I got my evals from last quarter this morning! Yay! I'm always a little hesitant to read them, and I was worried this time around because I felt really off my game in the fall because of the whole, "oh my god, I'm pregnant." And I am worried that this quarter's evals aren't going to be as good just because of the first part of the quarter and because I have a terrible class right now.

Anyway, I'm happy to say that they were great! The only negative comment this time around for the survey classes was that they don't like that I have a participation grade and that I make them talk because "some of us are just too shy." Well, get over it. Or take your C in participation. You don't have to participate. You only have to participate if you want an A or a B in participation. You get a C just for showing up every day. So I'm quite pleased. It has put me in a good mood. It's just really nice to have a series of great evals after having shitty ones at my last job and some good and some crappy ones in grad school. Which, duh, I hadn't really found myself as a teacher yet--and perhaps I hadn't found myself as a professor yet at my previous job, but I still have the same personality here as I did in those other places. However, here, it works in my favor. My students see my enthusiasm and fun with the material as evidence that I love the stuff and take it seriously, rather than before where my students thought it meant that I didn't take anything seriously. One comment was "She makes me want to read more." Wow! And I didn't have a single major in the survey courses at all last quarter! One student gave me an A++++. Anyway, it's just nice to feel like one is doing something valuable and productive, especially for non-majors.

The major class, last quarter's lit class, loved the idea of the notecards for discussion questions (a tip I learned from Dr. Crazy), and really felt that the relaxed atmosphere helped them to learn and participate more. So that's nice to hear, too.

Yesterday I accomplished very little. I graded 6 exams and read one short story. Then I took a 90 minute nap. After that I decided that I *must* need the rest. So I went and got ice cream in my pjs (you know, because the Magpie had to have ice cream), and the computer at the store was broken, so I couldn't pay for my ice cream so I got it free! Yay!

And today, I am tired. After teaching, meeting with a student, talking to a colleague, and eating lunch, I have only 30 minutes left to my office hours. Not enough time to get any grading done. I just have to rock 'n roll tomorrow with the grading while the students are taking their midterms. I did get up early this morning and cranked out some reading. I just did not feel like working out. I was going to go this afternoon, but I'm really really tired. I just want to make some peppermint tea, but on my pjs, and get even further ahead on my reading. That's all I want to do. The grading will get done. It has to get done. Therefore, it will get done.

So there it is. I'm tempted to set my alarm clock on my phone and put my head down on my desk and nap until it's time to go. In all fairness, I've been up since 4:30 and working since 5 am. I got three hours of reading in before I even had to teach (wow, it took me a long time to get through that stuff! Yikes!), so I've had a full day already. Sheesh.

I'm afraid the moment I sit on the couch to read that I'll be out for the count though.