Persuasive essay-Affirmative Action

Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was unable to promote equality for minorities, a mandate for affirmative action was passed in 1965. The legislation was passed in order to ensure equality for minorities “in areas of employment, education, and business” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2009). The benefit for minorities would be preferential selection because they have been historically excluded on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity. This preferential selection generates so much controversy, but does affirmative action really promote equal opportunities for minorities?

Currently, there are rules governing affirmative action, however, it seems more like a philosophy than legislation that can consistently be enforced. There are many advocates who argue that is a fair mandate because of past injustices that have held minorities back from reaching their full potential. Thomas Negal, author and philosopher, argued that preferential hiring justifiably makes up for past wrongs (Negal, 1973).

However, the other side views it as reverse discrimination. “When “the employers and the schools favor women and blacks,” objected Lisa Newton, they commit the same injustice perpetrated by Jim Crow discrimination.” (Newton 1973, 310).

Historically, white upper class men have had more opportunities to become educated, work at professional jobs, live in the best neighborhoods, and achieve wealth. Past discrimination and injustices on minorities do carry weight in the present. It is like a coming out from underneath a mountain and still having to climb to the top. Many white men never felt that weight even if they did come from little or no means.  It would still be less difficult for them to attain status because they didn't experience limitations imposed by discrimination.

Being Thankful for Something Thorny

My thorny blessing is attending grad school at not such a young age like the rest of my classmates. I am older than most of my professors at this point. It is definitely difficult to make a life change, however going to school after a long absence has been inspiring. It is a blessing that I became unemployed two years ago and get to further my education. However I still have to work and it is sometimes hard to keep up with all of our assignments. Also, I think it takes me longer to complete my papers than it used to. Concentrating can be hard too, because there are many more distractions in life when you are older than 25.  Loss of income and paying tuition while trying to keep my relationship with my husband meaningful has been a struggle as well. There isn't enough time in the day.

I know I am better off for these past two years and feel grateful for this second chance at going to school and completing my teaching degree. I did want to get a Master's Degree one day. It was just a matter of when. It had to be forced on me, but it eliminated the choice of not getting one.

I am also thankful that I am going to India to teach for two weeks in January and would never imagining doing this when I worked full-time in finance. Teaching in another country was something I wanted to do in undergraduate school but couldn't for financial reasons. Having a second chance at being in my 20s by going to college again after gaining life experience is definitely a plus.  The truth is, hind sight is 20/20 because all of the things I regretted not doing the first time around I am doing now.  How many of us get second chances at anything?  I will tell you there aren't many second chances out there, so when you get an opportunity for a do over you should take it.

The thorny part of my do over is that I feel like I should be ahead of the game, career wise, and even in my personal life, but now I am starting at the bottom of the barrel just like everybody else who will be looking for a teaching job. The contemplation about it on my part has been ridiculous and time consuming. Meanwhile, May is right around the corner, and before I know it I will be done. I wish I could be happier and more relaxed, instead of stressing about school, getting a job and whatever else one ruminates over in the middle of the night. I tell myself that I will be so happy I did this, but when exactly? I'm not sure. Maybe if I get a job, but even that will have its challenges.

My friends in career ruts are envious that I am doing this. I will admit I am scared about going into the teaching profession because of all he "bad press" it gets and the negative remarks from professionals in the field. I made it this far, so no turning back. Not looking for a third chance, two is quite enough for now.

Golden Moment Nov. 14-Joseph

With the holidays upon us, Joe's story of how his grandparents met, fell in love and got married on Thanksgiving in 1961 is very uplifting.  I love to hear that the happy ending still exists even after 50 years of marriage. Joe's grandparent's union is not only inspiration, it's determination to stay together.

I am sure they have had their trials and tribulations over the years yet they managed to stay together. (An accomplishment as today's marriages seem to disappear overnight) The press does a good job of reminding us that marriage isn't what it used to be with celebrity couples getting married and divorced every other day. People think spouses are interchangeable like parts on a car and don't always put the time in that it takes to cultivate a meaningful marriage.

