In the fall, following Teddi's departure as WASC Queen, Department Chair, and senior Honors teacher, the question arose of who would take over the senior Honors class. I had been set to take over the newly inaugurated freshman Honors class, but my love had always been the upper level classes and English/European lit. Knowing Yosh would make a great 1H teacher, I voiced my desire for the 4H’s.
June Tsuko, one of the reigning experts on seniors, also wanted the class. She had also made an unsuccessful bid to be elected Department Chair (and her defeat had been greeted with charges of sexism by many female members of the department). She is more than capable, able to take over either or both positions (DC and 4H) and succeed with it or them.
She came up empty on both attempts, however.
I was granted the 4 Honors position by Bruce Metcalf in late December, leaving only a month to prepare for the course (which was to be taught third and fourth term). In January, however, a glitch was found. Many of the students I had taught in English 3Honors last year were feeling less than enthusiastic about the amount of work they could foresee doing in another Walters class. They stated so to many of the returning students, and many of them refused to take the course.
Thus, in mid-January, Bruce, June, and I sat down for a pow-wow. The low English Four Honors enrollment was the main topic for discussion, and the only possible solution (save scrapping the Honors section altogether) was a combination 4/4H class. I was unhappy with this solution. Bruce and, so he claimed, Joan were more disturbed by the situation itself. If a non-combination Honors section could be taught, that would be best, Joan put forth, intimating that Bruce should possibly switch the teaching assignment. But there were no guarantees that the change in instructor would do the trick, and so June rejected the idea of switching for the sake of switching (and though she made no bones about wanting to teach the class, she was insulted by the idea that somehow she was an "easier teacher," one with lower expectations).
Nothing came of Joanne’s suggestion, but it did nothing to improve my image of nor respect for our fearful leader. My feeling was and is if she is dissatisfied with my work, she should come out and replace me (of course, scheduling comes under the auspices of the D.C., and I think she fears a grievance from me). And if she doesn’t have the guts to replace me, she should at least be making these statements to my face.
But she didn’t.
And I began teaching a combination class in February.
My only hope is that we won’t have to go through this next year (and we shouldn’t since this year’s crop of 3H’s don’t know me... don’t know how evil, cruel, mean, demanding, and tough I can be).
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