Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Memory problems

I'm a wee bit concerned about a newfound tendency to forget Important Things in my job.

Two recent cases: I had a student who was supposed to mail me an essay before Christmas (I'd given her an extension for legitimate reasons). Last week when I was sorting out paperwork and submitting grades, I realized I hadn't seen the essay. (I did have some very vague, internal nagging about this being an incorrect assumption.) I mentioned it to her in class last week, and she said that I'd sent her an email acknowledging that I got the essay. Indeed, I see that I did. Good god. I have no recollection of this, nor do I have a clue where the essay got to...

And just today: I sent an email to a student that I was trying to have moved from the waitlist to the class roster in my new class. It was turning out that she needed a form for various complicated reasons. I let her know this, and emailed something like "you'd better get on this right away..." She called me back and reminded me that she had, in fact, been in to talk to me about this and had me sign the form last week. Which I now remember. But sheesh.

I am just chalking this up to more discombobulation than I realized about my breakup and move. But it makes me a little nervous. How could I have let things get so far away from me?

2 comments:

Margaret said...

Don't be too hard on yourself, Hilaire. Clearly this is just a temporary symptom of all the upheaval in your life. The fact that on all fronts you're managing so well --doing your job, being adored by your students, settling in-- these two minor lapses should mean exactly nothing.

I mean, think about it-- you COULD be acting all Britney Spears-like right now: acting like a drunken idiot and flashing the world your lady parts. But you're not. I'd say you're doing just fine!

Hilaire said...

Maggie, you're quite right. Actually, you've just made me feel a whole lot better...honestly, when I think of what I *could* be doing, I'm really quite alright. Though I have had some whacked thoughts lately - though at least not doing anything about them...or even sharing them with anyone!!