Work

A little more than a week ago, I got feedback from my advisor about chapter 5 of my dissertation and on Friday we conferenced over the phone. We decided that I do need to finish a complete draft with a conclusion and revised introduction and chapter five before I should apply for examination. That will definitely push my due date for the final submission into fall semester 2010-2011 (which they call semester 1 because they don't have fall in Trinidad). I've been thinking of it in terms of a textile metaphor. I think I could have pieced together what I have into a garment that would have held together down the runway of the defense, then hung on a mannequin in the library and not really touched again. If I want something that can be worn through multiple readings, much less something I can take apart and use as a pattern for my future work, then it will take more time. It is the thought of post-doctoral life, whatever kind of research and teaching that entails, that keeps me going when I really just want to be done.

I heard through the grapevine that the Ashgabat International School, which is located next to our housing compound is losing their “AP literature” teacher for next year. I couldn't resist emailing my resume to the director, who jumped at the idea of me teaching there. It does not look like they'll have any AP track students next year but the readings on the curricula for the Junior/Senior American/British literature classes are all old humanities friends. There are only a handful of students in each class. I'll be a local hire on the local pay scale but since I've been considering volunteering as a teacher it's still a win for me. Plus I'm so excited about the flexibility and the chance to get my feet wet with high school either for its own sake or a stepping stone to the college level.

I'll probably just do one, maybe two classes but another option would be to teach half time and send Ruth Anne to the school's 3-4 program. We're planning to go check it out. They're not sure who will be teaching that class next year though and the organization's preschool philosophy is a bit too results driven for my tastes. So our basic plan is still to keep her home for some Montessori with me, Russian with Mehri, and music/baking with Joe. The best part of the whole deal is probably that we do not have to make up our minds about preschool or teaching until August, when I'll be evaluating where I stand with the thesis again anyway. Whew, such a relief!