On the Last Day of Classes

Today marks the last day of classes.  Even after thirteen years, I still feel slightly nervous on the first day of classes.  Twinges of nerves surface on the last day, too.

I teach public speaking.  If I view the semester metaphorically as an extremely lengthy speech that spans fifteen weeks, then the last class is the conclusion.  I want to get it right.

I want my students to recognize that even in a large university, someone knows them.  I want them to realize that I remember the challenges of being a student and that I appreciate their hard work.

Often, I walk out the classroom exhausted on the final day.  Except for the dozens of loose threads during finals week -- the last-minute emails, culminative assignments, uploading grades -- it's over.  Another semester is nearly finished.  It'll take a bit of time for this to sink in.

So in the interim, let me draw a picture for you (literally).


This signifies my victory.  See?  I'm emerging as the winner.  My arm is being raised in triumph.

And at this point, let me preemptively address the FAQ's:

Q:  Do you you have any formal training in art?
A:  Not so much.

Q:  How long did it take you to draw this picture?  
A:  Longer than it should have.

Q:  Don't you have anything better to do with your time?
A:  Not today.  It is the last day of classes, after all.

Q:  You wear such cute lime green pants.  Are you that fashionable in real life?
A:  Absolutely.

Q:  I'm curious.  Why is the semester depicted as a bald man?
A:  We'd have to dig more deeply into my subconscious to answer that one, I think.

Q:  You're don't have a very accurate sense of scale, do you?
A:  That's never been a particular strength of mine.  I guess heads really don't account for one-third of a person's height. 

Q:  What happened to the referee's one foot?
A:  Yeah, it's missing.  My best guess is that he's probably a pirate.  Peg leg, and all that.

Q:  If he's a pirate, then why doesn't he also have an eye patch?
A:  You bring up a good point.  I don't know.  Is this better?


Q:  Absolutely.
A:  You're welcome.

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7 comments

  1. LAST DAY for us too!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

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  2. Your art skills leave mine in the dust. (All I can manage are nude stick figures.) But I really love the idea of a pirate turning over a new leaf and starting over as a referee. In my head I'm coming up with additional story lines for your referee/former pirate. (Former co-workers kidnap his family as he's referee-ing and hold them hostage, forcing him to do one last bootleg operation to ensure their safety.)

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  3. Did I mention I only got four hours of sleep last night?

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  4. I don't think I can top Ami's comment (and I've only had about 4 hours as well), so I'll just say congratulations on making it to the end of the semester. :)

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  5. Thank you! (And get some sleep, lady!)

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  6. My drawings typically are nude stick figures, too, but I thought I'd bring some decency to the blog post. Keep it family-friendly, you know.

    Your extended story line is awesome. Never would have guessed you were running on four hours of sleep. :)

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