Shifting Gears

The weather shifted gears once again and we are plunging into winter with chilly temps, brisk winds, snow and ice.  I stay home on days like this … no need to tempt the trickster spirits that leap out to plague us – there are plenty of opportunities in warmer, dryer weather.  Others, however, they have the need to be someplace… else.  And so, I listen to the whine of their tires desperately trying to grasp onto traction that is rare on my hill, shifting gears and often getting pretty close to nowhere.

I (once again) live at the top of a little hill, and so yes, you have to go uphill both ways to get to my place.  I park my little car in the little alley and when I’m ready to leave, I just coast down to the street to the south.

Not going out today meant missing a class.  Now, the professor did mention that he didn’t expect to be here for class today and we should work on our projects … so I figured I could do that just as well at home.  I sat down at 1pm .. and got back up at 9pm.  I took a break for some soup around 7:30 .. but otherwise, I was pretty focused.  I’m impressed because I feel like hell … warmed over.  The cold lingers .. has taken residence in my head and enjoys pounding on the sides of my skull leaving me annoyed and dizzy every time I have to get up.  A good reason to stay at the desk and focused on my project.

I heard from another professor today letting me know that the draft I handed in for my final paper was just perfect .. yet another “A” added to my repetoire.  Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate that I’m doing well … I’m actually pretty amazed … but … I’d like some more critique.  I want to learn to be better at what I’m doing.  I want to learn.

It puts me in mind of my daughter coming home after school one day in 7th grade.  She handed me a paper to read.  I assumed she wanted me to critique it before giving it to her teacher the next day … so I told her that the paper was not up to the kind of quality work that we both knew she was capable of.  Then, silently, she handed me the very same paper – the one she had already handed in and it had been graded “A”.  She said “it doesn’t matter what I give my teachers anymore .. they just give me “A”s because they know I’m smart .. but I’m not learning anything”.

Now, this is not true for most of my professors – and I’ve had to work pretty hard learning new skills, and polishing up my writing and speaking skills.  My professors next semester are going to set some high standards for me .. and I am really looking forward to it.

I worked 8 hours today on this project because I know my professor trusts me to do my best and to expand my skills and knowledge.  And I trust him to be available with his expertise when I’m stuck .. and to ask me to take what I’ve already done and make it better.  Just as I trusted glenn yesterday to help me expand on that project.

I guess an 80% success rate with good professors this semester isn’t bad … and like I told my daughter a thousand annoying times … you have to take responsibility for your own learning when you don’t get what you hope for from the teacher – it’s just a matter of shifting to a different set of gears.