A side business in teaching

A concerned reader wrote to note that I have not blogged on any topics save “Ghost Ascension” since the first week of January, and wants to know if I am sick, or depressed, or experiencing some sort of existential crisis.

Nothing of the sort. By trade, I am in the IT business, but in the bad old days I was a graduate student in medieval history, until I realized that I was wasting the precious gift of life studying nonsensical gibberish about medieval gender roles with unemployed (and frequently unwashed) twentysomethings and quit. However, some acquaintances found out about this sordid chapter from my past, specifically some acquaintances who, due to a combination of chronic illness and scheduling troubles, were in desperate need of someone to teach a survey-level college course on Modern History (1789 – Present).

So I agreed to do it.

Five days before the course started.

With absolutely no preparation.

So I’ve been a little, uh, busy. Just a little bit.

In my defense, I should point out that with the New Year, I was looking for either a new hobby or a new girlfriend to amuse myself, and teaching pays better than both!

It’s actually going quite well – I already had a thorough grasp of the time period, and I have a good group of kids. I figured out I have to lecture twenty-six times until the end of the semester (and write four tests and eleven quizzes), and I’ve so far prepared ten of those lectures (and delivered four). That gives me a three-week cushion, and if I keep up my current pace I should be completely prepared for everything by the beginning of March. Then I can work on other things (such as writing fiction) again.

(Needless to say, “Ghost Ascension” will continue as scheduled! It’s gonna be a while before I finish editing “Nightfighter“, though.)

I have absolutely no desire for an academic career, and only a lunatic would try to get a graduate degree in any topic in the humanities these days. But I’m pleased to say that teaching a little bit on the side is a pleasant enough (and lucrative enough) sideline.

-JM