Month: September 2013

  • Assessing the First Paper…

    Since I’m going to be gone from Wed-Sun, and won’t have a lot of access to a “normal” computer, I think I’ll grade a few papers today – Yes, over the weekend (gasp!). I may just shoot for 10 papers, but I wouldn’t mind just assessing the papers of the students who showed up to writing conferences first. I’ve already seen & heard their papers, and maybe that could be their reward for having come in to speak with me.

    And speaking of writing conferences, I need to rethink that whole thing. Many students don’t show up, which is whatever it is, and the ones that do rarely know that they are 1. supposed to meet in my office (so we start out our talk with, “Oh, I didn’t know it was here” when it was on the sign-up sheet AND I said it in class), 2. supposed to bring a paper copy (they’ll often look at my computer, and I’ve started saying I don’t want to give my computer a virus from your USB… I mean, wait, I think they want me to say, “Oh, let me bring it up on my computer and print it off for you because you didn’t bother to do it” OR, even better, “Let me pop it up on my screen, and correct things, and then save it for you without you having to do a damn thing.” All this, again, after it states on the sign-up sheet that they are supposed to bring paper copies)… and 3. super early or super late for the conference. This last one says to me, “I signed up for a time, but that time doesn’t matter; I know you’ll be in your office, so I’m coming to see you when I want to.” Yeah. I should make it mandatory that they attend them AND put the stipulation on them that they won’t earn points unless they bring paper copies to my office on time. You are sick? Lose points. Can’t find my office? No points. I mean, we are preparing them for the “real world” and you have to read directions and know where the hell you are going in the real world. You don’t get to show up at the wrong courthouse for a hearing or hand in your taxes on paper to your Gma.

    Jeez louise.

  • English 120 Hidden Point.

    “Twerk” and “selfie” were added to the Oxford Online Dictionary recently.
    What do you think of this?
    Email me your thoughts (10+ sentences).
    This is due before this coming Saturday at midnight.

    p.s. This blog usually looks a lot nicer.

  • And this is why…

    When students skip class, and they ask me to catch them up, they are giving me more work. They skipped that hour – slept in or whatever – and now instead of giving themselves the “work” of finding out what we did on their own, I have more work.
    It doesn’t seem fair, and while I know life isn’t fair, I never asked my college instructors what we did. I just suffered the consequences of missing class.
    I know this generation isn’t my generation, but if I have to deal with their “new attitudes,” then they should have to live with my “old rules” of how classes run.

    No wonder I detest students who skip and ask me what we did.

  • Ew.

    My blog looks horrible now. Thanks Xanga 2.0?
    What the hell.