first day

Here we are: the first day! I'm pumped up with adrenaline but not well rested -- I thought that was just because I stayed up late last night talking with an old friend who's going through tough times -- and because my brain is buzzing with all the things I have to do today in order to be fully prepared. But then I remembered that I nearly always feel this way. Except usually my "first days" don't involve a whole lot of teaching. But grad classes are tricky -- you have 3 hours, but they haven't done any reading. So I've got a lecture/activity that still needs preparing.

I've got a whole list full of stuff I wish I could have done by today -- loading everything into WebCT, etc. But I'll have the necessary minimum ready: a xeroxed syllabus and my ideas.

Sometimes I feel like teaching days are endurance events: I have to manage my caffeine and food intake properly to keep my energy up -- my last class ends 11 hours from now. I know, it's nothing like dragging a canoe through the woods on your head (not my sort of game at all) but there are physical as well as mental components to succesfully completing the day.

And I miss reading everyone's blogs! I've been so busy I haven't been able to read or write. But tomorrow I'll get to catch up.