Category Archives: teaching

I need a little Christmas right this very minute…

Posted on December 24, 2014 by rglw

By the end of the academic and calendar year, I am burnt out. I might be independently driven on most days, but as the end of semester to do list starts to pile up, and as people start decking their halls, I want to hide … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, everyday life, higher education, holidays, lessons learned, new year's eve, teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When first days and last days collide: back to school

Posted on September 4, 2014 by rglw

Summer is over and no matter how hard I try to conjure up corn on the cob, swimming with my littles, picking berries, lazy post-dinner walks, or getting some sun, those last days are fading. Every last bit of everything has … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, everyday life, higher education, lessons learned, personal, schools, summer, teaching, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The 100th post: Getting some perspective

Posted on August 22, 2014 by rglw

I finished a book this week–my third of the summer. In June, I tore through Memoirs of An Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. In July, it was Heartburn by Nora Ephron (oddly recommended by Matt Dicks’s delightful wife, Elysha). And earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, everyday life, personal, reading, teaching, thinking, writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What teaching taught me: 2013-2014 edition

Posted on May 23, 2014 by rglw

I posted my final grades in haste over a week ago, and save a few student emails about those grades, I am finished with the 2013-2014 school year. The year was a blur. The work goes from a high-speed car … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, everyday life, family, higher education, lessons learned, personal, productivity, research, sociology, students, teaching, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The social construction of grades

Posted on May 21, 2014 by rglw

At least once a semester I tell my students that grades do not matter. When I tell them that grades don’t matter, I am typically a little huffy about it. I recognize that it is a tough pill to swallow when we’re taught that … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, higher education, lessons learned, students, teaching, work | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Grading vortex

Posted on April 19, 2014 by rglw

No matter how well I plan and no matter how hard I work, there comes a point in every semester when I am overwhelmed with grading. All teachers experience that moment when they stare at The Pile of papers in front … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, higher education, procrastinating, productivity, students, teaching, Uncategorized, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tackling “Should I Go to Graduate School?” (Part deux)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by rglw

Last week I drafted a conversation between you and me if you asked me “Should I go to graduate school?” Thanks for reading (or for finding this post). I have to assume that I piqued your interest in graduate school … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, dissertation, grad school, higher education, lessons learned, research, sociology, teaching, tenure, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The one where I tackle: “Should I Go to Graduate School?” (Part one)

Posted on March 4, 2014 by rglw

Several former students have contacted me seeking letters of recommendation as they consider applying to graduate school, so I have been thinking about what I would say to them when we discuss their future plans. If you ask most grad students … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, grad school, higher education, lessons learned, personal, real talk, teaching, work | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Students are people, too: When you’re the professor and the therapist and the career counselor…

Posted on February 12, 2014 by rglw

Towards the end of last semester, a blog that I follow featured an essay entitled “I’m Your Professor Not Your Therapist.” In it, the author described feeling helpless and unprepared for dealing with students in crisis. The only advice offered … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, grad school, higher education, schools, students, teaching, work | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Taking your own professional advice is tough: on teaching

Posted on January 13, 2014 by rglw

This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve prepped plenty of new classes. Every time I do, though, I go through the same exercise. Where to start, what to include, what to exclude, how to structure the semester…. My desk starts to … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, education reform, higher education, lessons learned, procrastinating, productivity, schools, teaching, work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment