Class Update and Babbling

Good evening, friends! It's nearing eleven and I'm famished. Seriously. Still. I swear it's from my six mile run yesterday. I wanted to run again today, but just never made it out the door. 

However, I enjoyed my day. Not like I usually do on Tuesdays when I get super-excited to see my students and am sadly disappointed when they're not so excited to see me back, but a good day, nonetheless. Today was one of those days where a class doesn't really need me. In other words: workshop in fiction and peer review/editing in comp. These are days that force me to look around at my students and know that what I've taught them and how I've directed their ability to critique is coming into play. I suppose it should make me nervous when I put it that way, but it doesn't. Above right is half of my class quietly, carefully and respectfully critiquing one another's papers. 

Now that I mention it, let's talk about the right side of the class: 

One of the girls on the right in the black and white sitting at the end of the table reminds me of Dustin's cousin Rachel. Something about the way she looks makes me think of Rachel so I immediately liked her. Not to mention I like her name (it's not Rachel, but it's a good name). 

The two boys in the very back are friends left, from what I can tell (they wear similar jeans and seem to enjoy each other's conversation). One of them is from the same town Dustin lives in, but I don't think he's within the age-range of D and his family so I doubt he'd know any of them and the other put his headphones in today (correction-one of his headphones) and I think he didn't think I noticed. It's amazing to me what students do. I didn't point it out-I mean, he was done and I didn't need his attention for anything, but I know my ass would never have done that in school. 

The right side is a good side, really. My Cape Girardeau student is pretty thoughtful as is his friend and the boy that sits on the other side of him (he reminds me of my Carrie's husband and shares his name so I keep thinking he should go into law, cus her husband is a lawyer-Oh, and yes, I did tell him that one day in class).

So, Carrie's husband's doppelganger is a smart kid with conviction. I dig that. The whole back row is bursting with thought and respectful opinion. Good qualities.

Just barely in our line of sight is another boy with his back to us-he's in the back row group for this project. I like this kid, too. He has a face that looks like he's been in the sun all day and he's terribly honest. He told me the other day that he didn't do his homework because of some frat thing (he's pledging or possibly being bid or something...I don't know how the Greek system works exactly), but at any rate...part of the rule for that week was that he wasn't allowed to talk to anyone that wasn't in his pledge class (weird rule for a frat that wants their members to uphold a certain GPA, don't you think?) so he was breaking the rule to tell me that he didn't do his homework and was sorry because he was just really tired from all the frat stuff but promised he wouldn't forget to do it again and would continue to talk in class and break that rule (cus he had participated, btw) because none of his possible brothers were in the class so it was ok. I couldn't help but laugh at that. He probably could've gotten away with not participating that week and I might not have noticed since the whole class is pretty good with talking, but instead, he explained and I liked that characteristic. It's a good one. Then he fell asleep the other day, but since he's been doing his homework and he participates a lot, I let it go, though we, as a class, did discuss his slumber and tried not to disturb him too much.

The rest of the right side is sort of quiet-one student has super blue eyes, another always makes faces that make me think she's in pain, the last remaining male student is a good little participator, too, and the last girl is starting to come out of her shell. Way to go, right side!

We can't talk about the right without talking about the left:

I have to admit and, not to play favorites, but the left side of the room sort of pales in comparison. The girl to the severe left in the front is great-a real thinker and talker. She's not afraid to participate and I love that. The boy beside her reminds me of my friend Kees. He has a name that's not terrible common (like Kees), he has a laid back look to him-(Kees, too, always wore his sleeves rolled up like that), a slight and I mean slight accent, the adventurer's sandals...you get what I mean. Plus, he's smart. All the time. Even when he hasn't done the work. The row behind that is all girls who are still finding solid ground-very good natured (I asked them to please do their homework at home and not in class and they just took it in stride, laughed and knew they were busted...I appreciated that reaction-especially after they started doing their homework at home from then on) then the jumble behind them is made up of students I don't hear from all too often. The blonde girl is, really, a right-sider but on the left for the purpose of balance. She is bright, too. The back row barely breathes, I think.

Overall, I should say, I think I'm pretty lucky this semester. This is a class I can work with and they're willing to do the work and be there and talk and indulge my whims...and I think that's pretty essential. They're workers and they come...thank you GOD, they actually ATTEND class! It's sad that it really is the most basic little things that keep me so happy.

If any of my comp students stumble across this blog-thank you. So far you are great and I'm glad I've got you in my class this semester. I hope it's fruitful for all of us.

In other news...I made the "jelly donut muffins" from Veganomicon which D loved and ate a few of (I tried one, too, though they suggest waiting a day before trying them so they get "crispier" on top like donuts?). We are down to only TWO scones, which means I'm going to have to make more because I'm addicted to them (those were from the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook). And tonight, for Dustin's dining pleasure, we had sausage and peppers (Healthy Ones Sausage) because the poor boy can't be stuck eating vegetarian and vegan food all the time. It's only fair to make him something he loves, too.

We're getting rain that I hope will clear up before tomorrow so I can run (I'm itching to run now that it's dark and raining, of course!). I have conferences with my little buggers ALL WEEK, which is exhausting to just THINK about...and I think I'll have to make a tasty lunch for tomorrow since it's going to be a loooooong one.

Oh, really quickly, though-our Pre-Canaa classes start next week AND we ordered the limos a bit ago, the tux styles are all sent in, all the girls ordered their dresses, got my shoes for the wedding and are working on a few other major things that will HOPEFULLY work out, as well. Details, details, details!

Whew!

I hope your days were fab and that you have colleagues, students, co-workers...etc that make your job feel fulfilling, too!

xoxo

N

(Next time-a Fiction class recap...think this class is great? Wait til I tell you about them!)