Freshmen
My students are panicking over their first paper, rough draft due Friday. It's funny, the concept of text-based writing is very simple to me, but seems to be a real brain-bender for them. "That's right! You're not writing what YOU think about Title IX, you're writing about these two jerks' articles, and which one was better supported!" I haven't said the "jerks" part yet, but it won't be long.
Today before class, one student, who apparently felt she could ask me things she couldn't ask other professors (I am so much less intimidating, even with my new hair) asked me What Happens When Professors Are Sick? Do you show up for class and they're just not there? Do they email you ahead of time and tell you not to come? Does a substitute come, like in high school? I told her the answer.
Later, one came up to me while I was wandering around class helping people with outlines, and asked if she could go to the bathroom. I was so astonished that it took me a moment to come up with the answer: yes. On Friday, a little bunch of guys told me that I look like the babysitter from that Olsen twins show, "Just the two of us" (I think that's what it's called. I've only seen it a time or two). A few days ago, a small group of girls informed me that they had all been under the impression that my hair was shorter and they wanted to know how I made it look short one day and longer the next.
These freshmen are wigging me out. But you know what wigs me out more? So far, from what I've seen, these kids and my Oklahoma jrs and srs are at about the same writing level. There's something to be said for that.
*Update*
In my last class, yet another girl asked if she could go to the bathroom! Astonishing! Should I make an announcement about this? That it's okay to go whenever you want, just slip out quietly and don't make a big show of it?
My students are panicking over their first paper, rough draft due Friday. It's funny, the concept of text-based writing is very simple to me, but seems to be a real brain-bender for them. "That's right! You're not writing what YOU think about Title IX, you're writing about these two jerks' articles, and which one was better supported!" I haven't said the "jerks" part yet, but it won't be long.
Today before class, one student, who apparently felt she could ask me things she couldn't ask other professors (I am so much less intimidating, even with my new hair) asked me What Happens When Professors Are Sick? Do you show up for class and they're just not there? Do they email you ahead of time and tell you not to come? Does a substitute come, like in high school? I told her the answer.
Later, one came up to me while I was wandering around class helping people with outlines, and asked if she could go to the bathroom. I was so astonished that it took me a moment to come up with the answer: yes. On Friday, a little bunch of guys told me that I look like the babysitter from that Olsen twins show, "Just the two of us" (I think that's what it's called. I've only seen it a time or two). A few days ago, a small group of girls informed me that they had all been under the impression that my hair was shorter and they wanted to know how I made it look short one day and longer the next.
These freshmen are wigging me out. But you know what wigs me out more? So far, from what I've seen, these kids and my Oklahoma jrs and srs are at about the same writing level. There's something to be said for that.
*Update*
In my last class, yet another girl asked if she could go to the bathroom! Astonishing! Should I make an announcement about this? That it's okay to go whenever you want, just slip out quietly and don't make a big show of it?
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