Two years ago, I was unprepared for classes, working out of an office without furniture, getting a foreclosed house ready for my family, and worrying about life in SoCal. I have learned a lot over the past two years about my school, being a professional academic, living in a bankrupt state, and what I would tell others who were in my shoes. This week, I presented a little talk on being a new faculty member to this year's new faculty recruits. As I spoke, I realized that teaching is less important to me than the other stuff that I do. Mainly, I know that I will get my teaching done well, but it is easy to let other stuff slide, like grant applications, revising (my own) research papers quickly, doing the mindless paperwork, and thinking a couple of years ahead. It was a nice prompt to encourage a little self-reflection about what to do with my time.
So, what makes me different today from two years ago? I guess everything has resolved itself except for being prepared for classes. Why write a syllabus until an hour before class?
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