First Day

It was the first day of classes today. This is now my 21st year of teaching. The cycle continues as it always has.

Dramatic weather this morning, although it warmed in the afternoon. I hated wearing jeans, but I’ve never taught in shorts. For years now I always wear the same ‘outfit’: black jeans, t-shirt and shoes.

Here’s the room in which I teach my morning class, which has about 70 students. They looked young, and were very quiet (as the current generation often is). Many sat half way or further back until I chided them, at which point half moved to the front. I expect next lecture many will have moved closer to the front.

Some things never change, such as people selling posters at the start of semester. I remember this being an occurrence even 33 years ago when I first started University. I flipped through the selection and saw many eternal topics (Bob Marley, Star Wars, Superheroes) as well as some much more recent ones (Harry Styles, Fortnite, Stranger Things). There were also many people I didn’t recognize. Streamers maybe?

Coincidentally enough, one of the posters was Australian and over 30 years old! Do kids these days buy posters of bands their parents were into?

My afternoon lecture is taught in a bigger lecture center, and has 175+ students. They were much rowdier than the morning class, probably because it wasn’t so early in the morning 🙂

Here’s my office. I spend many hours in here each week, mostly accompanied by students looking for help. It’s fun, but tiring, and makes the time – and days – speed by.

21 years! How much longer will I be doing this?

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