Tuesday 31 May 2011

Important Announcement

At about 3pm today I finished my PGCE dissertation. I submitted it two hours later to my tutor. It was another two and a half hours before I was able to drink a beer: the longest it has ever been between submission and alcohol.

I have now rectified this.

The title is "Teaching Evolution to Diverse Groups of Students: Opportunities and Threats". It's the same as the abstract I've submitted for this year's SVP.

Sometimes my students think I have no idea how difficult it is to do coursework, to fit in everything they want to say within the confines of the word limit, and to cite their references correctly.

Even before I did this, I knew exactly how they felt. I have pulled all-nighters, fuelled by dry toast and tea (MSci project on Cetiosauriscus), and by Flavia hazelnut coffee and frosted Mini-Wheats (finishing up outstanding reports at Wash U). I've had 3,000-word, 7,500-word and 10,000-word limits, and the 3,000-word limits are the hardest to meet.

Normal service may resume on here...

6 comments:

  1. Major congratulations! It's quite an accomplishment to write a major piece of work while teaching at the same time. Good on you. :)

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  2. Add my congratulations to the pile!

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  3. Many congratulations! Hopefully I'll be able to buy you a well-deserved (if belated) congratulatory beer when I'm back in the UK in August...

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  4. Congratulations and best wishes. Your post reminded me of my first year of teaching while trying to complete my thesis. A lot of all-nighters, complete with a three-year-old in the house. Epic job, and best of luck for the future!

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  5. Very remiss of me not to post to thank you all so much for the congratulations. The rest of my portfolio went in on Tuesday evening, so that is it all done bar the moderation panel, and I'll know if I'm qualified or not by mid-July hopefully.

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