During the holidays it's great to show our appreciation to the ones we love by doing nice things and letting them know how much we care. It's not all about gift-giving, it's about acknowledging how our spouses and families are there for us all year long.  My own family drives me crazy at times, but I consider myself lucky. It isn't always easy and we aren't always getting along, but we love and respect each other.

It' so unfortunate that many people with spouses and families don't value them. Then there are those who have no family to rely on in good or bad times. We will only be around for so long and should make the best of it while we are here.  Our families and friends are to be cherished during this time of year.

Chapter 5: Beyond Fake Writing: The Power of Choice

The writing that we do in school is fake. I returned to graduate school after working for 17 years in various fields and I never had to do writing the way I was taught in school and the way I will teach it when I am a teacher. However, the analytical skills that I gained from being an English major did help me to understand and make inferences on whatever I had to read for work. I never really had to critique it or write a response paper on it, or even a persuasive essay. The thought process is there from school even though I didn't put pen to paper.

I can understand why students are reluctant writers and in some situations I agree with them. I find that much of what we learn in school doesn't translate into the real world. Having students start off by writing what they like is a way to stimulate them, however some students will never like it and will always produce poor work. The emphasis on writing seems a little misguided for today's world. I know this sounds crazy coming from an English teacher. Without my life experience I would never have uttered this in a million years. It's important, but it's not like one can't get by without being a skilled writer. There are teachers in other disciplines who cannot even write a well-developed anything and they get by. Many careers don't require one to be an excellent writer and when one is needed one is hired.

Many of the activities in this chapter I wouldn't like to complete myself, like remember and pass the portrait. They seem childish and so what, who cares. Negative thoughts I know, but I have hardly observed any interesting writing activities since I started my field work. The lessons that are interesting start off as reading assignments, then bridge to writing and are more objective.

I have seen words of wisdom done as pearls of wisdom and I am snoring during it. Maybe it is too much like finding cliches and not exciting at all. I need to instruct writing in a way that excites me in order to get my students excited about it. How do I do this? I am not sure yet. This may come from the the mindset that I struggle with writing now that I am a student who returned to school after a long absence.  I feel like I barely used anything that I am learning now or learned in the past because my work wasn't in the academic world. I understand it is a teacher's job to give students the tools they need to be successful, but can't students just be good at what they're good at sometimes?

Cops and Criminals

My day started off the same as any other day when I went to work. I drag myself out of bed in the dark, trip over whatever is on the floor on my way to the bathroom, usually shoes. Today it was my badge and i.d.  It was a cold, dark, and sleepy, winter morning and not exactly being a morning person I was lucky and I didn’t fall and crack my head on the night table. I hop in the shower, skip washing my hair because it takes too long to dry, and get dressed with one eye open. I was always running late, rushing out the door forgetting my case files, gulping down my breakfast, and now I had to remember to pick up my badge off the floor. Then I sit in traffic on the LIE on the way into New York City and curse the cars, in front of me, that wouldn't get out of my way so I could go fight crime.

I was a detective solving narcotics cases at the 18th precinct on the lower west side for the past 16 years. I mostly worked on cases busting big time drug pushers. Dangerous work, but someone had to do it. The only problem was I was done doing it and ready for a change. I had four years left until I retired so I wanted to take my career in a different direction and work towards becoming a child psychologist. I realized a transfer to Special Victims Unit (SVU) would help me get a foot in.

Since the politics at the 18th were getting in the way of doing actual police work, I put in my transfer, much to my boss' dismay, “What are you doing that for, you know if you don’t like it, you’re not comin’ back here.” “Yeah, thanks for your support, boss, good riddance.” Then I headed further up town to Harlem, 125th Street, SVU. I left behind my old neighborhood and headed for the department that solves crimes kids are involved in as either the victim or the perpetrator.

The new precinct was cleaner and much nicer than my old precinct. The office was like a real office, professional and everything was in order. It had a lush carpet, central air-conditioning, office supplies, neat desks and fresh air blowing through the vents. There were computers and printers as well. Compared to my office on the lower west side, which was run down and grey, this was a nice environment conducive to working.

