Inspiration

To say that I write a lot in my free time would be a stretch, but finding inspiration to do writings for the classroom is still sometime difficult. Typically I’ll sit down to write a first draft of a paper a week or so in advance, to give myself extra time to think about what I have to say, and then I won’t come back to the paper until several days before it is due. I have difficulty finding inspiration to do papers on subject matter that I find to be, for lack of a better word, dull. Although this practice of waiting to the last minute may perhaps be a bad habit to from, it is the only way that I can seem to get my words down on the paper; it seems I work the best under time constraints and pressure to get it done.  On the topic of writers block I find it easiest to listen to music while writing, or even take an hour break or so during the process to get my thoughts into order. For example, I have a paper due on Thursday this week over the issue of conflict in the novel, Belinda, by Maria Edgeworth. I’m sure I won’t start to write my final draft until Tuesday night or Wednesday afternoon. It’s not that I don’t care about the paper, but working within limited time constraints helps me focus on what I need to accomplish.

Grades

Although I wasn’t able to be in class for the conversation regarding the access of grades I still feel it is an important topic that I have, at least in the slightest, an opinion on. While grades, for students, seem to be very important to track it is not always the best way to determine the amount of learning done in a classroom. Obsessively pouring over ICON, or any other online grading tracker, can be a deterrent to the act of learning. To me, it seems like grades, especially in young learners, can affect the way students see the classroom. The classroom turns into a place of work instead of enjoyable learning and activity. As the old saying goes, “pay someone for an activity they enjoy and it will turn into work”. While keeping track of grades is a great way to monitor progress, it should not be the first step in assessing a student’s strengths and weaknesses in the classroom.  

"Healthy" First Drafts

When thinking back to my first draft of my memoir, or any first draft in general, I never thought of it having a “healthy” status. When I write my first drafts I look at it as a way of getting my ideas down on paper, and my first draft lets me organize my thoughts. What I feel that is different about my firsts drafts that is different from a typical first draft is that I generally write mine in the old fashioned way, with a pen and a piece of paper. It isn’t necessarily entire sentences either, many times my ideas will be sketched in the margin and many sentences are added in as afterthoughts. So, when asked whether I think my first drafts are healthy or not I honestly believe that I can’t answer. I suppose when considering the list that we made on the board in class last week I would have to say that my first drafts are “unhealthy” in a way. Although “unhealthy” my first drafts work for me and I think that is the most important part of my own personal process.