A couple of weeks ago, I wrote up a list of brief stories that I appreciate because of the ways they twisted and pivoted, reversed and subverted. It shook loose a memory from early in my career as a community college professor. I taught that class that every college freshman has to take but no college freshman wants to take—English Composition.
This was an intriguing read. I would have enjoyed your class. Assignments that teach those about themselves are so much better than those that check the box. I am guessing you are one of their more memorable professors.
This was as well written as your posts usually are, and I enjoyed that as I usually do. What was different for me was your brilliance in the class assignments that you created. I wish I could be in your class. Just this much is inspiring. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback. I've often considered running a class or workshop outside of traditional academia that would push some of these ideas even further. Hmmm...
I'm not so sophisticated or elegant a man that I can resist pointing out the hilarious extended (ahem...) metaphors of the boner killer and the pearl necklace. I feel like this was a setup...
Very funny choices of gifs to illustrate your points!
What an amazing opportunity you gave to these students to become more aware of themselves, and potentially change their life's trajectory. Were they all 18?
It was a community college class, so many of them were 18, but I had quite a few that were in their 20s and 30s, and a handful that were older, some much older, than that. Made for a fun blend of perspective and experience.
It was true as far as they told me. That said, I often preached the virtue of exaggeration, editing, etc. The story above all else, my man. And trust me, I did my fair share of squirming. ;)
I always thought there'd be superb essays from teachers about their students. This was intriguing. Youth is truly wasted on the youth but they do have their own character arcs, don't they? I hope the porn star went on to get a degree and a non-self-degrading job.
Teachers definitely learn more than the students in my experience. Supporting people who are trying to figure out what they think and why they think it really made me reflect on my own thoughts--the whats, the whys, the hows. I wrote a pilot script about it a while back called The Workshop. May have to dust it off here pretty soon...
I'm not sure what happened to her. I do remember her being blithely aware that her vocation had a ticking clock that was on fast forward. She struck me as bright and self-aware, which are generally solid decision-making traits. So, yeah, fingers crossed.
What a great way for students to connect with the concepts of self-reflection and communication. I'm sure that was the most interesting class of the semester for most of them.
It was definitely the most interesting for me. Seeing people willingly challenge their own thoughts, values, perceptions, etc. made for engaging stories.
I loved this. Sounds like you were a great professor, forcing these kids to dig deep and challenge their assumptions about themselves. As far as the sex worker, I hope everyone in the class had their eyes opened - they are also people with dreams, ambitions and thoughts. Have you seen the movie Anora? Anora reminds me of your student.
As far as all the males squirming, so many of them seem genuinely afraid of women. I don't know why or what the answer is.
Reading this, I realized with a laugh that no one in my family every took Freshman English Comp. My husband was n English major and he tested out. I started out as a math major but due to my grades I was able to take a different English class. (I took English lit. I still remember reading A Clockwork Orange and Moll Flanders. Moll was quite the racy book.) My oldest was the only person in the entire freshman Engineering class who didn't have to take Freshman Comp. He had gotten a perfect 800 on his English SATs, plus a 5 in AP English Language and a 5 in English Lit. (He didn't study for any of them. Until he got to college, he never studied for a single test in his entire life.) My youngest went to art school, and they actually don't care if you can write a coherent sentence (My youngest could, he got a 760 on his English SAT, also without studying. Both my sons felt that schoolwork interfered with more useful pursuits.)
You reminded me that one of the assignments my youngest did in art school was to create an autobiography. It didn't have to be true. My son's was titled 'Whatever' and had various (true) incidents from his life, complete with photos, graphic elements and typography. The one I most remember related how at the age of 6 he decided he didn't want to drink milk anymore and pretended he was lactose intolerant. He kept up the charade for three years. This is completely true, we thought he was lactose intolerant since he told us how drinking milk gave him a stomach ache, etc. When I found out the truth, all these years later, my only comment was that I hoped he was using his powers for good, not evil. (seriously, what else could I say?)
Perfect 800! That's amazing. If your boys are writing scores that high, it's difficult to argue that school wouldn't interfere with more useful pursuits, like feigning lactose intolerance! Which reminds me of Good Will Hunting when he refuses to talk in his therapy session. The self-discipline that requires is impressive, but you were definitely on parenting point when you nudged him to use his powers for good. I've had similar experiences with my kids where I'm impressed with their behavior but could easily imagine them using it to overthrow a small- to midsized-country where they force the mint to print notes with their faces.
My youngest is actually one of the kindest, most compassionate people you could ever meet. Except apparently when he's playing a game. According to his ex-girlfriend, he's a sore winner (ie, a gloater). So, as long as your kids and he don't treat the world as a life-sized Monopoly game, we should be fine. In fact, we'd likely be better off if they did take over.
This was an intriguing read. I would have enjoyed your class. Assignments that teach those about themselves are so much better than those that check the box. I am guessing you are one of their more memorable professors.
Thanks for the kind words. The ones who jumped at the opportunity to create a fun story were definitely among my more memorable students.
