Things will pick up on Friday because 45 of my students will submit papers that day, but for the moment, things are pretty calm here. The semester is off to a pretty good start at both schools, the weather has warmed up enough that I can wear short-sleeved shirts again, and life is pretty fine.
I think I'm still stressing about the beginning of school. After all these years, the opening of the semester gives me stage fright. I have trouble sleeping at night, get headaches, and do a lot of those little non-helpful things (eat too much, etc.). Labor Day weekend is the transition, I guess.
Since mid-summer, I've been stressing about a student named Jihad. I was sort of expecting Jeff Dunham's "Achmed the Dead Terrorist." Fortunately (and predictably) the guy never even showed up. He'll turn out to be one of those who stay on the books to perpetrate a minor scam with financial aid, then ask me to sign a withdraw form at the last second. I say I won't do it, but usually cave in at the last minute.
One pleasant side effect of the new school year is that I'll probably blog more. I set up blogs for my Akron classes, so I have to log in and check them frequently. The blogs won't actually say anything because I didn't set up a grading scale or require the students to write there. And, as we all know, if it isn't worth points, it isn't worth doing. I was probably the same way when I was a student. And after all, the students today have been trained to do precisely—and only—what their teachers tell them to do. (They remind me of a comment from the first Men In Black: "You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training.")
Anyhoo, things will be better. Today the temperature is expected to hit the mid 70's (53 now) and I'm going to hit the bike trail.
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