Eng. Comp. 101
Bravo Mr. Goldfine! You have succeeded! I bet you had no idea the task that lay ahead of you on that sunny autumn day in late august. This non-traditional student stepping tentatively into a time machine, backward in time 2+ decades, only to emerge into your classroom and being asked to blog, and write essays and stuff....eeek! well I've come away with some sense of .......hmmmm....a new appreciation I guess. I appreciate the old-fashioned ways, (which are truly gone, lesson #1). I appreciate consideration, (another disappearing quality in the classroom, lesson #2). I appreciate learning that I have to work extra hard and put out extra good work to earn positive feedback, (the hardest lesson so far). I am surprised that this course turned out to be a character building exercise for me, that has been the best part.
All Teachers are. I'm not trying to be profound, they just are. Sometimes they should be...and sometimes they shouldn't. I have studied the methods and attitudes of teachers more often than the class material! And you, Mr. Goldfine need a vacation! Please don't misunderstand me, I think you are definitely one of the better teachers I've had. I can actually say I learned some things in your class! I can't say the same for most. I see a glimmer of true caring for your students. It was once there and I think you want it to come back, but it's fading fast. It's time to take a sabbatical. a break, relax, chill! You try to convince your students that you're not picky, that you don't sweat the small stuff...uh-huh..... It's a lie! Take some time for yourself, the missus, and all those cute puppies that you love. You deserve it.
posted by Laura at 8:11 AM
1 Comments:
Aww, I'm not picky generally--really. The isearch is slightly different for reasons I went into in endless length, but, lord, if you think I'm picky, you ain't see nuthin'. Of course, the isearch is the last impression you get!
The only thing I feel picky about is writing (not citations, biblio formats and so on--that stuff doesn't interest me at all). But writing--details, personal connection, fresh thinking--there I'm picky.
As for caring, that's not a word I'd ever use or ever have used. This is a job, and I do what I do because I'm paid to do it. That truth sets a serious limit on how much I can be said to care. You don't want someone to care because they're paid to care, do you? No, of course not. I don't want to pretend that I'd teach you ENG 101 just because I cared and don't worry about paying me.
What I do care about is being decent to the people who have to have me as a teacher, to apply the golden rule as best I can, and to work as hard as I possibly can to help students writing. I do care about that writing.
But, students as individuals? I've worked with people who get all emotional about how much they 'care' and, frankly, I think they're creepy. Two former colleagues I can think of always had their hands on people's arms, shoulders, knees, hands, whatever--just showing they cared. Unh-unh, not in this day and age.
It's a boundary issue. You all are students, not friends, family, lovers. I care for students as students. If you fail, I worry about my having failed you as a teacher (I don't mean 'failed you' in the sense of assigning you the grade)--but I don't worry too much about the student having to take the course again and feeling down. I'd go crazy.
I do get deep-tired by the end of the semester and look forward to a break, but I sense you're telling me I need more--I need to stop working for a year or two and smell the roses. Well, sadly, good or bad, caring or not, work I must! Do give thought to ENG 162 if it ever comes up.
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