A Tale of Two Meetings

In spite of the semi-pompous title, I don't really know how to write about this in an interesting, not pessimist way. Sigh...

A week ago I met with the chair of my department (who is new this year, but who has been chair before for a long period) and today I met with new hire (NH for the rest of the post), my "boss."

Last week's meeting was kind of perfunctory because I suspected its outcome: I have been assured full-time employment for next school year, albeit in a one-year contract. The chair said s/he will try to secure me a three year contract (which for my friends meant a pretty significant raise of 14K), but probably not for next Fall.

I used this meeting to introduce myself to new chair. We had met before and talked pretty often, since we taught in the same building and at the same time last Spring, but s/he didn't know too much about me. Then I made my requests, the most important of which would be not to teach five days a week next Fall (mostly because I am not being fairly compensated for the contact hours I teach). He immediately told me that he is in favor of changing to 3 days a week like they did for the main language of the department.

I also shared with the chair the literature class that I am going to teach next semester and I presented some ideas that I have for a new possible class and he was pretty enthusiastic about it.

Fast forward to this afternoon. It turns out that my strong suspicion was true: New Hire is the person responsible for the denial of my request to teach only four days a week.

Sigh...

And NH is pretty adamant about this issue -- s/he thinks the introductory intensive class should be taught 5 days a week.

Moreover, NH thinks that we should offer LESS literature classes because there aren't enough students to take them and that we're competing against each other.

Deeper sigh...

I was right in thinking (in my realistic pessimist way) that these literature classes that I'm getting to teach could be my first and my last. That's why they're such a treat. A window into a world that I will be prevented from being part of because I cannot (and probably will not ever) get a tenure track position.

And we always go back to this issue. It seems to be the central theme of my life right now. I wish it would just go away!! I wish I didn't need to feel so deeply torn apart by this (im)possibility in my life. Literally "shredded" by my need to have a paying job, whatever it is, and my desire to do research, to publish, to pursue academic passions.

In any case. It wasn't a bad meeting. We get along well, but it is very clear who is in the driver's seat -- the poor metaphor I've been using since NH got the job and I had to step aside.

OH... and there's more!! From next Fall on I will have to use the syllabi and program created by NH! NH sternly advised me against giving students many tests and quizzes (I cover 8 chapters of the language book, therefore I give 8 quizzes and 8 tests -- fair enough, no?). NH believes I should only give TWO exams and a final.

Because spending lots time grading, according to NH is NOT OK.

SERIOUSLY??? I will need to talk to lots of other language teachers before I can be convinced to subscribe to such a philosophy.

It sounds like a LAZY way of teaching that does a disservice to students. I think I'm being PAID to spend time grading. NH quickly calculated that with the number of evaluations I give I must spend over 50 hours a semester grading and was HORRIFIED.

Sigh... yeah, and I was horrified at NH's thinking. And I'm going to have to put up with it for who knows how long. Wish me luck!