The first assignment was a success! The class came in looking tired this morning, but once it was time to read their autobiography book jackets out loud, they perked up (in fear, mostly, it seemed—but still). It took some prodding to get the first few volunteers, but once they got rolling, the pieces were fantastic! […]
Author: jess
Humiliation: Professor Style
Yesterday, after teaching, I spent $280 on a university parking pass. This morning, around 11 a.m., my friend Brian and I drove around for 25 minutes looking for an empty space, and never found one. Because we were going to be late to work at the university writing center, I finally said, “Screw it. We’ll […]
A Folder or a Binder: Lessons from the First Day
“They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.” This is what people say about spiders and crickets and, it turns out, freshman in college when one is about to begin teaching. On the Saturday before I started, I dealt with my oppressive anxiety by getting completely blitzed with three friends. After leaving the […]
I Will be Avoiding the Podium
My classroom is decidedly nice and easy to find. I visited it today, four days before classes begin, and found 20 matching chair/desk combinations on a lightly stained rug and a newly painted green accent wall along the back. There is a strategically placed clock and a TV and DVD player, and a view of […]
Considering Tweed Jackets: The Pre-Teaching Countdown
I am obsessing about my clothes. The navy top makes me look thin. Good, good, yes. But I feel like I should have a jacket. Or maybe the black jumper over a dress shirt? But the suit really does seem to lend an air of authority. It’s appalling, really. I start teaching in less than […]
Greetings From Santiago
Hello, I’m in Chile, which feels strange for some reason. Two days ago I got on a bus from Salta to Mendoza (19 hours) and then switched to one from Mendoza to Santiago (8 hours). Perhaps it’s because I spent more than a day on buses, but I feel like I left my apartment in […]
The Final Countdown
So, as most of you know, my friends Katie and Hillary have been here for the past week, and so I’ve not written a word. It was so lovely having people living in my apartment with me who speak English and find it as funny as I do that restaurants put ham in vegetarian dishes. […]
The Feet of a Newborn Orangutan
I walk in Buenos Aires, pretty much everywhere. I walk the two miles to school and back every day, I walk to the grocery store, and I walk to puppet shows. I walk around cemeteries and museums, and to bars. As such, my feet look like the feet of a very old—if small—orangutan who has […]
Drool
I take it back. All of it. The trash I talked about the food here is irrelevant now after eating at La Cabrera last night. I’d read about the restaurant before I came to Buenos Aires, and the recommendation was confirmed by my cousin Rachel, who spent some time here earlier this year. Apparently, the […]
Superpancho!
Where I grew up in New Jersey, there wasn’t a lot of ethnically diverse cuisine, but there were Italian restaurants every 50 feet, and almost all of them were good. As such, I never really opened a menu, because any decent Italian place serves ravioli, which has been my favorite meal since approximately age five. […]