of everything can only lead to mental deterioration, if not anti-social behavior.
Well, I may be approaching both.
For a couple of years I've been teaching what we call an overload. That means I teach above the expected course load and get extra money for it. At large universities, faculty complain if they teach more than two subjects a semester.
I teach six.
Then, about six years ago, I agreed to teach one night a week for a nearby community college. Then they asked me to teach a second course.
Then a state university asked me to do a summer course one night a week. It was a film course, so I agreed. Then they asked me to do a fall course for six weeks one night a week.
Now another local community college has me agreeing to teach a course in my original grad area, philosophy. The key is I don't meet with the class. I design the syllabus, make up the exams and then grade their assignments that they send it to a center at the school.
That means that, beginning Monday, I'll be teaching courses somewhere in public speaking, principles of public relations, introduction to film, organizational communication, introduction to theatre, and ethics. Oh, and then there's the interdisciplinary course at my main employer as well as the university honors course.
So this week I'll be teaching about speech, theatre, Malthus, public relations history, Eudora Welty's short story, "A Worn Path," basic film production concepts, communication in organizations and, oh yes, ethics.
Sometimes I wish I had a structured mind. Such a mind would tell me I'm crazy.
Maybe that's why I spend what little free time left thinking about where I want to retire.
Well, I may be approaching both.
For a couple of years I've been teaching what we call an overload. That means I teach above the expected course load and get extra money for it. At large universities, faculty complain if they teach more than two subjects a semester.
I teach six.
Then, about six years ago, I agreed to teach one night a week for a nearby community college. Then they asked me to teach a second course.
Then a state university asked me to do a summer course one night a week. It was a film course, so I agreed. Then they asked me to do a fall course for six weeks one night a week.
Now another local community college has me agreeing to teach a course in my original grad area, philosophy. The key is I don't meet with the class. I design the syllabus, make up the exams and then grade their assignments that they send it to a center at the school.
That means that, beginning Monday, I'll be teaching courses somewhere in public speaking, principles of public relations, introduction to film, organizational communication, introduction to theatre, and ethics. Oh, and then there's the interdisciplinary course at my main employer as well as the university honors course.
So this week I'll be teaching about speech, theatre, Malthus, public relations history, Eudora Welty's short story, "A Worn Path," basic film production concepts, communication in organizations and, oh yes, ethics.
Sometimes I wish I had a structured mind. Such a mind would tell me I'm crazy.
Maybe that's why I spend what little free time left thinking about where I want to retire.