A New Theory and a New Bus Stop
Nov. 30th, 2006 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebToday I went to a discussion group for advisers on the topic of advising theory. There's a little joke that sometimes you handle a situation in some way that is not covered by any of the prevailing theories, and so you have just created your own theory.
One adviser talked about how one meeting began with the student freaking out and getting more and more distraught until finally the adviser said "Time Out!" Then she started getting information from the student to assess specific problems (which turned out not to be insurmountable after all).
Another adviser said this reminded her of her toddler, who often gets to where he is just running around the house, not responding to having his name called or anything. You have to swat him on the diaper as he runs by to get his attention.
So the new theory created was entitled the "Whack-a-Mole" theory of advising. When a student pops up in your office, you just whack him! Obviously not suitable for most situations, but I was amused.
**
I got out of going to the gym today, so I got off the bus a couple stops early on the way home. I've gotten off one stop early before, but there are a lot of driveways into shopping center parking lots, so it seems kind of dangerous.
The stop I used today was at an intersection with a light, so I crossed both directions and walked down the sidewalk on the other side and it was actually quite pleasant and much safer. I got to one intersection the same time as the bus. The bus had turned off the road for the next stop after the one I used, then came back to the road a little further south, and that's where I met it. So I only lost the time between that stop and my usual stop (the next one). So I think I'll continue using this strategy to burn off some extra calories I don't need. At least before it gets all boiling hot again.
**
We had a high near 80 yesterday (26 C) and a low below freezing today. Prepare, my poor, defenseless readers on the US east coast, for some dang cold weather when this cold front gets to you guys.
One adviser talked about how one meeting began with the student freaking out and getting more and more distraught until finally the adviser said "Time Out!" Then she started getting information from the student to assess specific problems (which turned out not to be insurmountable after all).
Another adviser said this reminded her of her toddler, who often gets to where he is just running around the house, not responding to having his name called or anything. You have to swat him on the diaper as he runs by to get his attention.
So the new theory created was entitled the "Whack-a-Mole" theory of advising. When a student pops up in your office, you just whack him! Obviously not suitable for most situations, but I was amused.
**
I got out of going to the gym today, so I got off the bus a couple stops early on the way home. I've gotten off one stop early before, but there are a lot of driveways into shopping center parking lots, so it seems kind of dangerous.
The stop I used today was at an intersection with a light, so I crossed both directions and walked down the sidewalk on the other side and it was actually quite pleasant and much safer. I got to one intersection the same time as the bus. The bus had turned off the road for the next stop after the one I used, then came back to the road a little further south, and that's where I met it. So I only lost the time between that stop and my usual stop (the next one). So I think I'll continue using this strategy to burn off some extra calories I don't need. At least before it gets all boiling hot again.
**
We had a high near 80 yesterday (26 C) and a low below freezing today. Prepare, my poor, defenseless readers on the US east coast, for some dang cold weather when this cold front gets to you guys.