The Ditzy Professor

Watch the professor [tiredly] teach full-time. Watch the professor [somehow] write her dissertation. Watch the professor [shockingly] graduate. Watch the professor get tenure?

[theditzyprofessor]

From Real Simple Magazine September 2014

[theditzyprofessor]

[theditzyprofessor]

DAY 12

Yes, am up to day 12 of working - focusing on an article that's almost ready.

Of course, I'm also deep into my second Donna Leon book of the summer...

Onward and upward..........

[theditzyprofessor]

Day 7

ok, so DAY 7 is comprised of a HALF DAY on Friday, June 20, and a HALF DAY today, June 26, 2014. At least I'm doing something... #gottalovesummer

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day SIX

OK, I'm at school training in a new online teaching platform... much easier than self-starting...

[mclifee]

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This is how my day 5 is going...

[theditzyprofessor]

Life isn't so bad...

[theditzyprofessor]

Days 2- 3 - 4

OK, so I'm on my fourth day of self-starting, working on my career, NOT TEACHING! Now, to be honest, DAYS 2 and 3 didn't involve lots of self-starting.. . DAY 2 – My school had a “faculty retreat” aka optional unpaid OVERTIME. But I did it! I work with really nice professors (for the most part) and it was nice to get back to campus for this. Plus, I tied up all loose ends regarding teaching, which further cleaned my slate for self-starting my own professional work. And, of course, returning to campus and seeing some of the dreary circumstances (the admin fired the faculty secretary in an unnecessarily brash and thoughtless way, not-to-mention irresponsible as they’re NOT replacing her!) reminds me that it is good for me to add to my scholarship so I can go tenure-track somewhere else. DAY 3 – The school where I moonight (by teaching extra online courses) is offering optional unpaid (notice the pattern of “unpaid” options in my life) training in new online teaching software, so I went to it. I’ll be teaching online in July (bye-bye to some of this luxurious free time) It’s not only good for my upcoming classes, but it’s one more platform I can add to my CV. SUPER DUPER! DAY 4 – TODAY! So, what am I doing? Well, first, I’m going to add some clever visuals to this blog, because it is BORrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. And then, I’m going to comb through my cornucopia of job-search websites for any new positions. Here I go!

[theditzyprofessor]

SUMMER is HERE

The ditzy professor is BACK... and working to self-motivate. Where am I at? I am grateful I graduated last year, and I'm grateful I've had my job for a while. BUT (always a but) my current job conditions sometimes strip me of the passion I have for my field and I am using summer to BUMP myself up so I can go TENURE TRACK someday. Ahhh, the fun of self-motivating... Thank you to all you Tumblr people for your inspiration. So, SUMMER 2014 game plan: 1. The publication of ANOTHER article(s) out of material from my disssertation - especially the EXPANDED, DETAILED version of the other article I published 2. A book proposal out of my dissertation (not gonna lie, this is tough to get going on) 3. Applicable dissertation revisions (not gonna lie again - am probably not gonna revise anything until I have interest in the book) ***NEWS FLASH, YES, THE PROFESSOR USES "GONNA" AND OTHER SIMILAR TERMS*** 4. Grant applications 5. Fellowship applications 6. Award applications 7. Conference proposal submissions OTHER DETAILS TO HELP ALONG THE WAY 1. I am going to get a study buddy! 2. I am going to FINALLY hunker down and get those fun OXFORD grammar/usage rule updates that I love to learn. Yes, I am a dork. 3. I am going to count each day that I focus on all this, and this is DAY 1. How many days can I string together this summer? Before the ONSLAUGHT of the 2015 academic year...

[theditzyprofessor]

OK, not so productive now...

OK, so I've lost a little steam.  What I need to do now is revise the diss based on the feedback at my defense, and I am procrastinating!  I will give it a try....UGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[theditzyprofessor]

YES!

I am gettin' it done!

Updated CV as well as two conference abstracts and one journal article about to be submitted.

Altho...

Lots of sleeping, tv watching, and one new Donna Leon book also DONE -The Girl of My Dreams.  It was good, except that it was one of her stories where the ending offered less resolution than some others, like Death at La Fenice.  

[theditzyprofessor]

Can I get anything done in my apartment?

The question of the day: if I stay home, will I get any work done?  I am going to try...

[theditzyprofessor]

Just like Ross, I AM a doctor...

[theditzyprofessor]

New summer... new story... new challenge...

OK, so LAST SUMMER when I started this blog, I sought to write my dissertation and graduate this past May.

And I did it.  I am a DOCTOR. I have been so happy, so relieved, so shocked it's done.

Since I graduated two months ago, I have been luxuriating... My only work has been teaching a six-week online course with six students.  Other than that, I have been watching LOTS of TV and reading a bunch of non-academic books (three Donna DeLeon mysteries and counting) and getting PLENTY sleep.

And now... I am ready to GET BUSY again.  It turns out that my current job - at a college that shall remain nameless - isn't even giving me a raise, or any other form of recognition, in honor of my new degree.  I am a bit offended by this.  This job never paid well anyway, and I always knew I would need to move on, but this SEALS THE DEAL.

Last week, my online course ended, and I feel that it's time to get off my ass and get to work on my professional development.  Or whatever term to use for increasing my value in the workplace - so that I can happily get the hell OUTTA my current job and land a job that appreciates me.

So, SUMMER 2013 game plan:

1. The publication of article(s) out of material from my disssertation

2. A book proposal out of my dissertation

3. Applicable dissertation revisions

4. Grant applications

5. Fellowship applications

6. Award applications

7. Conference proposal submissions

Here I go. Here I go.  Here I go...

[theditzyprofessor]

[theditzyprofessor]

I am going to make it...

It's almost mid-term.  I'm up to page 50 on my diss revisions.  Only 100 more (!) to go before my Dec 5 deadline.  Which is also the last day of fall semester classes for me and my 70 students.  BTW that was a sentence fragment...aha, I've been grading too many papers, haven't I?!?!?!?!?  Wait, the one before that one was a fragment too...Clearly I need to be drinking more alcohol.................

[theditzyprofessor]

HOW?

72 students writing a million essays, needing a lot of time from me

110ish pages that I sent to my diss advisor, that came back from her, with LOTS of comments, needing my attention; manuscript needs to be re-submitted by December 5

WTF????!!!!!!!!!!!