These weeks have been dedicated to the major essay assignments in both classes.
Students seem to perceive no homework with nothing to do. Next semester I need to accompany points with check points on each of these assignments. It is easier to do in ENGL093, as students move at their own pace in the career analysis essay. ENGL 083 follows a step-by-step process that takes weeks to complete together. There is also the problem of drop-in students during the modeling sessions. Students return lost and frustrated. The updated handouts of classwide progress are working only oh-so well.
Spring break has also taken it’s toll on attendance. This means students will be returning, eventually. The issue becomes a dilemma of helping students succeed no matter what and enabling of unprofessional student behavior regarding attendance.
Overall I am pleased with the responses to the essay process in ENGL083. I am also pleased at the second round of essays from ENGL093. 083 students are seeing how main ideas-details work, and how essays must show relationships between details with transitions and analysis. 093 students, some the hard way, are learning the value of systematic research and seem to have caught on to citation basics. It’s not perfect or pretty to watch, but they are moving forward as a class.
language arts boost 