Well, that was interesting
Sep. 4th, 2003 02:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiSo, the system was down for a couple of hours this morning for a directory rebuild (and don't let me get started on the idiocy of our backend admin taking a vacation on the first full week of classes, or his wrapped-around-his-finger boss (who is not my boss, for those wondering) letting him, even though he has no competent backup). And at 10, I was supposed to talk to class of grad students about using LL to teach. Since I couldn't get the faculty member coordinating the class on the phone, I had to head over there, and after I explained the situation, she asked if I could still chat with the students for a bit.
Surprisingly, I managed to speak and answer questions for forty minutes. It was a unique challenge. Having to describe the actions required without having the computer to demonstrate it on is something I thought would be nearly impossible, but it actually forced me to think of different ways of articulating some common concepts. It also was a nice chance to really hone some of my teaching skills. Much as I detest public speaking in the traditional lecture sense, I'm really good at the small seminar-style stuff, and it was nice to do it in setting that didn't require me to be at a computer. It reminded me of the Path Not Taken, which, had I taken it, would have me on the tenure track, teaching Marlowe to a bunch of attentive college students.
I don't regret this path one bit (especially given my knowledge of departmental politics and faculty salaries), but it's still nice to remember that there were other paths I could have taken. And years later, I can look back and know that I could have taken the other path, and still kicked ass. No whining and regretting that path; we all have paths, and making choices is what life's about. But knowing where those major paths forked is a nice way of maintaining some perspective.
Yeah, I'm rambling. That's what happens when it takes two hours of work interruptions to finish a post.
Surprisingly, I managed to speak and answer questions for forty minutes. It was a unique challenge. Having to describe the actions required without having the computer to demonstrate it on is something I thought would be nearly impossible, but it actually forced me to think of different ways of articulating some common concepts. It also was a nice chance to really hone some of my teaching skills. Much as I detest public speaking in the traditional lecture sense, I'm really good at the small seminar-style stuff, and it was nice to do it in setting that didn't require me to be at a computer. It reminded me of the Path Not Taken, which, had I taken it, would have me on the tenure track, teaching Marlowe to a bunch of attentive college students.
I don't regret this path one bit (especially given my knowledge of departmental politics and faculty salaries), but it's still nice to remember that there were other paths I could have taken. And years later, I can look back and know that I could have taken the other path, and still kicked ass. No whining and regretting that path; we all have paths, and making choices is what life's about. But knowing where those major paths forked is a nice way of maintaining some perspective.
Yeah, I'm rambling. That's what happens when it takes two hours of work interruptions to finish a post.