2009-2010: Welcome to the New Class!
Hey folks! I'm writing this from in the nice, cool computer lab while those of you who bothered to come to the orientation meeting are setting up your online accounts for the new year. It's been a while since I wrote anything in my blog, so I thought I'd see if it still works. This year, I had more than 70 people apply for Honors English. Twenty or so couldn't come to the meeting, so they picked up all the handouts early. There are about 25 in here now. It will be interesting to see who follows through. Half of you are in my regular English class during the day, so you know a bit about me. Some of you may have heard rumors...none of which are true! One way or another, if you stick it out until the end of this class, you will get to know my "voice." You'll be getting lots of e-mail from me, and we'll "meet" at least once a week on the discussion board, so even if you never see me face-to-face, I suspect we'll get to know each other pretty well. It might even be fun.
The traditional warning I always offer is this: You've got to be self-motivated. No one is going to force you to log on and write a blog every week. No one will remind you when the assignments are due. You have to be personally responsible to check the web site often and stay in touch with the class. All of our communication will be written, so you are going to get lots of writing practice...which means lots of thinking practice. That's what I ask of you more than anything else: THINK! Embrace the challenge of finding answers and looking inside yourself to see how you feel about issues and why. Those who succeed at this are the ones for whom it becomes more than just a weekly chore. If you are doing this because your dad forced you to, you probably won't finish...unless your dad is planning to look over your shoulder all year and remind you to do all the stuff. But those of you who like the opportunity to interact with classmates in a new "world" outside the school and who enjoy the opportunity to share ideas that are more complicated than the "ha ha!" text messages some of you send ten-thousand times a day are going to like it here.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you.
The traditional warning I always offer is this: You've got to be self-motivated. No one is going to force you to log on and write a blog every week. No one will remind you when the assignments are due. You have to be personally responsible to check the web site often and stay in touch with the class. All of our communication will be written, so you are going to get lots of writing practice...which means lots of thinking practice. That's what I ask of you more than anything else: THINK! Embrace the challenge of finding answers and looking inside yourself to see how you feel about issues and why. Those who succeed at this are the ones for whom it becomes more than just a weekly chore. If you are doing this because your dad forced you to, you probably won't finish...unless your dad is planning to look over your shoulder all year and remind you to do all the stuff. But those of you who like the opportunity to interact with classmates in a new "world" outside the school and who enjoy the opportunity to share ideas that are more complicated than the "ha ha!" text messages some of you send ten-thousand times a day are going to like it here.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you.
3 Comments:
Hey Mr. T!
Nice to see you post again!
And yes, I am still here.
=]
Lotus.Memoirs
Yay! You posted.
I'm still here too... and I feel old... haha :)
As if I could ever feel old! I am the very definition of unstoppable youth, and my time has COME!!!
Err...anyway...I loved the advice you're giving the New Students this year, whom I will perhaps frequently call Newdents, because you're encouraging them to THINK, to be self motivated! I love that!
I'm here to support this year. I wish 'em all good luck.
K.R
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