I love CNN

Because it is perfect fodder to show in class to develop my students' critical thinking skills: Can anyone find a flaw here? My students did!

CNN "education"

Losing Friends- Letting go

Another title to this post:
Singles are from Mars, Parents are from Venus

I have a friend who is breaking up with me. She says I've been neglectful of her. She is single and I am a single Mom. We don't understand each other on so many levels. I'm still sad about getting dumped.

I've outed myself

I had the health-related students I teach play a game yesterday. "I'll tell you about a patient and list the complaints one at a time and you shout out when you think you know what the diagnosis is:"
(on the board)
serious fatigue
changes in appetite
weight gain
pain in the inguinal region especially when standing from a sitting position
nausea
joint laxity
and then
amennorhea

Someone in both sections got it after the second symptom, but then were stumped by the fourth. I explained the origin of each symptom, and then said that they know the patient: me.
They all smiled and congratulated me. That made me feel great.

Simultaneous courses

I have mentioned before that I could ask the registrar for a special favor to schedule my classes at a specific time, and it would happen... because its a small school and that affords some flexibility. The downside of that is that students also get some flexibility.

Its not unheard of that our students triple major and still graduate in four years. Part of that is because students are allowed to enroll in conflicting classes. For example, in a course I co-teach, we are scheduled to meet MW from 2:40-4:30. Since its a 3 credit hour course, we actually don't meet the fourth hour often. We meet, for instance, 2:40-3:30 on a Monday then 2:40-4:30 on a Wednesday. There are 2 students enrolled in this class that have another class from 2:40-3:30. So often they can only come for one class period of three. Moreover, that is typically an activity period instead of a lecture.

These are typically seniors who are fulfilling senior-level required courses for their two or more conflicting majors. I'm pretty sure only strong students are allowed to double book. The two examples I'm currently thinking of were in the top of the class's test scores.

Its a minor hassle for us, since the students must take their quizzes and tests at another time than the rest of the class.

I guess the idea is just foreign to me: taking two classes that meet simultaneously. I double majored as an undergrad, but didn't finish in four at my huge state school. But there's a beeeeg difference in the cost of a semester at SRU than at my alma mater, perhaps that makes all the difference in the world.

Wanna job?

Teaching microbiology in San Diego? CCCU college. More info? Comment AND send an e-mail to P U I P r o f AT gmail DOT com without the spaces...
Don't forget: this posting, too.

What do you do with only 6 good hours in the day?

Just one more whiny post, please?

I'm only good for about 6 hours each day.

Its certainly not enough to get my actual work done, let alone any extras. This fatigue is really shutting me down. Even if I stay at work for more than 5-6 hours, I am completely useless. Mind can't think, body doesn't move well, don't give a damn about anything.

I am terminally behind, and its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Monday things were so bad and I was so discouraged that I cried through the evening. That was actually funny in that the Boy had never seen me cry before, and he couldn't figure out what was going on with Mommys face and those funny noises. First he stared, then he laughed, then he looked sad.

I still rely on my village a lot, but I quit the supper club, because I can't even manage to make one elaborate meal each weekend. It's like "cutting off my nose to spite my face" as my Mom used to say because now I have to cook 5 small meals, and not one big one. Don't care, will make PB and J. Luckily this week, I've been invited for dinner twice. Let's see if I can actually get those thank you cards written.

Today marks officially the beginning of week 11. That means I am close to ending my first trimester. I can tell everyone next week (more understanding, perhaps?) and the FATIGUE should dissipate shortly thereafter. Can't wait for the second trimester springiness I got last pregnancy. Then it will all be better, and I will return to normal. Please let it be so.

IUCUC: Us

I'm far too tired to elaborate on this, but our IUCUC met today. There are so many federal guidelines that simply don't work for our institution. Here's an example. There are 2 of us working with vertebrates and neither of us is currently on NIH or NSF funding. If were were to go ahead and follow federal guidelines, we are to convene the IUCUC as needed but not less often than twice a year. If the term for all the protocols is three years, frankly, the most we would need to meet would be 2 investigators/3 years = every 1.5 years (or more often if we publish more often). There's no way we would call in the vet and the farmer (community member) for useless meetings. We simply don't have the volume to meet the guidelines.