Teaching with grace

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education, students, teaching, university

Any teacher loves to point to his or her students’ successes and achievements of varioius kinds, both in the classroom and after graduation. One of the pleasures of Facebook (alongside its manifest irksome qualities) has been reconnecting with past students and learning the ups and downs of their lives since we last saw one another, whether that was at a commencement or in a classroom.

Today I’ve added former student Renee’s Quiet Anthem to my blogroll. She’s now a writer & English teacher, with a family, so she’s got plenty to keep her busy! I  especially want to highlight her latest post about some particular frustrations and triumphs faced in the classroom. This is her experience, but I think many college teachers can empathize.

What can push a teacher to the breaking point? How to deal with academic dishonesty both justly and with grace? Perils of technology and social networking–all these figure in her recent experience. Admire.

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Back to the classroom

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Buffy rewatch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, cats, education, Firefly, Joss Whedon, London, Murpjy's Law, pop culture, students, teaching, TV

Since returning from London–which seems years away, somehow, not just a little over a month–I’ve had lots to catch up on, including unexpected appliance repairs/replacements, course syllabi, and an essay on Joss Whedon’s Firefly that I hope will see publication sometime next year. Not to mention medical checkups for me and one of the cats, many last minute revisions to the course syllabi, faculty and student orientation activities, all mixed in with the inevitable operations of Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will.

Senior Cat is not amused

Today was the first day of classes, and since some of the first-year comp students had been primed to ask me about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’m reminded to check in with the ongoing year-long Great Buffy Re-Watch, now well into Season Five. I’ll be posting some thoughts in a few weeks when we get to Season Six.

For now, there’s a lot of reading to do before Monday.

Medieval things to think about

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British literature, Early modern period, education, England, history, Middle Ages, teaching

As my students and I make last-minute preparations to depart for our study-abroad in England, two recent posts remind me of the purpose of these courses and why it’s so fabulous to be studying medieval-early modern British literature in Great Britain.

First, the beginning of a series “debunking” popular misconceptions about the Middle Ages. Stay tuned for more from this blog.

Second, the story of a new medieval archaeological find in Gloucester. There’ve been quite a few of these in recent years, including the Staffordshire Hoard, which we probably will not get to see.

Poem in my pocket today

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Geoffrey Chaucer, literature, National Poetry Month, poetry, teaching

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April is National Poetry Month, and April 14 is “Poem in Your Pocket” day. Today, I’ll be carrying a poem by the Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry:

TRUTH (Balade de Bon Conseyl)
Translated by A. S. Kline © 2008 All Rights Reserved

Flee from the crowd, and dwell with truthfulness,
Let your thing suffice, though it be small;
Hoarding brings hatred, climbing fickleness,
Praise brings envy, and wealth blinds overall;
Savour no more than ‘tis good that you recall;
Rule well yourself, who others advise here;
And truth shall deliver you, have no fear.

Trouble you not the crooked to redress,
Trusting in her who wobbles like a ball.
Well-being rests on scorning busyness;
Beware therefore of kicking at an awl;
Strive not like the crockery with the wall.
Control yourself, who would control your peer;
And truth shall deliver you, have no fear.

That which is sent, receive in humbleness,
Wrestling for this world asks but a fall.
Here’s not your home, here is but wilderness.
Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beast, out of your stall!
Know your country: look up, thank God for all;
Hold the high way, and let your spirit steer,
And truth shall deliver you, have no fear.

Envoy

Therefore, La Vache, cease your old wretchedness;
To the world cease now to be in thrall;
Cry Him mercy, that out of his high goodness
Made thee from naught, on Him especially call,
Draw unto Him, and pray in general
For yourself, and others, for heavenly cheer;
And truth shall deliver you, have no fear.

(Truth: I’ll be carrying a whole book of poems by Chaucer in Middle English, because today I’m teaching a Chaucer class. No fear!)

A 17th birthday & a 14th anniversary

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Buffy rewatch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, pop culture, students, teaching, television, The WB Television Network

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Last week week, the Great Buffy ReWatch covered the pivotal linked episodes that marked the first of Buffy’s traumatic birthday episodes, 2.13/14 “Surprise” and “Innocence.” These episodes, written by Marti Noxon & Joss Whedon, often turn up on top-ten lists, and series creator/producer/writer/director Joss Whedon said they “fulfilled the mission statement” of the show more than any other—at least up to that time, in embodying “the idea of the emotional resonance of horror and the idea of the High School experience.” That, and as he also notes, “rocket launchers” (see photo).