This was as well written as your posts usually are, and I enjoyed that as I usually do. What was different for me was your brilliance in the class assignments that you created. I wish I could be in your class. Just this much is inspiring. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback. I've often considered running a class or workshop outside of traditional academia that would push some of these ideas even further. Hmmm...
I clutched my pearls so many times. Well done.
I'm not so sophisticated or elegant a man that I can resist pointing out the hilarious extended (ahem...) metaphors of the boner killer and the pearl necklace. I feel like this was a setup...
snort.
Very funny choices of gifs to illustrate your points!
What an amazing opportunity you gave to these students to become more aware of themselves, and potentially change their life's trajectory. Were they all 18?
It was a community college class, so many of them were 18, but I had quite a few that were in their 20s and 30s, and a handful that were older, some much older, than that. Made for a fun blend of perspective and experience.
Sounds like a great class.
Great story (hope it was all true). But something's backward: she should have been teaching the class while you sat (squiring) with the students.
It was true as far as they told me. That said, I often preached the virtue of exaggeration, editing, etc. The story above all else, my man. And trust me, I did my fair share of squirming. ;)
I always thought there'd be superb essays from teachers about their students. This was intriguing. Youth is truly wasted on the youth but they do have their own character arcs, don't they? I hope the porn star went on to get a degree and a non-self-degrading job.
Teachers definitely learn more than the students in my experience. Supporting people who are trying to figure out what they think and why they think it really made me reflect on my own thoughts--the whats, the whys, the hows. I wrote a pilot script about it a while back called The Workshop. May have to dust it off here pretty soon...
I'm not sure what happened to her. I do remember her being blithely aware that her vocation had a ticking clock that was on fast forward. She struck me as bright and self-aware, which are generally solid decision-making traits. So, yeah, fingers crossed.
...I'm still not over your being a professor....
You and me both, sister.
What a great way for students to connect with the concepts of self-reflection and communication. I'm sure that was the most interesting class of the semester for most of them.
It was definitely the most interesting for me. Seeing people willingly challenge their own thoughts, values, perceptions, etc. made for engaging stories.
I loved this. Sounds like you were a great professor, forcing these kids to dig deep and challenge their assumptions about themselves. As far as the sex worker, I hope everyone in the class had their eyes opened - they are also people with dreams, ambitions and thoughts. Have you seen the movie Anora? Anora reminds me of your student.
As far as all the males squirming, so many of them seem genuinely afraid of women. I don't know why or what the answer is.
Reading this, I realized with a laugh that no one in my family every took Freshman English Comp. My husband was n English major and he tested out. I started out as a math major but due to my grades I was able to take a different English class. (I took English lit. I still remember reading A Clockwork Orange and Moll Flanders. Moll was quite the racy book.) My oldest was the only person in the entire freshman Engineering class who didn't have to take Freshman Comp. He had gotten a perfect 800 on his English SATs, plus a 5 in AP English Language and a 5 in English Lit. (He didn't study for any of them. Until he got to college, he never studied for a single test in his entire life.) My youngest went to art school, and they actually don't care if you can write a coherent sentence (My youngest could, he got a 760 on his English SAT, also without studying. Both my sons felt that schoolwork interfered with more useful pursuits.)
You reminded me that one of the assignments my youngest did in art school was to create an autobiography. It didn't have to be true. My son's was titled 'Whatever' and had various (true) incidents from his life, complete with photos, graphic elements and typography. The one I most remember related how at the age of 6 he decided he didn't want to drink milk anymore and pretended he was lactose intolerant. He kept up the charade for three years. This is completely true, we thought he was lactose intolerant since he told us how drinking milk gave him a stomach ache, etc. When I found out the truth, all these years later, my only comment was that I hoped he was using his powers for good, not evil. (seriously, what else could I say?)
Men squirm in the presence of a gorgeous woman for the same reason they squirm in the presence of a well-built man . . . "I can't hang with that."
Putting this on my list of useful aphorisms.
I'll put Anora on the list--I haven't seen it.
Perfect 800! That's amazing. If your boys are writing scores that high, it's difficult to argue that school wouldn't interfere with more useful pursuits, like feigning lactose intolerance! Which reminds me of Good Will Hunting when he refuses to talk in his therapy session. The self-discipline that requires is impressive, but you were definitely on parenting point when you nudged him to use his powers for good. I've had similar experiences with my kids where I'm impressed with their behavior but could easily imagine them using it to overthrow a small- to midsized-country where they force the mint to print notes with their faces.
Let's hope then that you kids and my younger one never met, because the world would be doomed. James Bond villains have nothing on them.
Bright side... maybe a negative times a negative equals a positive?
A math joke! I love a math joke.
My youngest is actually one of the kindest, most compassionate people you could ever meet. Except apparently when he's playing a game. According to his ex-girlfriend, he's a sore winner (ie, a gloater). So, as long as your kids and he don't treat the world as a life-sized Monopoly game, we should be fine. In fact, we'd likely be better off if they did take over.