my students filled out class evaluations today... eek! what if they know i've been faking it this whole semester? what if they know i haven't read more than 2 of the assigned stories for class discussion? what if no one wants me to teach anymore because the evaluations say terrible things??
ok, i know i'm overreacting. none of those things are going to happen. truthfully, i think i'm a pretty good faker. and i haven't totally bombed this semester, but i do feel like i'll get better as time goes on. i feel like i conduct class pretty well, and i think the kids all like me. even if they don't think i'm the greatest teacher ever, i'm fairly confident no one DISlikes or doesn't respect me.
however, i'm afraid i haven't taught them much that they'll remember. i want them to leave my class feeling better equipped for the world. ready to take on any academic essay they might be assigned. ready to compose a decent cover letter to apply for jobs. ready to write emails and memos and proposals and whatever other documents they will use in their career. i truly believe coherent writing is essential for success in the world. if you can't present yourself well on paper, you'll never get your foot in the door. no one will give you a second glance. these kids don't need to be shakespeare, but they need to understand structure and concision and effective use of writing tools.
oh i just hope they remember SOMETHING. and i hope i can find the time early this summer to revise my syllabus and lesson plans, because i have a MILLION ideas in my head how i can make this class better. just give me another year or two, i'll beat this composition thing yet!
(speaking of, i'm surprised how much i'm enjoying teaching composition instead of creative writing! weird...)
Labels: teaching
