Things being a teacher taught me about being a student.

I'm one semester back into academic pursuits, and I have to be honest. It's hard. But I feel like I'm a much better student than I've ever been before. Some of that I feel like I owe to the fact that I spent 3 years on the other side of higher education, trudging through the trenches of freshmen composition. Now being back to the studious side, I've been thinking a lot about how being a teacher for 3 years has influenced my behavior/beliefs/feelings about being a student.

1. There is a point to that assignment, even if you don't think there is. Sometimes, instructors will assign what students think of as "busy work", when in fact, there is actually a point to it. Just because it's not immediately apparent to a student doesn't mean there isn't a valuable lesson or important information to be gleaned from it.

2. Packing up your bag a leaving while someone is still talking is about the rudest thing in the world. I have to admit, I was guilty of this. As soon as it seemed like a class was starting to wrap up, I would start putting away my books and notebooks, put my jacket on, whatever. When one person does it, it's not so bad. When one person starts to do it and then 20-30 other people do too, it's deafening. It's even worse even people start standing up and pushing it chairs or heading to the door. SIT YOUR ASS DOWN. You can leave when the instructor says you can leave.

2.5 Instructors need to do their damnedest to get students out on time. I know 50 minutes can be a super short time period. It can seem almost negligible when an instructor is covering something really important. However, instructors need to be aware that students often have things scheduled back to back, and that 10 minutes between classes is needed to get from one side of campus to another for class, work, meeting, etc. So if I get up after you've already gone 10 minutes past the designated end time, it's not because you're not interesting. It's because I need to be in a meeting pretty much now.

3. If an instructor gives you the option of turning an assignment in early and getting feedback before submitting a final draft, DO IT. If you don't, you're a moron. Your instructor is offering to take very valuable time out of his/her day to read and respond to your work. To tell you exactly where your project/paper does not meet the assignment requirements, where you can improve, or if they're looking for something else. Why would you not do this? It just boggles my mind. The instructor is basically saying, "Turn something in and I'll tell you how to get an A." If you don't do this, and then complain later about not understanding why you got the grade you did, you're an even bigger moron than I thought.

4. In the classroom, the instructor's word is law. You don't always have to like what your teachers tell you to do. But you still have to do it. Their classroom, their rules. Don't like it? Drop the class. Can't drop the course? Suck it up and start acting like the adult you're supposed to be.

5. As hard as it can be sometimes, you need to be patient waiting for graded assignments to come back (unless it's completely unreasonable. It was not uncommon when I was teaching for me to hear students ask the class period after they turned in a major assignment if I'd finished grading them yet. Um. NO. Grading is hard work. And if an instructor does it right, it takes time. Especially with major assignments, or subjective assignments like writing or reports, where there aren't necessarily "right" answers. I always tried to get papers turned back to students within one week of submission. But when you're teaching 4 classes, of 20 students each, and they all turn in 10 page papers on one day? That's a lot of grading. And you can only grade so much in one day before you have to stop or risk doing a disservice to your student or being unfair. So yes, as students we are eager to get our grades back, especially at the end of a term. And as teachers, we're eager to give them back. (Trust me. The thought of dragging grading out longer than necessary is torturous.)

6. It's alright to ask for clarification of why you received a certain grade on an assignment or for the course. It is not alright to be a whiny little bitch. Sometimes, instructors make calculation errors. Sometimes, they overlook things. And sometimes, a grade gets entered incorrectly. Sometimes though, you're wrong, and you did deserve the grade you got, and you'll have to accept that. If you go talk to an instructor about a grade concern you should address as simply that: A concern about your grade. Not a You-Better-Give-Me-The-Grade-I-Want regardless of whether you've earned it. I know from my own experience that after a conversation with a student during which there has not been a mistake or misunderstanding but the student simply earned a poor grade, but the student came to me calmly, discussed the problem openly and without assigning blame or being a drama queen, I am often much more willing to work with said student to allow him/her to redo the assignment, do a make-up assignment, or something else to allow the student to recoup some of the lost points. But if you go into an instructor's office, guns blazing, screaming and pissed and acting like a petty, entitled little prick: Good luck getting that instructor to ever, EVER be willing to work with you again. EVER. You'd better hope you don't have to have that instructor in class again. Because he/she will remember you.

