“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]