Missing: One functional brain

I am praising heaven and doing the yippie-skippy happy dance because I don't have a club-hour meeting tomorrow. I can get up at the usual time, come to the office, and then crank through student assignments until my 2:30 class. I should be able to muscle through a fair chunk in that time. I certainly hope so. I have quite a bit to do over the weekend, no matter how much I get finished tomorrow, so the more the better. As always.

Today's 102 was pretty awful. The students were completely stuck on the story we were discussing (Ursula Le Guin's "Ile Forest," from the Orsinian Tales, which I think is a truly beautiful story--but then I would). They were so stuck that they couldn't even answer the most leading of questions. And I ran smack into a shocking level of socio-historical ignorance. When I asked about one character's social status, they were saying things like "He's not married" or "He has a bad memory." (OK, I made an assumption: I assumed they would know what "social status" means.) They didn't know why a nobleman wouldn't have a job--or wouldn't be rich. A lot of the subtleties of class and expectations were simply lost on them. I've taught this story many times before, and students often have a bit of a hard time with it, but I've never before encountered such a wall of incomprehension. Fortunately, Monday is just a review day, so we can chip away at the story more then, as well as going over nuts-and-bolts stuff. But talk about heavy lifting: too heavy for me to get even a millimeter off the ground. I suspect tomorrow's class will go better, as even at the end of class they seemed more ready to dive in. I do hope.

The poetry class, on the other hand, sailed. Their analytical abilities are improving with each class--and most of them contributed in class, too: there are only three students who are pretty routinely silent, out of 18. Some talk more than others, of course, but just about everyone has something to say. I'm happy with it. I'll know a lot more once I grade their mini-papers, of course (they will, too, once they get them back)--and I'm glad they'll get two mini-papers back before their first big paper is due next Wednesday.

I did think, however, that I had staggered the paper due dates so I wasn't getting papers from 265 the same week I got them for 102. Instead, I'm getting papers from all four classes in one week. Dad used to say there is no defense against random moments of stupidity. Case in point. Ah well. At least I don't have to have the papers for 265 back to the students in an all-fired hurry.

Right at the moment, I'm hanging out waiting for a student from 265, who wants to talk to me about being an English major, wanting to become a writer, what to do with her life. I love that kind of conversation with students. I wish I got to do more of that end of teaching, the part that talks about education in terms of a much larger picture. She's a bright young woman, too, so I'm looking forward to meeting with her. I also am looking forward to a few minutes to talk with Paul. I always like to talk with Paul, of course (my office husband), but also, I shared some essays I use in Native American lit with him, as I thought they'd be helpful to him in something he's working on; he left me a note saying they were, so I want to get his feedback.

I am, however, tired and hungry (despite the Payday bar I snarfed a minute ago), so it will feel very nice to head home relatively early. The latest offerings from Netflix call to me............. Student is here. Posting without proofing, heaven help me.