This week–on this date, March 10, 1997, fourteen years ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired on the WB network. HeroPress shares a rarely-seen promo for the show about “one girl in every generation, a chosen one…”

I was among those who watched that first episode live. Next week, I’ll be introducing students to some of the “narrative complexities” of BtVS as fiction in Intro to Lit (freshman comp) with “Surprise”/”Innocence”

Grad School Reference Letter? Here’s How

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Colleges and Universities, education, Graduate school, students, teaching, writing

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Here are a couple of  ways, at least, to improve your chances of getting a positive graduate school reference, followed by one or two less good ways:

Scenario: for whatever reason, you’ve been out of touch with your college/university and the professor who you think might write a good letter for you. Seriously, it’s been several years.

1. Write to Professor X. Be cordial; recall the good old days of [class or classes you took with X]. Tell Prof. X about your plans and ask politely if he or she would be willing to serve as a reference.
2. In the same letter or e-mail, tell Prof. X what you’ve been doing since you left ye olde alma mater, whether it is teaching, inventing Post-Its, or sharing the Gospel in Peru. Prof. X would really like to be able to say something about you beyond “I had Josie Schmoe in Advanced Basketweaving five years ago and she was fab” (not that Prof. X would say it that way, because she really wants you to succeed).
3. This should be #1: Keep your best college papers. Offer to send copies of appropriate ones to Prof. X, who now has a job at a different university and couldn’t access your files even if they still existed. Assuming Prof. X has agreed to serve as one of your references, he can now write with complete sincerity, “Josie Schmoe wrote the best undergraduate essay on Joyce’s Ulysses that I have ever seen” or whatever it was.
4. Send Prof. X complete information on all the graduate schools where you are applying, including addresses or websites where references must be submitted, and deadlines. Include envelopes addressed to graduate schools that require printed letters; stamps are optional, but impressive. Yes, of course Prof. X’s department should provide stationery and postage, but doing so yourself demonstrates your self-reliance and thoughtfulness.
5. At least one e-mail reminder as deadlines near is OK if any references have not arrived. Prof. X is as busy and/or absent-minded as the next person, as seriously as he takes his responsibilities, and would feel worse if your recommendation didn’t get in on time.
6. After all your applications are in, including a glowing recommendation from Prof. X, send Professor X a handwritten thank-you note. To completely bowl Professor X over, tuck a coffeeshop gift card inside.

Some ways to get less than stellar  grad school recommendations, if any:

1. Contact Prof. X, who was your first-year comp. instructor (you got a C), when you are a senior, and say, “Hey! I need a reference for medical school. Can you help?” Since you were a forgettable student in that class, Prof. X has forgotten you and has no reason to recommend you, especially when you address her in such a casual way. I’d say she shouldn’t agree to write the reference, but if she agrees to do so, it won’t be very enthusiastic unless you go on to show her that you’ve become a different person in the past four years.
2. Run into Prof. X’s office and say, “Help! My other reference fell through and the deadline is tomorrow! Help!”  Variation: panicky e-mail message. If you are an outstanding student, Prof. X already knows and likes you well, and the stars align, this last-minute approach may work out, but it’s risky.
3. You have a good relationship with Prof. X and he agrees to write your reference letters well in advance of the deadlines, but after that you just go blithely about your life and forget it, assuming he’ll do everything without any further effort from you. Did you give him all the information about the school(s)? Addressed envelopes (if needed)? Deadlines? Reminders?

I’m probably not the only person ever to write on this subject, but I thought it might be useful. To the former students who inspired this post & sent a thank-you note: Thank you.

Spring semester 2011 begins

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literature, medieval, teaching

This winter (including December) we’ve had more snow already than I can recall since I’ve been living here, so we’re off to a good start. Or an unusual start. This is my medieval “on” year–with medieval literature last semester and Chaucer this semester. In addition, I’m teaching two world literature surveys (ancient to 17th c.) for the first time in two years, so there’s been a lot of revising.
Excelsior!

Family, friends, and students—oh my!