The dread that began to fill me at the 18th subsided when I finally committed to changing precincts. The challenge I immediately faced, was being attracted to my boss, Sergeant Lance. He was tall, dark and looked like he didn't play by the rules. I liked his rough exterior and commanding tone. “Hey you, rookie, yeah I’m talking to you. This is Jules, show her around and make sure she has whatever she needs.” A total bad ass. I was completely mesmerized by his piercing dark yellowish-brown eyes and rough-around-the-edges exterior. Despite all of this, I managed to keep my composure and did not give myself away, but for a first meeting my feelings surprised me. I am not the head-over- heels type of woman, so I vowed I would talk myself out of this instant attraction.

The last thing I would want to do is hurt my impeccable reputation. When you mostly work with men it's easy to get messed up by being attracted to the wrong guy. And the sergeant was definitely the wrong guy, since he was my boss. When that happens the gossiping that takes place is unrelenting, that it's so not worth acting on desires. On top of that, if any of the other guys had a clue the unmerciful teasing I would have to endure, would be unbearable at best. This was one of those times where I had to suppress any undeniable feelings I felt welling up inside of me. I ended up spending my first few months at SVU avoiding my boss, so I could concentrate on my work rather than be distracted by him.

The first few cases I had solved were easy as my new boss wanted to ease me into SVU. I thought, "Not so bad ass after all." I quickly found out that many of the kids reporting crimes are fibbers and most of them are afraid they will get into trouble with their parents for staying out too late or sleeping around so they create stories that don't hold up. Sifting through all of the crap is such a waste of time and so annoying because there are actually kids who are suffering and need help. There should be a sentence for lying to get out of being punished.

After I had been at SVU for a few months, one scorching summer day, when I'd rather be at the beach basking in the sun drinking cranberry and vodka cocktails, I received a call where a man reported seeing teenagers being abused. My partner was out that day, so I picked up the kids and interviewed them. Right away, I knew they were telling the truth about their twisted circumstances. Their situation caused emotions in me that I never thought I had. It was one of the most disturbing cases I ever worked on and the shock of hearing what happened to these children was the only reason I didn't have a complete melt down. By the time, I picked up and interviewed the perpetrator I was an emotional wreck inside. Death by torture would have been too good of a punishment for this excuse of a man.

The children were siblings who were given away by their mom and tortured by their captor. The girl, Skye, was 16 and her brother, Peter was 14 at the time their neighbor called the police to report an incident where he saw, who he thought was the boy's father, put his head in a bucket of water until he passed out while he made his sister watch. The neighbor happened to be fixing his leaky roof and witnessed the sick man hurt this boy, while Skye had to stand by and do nothing.

When I interviewed Skye and Peter, the bucket incident was the least of their torture. Skye had to deal with much worse and suffer in silence because she feared her captor would kill Peter if she told anybody anything. The girl had two children by this creep, who were sold to families willing to adopt them. Skye and Peter were so traumatized that their lack of emotion when describing their horrible lives made it all seem worse than it already was. The tales of beatings that went on for years were so gut-wrenching to hear, it was inconceivable that they survived at all. It was also very disconcerting that no one else in their neighborhood noticed these kids were so mistreated for so long.

My sergeant was listening and watching me interview these kids through the two-way glass. When he got a hold of the perpetrator he knocked a few of the sleaze's teeth out and broke his nose. If I didn't intervene he would have hurt him more, which I really didn't care about, I just didn't want the case to be tainted. This sicko got way with enough already. That was the first time he got caught and a witness picked him out of a line up. He was going down.

The violence that Skye and Peter had endured for most of their lives would cause me to have nightmares for a long time after the case ended. Their resilience was amazing and truly admirable as they had remained close through this entire ordeal. They looked out for each other and were slowly healing while they created a new life for themselves. The horror of this case caused me to re-evaluate my own life and I decided what I really desired.

These kids' circumstances gave me a new perspective and my focus had shifted from my sergeant to me. I knew it would be foolish to pursue feelings that I wasn't even sure about for a man who is my boss. There was very little upside that I could see in that scenario. He may not be interested and then the awkwardness would be ridiculous or we would have to hide our relationship until we were discovered. The downside was that it could ruin me professionally at SVU, he would survive it, the men always do; but I wouldn't be able to recover. I decided that what was important to me was to complete my degree in Child Psychology, while at SVU. My job experience fighting crime and working with children would enable me to help kids in a profound way. When I retire at 40 I will be starting over, but not really.

