LY #141 Because I'm not dead wood . . .

There's a lovely song in Monty Python's Spamalot in which plague victims (and others during the reprise) sing about not being dead yet.  (For the St. Jude's congregation version, see here.)  Last year I was singing that song as I received word from my department chair of the time, Dr. Jon Bouknight, that I had passed my "not dead wood" evaluatory process.

This evaluation, a "Periodic Performance Review" is one performed on geezers who have been "fully promoted." It was instituted my final year on chairmoot.  It's an attempt by the school to make sure that the COCC family doesn't have folks on staff who "got tenure then retired."  I have attached the paperwork I received last May.  The two long lines are part of signature of the committee chair which, for privacy reasons, I've chosen to hide.  They are not the feelers of a bug I killed.  This is the paperwork which allowed me to sing along with the Idle tune,

"Oh, I'm not dead wood
and I'd really like to say
that I'm not dead wood
for I'm working every day
So I'm not dead wood:
here's proof that I'm worth my pay.
My colleagues seem to like me
and think I'm dead good."

LY #77: 1988 "Kake Gets Evaluated"

COCC Bookstore 1991 in Grandview

From the October 22, 1988 Bendnotes 3

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      Darla ___, doctorate in psych from Berkeley, ex-radical . . . with . . . a habit of touching you when she's speaking to you, attended my 1 o'clock Fundamentals class on 9/30, and my 12:30 t th Fundamentals class on 10/13.  After the Thursday class, we met down the hill at a coffee shop called the West Side Bakery.  

      When she attended my class, I introduced her and told them who she was, saying, "Now you get to see a real live tense public speaking evaluation."  I am very up front with my students about my position in the Biz -- if asked, I tell them my contract says "probationary".  I had told my T Th class that Darla would be there -- and boy, did they perform well.  On that day I was introducing the Public Speaking in Oregon project (my own idea ....) But the evaluations.  I had them write out on a piece of paper the finish of these two sentences:  "The in class evaluations were most useful when . . ."  "The in-class evaluations were not useful when . . . "*  Oh my, but they responded wonderfully!  they talked about how the evaluations were best when they were honest and included both good and bad, and not just good.  After each comment, I paraphrased.  Ah.  What a lovely class.  Lots of dialogue, lots of concern for the students.  They seemed comfortable with me.

      During our talk, the biggest advice Darla gave me was to sit down when I lectured -- that when I stood I talked too fast.  And that I should also relax, because when I am nervous I look awfully severe.

      When I shared this story with my class, I saw Rob, a large blond fellow smiling wikedly.  "Yes Rob?" I said.  "Nothing," he replied.  "Just a short joke."  "Yes?"  "I thought you were standing up!"

      That's how my students treat me.  They tease me.  

      So.  Darla seems to think I'm Okay.

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* By "in-class" evaluations I was talking about the oral feedback I used to have students give each other right after a round of speeches was finished.  I now have all feedback given in written form for three reasons:  1) a new speaker's quite literal inability to actually hear and process feedback given right after a performance 2)  the face-threatening nature of any honest critical practice and my need to keep the speech class a "safe" place 3) student reluctance to criticize other students.