13 September 2004

Insert Thesis Statement Here

Some of you may note that this in no way resembles grading 21 papers. This would, in fact, be an accurate observation. Actually I just picked one up, Nicole's pink folder, her tidy labels like her tidy hair and well' manicured fingers. sweet Nicole. she's a good kid. Like most of them--anxious to please, to do well. I'm merely appalled that these intelligent kids can't seem to write their way out of a paper bag. because let me tell you, not a single one of my students is dumb, and only a few of them are fluffy. And Nicole is my star, the one who critiques with insight and catches the drift of my analysis half a step ahead of the rest.

And there's still comma splices and mismatched verbs (pardon me, your participle is dangling) and thin imagery. And it simply stuns me. That their teachers up til college haven't done a damn thing about this. I mean, what in the name of the Great Gerbil God Ding was their sixth grade English teacher doing???

So okay. At least I have my work cut out for me, and at least I know why there are at least 84 sections of freshman comp (I was number 83) on campus and students adding into them every week. Though if I get another one they'll already technically have flunked according to my attendance policy. Which, incidentally, makes me wonder if I'll ever get an add slip for any of my students, or for that matter a drop slip from a couple of people who have yet to appear, though one of them did call before I even knew I had voice mail. Shit, that reminds me, I think I need to set up my mail box. Oh hell. Being scatterbrained is too much work.

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