Did I say these posts were getting biweekly? Make that monthly at the rate I'm going! The reason for this is a phrase that's cropped up a lot recently: Peak Teach.
If late October is the calm before the storm, November is the storm. Projects are in full swing and students need feedback on their proposals, assignments are in for marking, new assignments are being set, and lots of "extra" lectures hit around this time (the one-off ethics sessions and practicals). Last week, I had nine hours of lectures, two of tutorials, and seven of project supervision. Plus marking. And everything else doesn't go away: I've put a grant proposal in to the DoT, examined a PhD at Sheffield, written my paper for CWUAAT 2016 (a last minute change from 3-page poster outline to 9-page full paper at the reviewers' invitation: a real boon, but a lot of work), had two new PhD students start, and one pass his transfer viva and head off to start fieldwork. And two students who need feedback on their theses by the end of the month.
Not that I'm complaining - it's all interesting stuff and it all moves things forwards - but the blog posts for the last month would all have been exactly the same. There's a little progress on lots of things, rather than big things getting steadily ticked off! But such are the rhythms of academic life, and I've long since learned to live with it. I keep my home diary clear, so I can actually rest when I'm not working or parenting, and new things have to wait for the end of term.
The next three weeks will be similar, so I daresay I'll be putting up a similar post in another three weeks for the merry old end of term! I'll see you then!