Elevating Student Writing: Using Real World Models

Pre-assessment is important in order to see where student weaknesses and strengths occur in writing. Addressing weaknesses by studying what professional writers do models better writing techniques for students. I like how the teacher in this chapter uses food and a restaurant review to help students elevate their writing and then moves onto movie reviews. These are subjects that kids know all about so they will find something they will be able to express in writing.

I am not alone in thinking the introduction is the toughest part of writing. So many students struggle with it so providing them with good examples of strong introductions to dissect in professional pieces is a good strategy. Taking the students to the next writing level by using a persuasive piece and the yes/no graphic organizer is a great transition out of the reviews writing and lets them see how an author develops an argument. It is similar to de-outlining.

I still don't know if I like the idea of peer review of writing. When we did it in this class I felt like I didn't know enough to judge someone else's writing. I do like that this teacher has the students do it anonymously.

I agree that it is important for students to internalize what good writers do, but more importantly, they need to be able to analyze the text. In the real world we aren't asked to write about everything we read, in fact we aren't asked to do much writing at all. However, we should be able to make informed judgements about what we read and the media we view. Our students will be bombarded with so much information that they need to know the best way to understand it and draw their own conclusions from it.

Cops and Criminals

The day started off as any other day when I went to work. It was a cold, dark, and sleepy winter morning. I was always running late, rushing out the door forgetting my case files, and gulping down my breakfast, which consisted of coffee and a heavily buttered bagel. Then I would sit in traffic on the LIE on the way into New York City and curse the cars, in front of me, that wouldn't get out of my way so I could go fight crime. I was a detective solving narcotics cases at the 18th precinct on the lower west side for the past 16 years. I mostly worked on cases busting big time drug pushers. Dangerous work, but someone needed to do it. The only problem was I was done doing it and ready for a change.

I had four years left until I retired so I wanted to take my career in a different direction and work towards becoming a child psychologist. I realized a transfer to Special Victims Unit (SVU) would help me get a foot in. Since the politics at the 18th were getting in the way of doing actual police work, I put in my transfer, much to my boss' dismay, and headed further up town to Harlem, 125th Street, SVU. I left behind my old neighborhood and headed for the department that solves crimes kids are involved in as either the victim or the perpetrator.

The new precinct was cleaner and much nicer than my old precinct. The office was like a real office, professional and everything was in order. It had a lush carpet, central air-conditioning, office supplies, neat desks and fresh air blowing through the vents. There were computers and printers as well. Compared to my office on the lower west side, which was run down and grey, this was a nice environment conducive to working.

The dread that began to fill me at the 18th subsided when I finally committed to changing precincts. The challenge I immediately faced, was being attracted to my boss, Sergeant Lance. He was tall, dark and looked like he didn't play by the rules. A total bad ass. I was completely mesmerized by his piercing dark green eyes and rough-around-the-edges exterior. Despite all of this, I managed to keep my composure and did not give myself away, but for a first meeting my feelings surprised me. I am not the head over heels type of woman, so I vowed I would talk myself out of this instant attraction.

The last thing I would want to do is hurt my impeccable reputation. When you mostly work with men it's easy to get messed up by being attracted to the wrong guy. When that happens the gossiping that takes place is unrelenting, that it's so not worth acting on desires. On top of that, if any of the other guys had a clue the unmerciful teasing I would have to endure, would be unbearable at best. This was one of those times where I had to suppress any undeniable feelings I felt welling up inside of me. I ended up spending my first few months at SVU avoiding my boss, so I could concentrate on my work rather than be distracted by him.

The first few cases I had solved were easy as my new boss wanted to ease me into SVU. I thought, "Not so bad ass after all." I quickly found out that many of the kids reporting crimes are fibbers and most of them are afraid they will get into trouble with their parents for staying out too late or sleeping around so they create stories that don't hold up. Sifting through all of the crap is such a waste of time and so annoying because there are actually kids who are suffering and need help. There should be a sentence for lying to get out of being punished.

