It’s the end of the university term…
And I need a good cry. So I listened to Mae’s This Time is the Last Time
SERIOUSLY.
No, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with my life right now, so it’s not out of being sad. I just have been so insanely busy it’s been absolute hell to try to juggle everything (my social media life with a full-time academic, teaching, research and consulting load). I finally had a 4-5 hour nap today to compensate for only having slept 3 hours in the last 48, and as I read Twitter, I felt I needed to get emotional stuff out of my system.
So, naturally, I blogged.
I completely understand my students when they tell me they are stressed with finals, term papers, their own jobs, etc. Trust me, I *do* understand them. And today has also been emotional for all sorts of reasons. They’re about to hand in their last paper of this course for me. I may not see them again (as some of them are moving to different countries, and graduating).
I’ve heard all sorts of positive feedback with regards to my teaching, from “I absolutely loved this course” to “I wish I could continue taking courses with you for the rest of my life” to “you inspire me”. It’s been hard to say goodbye to them.
I teach because I love it, not because I need to.
And knowing that one day, those amazing individuals will come back to me to say “Dr. Pacheco, can you write me a letter of reference” and being able to help them succeed in their careers is something that continues to inspire me to teach.
And the next semester starts on January 4th, 2011. Two courses next term, on top of my research and teaching.
I can’t wait 
Related posts:
- The 100th Anniversary of Hycroft Manor (University Women’s Club)
- The First Peoples House at University of Victoria
- The end of the term
- What college or university are you?
- Funding shortages, university presidents resigning, what else is coming?
I’m always a little surprised when students ask me for a reference letter because, as you know, we sessionals are the bottom of the academic totem pole (so I think “is this graduate school admissions or scholarship committee really going to care about a letter from me?”). But my students always say, “But *you* know me because you take the time to talk with students, get to know them,” so I guess that says something, doesn’t it?
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