7. Most instructors really do want to facilitate your learning process, so if they ask for your input on any part of the classroom experience, they really do want it. I used to do this in some ways. I taught writing, and as part of the writing process, for every major essay, students' papers went through a peer review process. At the beginning of the semster I would often do an informal discussion about their peer review experiences in the past. What did they like/dislike? What kind of peer review had they tried (verbal, written, group, anonymous, etc.)? I would take their responses and experience in to account, and try to do a variety of types to include ones that have worked well for a majority of the class or ones they had not been exposed to before. But guess what? If you don't answer the question, then your preferences don't matter. Generally, your instructors want you to succeed, and they want to do whatever they can, in and outside the classroom, to get you where you want to be. Be willing to collaborate a little to get yourself there.

Man I'm on a roll. This blog could probably go on forever, because there are so many things I really should have known when I was doing my BA (and to some extent, my MA). But it's getting late and this is already pretty long. So TBC, maybe. G'night folks. Happy studying for those in or getting ready for finals. And happy grading for those of you about to collect 80-120 papers in one week. Cheers!

Why am I still awake at this hour? Because I'm poor 24/7.

I realize it's been quite a while since I last posted. Honestly, I haven't got a whole lot to say now. It's 3:23 AM here in Chambana, and I am still at work. Yep. An overnight shift until 4 AM. Oh, the fun of grad school.

Classes will be winding down in the next 2 weeks. I am about halfway done with my final 2 projects, and I have one final exam next week. This semester feels like it has flown by. I'm ready for Christmas and to spend a whole month with the hubby and the dog all under one roof.

Would you believe that at 3:25 AM, there are still people in the library studying? That's dedication. It's amazing. Sure, compared the size of the undergraduate population here (about 30,000), there is an abysmally small percentage still here. But the fact remains that there are people here, still checking out reserve movies, laptops, and headphones. Pulling an all-nighter. I don't think I ever did that once as an undergrad or as a grad the first time around. Crazy people. I freakin' love sleeping way too much. But I suppose when the offer to pay you $20 an hour to work an overnight supervision shift, money talks. And hear I am, listening to the sounds of shifting in the library at 3:30 AM.

There's not a lot of excitement in my life to share with anyone who actually visits this site. My bro got married. My BFF is getting married. My dog still occasionally craps in the house. What can I say? I lead an exciting life. Maybe once the semester ends, I can concentrate some time on deeper thoughts and write some blogs with substance. Maybe I'll just write blogs about how much I love unicorns and rainbows. Either way, it's probably going to be entertaining to me. Maybe not so much to the rest of you.

I'm going to go swig some caffeine before I can't even make the walk to my car in half an hour.

Things I really, really want to eat.

Living in Champaign is pretty sweet, to be honest. I love being at the University, and I love the town. It's small, but big enough. The only problem? When the hubby and I divvied up the small appliances, I had to make some sacrifices. So, just to give myself an outlet, here are some things I haven't eaten in 2 months because I lack the necessary equipment, the money to go out to eat, and the funds to purchase the needed appliances:

1. waffles (no waffle iron)
2. onion rings (no fryer)
3. hamburgers (no grill, even a Foreman, and I don't want to bake them in the oven)
4. microwave dinners (no microwave. And I am not baking them in the oven for 45 minutes)
5. limited leftovers (Why is it so hard to reheat meatloaf?)

So pity me, friends, as I haven't had a waffle in 2 months. And I love waffles. I'd almost buy a waffle iron over a microwave right now because someone on the radio was talking about waffles earlier, and it damn neared caused a car accident. Maybe I need to suck it up and go to IHOP. Maybe my hubby needs to make me breakfast in bed the next time I'm home. Maybe both? Yeah. Both sounds good.

