in every situation there are always surprises.

first of all, happy holidays to all. i hope the xmas and new year went quite well. feliz año nuevo y espero que todo fuera bien para todos.

i came in a little early today (there are no classes but i thought i would get here around 8 because starting next week i teach every day at 730am) and had an unexpected visitor.

my schedule for next semester was fairly good: mwf- 730-1030 (3 50minute classes), break, 1330-1430. tu/th- 730-830, 9-1030, break, 1330-1430. i was teaching 5 classes for a total of 19 hours a week. last semester i only taught 5 classes, 15hours a week, and was not too stoked about the money i was making (hence the private lessons). last semester i had a lot of free time. what we do with our free time is often unproductive(professionally) and in this city, requires some sort of money. in other words, i was spending almost as much as i was making each month. not good.

thus, a bump of 4 hours would increase my salary a fair amount, and with the other private lessons i was giving, should have given me plenty of work while silently removing some free time. i was pleased for the most part because i would be giving a literature course and a media, culture & criticism course. smooth sailing.

upon my arrival at 8am or so, i walked into my new office (i now am on the opposite corner of the top floor with an office overlooking the green side of campus- two walls are actually floor to ceiling windows and glass; i also only share the office with one other person- my new supervisor j, who is from canada) and sat down to read for 20 minutes or so. ever since moving offices a few days ago, i have felt great because it seemed as if i were starting over again in some senses.

my surprise came around 9am when my buddy c came into the office. he is a coordinator of a class i thought i would be teaching next semester, but at the last minute i was offered something different. he was definitely supposed to be in a meeting (there is a faculty meeting for those full-time staff), so i thought he was playing hooky and wanted to go get a coffee or something.

he first asked my schedule for next semester, though he knew it (he also lives in the apt under me and we hang out fairly often on the weekends and during the week- we also go to the gym sometimes and we went to coffee shops in the mornings over xmas break to get work done- he is finishing his phd thesis). he then asked me if i wanted more hours.

ok, take a look at my schedule again. i teach 3 consecutive hours (2 diff classes) monday wednesday and friday. 3 hour break until 1330 when i teach another hour. tuesday is not as heavy. do i have space? sure. keep in mind i will also be working once a week or so giving 45 minutes of lecture to a college course (substituting for this same person), and also once a week i will be proctoring a toefl exam (3 hours, usually in the evening or on saturday mornings).

what time are the classes and when? 2 new classes, one new course(writing intensive), from 1030-1230 mwf. in other words, my new schedule would be from 730-1230 mon, wed, fri (3 different classes) and then one hour off and teach again from 1330-1430. 5 consecutive hours. i have never taught that much at once. i have only had 3 different preps (preparing 3 separate classes) once, back in 2000 in the o.c.(virginia that is). 6 more hours of teaching would give me 25 hours a week. not a lot compared to some schools in the usa, but for someone who worked only 15 one month ago, it feels like a lot.

so, what do you think i did? did i take the job? or, did i pass on it because it would overload my schedule, give me no break or preparation time during the day, and generally wear me out?

million dollar question

semester begins on monday. yeehaw