After I had been at SVU for a few months, one scorching summer day, when I'd rather be at the beach basking in the sun drinking cranberry and vodka cocktails, I received a call where the children were telling the truth about their twisted circumstances. Their situation caused emotions in me that I never thought I had. It was one of the most disturbing cases I ever worked on and the shock of hearing what happened to these children was the only reason I didn't have a complete melt down. By the time my partner and I picked up and interviewed the perpetrator I was an emotional wreck inside. Death by torture would have been too good of a punishment for this excuse of a man.

The children were siblings who were given away by their mom and tortured by their captor. The girl, Skye, was 16 and her brother, Peter was 14 at the time their neighbor called the police to report an incident where he saw, who he thought was the boy's father, put his head in a bucket of water until he passed out while he made his sister watch. The neighbor happened to be fixing his leaky roof and witnessed the sick man hurt this boy, while Skye had to stand by and do nothing.

When I interviewed Skye and Peter, the bucket incident was the least of their torture. Skye had to deal with much worse and suffer in silence because she feared her captor would kill Peter if she told anybody anything. The girl had two children by this creep, who were sold to families willing to adopt them. Skye and Peter were so traumatized that their lack of emotion when describing their horrible lives made it all seem worse than it already was. The tales of beatings that went on for years were so gut-wrenching to hear, it was inconceivable that they survived at all. It was also very disconcerting that no one else in their neighborhood noticed these kids were so mistreated for so long.

My sergeant was listening and watching me interview these kids through the two-way glass. When he got a hold of the perpetrator he knocked a few of the sleaze's teeth out and broke his nose. If I didn't intervene he would have hurt him more, which I really didn't care about, I just didn't want the case to be tainted. This sicko got way with enough already. That was the first time he got caught and a witness picked him out of a line up. He was going down.

The violence that Skye and Peter had endured for most of their lives would cause me to have nightmares for a long time after the case ended. Their resilience was amazing and truly admirable as they had remained close through this entire ordeal. They looked out for each other and were slowly healing while they created a new life for themselves. The horror of this case caused me to re-evaluate my own life and I decided what I really desired.

These kids' circumstances gave me a new perspective and my focus had shifted from my sergeant to me. I knew it would be foolish to pursue feelings that I wasn't even sure about for a man who was my boss. There was very little upside that I could see in that scenario. He may not be interested and then the awkwardness would be ridiculous or we would have to hide our relationship until we were discovered. The downside was that it could ruin me professionally at SVU, he would survive it, the men always do; but I wouldn't be able to recover. I decided that what was important to me was to complete my degree in Child Psychology, while at SVU. When I retire at 40 I will come out ahead of the game and with the ability to really help heal children in need.

On-Demand Writing

Let's face it, on-demand writing is difficult, even for proficient writers. I always feel like I am handing in a draft that still needs work, rather than a good, final version. I have to admit, that it is on a rare occasion, that I have been asked to produce on-demand writing, so it seems like past high school, unless you become a teacher, it's not a necessity. Then why is there such an emphasis on it in the high school classroom? For testing purposes. When you interview to become a teacher or take teacher certification exams, I am told, on-demand writing is also required.

That being said, teachers should have their students practice on-demand writing so they can feel confident to perform well on their tests. The more practice they have, the less test anxiety they will have. I had difficulty writing the critical lens, even though it wasn't an on-demand task, because I never had to complete one in high school. Without practice and with very little on-demand writing required as an adult, it took me longer to complete than I thought it should have because it is designed to be an on-demand task.

I can understand why students fret this part of an exam and have trouble coming up with a cogent argument off the cuff. I think on-demand writing holds too much weight considering my job experience and lack of on-demand writing required, aside from emails. I think it would be better to test students on how they write by giving them an independent assignment that has a deadline giving them a chance to work on it or procrastinate until the last minute. Either way, I think that is truly a better way to assess writing.

Critical Lens

The Quote "Good literature substitutes for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through" by Alex Solzhenitsyn is accurate because the reader gains insight into characters’ lives without actually going through the same experiences; while acquiring knowledge. Good literature transports the reader to a place and time in a story where a character’s experience allows the reader to empathize and understand without having to go through the same situation.

The “Good literature substitutes for an experience” that Solzhenitsyn is talking about can be brought to literature from a protagonist, antagonist or minor character’s perspective. Any of the characters’ experiences may touch the reader enough to make the experience a shared one and not just something that occurs in a book. The reader gains the wisdom of having gone through the experience without ever having lived through it.

In Azar Nafisi’s Teaching Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books, the author writes about her experiences, after expulsion from The University of Tehran for refusing to wear a veil, and the experiences of seven female students. She held literature classes in her home from 1995 to 1997 and they were an open forum for students to discuss the social and political problems of Iran. This memoir contains the universal themes of morality and freedom and focuses on the time that Narfisi and her class discussed different works of literature;  including Lolita  by Nabakov.


Nafisi gives the reader a depiction of what life is like in Iran for women, while connecting Lolita's character to the deterioration of their freedom under Islamic rule. Nafisi's class examinies Humphert's cruelty and justifications for treating Lolita like an object; and compares that to the harsh treatment they have experienced by the unjust Islamic regime. Nafisi succeeds in getting her class to relate to the protagonist, Lolita and the antagonist, Humphert,  while providing the reader with an understanding of what it is like to walk in the shoes of these women who feel suffocated by the imbalance of power men have over them. The reader doesn't have to be a victim of injustices like the Iranian women in this memoir, yet their experiences will invade the reader's mind and cause reactions in the reader as if the experience was a shared one.   The reader connects with the female experiences of subjugation, cruelty and perseverance under Islamic Rule through Nafisi's words and gains wisdom about the situation without living through it. The literature substitutes for the experience because the experience of these Iranian women is felt by the reader, who has never been in this unfortunate predicament, through the perspective of its characters.

In Renee Watson’s What Momma Left Me, the author writes about a 12 year old girl, Serenity, who lives in Portland and loses both of her parents because her daddy kills her momma and runs away. She is afraid of becoming just like her momma and making the same bad choices. She sees her brother, Danny, making the wrong decisions and decides he is like her dad. This piece of fiction contains conflicts concerning identity, good verses evil and the controversial subject of domestic abuse. The underlying theme is about hope and resilience. Even if the reader hasn't experienced domestic violence, lessons about it can be vicariously derived from the text creating a substitute experience. The novel contains the experiences of the protagonist, Serenity, and the other characters so the reader gains insight of having gone through the situation without ever having lived through it. The literature is a substitute for an experience because it bridges the reader's thoughts to the character's emotions.

Alex Solzhenitsyn's quote, "Good literature substitutes for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through" is true as readers haven’t had the same experiences in their lives as the characters in literature and they can vicariously live through them without actually having them.  Azar Nafisi describes a harsh existence for women in Teaching Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books and Renee Watson depicts a life that could go down the wrong road or persevere up the right one in What Momma Left Me.  The reader may not have the same experiences, however, these pieces of literature help the reader feel and experience unknown situations and what it is like to overcome them. Therefore, it is possible for the reader to gain wisdom through literature through the substitute experience.

10 Point Scoring Rubric

Critical Lens

Quality	Mastery	Progressing
Meaning	-provide an interpretation of the "critical lens" that is faithful to the complexity of the statement and clearly establishes the criteria for analysis -Analyzes more than summarizes -make insightful connections between the criteria for analysis and the chosen texts	-Conveys aconfused or simple understanding of the "critical lens"  -Summarizes more than analyzes -Makes unclear or incorrect connections between information and ideas
Development	-develop ideas clearly and fully -makes effective use of appropriate literary elements and techniques in both texts	-uses superficial or too few examples from the texts -does not make effective use of appropriate literary elements and techniques in both texts
Organization	-maintains a clear and appropriate focus established by the critical lens -exhibits a logical and coherent structure through effective use of appropriate devices and transitions	-sometimes unclear or its focus is inappropriate as established by the critical lens -contains some inconsistencies or irrelevancies
Language Use	-uses appropriate language -vary structure and length of sentences to control pacing	-relies on basic vocabulary -reveals little awareness of how to use sentence structure effectively
Conventions	-demonstrates control of the conventions grammar, spelling and punctuation	-demonstrates partial control of grammar, spelling and punctuation

Total:_______

I have nothing to write about

I am sick of this blog and I am uninspired to write about anything. I did so much reading this week, especially, because Wallowitz thinks that we should read as much as she does, that my head is spinning. I did find all of the strategies that I read for teaching English worthy but come one, that is not  my only class. In fact, I feel like all of my professors think that we are only enrolled in one class, THEIRS. I am sick of this blog right now because it is 10:00 p.m. at night and I am supposed to have it done by 11:00 p.m.  I don't know what to write about and I don't care.

