In which I answer the question “What’s next?”, part 1

In about two weeks I will stand before my final class as a full time collegiate instructor and bid farewell to a 38-year teaching career.

When people find this out, there is an inevitable question, “What’s next?”, or a less efficient version, “What are you going to do?”

Not that there is a wildfire of burning interest about this topic out there. Most folks, I suspect, will shrug, and if they think anything at all, they will think, “Well, it’s about time.”

But just in case someone is the least curious, there is an efficient answer to “What are you going to do?” That answer is, “Pretty much what I am doing now.” With the following exceptions:

• Driving on Alcoa Highway an hour or more a day.
• Preparing courses for next semester.
• Wondering whether or not students are paying attention in class.
• Dealing with the university’s administrative absurdities.
• Evaluating student work — and being both disappointed and elated.
• Worrying about students meeting their deadlines.

That gives the dear reader a flavor of the exceptions to “pretty much what I am doing now.” But what am I doing now?

That will be for later posts.

Tags: administrative absurdities, college teaching, What's next