Semester almost over

I give my last in-class exam tomorrow, I hear the last presentations tomorrow, and then next week is exam week. I'm trying to quickly encumber the money for  the bee project but it's more complicated than I remembered it being. (Well, if worse comes to worse, I can do the project "backwards" - do the trips to count bee activity FIRST, then do the collections and identification later, after I've bought the stuff even if the fiscal year has ended).

I really want to start on this next week if at all possible. We've had a slow spring so hopefully there will be a longer period of flowering still - my plan is to do a bunch of the project in May and June, then in July and early August when it gets hot and dry, leave it, and then go back out later on (if we get enough rain) when the fall stuff starts flowering.

If this goes well I will have a publication and a presentation from it, and maybe a bigger future project depending on what I find.

***

I got my first-ever e-mail from a parent of a student today. But wait! It was the good kind of e-mail. It was thanking me (and other faculty, but the parent specifically referenced things I had done in my classes) for helping the student build up her confidence and getting her excited about learning again. (I smell "bad experience at another school"). It also contained a request for assistance with finding summer housing - which I may have been able to help with, as I could put her in touch with someone with apartments to rent.

(And the person in question is a good student, and someone we've talked about in faculty meetings as "We don't want to lose her to transferring to another school")

So it was good all around. And reassuring, given the upset student I had to deal with earlier this week, that I do occasionally do something good even if I don't immediately realize it.

It also made me happy to read such a positive and upbeat e-mail. The parent said they hoped God would bless me and while I know some faculty on this campus who would find that statement uncomfortable, it makes me happy and grateful. 

***

Tomorrow I totally need to whip that revised article into final shape and get it sent off. That's another goal I want to meet.

Well, I see it's not actually due in until August 15....wow. But I'm still going to try to get it done before this semester is officially over.