I don't want to complain that I never feel like my work is done, however, I can't even have a peaceful dinner with my husband. When I come home from class I slam some food down my throat and get started on my schoolwork. This occurs after I have worked all day at a low paying job that doesn't even cover my tuition for a job that may not even exist when I graduate. So I am so sick of this blog as it is another thing to do hanging over my head, mocking me because I know my teacher reads them. I know I am undermining the importance of this assignment, it's just ugh to me right now and I just want to say f*** it.

On top of that we are supposed to read our classmates' blogs. Yeah right. If I had free time that would be great, but my time is limited, as I am sure time crunch is familiar to everyone in this class. I know I am supposed to make time, but life can get in the way. I am sick of this blog because it represents what I still have to complete in order to be done for the day. I don't want to have to come up with a topic to write about or think about my audience or anything else for that matter. 

I want to be doing other things like having a glass or two of wine and staying up late without worrying about what I need to complete for my classes tomorrow. I hate this blog right now because I could be sleeping, but instead I continue on and am annoyed that I am completing this at 10:30 at night with not really much of anything to say. I am sick of this blog, especially tonight. 

Revision

Revision is something we do in many areas of our lives. We revise anything and everything that we believe needs fixing. People try to revise things like their boyfriends or girlfriends, their relationship with their parents, the mistakes they make at work, how they cook lasagna and any outcome they are unhappy with. They feel uncomfortable so they seek out a change that will make them feel more content, like a new girlfriend or boyfriend, not involving difficult parents in their lives or asking an acclaimed chef how to make the world's best lasagna. Their discomfort with their current situation acts as a catalyst for change or revision. 

For students, knowing when their writing needs revision is not so clear cut. Often there is no level of discomfort or feeling like the writing assignment could be better. If students do feel like their writing could be improved they frequently have no idea how to take it to the next level. In addition, they rarely think about how they can push their writing to its limits and, then once they reach that, go even further. 

This is a difficult balance to reach for educators and students. How do students know when they need to revise their writing? How do teachers motivate them to make changes? What kinds of revisions are teachers supposed to make without being overly critical? How do teachers guide students through the revision process without doing it for them?  How do we get our students to realize they have exhausted their energies on a paper and it is complete? 

When I look back at my own writing that I thought couldn't use any more revisions, I can find more that I think needs to be corrected.  I always feel like my work can be improved and that it is unfinished. However, when I can't think of anything else to do with a piece of writing, after it's been poked and prodded a million times, I concede to being finished. Teaching the skill of revision to my students seems like a lofty goal but the end result will produce independent writers who can be proud of their writing. Now, I need to learn how to revise better,  so I can effectively teach revision to my classes.

New Beginnings

Life is full of new beginnings and starting over. We can begin a new school year, a new career, a marriage and even divorce proceedings. New beginnings can be positive transitions or negatively impact us until we get through the obstacle that hinders us. For something new to start we either build on what we have or we start over by ending what we're in. This can be challenging, scary and exciting all at the same time. The fear of the unknown that may come along with changing, even if we are on the right path, can lead to self-doubt, indecision and anxiety. It can also make us feel confident that we are doing what is good for us and will end up better for it in the end.

As a future educator of adolescent students I will be responsible for changing my students into better readers and writers on the surface, and into better people on a deeper level.  I hope to grow and make informed decisions in their best interest. Teachers have an opportunity for starting over every day in the classroom. For example, when we are at a loss for words or knowledge in a particular area we will research it and get back to our students. We should give the same opportunities to our students and view each day as a starting point never a total drop off. The classroom is a place of new beginnings as teachers and students learn from each other. Change is a central theme in education and we will see it all of the time if we look for it in ourselves and our students.