Wk 7
The semester proceeds. My classes have gelled into what they are going to be. The early class is sleepy. The later class is rowdy. Oddly, we rip through material more quickly in the rowdy class.

I have added a few new tricks this semester. Since so many students (including me) are wicked procrastinators, I have begun to require that the brainstorm and fastwrite steps of each essay be done in class. I have learned that this helps students leave class feeling as though they have at least begun their papers, and are able to get to the next draft more easily, even put aside small blocks of time for each draft, with time lapses between steps in order to foster objectivity and enable structural change. That works for some students, others demonstrate by the lack of any real change between their drafts, that they probably proofread on the screen, printing out nearly identical versions of their essays and blithely hand in 5 nearly identical drafts or else just hand in the brainstorm, fast write and final, claiming that they accidentally left the others on their desks and vow to bring them in “next class”.

Wk8
Alek gets sick and is out of school for an entire week. Because he is so sick, he climbs into my bed at night. Consequently, I have no prep time without kids around, no time for schoolwork without kids around, and so I pull all-nighters—which I had not anticipated being a part of my daily routine after my kids began sleeping through the night. Hah.

Because of lack of sleep and a sick kid sharing my bed, by Wed. I have inconveniently caught whatever illness the kid has been suffering. Because of missing class during the treed cat incident, I cannot miss any more classes, and so I drag into class mustering enthusiasm for the fun awaiting my students: Argument essays and how to structure one.

I have decided this semester to assign two argument essays, the first focusing on structure, the second addressing and adding the elements of correct MLA citation, in and out of text. And so, we discuss researching a debatable question in order to develop a thesis, rather than starting with a thesis and looking for information to support it. We discuss presenting info relating to the history of an issue, multiple contemporary perspectives, the presentation of an expected objection of readers and how to overcome and/or neutralize it. We address how to present supporting information and the fact that using the opinions of experts is, in this case, a good thing when correctly cited and not something to be hidden-- as it was in high school, when everyone reworded information found in the encyclopedia, trying to pass it off as his or her own writing.

We discuss how a conclusion should pack a punch and seal the persuasive deal, rather than parrot information already presented in the body of the essay. Unfortunately, few students have read the essays assigned, I find after springing a pop quiz, and this is annoying, as one of the essays, The New Prohibition, by Charles Krauthammer, packs just such a punch when, after presenting the argument that since tobacco ads are banned from television, so should be ads for alcoholic beverages.

The concluding sentence of his essay, is to me, perfect. “Would you rather have your children addicted to alcohol or tobacco?” he asks after, in the body of his essay, mentioning the nearly victimless aspect of smoking vs. the danger to families, other drivers, etc. by someone who is drunk. I am quite annoyed that we are unable to discuss this essay and its conclusion and structure without my first reading it aloud to a college class! I have administered 3 quizzes in a row after assigning readings. It seems as though they don't care, projecting the attitude we have all taken: When no written work is due, it means there is no homework.

It will be interesting to see how the Spring Break has manifested itself in terms of researching and writing this first argument paper, which is due next Thurs.