A few weeks ago I posted about the ongoing crisis at the college where I've taught for nearly 14 years, one that almost certainly means my time as a full-time professor, which has always been my main source of income, is coming to an abrupt and unwelcome end. As I said then, that means I need work. (And I still very much need work. See the post in comments for more on that.) But I did want to say something positive: in the weeks since, I've had a lot of conversations with people, and I'm really touched by the generosity of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues -- some of whom I really haven't spoken to or interacted with in a decade or more -- who have reached out with opportunities, offers of conversations and advice, or just general support. And former students (14 years' worth!) have reached out, too, often to say how much my classes meant to them, which is so meaningful to me. Most of my classes are theoretical, or deal with soft skills; nothing I teach leads directly to a job (except in a few notable circumstances, of which I am very proud) and it's easy to think that whatever you're doing is forgettable. If my future doesn't include teaching undergraduates, it's also really good to know that my time wasn't wasted. I'm not the world's most outgoing person, and I have always tended to keep my social circle pretty small and manageable, and that combined with a life of a lot of transience (people moving in and out of the city, job changes, students graduating) means personal relationships have, for the most part, seemed fairly impermanent. So all of this interaction and kindness has meant a lot to me, and reminded me of the importance of reaching out to others, too, even when the voice in my head says it won't matter to them. Probably it will. So anyhow: Just wanted to say thanks. (And, I guess, that I still need to figure out this work situation! The board at King's has still not announced what the plan is after the semester ends in about five weeks, so everything is still extremely stressful and chaotic.)
Alissa...you should attend the EPA convention in Lancaster, PA in a few weeks. Good networking opportunities. https://epaconvention.com/
It has been so wonderful to get the chance to work with you these last few weeks, Alissa, and I look forward to doing much more so in the months ahead. Thank you for being so honest about your experiences; it's not easy to put yourself out there, but when you do, it inspires others to do the same.
I think about the things I learned in your classes seriously almost every week! Yours were without a doubt some of my favorite classes I took during my time at King's, and I always looked forward to listening to you teach! Thank you for everything!
Your classes have been some of my favorites! Thank you for everything you've done and best of luck during these uncertain times.
I so appreciated working with you at King’s! I’m sorry you are having to go through this; I know how much your students and work as a teacher means to you. You are an amazing human being and will continue to do many awesome things! 💙
I still talk about your postmodern philosophy and media class almost 10 years later. It was my favorite class at TKC. Thank you for all that you did for the students. I wish you all the best!
I’m so sorry to hear of this.
Commenting for reach
I just finished Salty and LOVED it. Thank you for such a wonderful book (and Erin Deward for a great audio narration).
Movie Critic at The New York Times
1yHere's the post: https://wilkinson.substack.com/p/a-thread-newsletterized