Musings: Work and American Idol (yeah, yeah; I know, I know)

[wordinista]

Okay, first off --

Thank GOD my boss is not an asshole. I mean, yeah, he's a little clueless at times, but he's not a big jerk, and I am thankful for this.

I received a really nice email from him after I wrote and let him know about the insanity that's been going on with my classes.

First, let me reassure you that you are not alone in this. I have found
that at this point in the semester, any number of students are coming
forward to complain about their Comm 2 instructors, both full- and
part-time. I think this is the time when some of the students are
beginning to reap the consequences of their sluggardly study habits,
inattention, etc., and so it suddenly becomes the teacher's fault.
Others may be legitimately overwhelmed, lost, confused, etc.

I have found that we are always having to re-invent the wheel with each
new 1102 class. Yes, theoretically, they've been instructed in MLA and
essay writing through 1101 or its equivalent. However, for many this
instruction may have been years ago, and few students seem to carry over
the knowledge from one class to another even if it was just last
semester. I've had students come to me and SWEAR on their mothers'
graves they've never heard of the MLA when I know darned well they had
it last year with an instructor that I know for a fact teaches the MLA
in 1101. There are a number of fancy theories of learning that explain
how this lack of retention of knowledge occurs (it has to do with not
being able to apply information out of the context in which it was
originally learned), but it's good enough for me to accept that this is
reality and to prepare accordingly.

So in 1102, I've found that some class periods have to be given over to
writing instruction at the expense of works of literature. This is one
of the hardest teaching decisions I've ever had to make, but it just
doesn't work (at least for me) to assume that because 1101 is a pre-req,
that the students now know essay writing and MLA. I don't think you
have to can drama as a unit to go all the way over to writing workshops
simply because a few students aren't "getting it," but certainly one or
two class periods per unit devoted to writing review is beneficial.
That's how I work it in, for what it's worth.

Hang in there! For every student who complains, there are more who
think you're doing a wonderful job!

So that made me feel tons better. And I had my peer observation today -- the department chair observed my Comp II class, and it WENT WELL OMG. People actually READ. And SHOWED UP. AND PARTICIPATED.

And, hey, I was covering one of my favorite sections (drama), so all the better. I even got a nice little email from him letting me know how much he enjoyed the class. *falls over in relief*

In other news, we're JUST about ready to move on Friday. I'd say the apartment is 95% packed up. I've got a few things on my desk, and the clothes in the closets, annnnd... the food in the kitchen. I'm going to pack up the car with the things I don't want the movers messing with, and will make a trip down to the new place tomorrow. I have to get the keys too, anyway.

The ONLY thing that looks like it's going to be tricky is the issue with the cable/internet hookup. I made the mistake of making the appointment for Friday between 1-4, thinking (assuming) that the movers would get to the apartment early in the morning. I don't know why I thought this; I just did. But then I found out that the moving company will call me tomorrow with a proper schedule, letting me know when they'll be by to pick our stuff up. So there's a chance I may not be at the house when the cable guys get there. However, I called the cable company and explained the situation, and they told me if I wrote a "letter of permission" and got a photocopy of my ID, then I could have whoever I wanted let them into the house. So I did that.

*prays to the cable gods that this will go through seamlessly*

Now, on to other, less serious things.

Yes, I admit it. I got sucked in watching American Idol. This is the first season I ever watched, because any time I caught it while flipping through the channels, I'd sneer and call the lot of contestants a bunch of no-talent hacks. (Six years in two top-ranked concert choirs, and three years in a top-ranked madrigal ensemble has turned me into something of a snob, vocally.) But there were a few people who I thought sounded pretty good, so I started watching.

