I wish I had a dollar for ...

I wish I had a dollar for every time that someone this week has said how much I must miss going because of my students. Actually, the word "love" has been used in relation to teaching and leaving my students. Now while I pride myself on being a meticulous teacher, there are limits to what i will admit to in relation to leaving. Yes, it is hard to leave mid-semester. It is mucky and I do have a sense of unfinished business and a responsiblity to my students. At the same time, courses are currently designed in universities to be delivered in a generic way. Outcomes and course content are set. So, I'm happy with my replacement who brings more to my unit of teaching than can be encompassed within the sterile descriptions that currently represent what needs to be covered in a first year unit about literacy in a teacher education course.

moving out and moving on

This week back at work finds me in a state of transition. I've accepted a position at Central Queensland University as a senior lecturer. I'm very happy about the appointment and the new challenges that this will bring. At the same time, this presents the usual transition "problems" - packing up my office, packing up my home, arranging transportation of both my office and home contents -not to mention the carriage of my car and my beloved cat. the latter is paramount - dear old angie has managed various transitions from her former life as a feral kitten to fully fledged respectable cat in residence in Buninyong. I KNOW she will make the transition to cat in Rockhampton but it is all the stages in between that worry me (e.g. flight on qantas aeroplane to rockhampton). imagine travelling in the underbelly of a plane.

post conference

It's hard to settle down after AERA - was it the papers, meeting up with people, or just the thrill of being in San Franciso? What a conference!

My memorable moments? one has to be attending the annual meeting of the writing SIG and hearng Shirley Brice Heath. Another has to be the session - Research in the public interest: Scholars as Public Intellectuals. Another - a paper by Barbara Kamler and Pat Thompson, Doctoral writing: Pedagogies for work with literature.

My post conference mode has tackled early morning wake-ups, thinking about leads that could result in papers, and coping with post-SF cold symptoms. Despite the latter I am energised.

geary street

geary street
Originally uploaded by angie cat.

This is my favourite shot from the pics I took in San Franciso. It captures a painting of Robert Zimmerman in an art gallery and the reflection of Geary Street in the window of the gallery.

wet patch

Greetings from San Franciso. I'm here to attend the AERA conference and have just had a couple of days of R and R in downtown SF before starting the serious business of the visit. I'm here with my friend Robyn Brandenburg and we're staying at the Union Square Plaza Hotel which is just a couple of blocks from Union Square (or should I say Macey's?).

I have really enjoyed SF so far although it has rained every day. After a couple of wet and cold days i developed a cold - this has resulted in a total loss of voice. I am hopeful of being able to present at the conference tomorrow, however, I am taking it very very easy today. At the moment i'm sitting up in a little internet cafe - Johnny Cash playing in the background and good coffee at hand. Outside, all manner of people are doing their thing. Life could be worse.