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education, family, students, teaching, technology, university

The fall semester began today, or last Thursday, depending on how you’re counting. It’s been a whirlwind of a week, and it isn’t even over yet. Faculty began with the usual 2 day orientation full of introductions and updates: things are going pretty well, so that’s encouraging; we have a new, fabulous library; future plans are ambitious. It’s a good time to meet new professors and catch up with returning friends/colleagues.

Normally I would spend the weekend after these meetings and greetings holed up in my office putting the final edits on my syllabi and course websites (nothing is just on paper any more). This year, however, my father’s extended family had planned a reunion at the beach. They’re still there! But I could only run down for Saturday &.Sunday, exchange some hugs, smiles, and too brief conversations, take a few photos. Not to brag, but I really am blessed to have wonderful relatives who are a joy to spend time with. I won’t say more about their many accomplishments, because that would seem like bragging.

So Monday AM I’m back at CU, meeting and greeting students—we’re delighted to have one of the largest groups of incoming English majors in a long time! Advising, and doing all that course prep I should have been doing over the weekend (note to my family—I don’t begrudge a minute of time spent with you, the best family ever!)

Classes began today (did I say that?) and so far, so good, once I conquered an unplugged computer monitor in my first classroom. Every time I have to wrestle with some technological glitch, I reconsider the possibilities of SMU Dean Bowen’s call to minimize computer use in classrooms.

And I finally learned the basics for getting this post from the iPad app to the blog. Small victories.

Basic Cultural Literacy: Alice

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Alice in Wonderland, books, literature, Lost, pop culture, students, teaching, TV

A few weeks ago my Intro to Lit. students read Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” a poem from Through the Looking-Glass. Very few—about four—of them had encountered it before, nor had they read the Alice books, although a few vaguely recalled having seen the Disney cartoon. One was looking forward to the Tim Burton-directed film (which is also from Disney—go figure). I was not completely joking when I told them a person could be prepared to analyze almost any work of English or American literature, television or film if he had read:

• The Bible
• Homer and Vergil and/or Greek/Roman mythology
• Malory’s Morte D’Arthur / Arthurian legends
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Wizard of Oz (in this case, the 1939 movie will also work pretty well)

And to reinforce my contention, last week’s episode of LOST, “Lighthouse,” is a festival of rabbits, looking-glasses, and mirror-worlds, as deciphered by TV critic DocJensen:

If all we did with the Alice citation in ”Lighthouse” was note occasions when Lost previously name-checked or evoked Lewis Carroll’s two Alice novels, we could pride ourselves on being careful watchers of the show. Look at us being careful! Our English teachers are beaming! (Or they are dead.) But consider again the scene in ”Lighthouse” in which Jack picked up The Annotated Alice. ”I used to read this to you when you were little,” Jack said, waxing nostalgic. ”You always wanted to hear about Kitty and Snowdrop, they were Alice’s…” But Jack never finished his sentence because his angry adolescent huffed out on him. This was a really conspicuous choice, and I remember thinking that I should really follow up on it and investigate what Lost had decided to leave unsaid. When I finally got around to that research this past weekend (and by ”research,” I meaning loitering for 45 minutes at the display of various Alice In Wonderland books at my local Barnes and Noble, timed to capitalize on the release of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie), I made one of those great discoveries that electrifies my Doc Jensen theory-making brain.

There’s a lot more.

Is this the only way to “read” LOST? Of course not, but it’s in there. And for those who have no interest in trying to find their way off the Lost Island, Alice in Wonderland is still a worthwhile read, even if only because (apologies for the pop psychology), “It’s never to late to have a happy childhood.”

Good news too

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btvs, Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Joss Whedon, pop culture, SC4, students, teaching, TV

All the longuers of yesterday somehow overwhelmed what should have been the day’s notable good news: my proposal for the 2010 SC4: The Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses has been accepted!

What is my proposed paper? For several years, students in my Freshman Comp 2 classes have been analyzing Buffy 7.16 “Storyteller” as part of a unit on metafiction. For many of them, it’s also their introduction to the show. So I’ll be discussing how that has worked out.

The literature anthology that has included this “metafiction” unit goes into a new edition next year, cutting the unit and most of the stories in it, so Spring 2010 is probably the last semester I’ll be using “Storyteller.” However, I’ll probably find a place for another Whedon show episode from Firefly and/or Buffy.