bitteroldhag

Thanks for the comments. I will consider Wheetsin's ideas, but English just isn't as attractive to employers as biology. I see my students in Walmart all the time (why is there a hyphen in Wal-Mart? I just ignore it.) I saw one of my former students day and she filled me in on her experiences in Comp. II. She talked for about 10 minutes and I wanted to get the hell out of there. But it's gratifying that she wanted to talk to me. I also saw another student there. In fact, it's rare for me to go shopping and not see a student. It's sort of nice since I know thousands of people from all these years of teaching. I figure I've taught about 5000-6000 students from about 51 countries. I once went on a date in a city 30 miles from here and the waitress was a former student. So much for that date. One of my friends (a master teacher who unfortunately died of cancer) once went 300 miles from home and the waitress was a student! I always say that teachers can't have affairs because the desk clerk at the motel will be a current or former student. It is kind of nice to know so many people though I have sometimes forgotten a student. I once went to a department store in Baytown, Texas, and was waited on by a girl I didn't recognize, but she turned out to be a former student. A bunch of the secretaries at our university are former students, so I can get things done in a jiffy. I suppose the life of a teacher really is good though I'd like to be making $100K+ for what I do. I don't make nearly that. But I have enough money to get along and that's good. Let's hear from more teachers. I admire the elementary and secondary school teachers. Their lives are much worse than mine.

llewis -- Don't you think teachers tend to gravitate to the students they like best? I just love college freshmen. I like all the college students, but freshmen are my favorite so I always teach Comp. I. I don't think I could teach in high school anymore. I'd probably be way too hard and not willing to put up with all the crap the students throw at their teachers. But I can cow college freshmen the first day and then it's smooth sailing.

BJean -- There aren't any Farnsworths here at NSU now, but most of the older teachers retired a long time ago. Humanities is still popular here and the students like it. We have one guy who is a total extravert and they love him. Your story is great. I never had a teacher who slept through class, but I have to say that the guy had it worked out how to avoid work. I did have a guy who wrote this lab manual for lecture notes. I used the notes of a guy who had taken the class before and they were verbatim with what the prof was saying two semesters later. I think he'd memorized his lectures years before and just chanted the same thing every semester.

laurend -- Don't worry. Everyone screws up when they first start teaching. We change things (like locking the door) as things go wrong for us. I have a courtesy section in my syllabus in which is tell the students if they are discourteous to me, I'll flunk them. I did that because I had two students who just laid me out verbally in one year! Now my students don't do that. A Ph.D. is a good thing, but you'll probably still be teaching general biology when you first start as a professor. You can possibly move up to more interesting things as you progress through the ranks, but I still teach Comp. I because I like it. I never teach Comp. II because other people like that one and I can do without it. Hang in there.

I decided to start a thread for teachers. I teach at a university, but used to teach at a junior college. I taught one year of junior high and high school and quit teaching for 15 years. I'd like to hear from the teachers out there. It is pretty horrible being a fat teacher though I put the fear into my students the first day. Later on, they discover I'm a big softy, but by then, it's too late to drop. I'd also like to hear from students, particularly college students. Maybe your comments can improve my teaching. I've taught college level courses for 23 years and am going to retire as soon as I think I can afford it. I think students see old people and immediately get worried. Also I figure I can make a whole lot more money doing something else. But I love teaching. Students are my life and I enjoy them. What do you all think?

