Student Essays

For most folks, my day would not seem exciting and that would not be my first description, but then when I pause to consider, it actually has been fulfilling. I spent the day grading the final stack of in-class essays my Thursday students composed last week.

Even though this sounds like an elementary assignment: "Explain what you've learned this semester by analyzing your investment in the course," it allows for some interesting reading. The essay is all self-analysis. They must explain what they've learned from all the articles that were assigned; what they've learned about punctuation, grammar, and writing; and finally what they've learned about themselves as students.

Many of them wrote excellent papers with thorough development, lots of specific details, solid structure, and cohesive organization. Along with that what made this fulfilling for me was their acknowledgement and even surprise at how very much they had learned. They've complained all throughout the semester at how much work this class requires. So now they're realizing the dividend of their investment. While I was reading their compositions, I was quietly thinking the old cliche "No pain, no gain."

And yes, some of the essays were dreadful, but those have come from the ones who have not yet learned to become students -- they attend class, but they have no intention of participating or working to learn.

So I had nothing to photograph today -- except their essays and this newest academic journal that I've just purchased with the poignant question "Where Have All the Students Gone?" Because of all the student papers I've needed to read, it's not surprising that I haven't yet read the journal. I've only taken a quick glance at the article by William M. Chance, so I won't give a synopsis of it.

Well, there you have it, my un-exciting, but fulfilling day.
Good night from a very cold Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol