This is by far the worst part of teaching. I hate it. I don't like to judge people, but I like to do my job well. So as tempted as I am to write "Good job!" over and over, I always look for something to nitpick. Being nitpicked is the only way you can become a successful copyeditor. Every CE starts out the same way: You do what you think is a good job, then someone comes along and says, "No, you missed this and that, and you shouldn't have done that, and what does this even mean?" If you're a good copyeditor, you will turn eggplant with shame and apologize and commit those errors to memory, and then next time, you'll adopt the attitude of I'll show them! My work will be beyond reproach!
My students are all pretty good. Thoughtful, careful, serious. I'm trying to help them go to the next level. I really hope they're successful.
I have to decide by tomorrow whether to teach again next spring. It's a tough call.
PROS
Money
Resume building
Free course audits
CONS
Stress
Grading papers
Time drain
It was very nice to be asked back before the semester's even over. I figured the students would need to do their evaluations at the end before NYU could make a decision about me. After the very first class, I called Kirk, put on a teary voice, and said, "They fired me!" Kirk actually fell for it, maybe because I believed in my gut that I am not cut out for this. (Or perhaps I should quit all this and become an actress!)
Here's another complication to the teaching thing: I am trying to be a writer, too, and that's a huge strain on my time as well. At first it was a lark, hey, this class fits my schedule and it's free, why not? But then my very kind professor wrote me an e-mail and said I should keep at it. She actually suggested I consider a graduate writing program. I am flattered and flabbergasted. Could I possibly be that good? Is she just trying to get me to give NYU a zillion dollars (estimated cost of a grad degree)?
Speaking of my novel: stuck at 13 pages at the moment. I'd better get on that.
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