Winter break is a wonderful time. If you're a younger grad student, it's a welcome respite from classes. If you're an older grad student or a postdoc, it's a welcome respite from hordes of undergrads. If you're pre-tenure faculty like myself, it's time to get back into all that work that you put off while teaching during the semester: doing research, writing papers, preparing for next semester's class, etc. My to-do list is a mile long. And above all, if you're an astronomer heading to the AAS Meeting next week, you're frantically doing last-minute calculations and polishing up your talk or poster.
The trouble is, my kids also have time off from school themselves. Now, if I had been on the ball, I might have been able to sign them up for winter break camp someplace, but my organizationals skills were all used up on other things during the semester. It almost would be easier if my kids were younger, because whatever day care set up I would have would probably be able to accommodate them.
And, of course, there's the question of why child care duties should always have to fall to me, the mom? Well, in my particular case, there's any number of factors that play into it, but one major point is that my husband has a "real" job where he can't work from home and has to use up valuable vacation time if he doesn't go in to work. On the other hand, my job is much more flexible: I can work where ever I like and no one keeps track of my vacation time. Hence, it's my problem if the kids aren't usefully occupied.
So, here's what we have been doing to keep the kids out of my hair while I try to get work done. There's been a lot of TV and video games, but I've been limiting their screen time to 2 hours a day. I insist that we go for a walk each day, no matter the weather. This keeps us all from going completely stir-crazy. We made each kid write a list of activities to do while I work to keep them out of my hair. Use of these lists has only been partially successful so far. There has been a lot of reading of books and playing with LEGOs. Not so much practicing of instruments or working on long-term school projects.
What do you do for childcare during school breaks? How do you keep your kids and yourself sane? Please share your ideas in the comments!
p.s. Best wishes to all WiA readers for a Happy New Year!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
AASWomen for December 21st, 2012
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of December 21, 2012
eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, and Nick Murphy
This week's issues:
Issue of December 21, 2012
eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, and Nick Murphy
This week's issues:
1. Bullying: How It Affects You
3. Spotlight on Careers - Request for Feedback on Interview Questions
4. An End-of-Semester (Check) List for Graduate Students
5. Childcare at January AAS meeting
7. Writing Unbiased Recommendation Letters
8. Pitch in to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff and Cuts to STEM!
9. The Hidden Giants (in response to "Where are all the Female Geniuses?")
11. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter
12. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Science is a girl thing
Any top ten list of affronts to women in science in 2012 would have to include the European Commission's tone deaf video effort purporting to encourage girls to enter science. The video that presented fashion models in a misguided marketing effort raised more than hackles and protest -- it stimulated a series of responses from women scientists and girls interested in science, which continue to stir the blogosphere. The cumulative impact of the marketing campaign gone awry reminds me of Neils Bohr's definition of a profound truth as one whose opposite is also a profound truth. An exclusionary presentation of women as fashion models pretending to be scientists has inspired a democratic outpouring of women scientists showing how much fun and accessible their work really is.
My favorite among these is this contest entry to the European Gender Summit meeting last month, commissioned by the European Science Foundation. I also recommend the Science Grrl website and Calendar and this video entry from Dartmouth graduate women.
How can we inspire more young women to enter science? We must change the perception that science is done by old white guys by showing girls more role models (not fashion models!). Videos are good, but so is in-person, as is done by women at my engineering school. The fields of astronomy and physics would be well served by promoting and rewarding such efforts. To all of you engaged in this work, thank you.
My favorite among these is this contest entry to the European Gender Summit meeting last month, commissioned by the European Science Foundation. I also recommend the Science Grrl website and Calendar and this video entry from Dartmouth graduate women.
How can we inspire more young women to enter science? We must change the perception that science is done by old white guys by showing girls more role models (not fashion models!). Videos are good, but so is in-person, as is done by women at my engineering school. The fields of astronomy and physics would be well served by promoting and rewarding such efforts. To all of you engaged in this work, thank you.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Invasion of Personal Space
Has this ever happened to you? You are attending a professional conference, like the AAS meeting, and presenting a poster on your work. Someone comes to talk to you, but they stand too close. They might even touch your arm or shoulder as they talk. They have invaded your personal space! First, a few things to keep in mind:
(1) We are not talking about groping. Groping is unwanted explicitly sexual touching. It is illegal and should be reported. You might want to check out this article.
