Textbooks

This weekend marked J's mother's big ALS walk and subsequent BBQ. More on that event at a later time, but, in summary, the weekend was packed. J and I had a lot to do in a little amount of time. Before heading out of town on Friday, J and I stopped by the college to pick-up copies of my syllabi, etc. I wanted this done so that it would be off my mind and I could focus on the ALS events. I seem to calm down when I know that I am more or less prepared for the first day of class (which, incidentally, is tomorrow).

It was wonderful being on campus. The grass was freshly cut, students meandered between buildings looking for their classes, and the scent of Fall was in the air. Although I was absent throughout the summer, I once again felt I was exactly where I belong. As challenging as teaching is for me, I think that it is a good for me. I feel comfortable at this particular school, understand my resources, and have made some good connections. As I crossed campus, I experienced mixed feelings of excitement and peace. I was oddly anxious for the coming quarter, but confident that it will go well.

When I reached the staff support center, my mindset shifted. As I glanced on the counter where the staff lays out our copies, I did not see mine. Darn! One more thing I needed to worry about throughout the weekend. When could I find some time to run to Kinko's? I am sick of paying for my own copies. Urgh! I checked the back office, as I had a large quantity of duplicates and sometimes they place large orders back there. They were nowhere to be found. Blast it! As I headed towards the exit, I noticed a counter of copies that are not usually there. Amongst the piles, I saw my orders.

Pleased with life once again, I went to my mailbox. I quickly scanned over several months' worth of fliers, memos, etc. Amongst the pile was a notice that there was a package for me behind the desk. I waited for the worker bee at the center to rifle through the deliveries until he found mine. As he searched, I thought to myself, "Hmm...wonder what it could be". Finally, he handed over the box. The return address indicated it was from a publisher. I threw it in the back of our car and J and I headed out of town. I decided not to worry about its contents until after we survived the weekend.

I finally opened the box this afternoon. Its contents? Shiny new textbooks. Exciting? Not so much. Full of useful information? Perhaps. The thing is that the books are not expected. As a matter of fact, they are not exactly wanted either. It appears that the good ol' sports in my department switched textbooks, but I did not receive a memo indicating the same. The truth is that I do not really have a preference regarding what book I use. I view the book as a supplement to the whole learning process. With that said, I realize that many students need their books as some sort safety device. They need my lectures to mirror what they read. During those times during which what I say deviates too much from the text they become anxious. This knowledge has led me to really tailor my lectures. The thing is that they are tailored to my old text -- not the one on the shelves at the student bookstore.

In the past, I think a situation like this would cause me to panic. I would stay up all night rewriting my materials for tomorrow. Afterall, I will have 120 students eagerly awaiting my arrival in the morning anxious to see if I will provide them the information that expect to learn -- the information they have undoubtedly glanced at while flipping through their books.

Instead of panicking, I am going to watch a movie. I am not going to worry about it. Things will work out. There is no point in being anxious. There is no point in being frustrated with the situation. Instead, I choose to laugh at it....