I read something some time ago where a business guy was talking to a bunch of teachers. During the question period, a teacher asked him if he used the best materials and best workers in his business. He said he did. The teacher pointed out that we get all materials and all workers, not just the best. And we're supposed to make inferior materials better. Business people don't know sh*t about teaching. But everyone thinks they know how to teach because they went to school. Teaching takes special people who really care how the students do. Alas, they are few and far between, but you seem to care. Keep doing that. The students will disappoint you often, but on occasion, they will make you feel wonderful. They will understand. That is what makes teaching with the lousy salary and all the crap worthwhile. Today one of our master teachers said she thought she'd made a difference in about 6 students lives after teaching for 35 years at the high school and college level. I thought I'd made a difference in maybe 20 students's lives in 23 years of teaching. But I think we may have made a difference in many more lives and just don't know it. That's one of the lousy things about teaching. You never know if you made a difference unless someone writes later and tells you that you did. Very few students ever do that, and yet I can remember teachers I had who did make a difference in my life and I thank them for it. Maybe we should all do that. So thanks to Miss Baker, my first and second grade teacher; thanks to my professors in grad school, especially Norman Grabo, Joe Kestner, Prof. Steinberg and all the others; thanks to Millie Richardson in high school and to Mr. DeBarr, the hardest chemistry teacher in the world. He died of cancer shortly after I had him in class, but I scored higher in chemistry on the SAT than in English. Thanks to Miss Creel, Mrs. Porter, Miss Turman and all the high school teachers I had. Maybe we should thank these folks because we wouldn't be where we are without them.

Research has shown that students who succeed at developmental (read remedial) classes actually have a higher graduation rate than other students. Really good developmental teachers are rare, but I've been teaching it for 23 years off and on. I taught it last semester and I have two of my better students in my Comp. I classes now. A former developmental student, Phil, is taking it for the 2nd time because he thought the work was too hard last time. I hope to get him through Comp. I if he will come to class and try. He's a good kid. Meanwhile I think Grant and Camden will succeed well. They beat me in an argument in developmental English! I went to college for 11 years and these tyros beat me! I was thrilled. I've had my developmental students make A's in my regular comp. I classes. I'm so proud of them. I am one of the two full professors who teach Comp. I at our school. We love it, but everyone else is just too superior to teach it. Buy I love messing around with freshmen's minds. It's just too fun to give up.

Every syllabus has to have a disability statement on it. Ours is totally ungrammatical and yours is better. Under the Disabilities Act, we must include this and give students with disabilities the extra care they need. I have had deaf students, blind students, paraplegic students, and many students with learning disabilities. Unfortunately I have disabilities myself and all the care that has been given to me is a disabled parking sticker after I had a double by-pass. Are you aware that obesity is a disability? I wonder why my heart murmur doesn't seem to count as a disability. But I go out of my way to take care of disabled students. I had an older man who didn't fit into those stupid desks they bought. So I asked for a table and chair. I went through channels and nothing happened so I emailed the VP in charge of this and told her I was sad that NSU couldn't provide decent desks for older folks. I had a table and chair in that classroom that day. It helps when the big shots like you.

The reason I do the pep rally is to let the kids know I do care if they pass or fail. It's just to get them razzed up a little. This kid is "cool" and I really hate cool kids. But I will almost guarantee you that if I work on this kid, he'll decide that mediocrity may not be the way to go. If I don't work on him, he'll fail. Really, it is his choice to fail. I didn't do the pep rally in my 2nd comp class and that went better. So maybe I'll give that up. But I want you to know that there are college professors who do care if the kids do well. But we realize that not everyone belongs in college and that we can't save them all. I have found that kids who just hate me at the beginning of the semester become my biggest fans by the end of the semester. That's because I force them to have a "can do" attitude. I don't tolerate the old "I can't do it" attitude. Also I probably failed to tell you that the pep rally is a bit of a joke because I tell the kids that I want them to be big successes and make a lot of money so they can send me a monthly check after I retire. But I also tell them that when they are successful, I'm successful, so I have stake in this too. But maybe I should rethink this method and just go for the really deep thought which I stun them with on the 2nd day. I discuss quantum physics and string theory with them. We try to define nothing. Then we think of how we would explain colors to a person who is blind from birth. That usually gets the old gray cells working. I'll keep you posted. By the way I teach English, but I'm very big on critical thinking and reading because a kid who cannot or refuses to think cannot write. So there.

