Banyuu inryoku no housoku
My former boss left our workplace about seven or so years ago, but acted as an unpaid consultant type, doing stuff here and there for us. Then she decided she didn't want to do the consulting gig anymore. Which is her choice, really, but the downside of this is that much of the work she did has now become the job of yours truly. Kind of like a Newtonian physics type deal. Stuff always falls downward, including work.
One of the things she did was an hour-long class for undergrad students. When I found out I was supposed to do this class in her place, I asked her if I could see her Powerpoint slides. About a week and a half later, she sent me and my current boss a rather huffy e-mail telling all of us off. Which, well, I can't really do anything about, but I really wish I could have seen those slides, because I have had to spend pretty much every spare moment I have had for the past two weeks preparing for this class from scratch.
So anyway, I'm fine, just very very busy. And I've shown some people what work I have so far, and I've been told it is probably more helpful and practical, if not quite as interesting, as the lecture my old boss gave.
And to my friends who teach formal classes on a regular basis, I have always thought you were cool, but now I think you are awesome.
4 comments:
Whew! Teaching well *is* hugely time-consuming to prepare. Good luck with the class. Luckily, from now on you'll have a base from which to work.
Finished yesterday. Poor turnout, decent response. The next one I have to do will be in fall, and yes, I will have a base from which to work.
I'm lucky that I've been able to use the same books for a number of years and can rely on the same lesson plans as I started with. Unfortunately, it makes each class VERY boring for ME!! Always going over the same points and making the same comments each time! Probably making the same (verbal) mistakes as well!
Just be glad that your lectures are in your native language!
(She was mean not letting you see her slides! You just wanted to get an idea of how/what she had lectured on! You weren't going to steal and use her slides!!)
Actually, the plan suggested by my co-worker was to recycle her slides ("remember the person who taught you this stuff six months ago? She was supposed to teach this class, but stuff came up. These cool slides are hers."). In Japanese, it would have been pretty clear that would be my intent when I asked to "see" them, and it would have been acceptable if I gave credit where credit was due. I'm thinking there's more going on than slides, and what I'm going through is collateral fallout.
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