I hate breaking in a new supervisor.

I’ve been with this college as an adjunct for over five years – Lauren and Greg.

Greg really didn’t care.   He was on his way out anyway.   Lauren tried to be ‘attentive’ starting out, but she bowed for the most part after a couple of months.  Lauren had another job on the side and believe in less is more when it comes to emails.   The less email and contact she did, the happier she was.

Oddly, the happier I was too.
I know what I have to do.    I’m very much aware that I’m an adjunct and my job hangs on by a thread.  But, I’ve also been doing this for a really long time.   I guess… No.   I know I’ve developed an attitude.

Supervisors leave me alone.  I leave them alone.   Everyone is happy.

Cept, I got a new supervisor – Justine.

She’s new.
Probably been an adjunct for a little while, but this is the first position of power that she’s had.   Her boss and her boss’s boss are new.   I’m sure she has a need to impress.  I can fully understand.

Justine probably wants to be more than just an adjunct.   Got it.  Maybe she just has nothing else to do.  Whatever.

Well, on Saturday, Jason and I spent a lot of time harassing Prickets.  Somewhere between 9 and 12 hours.   I forget, but it was a really long time.   Most of that was spent walking.

When we got home, I really didn’t feel like checking the discussion board.   I did the work email, but not the discussion.

Six students posted on Saturday — the last day of discussion.

I didn’t answer any of them.
The old me, anorexic me, would have.  Providing that I would even have allowed myself out the door – which I wouldn’t.

We got back late.  Last day of the class… when they’re supposed to post at least by Wednesday…

Anyway, I actually allowed myself to be a little tired and wasn’t there to cater to students who don’t know how to follow directions.

Today – minutes ago – I got this message:

I wanted to reach out to you about the week 6 discussion report. You were in on 4 days, which was exemplary! The report also shows that you made 8 replies for a 73% response rate. What is one strategy you have successfully used in the past or that you would like to use this week to ensure that you are replying to 100% of student posts?

—   I see so much BS in this, it’s crazy.

This starts with an insincere compliment.
It is — not — exemplary to post on four days out of seven.
At least, it’s not for me.   If it is for her, she must have a really low threshold.

Then, the critique.   You’re not at 100%.

After, the ‘how can you make this better and not mess up again?’

This is exactly the format adjuncts are supposed to follow.
She didn’t quite follow the sandwich method as the last line should have also been an insincere compliment.

But, it’s close enough.

She’s not approaching me as a co-worker or even as a person.

Rather, I’m an irritant who made her look bad on some report that no one will remember next week.  All of the other weeks where I was 100% or over 100% doesn’t mean squat.

Instead of approaching me with – hey, what happened?   Are you doing okay?  – I get that bs.

That type of format is supposed to work on students and maybe it does.  Compliment – critique.   I use that myself.

But, I try to make sure the compliment is actually a compliment.   I take into account their previous participation.   Maybe something did happen to them.  I’m not going bust them for having an off week.

Actually, I tend to stay quiet for about a week and a half before approaching.   Never with a bs comment.

I guess I’m more holistic.   Approach the person, not the symptoms.

Anyway, she’ll probably find my reply a bit snippy.

—-

Well, I guess there are six people that I didn’t respond to.

Three of those posted on Saturday.
I was actually pretty busy on Saturday and didn’t get in until 1 am on Sunday.
That is pretty extraordinary for me to be out that late and away from the discussion boards for that long.

The other three posts appeared on Sunday and Monday.
That’s after the week ended.  I don’t know if those impact the report or not.

I’m not sure how a strategy would play into this situation outside posting on discussion posts after the week ends.

—  Have yet to hear back from here.
I know she got it.   We were swapping emails within minutes from each other.

Hopefully, I won’t hear from her again about this matter, but I probably will.
She better do her research before coming after me – for anything.   I’m not going to be cowed for any reason.

Idiot.