The 12 Days of Advent (for adjunct professors near the semester's end)

[revdorothyl]

In honor of the start of the Advent season today (and the end of my Thanksgiving break from teaching), I offer my version of "The First Twelve Days of Advent as an Adjunct Professor":

[11/28/04]
On the first day of Advent, my students came to me --
With a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[11/29/04]
On the second day of Advent, my students came to me --
With two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[11/30/04]
On the third day of Advent, my students came to me --
With three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/01/04]
On the fourth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/02/04]
On the fifth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/03/04]
On the sixth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/04/04]
On the seventh day of Advent, my students came to me --
With seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/05/04]
On the eighth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/06/04]
On the ninth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With nine pleas for lenience,
Eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/07/04]
On the tenth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With ten early flights home,
Nine pleas for lenience,
Eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/08/04]
On the eleventh day of Advent, my students came to me --
With eleven last-minute questions,
Ten early flights home,
Nine pleas for lenience,
Eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

[12/09/04]
On the twelfth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With twelve missing blue-books,
Eleven last-minute questions,
Ten early flights home,
Nine pleas for lenience,
Eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

Comments

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

With six grandmas dying

And I'm dying laughing!

I hope things go a bit better in RL than in your poem, but I've been married to a teacher for over 20 years and I know it's as accurate as it is funny!

[cindyamb.livejournal.com]

i choke sputter snerk

[keswindhover.livejournal.com]

On the twelfth day of Advent, my students came to me --
With twelve missing blue-books,
Eleven last-minute questions,
Ten early flights home,
Nine pleas for lenience,
Eight term paper re-writes,
Seven late assignments,
Six grandmas dying,
Five extra credit projects!
Four flu-like symptoms,
Three lame excuses,
Two urgent phone calls,
And a pile of papers, killing a tree.

Love it, Lori! All tutors should have this on their walls.

I'm printing this out

[klytaimnestra.livejournal.com]

Okay if I circulate it to my colleagues? It's wonderful.

[makd.livejournal.com]

Don't have to adjunct to find this funny! I'm a tenured full, and I'm laughing out loud here. May I have your permission to share this with colleagues, including crediting you, of course!

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

I love it! I, of course, look at things from s student prespectiveright now. ;)

Also, I haven't been commenting here lately, since summer, but I am reading all the time! ::hugs::

[http://users.livejournal.com/caraway_/]

Oh lordy, why do we put up with it. Just the same halfway across the world, and I'm getting in touch with my inner fascist.

[bimo.livejournal.com]

This is fabulous! :-)

And also a rather accurate description of the situation my significant other (English and Chemistry at a local vocational college) is in at the moment. So I'm forwarding right away...

[makd.livejournal.com]

6 grandmas dying!!! That's the one that I never, ever, get over.

And you know -- not just an adjunct thing! Multiply it by the number of classes you teach....

Last thing: the dead grandmother syndrome