Well, since it's now almost the end of this week, maybe I'll post some pictures I took last week...because that's how behind I am on things in general. But I'm up, unable to sleep, and unable to do anymore class stuff for tonight.

In Flickr, I posted a few photos I took at the farm market last weekend, where we picked up our pumpkins, a beautiful mum, and a peck of Honey Crisp apples (yum!). It was our one outing of the weekend, as I was a mad-woman tethered to my laptop, grading papers, the rest of the time.

It's hard to believe the semester is now half over. There have been many growing pains associated with teaching these two college classes for the first time, but hopefully I'll be able to apply what I've learned right away next semester, having necessarily worked out some of the kinks and "rookie" mistakes. Despite the challenges and all of the time it consumes, teaching college students is rewarding. Sure, there are always those "bad apples" in the bunch--the kind that, when you read her first scathing e-mail message, you gasp a little, fight back the tears, and try to remember that replying right away is the worst thing you could do, because chances are (hopefully?) that not all the students feel that same way. And so far, in spite of those unpleasant encounters,  the "good apples" in the bunch do you make you feel as though maybe teaching is worth it, after all. Learning, heck, it does occur. Light-bulbs do illuminate overhead (even if, as an online instructor, you're not there to see it). Some (eh, okay, maybe one out of 44) students do appreciate your extra efforts and feedback. What an experience...I guess is what it comes down to. I'm pretty sure I've learned a lot more than my students so far this semester. I feel a little badly that they're getting the inexperienced teacher, but I'm still hoping that maybe I will have made up for that lack of experience in other ways...I guess only time will tell.

Wow, this topic made me sleepy. I guess it's time for bed. Thanks for listening.

-Em