Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

Today I had to post the tide calendar month assignments for my 230pm class to bring on Wednesday. Prepared that far ahead, not bad. Actually I could give them the assignments for each meeting till the end of the term already, but I’ll save that for when I really have to seriously kill time in the classroom.

I also had to come in early to take all the activity sheets submitted yesterday from my pigeon box, before the department “officially” opened and people starting piling their requirements in there claiming to have done it late yesterday. I would have done it last night, but I had gone back to the office at past 9pm and my co-teacher who was also staying overnight in the Medical Instrumentation room was already waiting for me to accompany him to dinner.

Just two more were able to submit after I left yesterday, which means they suffer no deductions, not like those who submitted today. There was one bunch of students who didn’t follow instructions though and gave their reports in a brown envelope instead of a folder. It may have been because one of them submitted a diskette (with the pictures taken from her phone or a digital camera? I haven’t checked) but they could have just as easily secured that to the side of the folder.

Speaking of not knowing the instructions, yesterday the same student, who thought that he was going to get the waiver form on the day they were supposed to be passed, was in the department to pass his accomplished activity sheet. He was just going to hand me the paper without any folder. Third time’s the charm: he fails to heed the procedure I set one more time and I’ll have to intensely put him down.

Also, I suppose I have to make the submission criteria clear, because since Monday I have been getting requests for them to put forward their papers ahead of time, and just have the pictures to follow. Maybe I should say they’ll get bonuses for early handing in but will get deductions for incomplete forms anyway, so why bother?

Also, today some students from my 230pm class asked to clarify about the waiver form. How many times have I said in class that their field trip report will not be credited unless they submit their waiver forms? I also have to think of an alternative for the students who are staying in a dorm while their parents are abroad or are in the province, and thus have no guardian.

I think the last person to decide on an alternative project signed up yesterday; I haven’t checked all of those who didn’t go on the field trip; it’s their responsibility to complete their requirements. I had to reiterate that although the visual aids is the bulk of their grade, the written research that accompanies it completes their grade for that research.

Yesterday I also received an email the chairman sent to the entire department faculty about the visiting Japanese professor arriving tomorrow for a week’s worth of workshops and seminars. He said the Vice President for Academics has rejected the official substitution pay for those who will be taking part in the events instead of meeting their classes. That means that payment will have to be made by internal arrangement, and those who will be shelling out should just consider it as a small price to pay for their full-time status and the opportunity for professional growth. Yeah, that’s the way to go padding up their resumes.