Enjoy your small appliances, friends. You'll never realize how much you use them until can't.

Banned Books Week: Harry Potter

It should come as no shock that Harry Potter has been challenged in the years following the original publication of the first novels, and even more as subsequent novels were published. Nor should it come as a shock that it is one my favorite reads of all time. And if any of my friends who read this blog haven't read Harry Potter, then maybe we need to rethink our friendship.

Most of my friends know that one of the worst things they can do is get me started on Harry Potter, because I love it So. Damn. Much. There is just so much about these novels that is amazing. I really can't get started because I'll never stop. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how complete a world J.K. Rowling created; the world she created and the detail she's considered about things that never even appear in the novel. If you don't believe me, check out the Harry Potter Lexicon.

In the years that the novels were challenged, the largest voice has come from Christian parents who feel that the books promote occultism and paganism. The concerns aren't unfounded. Harry Potter exists in a world where wizards can do things that, in Christianity, only God and Jesus can. However, as I said with Call of Wild, the responsibility of educating children about the relationship between fiction and real-life is the responsibility of the parents and care-givers.

I will always love Harry Potter. I don't even know how many times I've read through the entire series or watched all the movies. And yes, sometimes I troll fan sites because I just need HP fix. So if you haven't read the series, please, for love of Merlin, do. They're nothing short of epic.

Banned Books Week: The Call of the Wild

I realize it's been a long time since I've updated, and it's a shame. I really intended to write more now that I'm back in school and not working 3 jobs. But alas, graduate school and one job are keeping me pretty busy. However, I do have a mission this week: It's Banned Books Week! BBW celebrates the freedom to read, and the freedom for anyone to access any book, any time, any where. As a future librarian, I am dedicated to the freedom of information, and strongly opposed to the censorship of information by one group of people, for another group of people. So this week, I'm going to try to post several times with bits of goodness about some of my favorite books that have been banned or challenged in the world.

To kick off my BBW extravaganza, I'm celebrating one of my favorite authors, Jack London. His novel, The Call of the Wild. As one of Jack London's most popular works, and as one of the most-read books in the world, it's hard to imagine that people have tried to censor it. But it's actually on ALA's list of commonly challenged classics, at #33 of 100, in fact.

The reasons for the challenge are easy enough to see: scenes of violence and cruelty. In fact, some people have tried to ban the novel because they felt that London's depiction of the treatment of dogs in the Yukon int he 19th century was promoting or condoning animal cruelty. However, London was simply writing about what he knew. He spent almost a year in the north, living in the towns that built up around the hubs of the gold rush, and he remembered what he saw. Abuse of dogs was not uncommon at that place and time, so his depiction of the violence and cruelty that the dogs, especially his main character, Buck, are treated with is not inaccurate. It is likely that the challenge to the violent imagery is because people often think of London's novel as a chidren's book because it does have a dog as it's main character, when in reality, its themes deal with adult ideas and feelings.

The most challenges to London's work were from European regimes. It was burned in Nazi Germany, and Italy and Yugoslavia banned it for being too radical.

If you have never read The Call of the Wild, I would strongly recommend it to anyone, adult or teenager. It would probably not be best for a young child, because of the violence, although I believe I was fairly young when I read it. As always, the decision of whether or not something appropriate for a child depends on the person's maturity, and if the parents are able to help the child understand the more adult aspects of the work. The story is the narrative of Buck, a dog stolen and sold into the harsh work of a sled dog in the Yukon. He is sold from master to master, and at times subjected to a variety of mistreatment, until he comes under the care of John Thorton, who develops a bond with Buck the dog has never experienced, having never been treated with such kindness. I won't tell you more, or spoil the ending. The novel deals with several different themes, like survival, redemption, and loyalty between dogs and their masters.

So go read. If not this, then try something else from ALA's 100 most challenged books. Take this week as opportunity that for the large majority of us, we have been given the ability and opportunity
to read. Celebrate that freedom.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade

Yes, I'm a twenty-something woman who has never ridden a public bus.

