Monday, April 06, 2009

Ranting, Raving

  1. Actually, the whole reason that I schedule library instruction on the freaking syllabus - taking a whole class period for it - is so that I can say things like "do a keyword search limited to books in the MLA database" and you will go do that without me having to teach you how to do it individually.
  2. Probably the day before the annotated bibliography is due is not the day to email me about how you have no clue how to use library databases.
  3. The whole point of the vote is that no, I will not be incorporating whole new proposals that are not well conceived into the fully developed proposal with my name on top of it that goes to the department. If you would like your half-brained idea to go to the department, you will need to do the actual, um, work. I will not be doing it.
  4. I hate people. This includes students and colleagues.
  5. I do not hate cats. Although I do find certain ones that I live with very annoying today.

7 comments:

Janice said...

I hear you on the annotated bibliography -- I'm finishing up marking a bunch in my majors' class and I'm horrified to find that most of them, despite explanation made in the class workshop, don't understand the difference between a lot of source types. It's all journal articles, all the time, except when they find a book in the database they normally use to find journal articles, and call it a journal article.

*headdesk*

Susan said...

Oh, we just had the library workshop today. My students assured me at the beginning of the semester that they didn't need one. Then they started trying to conceptualize a paper and find sources. They wanted a library workshop :)

My word is crones. The crones will tell the students that they must use the library properly.

Unknown said...

Student, meet reference librarian. Schedule an appointment with this helpful class of person for a refresher course in what you were already taught (but didn't learn) in the workshop.

I hate people, too. Especially if they are enrolled in my classes and typing words on paper for me to assess. Especially if those writers ask for special and privately negotiated privileges that other people in similar positions are not getting (because they alone are special).

~profgrrrrl~ said...

some days I hate people too.

Bardiac said...

I share your frustration.

It helps to remember that students need to practice at least three times before they can really use any library resource minimally. My class may be practice number 1, mostly. But sometimes, I'm practice number 2, and I count that a major win.

life_of_a_fool said...

I am having a similar day.

Tenured Radical said...

There, there, dear. You are in the grip of PTRS (Post-Tenure rage Syndrome).