I'm at work this morning. There's very little going on. I just finished my round of chatting it up with the students and coaching them into getting their work done. It's nominally easy, this job. A typical day consists of sitting in front of a computer, occasionally assisting students either in lecture or in lab. I've gotten to where I can help the student with just about any class they're working on...when they're working. They putter around the internet quite frequently, much to my distress. Problem is, I have so little to do between helping students, I end up doing the same thing. It has developed into a nasty little habit, especially since I've independently finished every online class offered nearly two months ago. I do spend some time on assignments, such as writing up labs, but those have become few and far between. Left to my own devices, I inevitably end up puttering around with the rest of the students. It's a habit I have to break.
As a lifelong member of the ADD Fun Club, maintaining focus has always been a challenge for me. This morning, for example, I finished (and passed) the assessment for advanced MS Excel. Unlike some folks, I find certain aspects of Excel anything but boring, and I like playing around with the program. Once one gets into the real nitty-gritty of Excel, however, the fascination evaporates. XML, for example, is about as exciting as a soccer match between snails. With subject matter like that, I get bored and antsy quickly, so an online game makes for a nice halftime break. Problem is, that halftime break has a tendency to expand into an hour-long break.
I've had some successes during this gig based on hard work. I passed my certification exam in MS Word 2003 last week and just received my certificate in the mail. Passing the assessment this morning is just the first part of my preparation for the MS Ezcel certification, which I hope to take in a couple of weeks. Depending on how much longer my assignment lasts, I also plan to pick up certifications in PowerPoint and (could it be possible?) Access. However, these little achievements won't happen unless I get off my figurative butt and stop playing games.
From now on, if you see me online, you have my permission to harass me and tell me to get my ass back to work. I'll appreciate it.
Comments