*sigh*

Lindsey Cardinale got voted off tonight, and it absolutely broke my heart. Mikaila Gordon had a MUCH worse performance (and, I'm sorry, but she strikes me as too much of a Barbara Streisand wannabe). Seriously -- whenever Mikaila (I'm not sure if I'm spelling that right) would take the stage, I couldn't stay and watch. She was just... bad. Too much Barbara, IMO -- almost like I got the feeling that she was trying to sound like Streisand. She does this weird thing with her vowels -- it sounds like she's trying to swallow them. I don't know -- she's just not... technically proficient? I mean, I know that you hollow out your mouth (by pressing your tongue down into your jaw a bit) to get a deeper, richer tone, but if you do it too much, the vowel gets lost. Mikaila's vowels are teh suck.

Seriously: Too much Barbara.

And then last night she went and slaughtered one of my all-time favorite songs ("Son of a Preacher Man"), so I was certain she'd get voted off.

Nope. Close, but no cigar. Blah.

I LIKED LINDSEY CARDINALE, DAMMIT!

*sulks*

Comments

[somnambulicious.livejournal.com]

I've had students come to me and SWEAR on their mothers'
graves they've never heard of the MLA when I know darned well they had
it last year with an instructor that I know for a fact teaches the MLA
in 1101.

*boggles*

But...but...but can't they just pick up a fucking book?!? Yeesh. When I was in college, I had the insane idea my senior year to take a 4000-level Medieval European History course (and I wasn't a history major.) I was thrown into the deep end of Chicago Manual and told I had to sink or swim. You know what I did? I went out and bought a copy of A Manual of Style and learned it. I just don't understand what's so mystifying about MLA.

And shouldn't these kids have learned MLA in high school? I was on my second copy of the handbook before I ever even applied to college.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

You've hit the nail on the head, hon. These kids are so used to being spoon-fed that it's suddenly hugely unfair that an instructor expects them to do a little work themselves.

In fact, there was this one class I had where I told them that they had the tools to figure out most of the answers to their questions themselves. I'd help them out when they were truly lost, but I expected them to make an effort to figure things out on their own.

A hand shot up, and I proceeded to get lectured by an indignant (and, actually, as it turned out, unstable) student, about how helping them was my JOB. *sigh*

I'm the same way, though. When I got into graduate school, I had a lot of trouble in my literary theory course, and I wound up buying tons of books that basically translated Lacan and Althusser into layman's terms. These kids all want things spelled out for them. And I'm apparently "mean" if I don't do the spelling. :P

[somnambulicious.livejournal.com]

Oh, gods, I just had the most horrible flashback to my freshman year of college. My roommate had already been accepted to Columbia, but she had to spend a year at the college I went to due to...personal problems. She'd been educated at the most presitigious (and expensive) private schools in town. At the end of the semester, she handed me a copy of her term paper for a poetry class and asked me to look over it for her.

The whole thing was a first-person narrative. Including the thesis statement.

Then she asked me, "Do you think I need a bibliography or something?"

It was supposed to be written in MLA format. Forget citing her references; she didn't even have a list of them.

I have since failed to be impressed by people who attend Ivy League institutions.

[squeakyinuears.livejournal.com]

*Laughs*

Looks like things are beginning to look up on the academic front, and I'm glad for it! I'm sorry I haven't commented recently . . . things have been kind of hectic for me, too. ^^;;

*Huggles* Good luck with moving and the cable/internet hook-up!

[dawnsama.livejournal.com]

I used to think American Idol was like a reality show: contestants go there for the attention and to show the world their oh so hard jouney to success blahblahblah. I also feel that it's a disgustingly mainstream show. This is a contest based on talent, not popularity? BULLSHIT DUDE. But my mom and sister like watching it, and they turn the volume up loud, which makes me wander over and watch... and watch... I admit to scoffing and sneering at times, but I still watch.

I've come to the conclusion that although American Idol is flawed, it's still eerily entertaining.

[tatertott.livejournal.com]

I cannot watch American Idol at all. I think it's rather sad that these people go into this thinking they'll be rich and famous if they win and the only winner I can remember is the first one and I can't even remember her name. But I also try to watch as little TV as humanly possible - and if it is on, it's either on Lost, CSI, House, or HGTV. I'm usually reading, on the intarweb, or drawing :/
I'm glad your boss is at least knowing the situation you're in - it's a good thing that you're not alone!