(2) Keep in mind the distinction between “intentional” and “clueless” behavior with respect to personal space. Sometimes, the area in front of your poster is just not big enough. If your work is really interesting, it could attract a crowd. People might get too close in an effort to hear you or because someone behind them is inching forward.
(3) AAS meetings are not only professional occasions but, at times, social events. Acquaintances are made, flirtations happen, and sometimes long-term relationships ensue – my husband and I met at an AAS meeting. However, when discussing your poster you have the right to expect professional behavior. A professional colleague (someone who is not an old friend, a former office mate, a significant other, etc.) should limit their personal contact to a handshake.
 |
| Diagram of Edward T. Hall's personal reaction bubbles (1966), showing radius in feet |
(1) We are not talking about groping. Groping is unwanted explicitly sexual touching. It is illegal and should be reported. You might want to check out this article.
(2) Keep in mind the distinction between “intentional” and “clueless” behavior with respect to personal space. Sometimes, the area in front of your poster is just not big enough. If your work is really interesting, it could attract a crowd. People might get too close in an effort to hear you or because someone behind them is inching forward.
(3) AAS meetings are not only professional occasions but, at times, social events. Acquaintances are made, flirtations happen, and sometimes long-term relationships ensue – my husband and I met at an AAS meeting. However, when discussing your poster you have the right to expect professional behavior. A professional colleague (someone who is not an old friend, a former office mate, a significant other, etc.) should limit their personal contact to a handshake.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Spotlight on Careers - Request for Feedback on Interview Questions
Dear Readers,
In 2013-14, we plan to provide a series of ~50 blog posts highlighting the full range of career routes that astronomers pursue after their degree. Thank you to all our readers who provided great recommendations for people we should contact!
If you have additional recommendations, please email me at l-trouille [at] northwestern.edu with the person's name and email address. We are especially interested in highlighting women, but are open to all suggestions.
We are now in the process of compiling questions to ask our interviewees. We would greatly appreciate your feedback on these questions and additional questions you recommend we include.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Bullying: How It Affects You
Today’s guest post is from an anonymous contributor.
Joan Schmelz gave a wonderful talk at the Summer AAS in Anchorage, and I was so glad that a topic that certainly has impacted many people was on such prominent display. In fact, I almost wanted to email Joan and ask if she had heard about my experiences in particular, because it so well matched something I personally had gone through with a bully.
I am not sure if I am unique (I hope I am, but doubt it) in that I have had a chain of at least three bullies strung together in my young astronomy life. From a young hotshot professor who expected their new grad students to perform like postdocs, to a senior person in the field who took it as a personal affront (and went on a personal attack) when a student had a scientific disagreement with him/her, to a person going to my advisor and claiming that I was incompetent to do my own work without his/her having direct control over the science I was outputting. These incidents were daisy chained together: it seemed as if once I'd escaped one bully, another was waiting in the wings to take over. It got me asking many things, but firstly, was there something about me that attracted them to me as a target?
Joan Schmelz gave a wonderful talk at the Summer AAS in Anchorage, and I was so glad that a topic that certainly has impacted many people was on such prominent display. In fact, I almost wanted to email Joan and ask if she had heard about my experiences in particular, because it so well matched something I personally had gone through with a bully.
I am not sure if I am unique (I hope I am, but doubt it) in that I have had a chain of at least three bullies strung together in my young astronomy life. From a young hotshot professor who expected their new grad students to perform like postdocs, to a senior person in the field who took it as a personal affront (and went on a personal attack) when a student had a scientific disagreement with him/her, to a person going to my advisor and claiming that I was incompetent to do my own work without his/her having direct control over the science I was outputting. These incidents were daisy chained together: it seemed as if once I'd escaped one bully, another was waiting in the wings to take over. It got me asking many things, but firstly, was there something about me that attracted them to me as a target?
AASWomen for December 14, 2012
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of December 12, 2012
eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, amp; Nick Murphy
This week's issues:
Issue of December 12, 2012
eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, amp; Nick Murphy
This week's issues:
1. Planetary Graduate Program Clearinghouse
2. Salaries of Women in Science
3. Women in Astronomy Blogspot
4. Nature Takes on its Gender Trouble
6. Why do So Many Women Leave Science?
7. "Science: It's A Girl Thing" Parody Video: Woman Neuroscientists Respond
8. How to undo stereotypes that hinder women in science
9. Women in Science: The Voice of Experience
10. Where are all the Female Geniuses?
12. SPS Internships for Undergraduates: Applications due February 1
14. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter
15. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)