Show's over (Jack Bog's Blog)

Yesterday saw my last class lectures for another academic year. Since late August, I stepped up to the podium 112 times, for a total of 182 hours, before a total of around 235 students.

That's a lot of tax talk, and a lot of odd-looking PowerPoint. Like this.

So now the theater goes dark for the summer, and most people think it's a four-month picnic for us academics, but for me, work continues -- just different kinds of work. First there are exams to prepare, and administer, and grade. Graduation hoopla to attend -- fun, yes, but after 20 years it's a little bit of a duty along with a party. My several professional writing projects go on all year long, and a large part of June and July will be taken with a serious revision of my book. Those months are also the time when I teach marathon bar exam review lectures in three cities. There are a few weeks in August where things hit a sort of lull, but a full 11 days before Labor Day, another crop of students arrives, and it's off the races again.

Still, the end of classes marks a time of transition to a new summer attitude, and that's a good thing. Away go the heavy Rockports that hold us up through the soggy depths of a Portland winter. Off come the button-down flannel shirts and long-sleeved polos. Out come the shorts and the sandals. The dog-eared seating charts by which I try to keep track of the students fall by the wayside. The 10-speed bike gets used a little more. The rose bushes get some attention. The home to-do list starts to get whittled down a bit. The pile of sweatshirts gets thinned out.

Cue the Beach Boys.

Comments (7)

Aw. Well, as you're enduring the graduation hoopla, remember that you're being enshrined in plenty of people's histories. There's currently a picture of you putting the thingamabob over my head at graduation on the counter in my parents' kitchen.

Posted by Linda | April 29, 2005 8:57 AM

Now, that makes it worthwhile.

Posted by Jack Bog | April 29, 2005 12:25 PM

I was in your first class at LC and thoroughly enjoyed it. That was pre-Power Point, of course, which meant fill up the blackboard, erase, and repeat. Then there was the end of class signoff: "Well, here's another hour gone by, and as usual I end up looking like a powdered donut." It's nice to have another cnace to say thanks!

LT Class of 1983

Posted by Lindsay Thompson | April 29, 2005 1:05 PM

Class of '98. My fondest memory is of Jack's Ronald Reagan salute.

Posted by Molly | April 29, 2005 3:09 PM

I feel the need to chime in, just because I think people can never receive enough praise. I've said this before, but Jack, you are definitely one of the best teachers (if not THE best) that I've ever had. Words that come to mind - preparation, enthusiasm, depth of knowledge, humor (can't emphasize that enough), approachability. Tax isn't my thang, but you certainly made it more than bearable. You rock.

Posted by raging red | April 29, 2005 4:20 PM

I never had the pleasure of taking a class from Jack, but he delivered one helluva entertaining bar review course. After just a few short hours with him, law students who couldn't even balance their penny jars would have signed up for a crack at the 704 regs. Well, not quite. But you get my point.

Posted by Scott R | April 29, 2005 5:26 PM

Prof. B. received my vote for the Leo Stevenson award. How many tax profs, or any profs for that matter, sing songs from the kids show "The Wiggles" during a tax lecture?

"Wake up Jeff, we need you for the show!"

Oh yeah, I learned a whole bunch of tax too.

Posted by Joe Blow, J.D. candidate, May '05 | April 30, 2005 12:59 PM

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Friday, April 29, 2005

Show's over

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