I'm pretty lucky with the family. They are fat too, so they don't bug me. My aunt, who is thin and has very thin daughters, has discovered my inner angel and has decided to overlook the fat. She can be very vicious, but she isn't my mother so she can't terrorize me. Mother wouldn't allow it. I just wish she'd lighten up on her own daughters who are rail thin.

I wish I could bake such great cakes. I have a line of credit based on equity in my house and I used that. I pay $350 a month on it and it will take years to pay it off, but the 35 pounds I've lost so far are worth it. I just hope I lose some more someday.

I got my breakaway dog collars yesterday and all the dogs have them on now. I also got a seat belt for the car. My old dog, Jasper, likes to ride in the front seat, but he has been thrown in the floor a couple of times when I had to brake fast. I should also note that some friends had a kitten who died because he got his claw caught in a berber carpet. They were gone and he couldn't get loose so he died of thirst and hunger as well as injury to his foot. I will not buy berber carpet with animals, especially cats, in the house. Just another little warning.

I had my first classes today and was doing my usual pep rally about success. I usually have them repeat the word "success" three times. This one kid wouldn't join in, so I asked him if wanted to be a success, and he said he'd rather be mediocre. This is the 2nd student who has preferred mediocrity this year. The first one flunked my course so he's well on the road to mediocrity, but I'm wondering if those of you who are in touch with teenagers outside the classroom have heard them mention that they want to be mediocre. Is this some sort of pessimistic new fad? Inquiring minds want to know.

Who are these people? I only recognize about two names here. I think I'm officially over the hill. Besides sex takes energy and I don't have any.

I don't seem to see real people on infomercials. I don't see them in magazine and newspaper ads. I suppose it is posssible to lose zillion pounds in a year, but I'm pretty sure this wouldn't happen to me. Also all the weight loss folks appear to be about 25. Have you noticed that Kirsty Allee seems to heavily cinched in around the waist in her commercials? I'm glad she lost weight and reignited her career, but I'll bet she's wearing 20 pounds of steel around her waist.

I highly recommend NO champagne. I drank some Dr. Pepper and was miserable for a week. A nice still wine would work. All those bubbles are really a mess. Congratulations on your wedding and LBS.

I don't think you are forced to join Medicare Part D. You can opt out. We joined because Halliburton kept threatening to cut its retirees off from medical insurance. Mother hit the donut hole about the end of October so we got the donut hole insurance for next year. But I don't think anyone is forced to participate in the part D plan. If you are on Medicaid, that might be different. I don't know anything about that. But these prices seem pretty high to me. Maybe we should move to a universal health care plan.

I was banded by Dr. Rodriguez in Monterrey in May 2006. He's great. The big hospital is heavenly and you should spend the extra bucks and stay at the Hilton. I had no problems and the nurses were excellent though you should learn to say "dolor" which means pain. If you say that, they'll give you something for it and you'll just sleep a lot. I loved my trip to Monterrey. Make sure the Dr. Rodriguez you are using is the correct Dr. Rodriguez since some other guy is using that name. You should go to Monterrey and nowhere else. If you stay at the Hilton, try the bean Soup with avocados and cheese. It's good. Let us know how it goes.

There's an upper respiratory thing going around here in Oklahoma. I figure I'll get it just about in time for spring break. I get sick every spring break and spend the whole vacation in bed. Hope you feel better soon.

Well, I think this is a good idea. I suggest we all bundle up our junk mail and send it to the White House. All we ever get is junk mail and bills. Do you think he's willing to pay our bills?

His prognostications are about as accurate as Nostradamus'. What an idiot. And to think he ran for president -- horrors. Some people will do anything to stay in the limelight.

