The Cookie Professor

I have a bit of a reputation around the local teaching community, nothing bad, just something I've always done and now feel like I have to live up to. On the last day of class, I bring in homemade cookies. (Last year, when I had a Saturday morning class, I brought in coffee and donuts -- and, no, I didn't make the donuts.) This year I have classes ending on two subsequent days, one tomorrow and one on Wednesday. I'm making two different types of cookies, and I'll take both into both classes. This treat for my students may seem like a crazy thing to do -- or at least above and beyond my duties -- and maybe it is. But I am a frustrated baker, with no one at home to eat treats. I would never make cookies when I'm home alone. I have little self-restraint and am afraid to be alone with baked goods. Now that I'm on the military base, I especially enjoy taking treats. These guys and gals miss home, and I can give them a little taste of that.

Today my students are driving me crazy. They've given me a headache with all of their questions, but in truth I probably would have had a headache anyway. I get headaches a lot and tend to blame them on whatever source of stress I'm dealing with on that particular day. Today it just happens to be students panicking about whether they have all their work turned in, what their research paper grades are (the essays were due at midnight last night, and I haven't graded a single one), and what we're doing in the last class session. I know the point of this last question is so they can weigh the risks/benefits ratio (new lingo I've learned in this teaching environment) of skipping the last night of class. I have a full night planned for both classes. Plus, if they miss class, they'll miss cookies.