Whats everyone doing today?

[Sarojaede]

I just finished reading 95 placement essays for incoming freshmen.

Oy vey! I need a pitcher of margaritas and it's not even 2 p.m.

 

[EJFan]

I just finished reading 95 placement essays for incoming freshmen.

Oy vey! I need a pitcher of margaritas and it's not even 2 p.m.

how many of them made you wonder how they ever got out of high school?

 

[Sarojaede]

how many of them made you wonder how they ever got out of high school?

Far too many. And I get the joy of knowing that somewhere in that stack of 95 placement essays will be students who probably ends up in my class. I know; I know that sounds terrible on my part, but when faced with 95 essays that students have 45 minutes to write and over 1/3 of them are less than two paragraphs long (in a blue book) it just makes me wonder what the hell happened to our educational system.

Did I mention that I get to spend the rest of the week, this weekend, next week, and next weekend reading these essays. Screw the pitcher of margaritas, someone fill up the pool with them!

 

[EJFan]

...it just makes me wonder what the hell happened to our educational system.

two words: no child left behind.

see... it even screwed up our math.

 

[Sarojaede]

two words: no child left behind.

see... it even screwed up our math.

I read an entire essay that was supposed to be in reference to a prompt about drug adicts, but throughout the whole essay the student referred to them as "drug attics" despite the fact that the term was spelled correctly for him on the front page of the darn bluebook!

 

[Eilan]

I just finished reading 95 placement essays for incoming freshmen.

Sounds like you might be in my former line of work.

 

[silverwhisper]

i know someone who teaches french at the collegiate level. she mentioned to a 101 class a few years of historical significance. half the class failed to understand the historical significance of the year 1776.

they were all native-born americans.

ed

 

[Sarojaede]

Sounds like you might be in my former line of work.

Probably. I teach those classes everyone loves to hate, First-year composition. Well, sometimes I teach that. I mostly teach Scientific and Technical Writing or Writing for Engineers.

And more and more I am considering making it my former line of work.

 

[Sarojaede]

i know someone who teaches french at the collegiate level. she mentioned to a 101 class a few years of historical significance. half the class failed to understand the historical significance of the year 1776.

they were all native-born americans.

ed

Color me unsurprised. I am sure as the semester gets underway, my SC blogs will be filled with tales of woe regarding similar phenomenon.

 

[EJFan]

half the class failed to understand the historical significance of the year 1776.

well don't keep us in supsense... what was it?

 

[silverwhisper]

SJ: if you can get a really good head of steam going, i'd dearly love to see you alpha rant about it. hell, knowing you, i'd dearly love to see you alpha rant about anything. :>

EJ, don't make me trout-smack you, man...

ed

 

[Sarojaede]

well don't keep us in supsense... what was it?

Allow me...

[trout smacks EJ]

 

[EJFan]

Allow me...

[trout smacks EJ]

see... this is why kids don't learn. you ask a question and the teacher beats you.

 

[Eilan]

Probably. I teach those classes everyone loves to hate, First-year composition. Well, sometimes I teach that. I mostly teach Scientific and Technical Writing or Writing for Engineers.

And more and more I am considering making it my former line of work.

I used to teach Composition I and Composition II. Occasionally I'd pick up a section of Reading and Learning Strategies and Introduction to Writing, but those classes were pretty demoralizing.

Oh, yeah, and I also taught College Algebra and Calculus for Business Majors. I had an undergraduate double major in English and math, so I'd occasionally whore myself in both departments.

 

[Sarojaede]

SJ: if you can get a really good head of steam going, i'd dearly love to see you alpha rant about it. hell, knowing you, i'd dearly love to see you alpha rant about anything. :>

EJ, don't make me trout-smack you, man...

ed

Oh, I am sure you will see an alpha rant later. I think my ability to alpha rant will shock the bejesus out of some people on SC.

 

[EJFan]

...shock the bejesus out of some people on SC.

you know people on sports center? tell stuart scott i said hi.

 

[Sarojaede]

you know people on sports center? tell stuart scott i said hi.

LOL! No, no one on Sports Center...smartass.

 

[Guest]

 

[Eilan]

throw Yank into the mix and soon we'll be outnumbered.

Must be that New Math.

 

[Guest]

 

[silverwhisper]

funny: i was gonna post a poll about that, but figured i already blew my poll limit for the day.

sarojaede: o, i'm sure. that's why i'm looking forward to it. :>

ed

 

[Guest]

 

[silverwhisper]

o, all right: sah'-roe-jade

what about you, scaly?

ed

 

[Sarojaede]

o, all right: sah'-roe-jade

what about you, scaly?

ed

Close.

It's actually two names. Saroj Jaede.

sah' roej jade

And well, the r is slightly rolled and the "j" sounds like a cross between a j and a k. Or a gutteral "g". Don't ask me how to signify that while typing.

 

[Guest]