Assuming I ever get past 185 pounds, I hope I can avoid clothes with sequins and stuff. I hate that, but I go to a discount sale every year in Tulsa. The clothes are department store clothes but are very cheap. If they have sequins, I wear sequins, even though I hate sequins. Every since I got my skirt caught in my panty hose and walked down the hall at school before I felt a breeze and realized that I had a problem, I wear pants. I own a dress but it's too big now. I am a spring, so pastels look good on me. I got three pink sweaters for Christmas. I also wear a lot of red and black because those seem to be the main colors in the plus size area. But this year I branched out to purple and other colors since I was smaller and could fit into the clothes. Of course, at the moment, I don't think I'm ever going to get smaller than I am. I seem to be on a plateau. I don't understand it because I can barely eat anything. I'm old (I really am almost 60) and a teacher so I go for more professional clothes -- sweaters, jackets, etc. I wear the jackets as blouses. I got a boiled wool sweater from Land's End which is wonderful but too big. My problem is that I don't really know what size I wear so I have to try on everything. But I'd like to see some plus size clothes without sequins, embroidery and big gaudy prints.

OUsooner is probably right. You can make white gravy yourself by using about a TBS of bacon grease (American bacon), sausage grease or Crisco, and 1-2 TBS of flour, salt and pepper, and about a cup or more of milk, depending on the consistency you want. Heat up the grease and stir the flour into it until it looks kind of like melted caramel. Pour in the milk and salt and pepper the gravy. Let the gravy boil, stirring all the time until it gets thick. Gravy making is an art that takes awhile to learn. Here in Oklahoma we use bacon grease for the oil part, but I sometimes use Crisco or sausage grease. Don't use olive oil or any runny oil. It won't work. I have also found that an egg whisk will get rid of lumps in gravy. But I suspect if you buy an envelope of white gravy, that will be what you want. Hope this helps.

Boy, Vines, you are one tough woman. I'm glad you have learned to fire doctors and that you have found what is really causing your problems. I don't think Cushing's disease is a death warrant, so I hope to see you back on this board, working with us as we try to lose weight. We can use your wisdom and kindness. Thanks.

Thanks for this. My mother and aunt worked at the Douglas Aircraft factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the war. Mother was already married but my dad was in New Guinea. My aunt married my dad's brother when he returned from the Navy. These two valiant ladies are still alive and don't seem to think they did anything extraordinary. Mother likes to laugh and say she put in the relief tubes in bombers. Relief tubes were the bathrooms on bombers. They didn't have real bathrooms, just tubes. I bet going to the bathroom was a real thrill at 30,000 feet with no heaters or oxygen. Those guys flying those bombers made very long trips just about every day and it was very, very dangerous. I think my aunt worked on fighters in another part of the factory which is really big, about 1/2 mile long. I think they are called the Greatest Generation because they went through the depression and WWII without complaining too much. They just got it done. I am sad that they are passing away now. But we can learn a lot from them. I too thank them -- the soldiers who faced horrible situations and the ones who stayed home to make it possible to win the war. By the way, I study 20th century American war literature and teach a class on it. I highly recommend Paul Fussell's books on WWII. He doesn't pull any punches. One of the biggest problems was that our tanks just couldn't face the German tanks one on one. Our tanks were crummy compared to the Tiger and later tanks with their 88mm guns and superior armor. One guy says he saw one of our tanks fire on a German tank, hit it, and the shell bounced off. He was a tanker and wasn't happy about that. Fussell also gripes about the fact that the Germans had smokeless powder and we didn't. I would certainly want smokeless powder if I were in a battle. The Russians should also be thanked for winning WWII. I think they are the ones who really won it. Their tactics of simply throwing millions of people in the line of fire wasn't very good since they had lots of casualties, but the fact is that they ground down the German army in Europe, so they couldn't mount much of an offensive after the Bulge which was a desperation measure. Their airforce had been destroyed by that time by Russian and Allied planes. There are some pretty interesting memoirs from the Germans, particularly on the Eastern Front which was simply horrible. But the all time best war book is All Quiet on the Western Front, written by a German. Not surprisingly, the Germans understand war.