*NEW* Winter Term

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Luna Lovegood's first Christmas at our house.
I have been saying for years (since I was hired at Miami U) that I would love a couple more weeks between the Fall and Spring semesters and wouldn't miss a week or two less in the summer. This year, I finally got my wish! January 2014 will be the first winter term at Miami. It is three weeks long and we don't start Spring semester until January 27th. I am not teaching during winter session this year, so I can spend those three weeks doing research, getting ready for next semester, and any other work that's hard to get done during the semester. I'm hoping that three weeks is short enough that I don't have my summer problem of squandering my time.  My daughter will be back in school on January 7th, so that will add structure to my day (driving her to school and picking her up). My strategy will be to set a schedule for myself each day to help stay focused. I also have a specific project to work on since I need to get some research done for a conference in March.  I am thinking about teaching an online course next winter session and am attending a workshop about online teaching in late January. I'm hoping it can be a productive AND relaxing month. For now though, it's time for more eating, reading, watching movies, watching TV, and shopping with my family.


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