Cycling through the spring staples

Crocuses on my quick jaunt up to the weir and back before my afternoon class. All online this week. I’m no longer a Union member (after more than 35 years in the union), so I’m obviously not striking, and I’m very concerned that students have suffered enough in the last two years. But I understand that others see that dilemma differently. Actually, it was the first two classes I’ve delivered on Collaborate (I’ve done plenty of other things on Collaborate…), and I already figured out a few things that make the experience work better for me and the students including breakout rooms and a shared whiteboard. However, I would much rather have been face to face as I have been otherwise this year. I realised once I’d finished that I had been extremely nervous about delivering online teaching. Quite odd after so many years of teaching experience.

Our second Dangerous Women book is launched in early March to coincide with international women’s day, and the publishers have a decent publicist on the job who is getting us some decent attention. This evening I have to choose an essay which will appear in one (serious) Scottish newspaper, the other (serious) Scottish newspaper having already nabbed the First Minister’s essay.