A Wish List

I totally agree with Tamar. You can't force students to do anything. (Let's force them to drink--they're containers, right?) I had the hardest time understanding that they didn't really care about their grades like I do, and didn't worry about attending class every day. It baffled me when they didn't take advantage of the extra credit or the re-write options that would have saved some of them.

I wish I had known "they are not me" before I ever walked into the classroom. It would have saved me a lot of stress and frustration on the first assignment. I thought their grades would hit them like an atomic bomb; they barely blinked.

I wish I had known that I couldn't save them all. (I honestly tried!)

I wish I had known better than to give them an inch. They certainly have an instinct for that sort of thing.

I wish I had known that Word 07 has an automatic works cited building function--I wouldn't have wasted an entire day constructing one by hand in class. (It was fun, though).

I wish I had known who owned that nasty water bottle I almost put my lips on.

I wish I had been confident enough to walk in there and "own it" every single day. Sometimes I stumbled, staggered, or choked on my gum. There were days when I felt apologetic. Now I know better.

I wish I'd had a ready plan for how to direct them toward each assignment.

I wish I had known how to operate the overhead, screen, and computer with grace and effortless finesse.

Better luck next time. What an experience! I've loved it, and will really miss these students. (Hey, with half of them failing, I might see one or two again, right?) I have a whole list of things I will do differently next time around. We survived! Here's to a fabulous--and confident--second semester of teaching. Wooo!