Another Semester is in the Books

It's official! With the publication of this post, my last final of the semester has been administered and I only need to turn in grades in order to collect my last paycheck of the term at MSCC. I enjoy teaching, but this semester has been tough for many reasons. Needless to say, I'm ready to see the spring 2013 term of teaching in my rear view mirror!

The semester started with a blanket of snow. Here in Arkansas, when the sky spits any of the white stuff -- regardless of the amount -- people become stupid! They forget how to drive and dash for the market as if we are going to be trapped in our homes for 40 days and nights! Since we don't know how to handle the cold stuff, school was cancelled before we even got started. That's a tough situation to be in....behind schedule before you begin!

Around the same time, I was working very hard with the students at Union University to present the semester's first opera as part of the Benjamin Britten centennial celebration. I knew this was going to be a tough time, so I built calendars carefully to allow for the rehearsals and performances. What I didn't account for was the Union Plague that hit members of the cast during production week. I was blessed not to be hit with the nasty stomach virus, but I didn't feel well at all.  Classes were cancelled University wide while everyone tried to get back to health and the campus was scrubbed from floor to ceiling.

By late February, everything seemed to be back on track. Maybe I should say ALMOST everything was back on track. The most important part of my classroom was waffling -- the students. Each spring semester, I have concurrent students from area high schools enroll in my music appreciation course. Most classes have been very successful and a great experience. This year's batch of students did not fit that model. I found myself questioning why they were there. Finally I diagnosed the problem: intense senior-itis. These kids didn't understand why they had to come to my class on "senior skip days" or why my class was so hard! I listened to the whining, but quickly became immune.

The semester rolled on at Union as well and I was involved with two very successful student recitals as well as a trip to the regional NATS competition in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Once I played the last of these major events, I began to relax a little. I knew I only had to play a few scenes for opera workshop, a couple of departmental recitals, and student boards before the semester was over. Just when I thought everything was a-okay, I found myself fighting the stomach bug that had plagued the Union students earlier in the term. After a "rough" and restless night, I drove to Union (like the good collaborative pianist should) to play on the afternoon's departmental recital. I had felt nauseous during the entire drive, but thought things would be okay. I WAS WRONG! I stepped into the hall when a wave of sickness hit me and I thought I was going to pass out.....after making a massive mess in the hall! After a visit to the restroom to calm my stomach, I went to the music office and was able to get colleagues to play for my students. I certainly didn't want to be on stage at the moment. I feared the real show would not have been the beauty of the students' singing!

As the semester continued to wind down, I repeatedly found myself approached by students asking for extra credit work or to turn in assignments they had neglected earlier in the term. I think I heard every excuse in the book, but my favorite was from a high school senior who told me her scholarship for the fall was dependent upon her grade point average this semester. While I felt sorry for her, I did not feel as though her reasons for missing the assignments afforded her any extension. I guess I've just turned into a mean professor in my old age. Syllabi are distributed at the beginning of the course with all assignments listed with their corresponding due dates. Follow the syllabus, do the work, and come to class....you'll do just fine in my class! That's all it takes!

This has been a semester for the history books....and that's definitely where I'm planning to place it as soon as I can! Now I'm heading home to grade the final exams and post the scores so I can get on to a much needed vacation.....until summer term begins in a few weeks.  I'm just hoping for more focused students in that term!