Deans in pjs

Thought I would update you on my new teaching job.

1. The dean of my dept. lives in the same place as me - we've seen each other in pjs (and politely hurriedly passed each other in the hallway).
2. When I used a projector for teaching they had to turn on power to the entire building.
3. I can't tell what are the first and what are the last names of my students.
4. I can get dressed 15 minutes before class and run downstairs to teach.
5. At graduation many Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston songs were played.
6. I have to work with a fan sitting 1 ft away from my face (and sleep with 2 at night).
7. There seems to be only one chalk board eraser for the entire floor of classrooms.
8. Students wander in 40 minutes late.
9. They physically ousted the former academic dean a couple years ago (so I will be careful to not make too many waves).
10. I have difficulty understanding what they are saying.
11. Five thought ecology is the study of ground bark (and 2 changed their answer from the environment to ground bark).
12. They actually remembered what I taught them last week!

Teaching ecology - help!

Big news - I'm moving to Haiti for the fall to teach tropical ecology and bio labs at a small university.  Yikes!  I need help with what to teach - does anyone have a syllabus they can share?  Recommendations for text books?  The students can't afford books, but the dean said there are kindles for them to share and she'll buy me the text and kindle uploads.  Right now they copy the pertinent chapters from the books and share the copies.  I'll teach in exchange for room and board - no salary, so I'm trying to figure that part out.  Haiti's only botanical garden is there!  It's a coastal town!  They allow cats in the guest house!  I don't have to cook!  Check my facebook for the latest person I friended and you might be able to see her pics. I'll post more details on facebook when I get there (late Aug).

I join your ranks as anonymous poster of teaching conundrums.  All your posts will be a great resource as I figure this out!

Long belated check in

Hey all, I know that I've been really out of touch for a least a year now...maybe longer. I got out of the habit of checking this blog regularly and have just been busy trying to finish things off. Today I finally defended my thesis (successfully) and I have just minor edits to make to the dissertation before turning it in (my committee actually signed off on the final draft already). I'm finally done and will be leaving OSU in less than a month to go home to Chicago and figure out what to do next. I apologize for being out of touch and missing birthdays and other important news, I am going to try to get back into the habit of visiting the blog more often and keeping in touch. I hope all is well with everyone!

Dr. Abby!

Congratulations to Abby!!!

RIP Guaba

I said goodbye to Guaba this morning.  We buried him in the front yard.

Guaba baby pics

Oct. 1996 with a sibling.

I have nervous energy since tomorrow I leave for the field for 4 days, but Guaba's really lethargic and I can't do anything about it.  So I scanned his & Yoda's baby photos.  My housemate will keep him fed while I'm gone.  But next weekend might be the big decision.

Jan. 1997 when I adopted him.

With Grendel my iguana.

3 mon. old Yoda Oct. 1998.

First meeting.

Figuring out Yoda is ok to play with.

Guaba getting old

Guaba is getting old and has been sick since October.  He's really skinny, and has something growing in his sinus that we were keeping under control with antibiotic shots.  But the past week it's grown and is making his eye swell shut.  He still acts normal, just slower.  Just wanted to update everyone about little Guaba.