Changes have finally happened upon me. For the last year, you've listened to me talk about "when I go back to grad school . . . ." Well, here I am. This past weekend my husband and family helped me move to my new town. Got me settled in my new apartment. Today the hubby and I darted around campus, taking care of paper work and other such necessities.

So far things are going okay, but I haven't really started anything yet. It's different living in an apartment complex. I never have before. It feels a bit like staying in a hotel long term. Every now and then, I can hear the neighbor down the hall closing her door. Or the neighbors below me or in the hall way talking. It's nothing too disturbing, and truthfully, if I could get used to living with the constant, too-near train whistles while in my second college town, I can get used to people closing doors a little too hard to talking a little too loudly. In general, I like the apartment. Lots of space--almost too much--but it's nice to not feel cramped on top of my possessions.

As for the town, I'm still getting to know it, but I have successfully navigated myself to my place of work, the grocery store, Walmart, and several eateries. I'm sure I'll be fine. The next step is mastering the bus system. Never used public buses before, so that will likely be one of the coolest things I learn. I'm pretty excited about, really. The buses run every where here. They can take me from home to work, class, the store, dinner, anywhere! (For my ice cream friends, they can even take me to Cold Stone! SCORE!) Once I get them figured out, I'm sure I'll be just buzzing around like a little bee. The husband has promised to ride with me a couple times this week to get me comfortable with proper bus procedures.

I'm still a little nervous/anxious about starting classes and work. I haven't purchased my textbooks yet, so I can't comment on whether or not I'm going to feel completely overwhelmed by the course work, but I have started on the the reading list for my job--yes, there is a reading list for my job. And guess what? It's 26 articles! 26! And some of them are 30-50 pages each. You'd think I was a graduate student in a very prestigious program or something. Sheeesh.

That's all my updates for now. As things start happening next week, I'll try to post regularly about my adventures. After all, this is the largest University I've ever attended, the first time really living as a stand-alone adult, and a new chapter in my twenties. Bring it!

Sleeplessness

It's almost 12:30 AM here in the Midwest, and I'm not sleeping. Why? I'm not sure. I was tired, I went to bed. I reclined there for over an hour before I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, and decided to get up and do something, in hopes that it would tire me out. I guess we'll see.

It is now almost the end of May, and in 2 months, I'll be packing my belongings and moving 3 hours away from my husband. All will not be roses and sunshine, but I imagine we'll make it through. I'll be there for 18 months. Whether or not he moves after the next academic year is yet to be determined. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy having him around, we're looking for his new apartment, and otherwise getting me ready to go back to school. I've registered for classes, signed an apartment lease, and accepted and assistantship with the University. I'm pretty well set, with the exception of actually physically relocating and then purchasing my books.

I'm so ready to be going back to school. So ready for the last 3 very difficult years of my life to be over. Even though the 'mart and I have had a love-hate relationship, I know for a fact there will be things I miss. Like a several of the employees I've gotten to know well, especially the girls that work in softlines with me. Two or three of them have promised to road trip to visit me, though, if I promised to take them to Cold Stone Creamery when they come (which, gosh, was a hard thing to promise). But other than the people, there's not much I'll mourn about my adventures in retail.

As far as leaving the town I'm in--that will be quite the adjustment. I'm leaving not just my husband, but my parents and younger brothers, some friends. I like this town. I always have. Even growing up when most people hated the small-town, not-much-to-do atmosphere, I still had a soft spot for it. It's such a great place to live. It's small enough that you can let your kids walk home without worry, or play in the street (in some cases). But it also has a lot of the things bigger cities have to offer: movies, theatre, sports, festivals, music. Sure, we move a little slower here, but the pace suits me just fine. I think the one reason I'm reluctant to leave is because I'm not certain I'll ever move back to this area. That will be hard. I've spent the majority of my life here.

But if staying here means staying in 3 part-time jobs, still barely able to make ends meet, well, it's not worth it to me. Change will be good. Change will also be hard. Here's hoping I'm built strong enough to handle it.