The thing about "we don't use syllabi in my department" guy is that I don't think that's even TRUE. I know the chair of the department in question slightly (from having served on committees with him) and he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who'd let that kind of wild disorganization reign in his department.
I'm contemplating calling the chair up, and without naming names (unless pressed to) saying, "Hey, are you aware you have a student telling people that syllabi aren't used in your department?"
I don't know. I guess this student is just my burden-for-the-semester. I occasionally get someone who is just difficult to work with, or lies to me, or doesn't do the work and then gets angry when they earn a low grade, or whatever.
(Edited to add: I e-mailed the chair my concerns, his return e-mail was: "Hahaha. We do indeed go by
syllabi. He was trying to pull a fast one. Don’t fall for it!" Yup, just as I thought.)
***
That said: youth group went much better last night. For one thing, I had quietly mentioned to the mother of one of the girls (and she is also apparently in loco parentis on the other one, at least on Wednesday nights) that I couldn't persuade them to stop texting.
So this week, as we were getting ready to disperse to our rooms, the mom very ostentatiously held out her hand to the girls. They kind of rolled their eyes but surrendered their cell phones.They also apologized to me for their behavior in the previous week (without being prompted to), so I guess they realize it was kind of a big deal*
And I got them to talk (well, a little) and even persuaded one of them to say the closing prayer, despite her protestations that she "didn't know how to" (Uh, that was the lesson the week before, when you were texting? Do I need to deliver it again?)
(*I think I've figured out some of my frustration with teens/young adults and cell phones: different expectations. If I had something like a smartphone or a Game Boy (do they still MAKE Game Boys?) or some other electronic toy, I'd assume that I wasn't supposed to be using it unless I was expressly told, "There's going to be a lull here, go ahead and fill the time with Angry Birds or whatever you want,**" but I think a lot of the teens/young adults who grew up with these kinds of gadgets assume that unless they are expressly told that they are NOT to use them, it's OK. Coupled with the belief that they're in that percentage of people who can multitask... Maybe I need to be even more explicit in the "it's not OK" instructions, at least in the classes where I've had to 'call' people on their uses of texting devices. (Then again: I thought I made it pretty dang clear, both in the syllabus and in my first-day-of-class discussion))
(** and I'd probably be more likely to pull out my knitting, if I had knitting with me. And arguably, simple knitting is less attention-sucking than video games or texting: I know I can even read with pretty good comprehension and knit at the same time. But I don't knit in meetings or stuff unless I'm specifically told, "Go ahead, it's fine" again because of the idea that I figure stuff I'm not expressly told is OK would be seen as rude.)
***
Precious little knitting time this week. Monday night I was mostly on the computer because there was Cleanup On Aisle Five for one of the Ravelry boards I moderate. (And that Cleanup was largely due to the actions of one individual, ugh). Tuesday I had an Education Committee meeting, last night was Youth Group...tonight I do have a little free time.
I'm considering starting a new "simple" pair of socks (perhaps using one of the patterns at the beginning of "Vintage Socks" (the simple socks with variations of wide ribbing). I want something easy and small to carry along with me tomorrow when I judge the state science fair. Especially since it might be stormy...one year they were threatening to send us all to the tornado shelters and the thought of sitting in a tornado shelter for who knows how long with nothing to occupy myself bothers me a bit.
I pulled out one of the skeins (yes, I bought several of the colorways) of the Van Gogh painting-inspired Opal yarn. (This one is based on the nighttime cafe scene - it's printed to stripe in the dominant colors in the painting. I also have the Starry Night one and the Sunflowers one).
I also want to start another shawl or shawlette. I do have the Oscilloscope shawl I'm still working on, and the Rosy-Fingered Dawn shall is kind of in permanent stall (because I look at it, think about picking it up again, and think about how complex it is and how much concentration it takes. Maybe I'll work on it this summer...) I have a free pattern off of Ravelry called "Mizzle" and some nice greyish-blue Smooshy for it (I figured since it's called Mizzle, the yarn needed to look like a rainy day). I also have a shawlette pattern (Oak leaf, or something like that) from a recent issue of KnitScene and some really pretty silk-blend yarn for that...I might start that one next, with the thought of it be a Spring Break project.
Because, this time next week, I'm going to be gearing up for Spring Break. Wow. I really, really need a break. Even if I need to do my taxes over break, even if I need to meet with my old graduate advisor (though that's about a GOOD thing...he's finally writing up a project I assisted on and I get to be a co-author). I've been promised a trip to a nice new tearoom in town, and I'll probably go to the Sewing Studio, and.... I don't know what else but I really need a break.
In a week plus a day, I'll be sitting in my compartment on a northbound train. (Oh, my. What book will I choose to read? Will I plan on finishing Bleak House, finally*? Will I take something totally new? I'll have to think about it.)
(*I really hope Mr. George and Phil Squod show up again. I kind of liked them. And I hope Mr. George's money problems get solved satisfactorily.)
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