Soon starts the gauntlet of summer teaching. My annual month of insanity! 12 credits, at least four research students, one month! This blog will go mostly dark for about five or six weeks – with an occasional blast.

Why do I do this to myself every summer?

When I took this job, it was kind of expected that I would teach during the summer in this intense way. Say what you want about our physics department, we have a “hard work” ethos. (I think this something we are going to have to fix in the future – especially for new faculty hires. Keep the hard work. Loose the insanity.)

But the problem is you get kind of addicted to 12 credits of summer teaching. Its fun! Its thrilling even! When the classes are live on campus, I am literally running from thing to thing. I feel like every moment of every day is needed whether its work or family. That is a great feeling.

The relationships you develop with the students are wonderful. It is intense because you have them for 2 hours of class everyday and 3 hours of lab every other day. That doesn’t even include all the emails, phone calls, review sessions, after-class-conversations, and office hours. The barriers break down. I am not longer Professor Wright, I am Matt. As a teacher – a professor – that wants to meet students where they are they, I couldn’t be happier. I literally had an Olympic athlete taking my class get up and throw a tomato at me! Don’t worry, I got him back with strawberries before the class ended.

This is great for teaching. Students feel they can ask me any question at any time. Our classes become more of a discussion, its active learning at its best!!! Not to mention all career mentoring options for students. And you get everyone from high school students to students coming back to college after a long time. It is WONDERFULLY dynamic.

Another reason I teach over the summer is for:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ CASH MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Long island ain’t cheap. The extra money we make over the summer is what we use to pay off our student loans. But after eight years, you start getting used to it and addicted to it. You start planning for it. Now you are stuck.

And somehow my partner in crime and I manage to find time to successfully mentor research students. FREAKIN NUTS! Needless to say, I will not be writing many blogs over the next few weeks. Enjoy the month of June!