Plan, prepare and practice

but because of that, it is easy to say that I’ve done it!

that I got some rave reviews from some of my students who had a meeting with the faculty academic committee. Which is good because my first semester my reviews were decidedly mixed.

I have to figure out better systems, but I am starting to envision them a little better. Getting used to the culture at my fine institution was the first battle, I guess.

I’m still really worried about my shoulder :( but I just practiced for about 5 minutes and solved a problem in a little piece I was going over. It is amazing to me what a difference slight fingering changes can make in overall security. It also amazes me how good and quick a problem solver I am (in certain situations).

this never goes away. Tonight, as usual, I have a lot of work to get ready for tomorrow. I feel that I have let down one of my classes, which is perhaps better than last semester, when I often felt like I was letting all of them down. It is that class that I have tomorrow. I have to do some serious midway redesign things tonight. I’ve been reflecting on it, though, and it may turn out, well, ok.

There are also a lot of housekeeping things I need to get done before the end of the day tomorrow, too, particularly with the registrar. Both fixing problems from last semester (still!) and anticipating things for next.

I may feel better once I have a three-year contract. I’m pretty sure I’ll feel better starting a new year, also.

This is going to be another typical sleepless Thursday night. I thought that I might not have to teach tomorrow, and indeed no one would question it if I didn’t come in. I was roundly berated for coming in with obvious conjunctivitis, since it is often so contagious. However, the doctor confirmed that it is not the contagious kind and I needn’t worry. And I know that if I don’t go in it will be really hard to make up those classes.

So tonight, I have to
correct the first exams
correct the homework
log the homework,
listen to first two acts of Manon with the score
pick out a couple of scenes to discuss
see if I can discuss formal distinctions between Italian and French operas
listen to historical recording of Manon, see if that is good for show and tell
read Huebner
check to see if novel (Prévost) is at the library at work
put together lecture for 9:00
put together main points for 11:00

I can live through tomorrow, which represents week 5. Besides the two classes, I have to give two makeup finals from last semester. I think that after those are done I can really get all the paperwork from last semester done-finally!

Next week will be a little heavier, what with the makeup class I didn’t teach today, but I think I will be pretty prepared, and that is great. Next week = week six, and only four more weeks until spring break!

Whenever I read how homesick Girl in Curl is for SF, I feel for her, I really do. I, on the other hand, can’t wait to get away, and for somewhat similar reasons.

so I have to not only plan for this week but also for next week. I started doing the reading for Fridays GR class (in which there will be a test the second hour). I got ideas for at least two handouts (they like those) and even found a couple of things about which I’ve always been a little vague myself. I can’t believe I’m still filling in my own gaps in the survey.

I have a little list for tonight since I am feeling a little better motivated tonight. I have slept enough the past couple of days, for one thing. A lot of what I put on it is things from the GR class and grunt work having to do with scheduling, grading and getting materials to various students via email.

I also need to get some more of last semester’s papers together to give back. And to set up documents to record grades.

Tonight is another long night. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to cover in tomorrow’s class. It is actually too much, but I think that is good, since I’m much more worried about running out of material than having too much.

I have less of an idea for Friday’s seminar, but I’ve been thinking about it. I need to go over traditional components on early 19th century French opera—there seem to be some misconceptions about what the term “grand opera” means, i.e. someone in the class keeps conflating it with opera seria. I’m always a little tentative about claiming authority right away, but I’ve got to get rid of that pretty soon otherwise she’ll confuse other people.

Funny thing, I think I need to talk about Diderot in both classes for different reasons. That’s convenient, though. I also need to discuss the influence of tableaux vivants and other such visual influences on staging, and their connections to more “static” scenic structures. Oh, blah blah blah.

Housekeeping: go into school tonight, make copies of the rest of the opera reading, email it to everyone.
Xerox Schumann.
Email all items for SP to the new student and go over assignment.
Email assignments to the GR course.
Bring in own items to put on reserve.
Look for recordings of Coriolan, Pastorale, Concerto #4, Gluck Don Juan and Orfeo (Oh, I have that actually) and CPE Bach trio sonata.
Trade public library copy of Will for other copy and put on reserve.
Make up bibliography for SP and handout on Coriolan and handout on Beethoven cto.