congrats, Solai!! that is simply excellent 
GWC is not for commutes alone, my friends. if it were, I’d be on 'cast 11 by now
I’m sad and happy. Happy that you have cut you commute but sad because it will mean no more meetups in Central Park.
Oh, I’ll be in the City from time to time…we will still meetup, don’t you worry. 
I managed to go back to work and not totally loose all GWC time. I have a 16 mile round trip to work, much better than the 100 miles a day I use to do.
Yippee!!
I learned to multitask. I can type a syllabus and post on GWC. 
What’s your secret? I’m still not done with my syllabi. UGH!
I have to do three. I had to cut down my GWC time. 
I now use it as a reward for doing my “homework”. The state mandates general areas of what we have to teach each term so I was not that creative. The student responsibilities was a bit inspired. I teach high school students so their first homework assignment is to get their parents to sign the form.
For syllabi, I just sit down one day and do it. It helps that I’m teaching a class that I’ve taught before, but there was still tweaking, contacting the library about reserves, etc.
I photocopied mine and all my other first day of class handouts
This discussion makes me so FRAKKING HAPPY I changed my major from El-Ed to Speech and Theatre…
Hey, I was a music composition major (have a master’s and doctorate in it) and I STILL have to teach. You think the arts pay? 
For syllabi, I just sit down one day and do it. It helps that I’m teaching a class that I’ve taught before, but there was still tweaking, contacting the library about reserves, etc.
I’ve also taught these classes before, but it’s been about five years since I did, so I’m tweaking a lot. The one that’s kicking my butt is the first semester of the freshman music theory class I’ll be teaching. There is just so much to cover! I’m being diligent, though, and trying to get all of it planned out in advance so that I don’t have that much work to do (other than grading–though they’re giving me a T.A. for this class, so guess who’s going to be doing my grading for me?) later on. The second year theory course should be easier because, being more advanced, I let them get away with less homework since their assignments will be a little more difficult and esoteric than the first year students’, who have a workbook. I also have a graduate level class which I have designed but still have to streamline a bit. But, since it’s a grad seminar I have a lot of leaway on it and can actually let the students have some input on what they would like to do as far as repertoire to study, etc. (though I’ve come up with my own list). I do have to put together a reading list, though. That will take me a while.
All right, enough whining. Back to work!
Heck no. That’s why I fix computers for a living!
My feeling is are you happy and do you have enough money. If you do you got a great job.
I always get notebooks so that my students never have a reason for not doing their work. I would say do you have a dime and sell them one. Since before school sales are good and the paper gets more expensive after the sales the 10 cent price is very good. This year I thought I missed the sales but tried anyway. The notebooks were all sold at the store. I asked anyway and the sales manager found 3 boxes for me. This year they only cost 5 cents each! Ok, I find some of the little things great.
That’s awesome! I know that teachers end up buying a lot of their own classroom stuff - which is completely sucky if you ask me. My family tries to help out - some of our rendezvousing friends collect school supplies for the needy during the summer months and I usually spend about $50 buying paper, pens, calculators, protractors, and the like. Hopefully that is taking the burden off a teacher somewhere!
wow! let me speak for teachers everywhere and say back at you with the awesome! I usually spend about $500 in August getting ready for the new school year. in a month in which I don’t get a paycheck. it’s a disease. and I’ve worked with teachers who tell me I’m “stupid” for doing it, and for spending time before school starts setting things up, but I just can’t help it. I get really excited about meeting my new class and planning new stuff to do with them. I’m one of those lucky people who loves her job. I look at it this way: the money I spend makes my job easier and more fun.
Thank you for your help.
My royalty check for 2006-07. And it was bigger (way bigger) than I expected. Couldn’t have come at a better time! Whoot!
So…
…I borrowed against my first fellowship payment in mid-September to get a new lap top AND an external hard drive with 1 TB of storage (more than I could ever use, but so cool to have, especially since I paid less than $200).
Happy day for Armando
Try not to spend it ALL in one place! You might need some other things like, you know, rent or food or something silly like that.
Where the frak did you get 1 TB for less than 200 bucks? I want one too!