Finding Joy through the End of Semester Chaos

I haven't written about the teaching aspect of my life in this blog for a while, but as the 1st semester winds to a close this week, my passion for teaching (despite the tears and stress it occasionally brings) overwhelmed me and inspired me to write a bit on this.

Let me start by stating that the last week of the semester at times makes me feel like this:


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...and a little bit like this:

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And, seeing as how I teach online these days, it's also a dollop of this, but less lonely and more helpless:
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Basically, it boils down to the fact that I have students who don't turn in anything until the last week, regardless of when I set deadlines, and then occasionally what they do turn in is so far off base or, in very devastating cases, plagiarized, that I don't even know where to begin.
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Still, despite all this disappointment, I do also have the students who really inspire me, the ones who turn in excellent essays and request my feedback and comments, and actually respond to that feedback and continue to blossom in their English and writing skills. These students are beautiful and amazing, and I honestly believe they give me that boost to deal with the tougher cases presented by their peers.
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All in all, the virtual school is a weird and magical world that we're only starting to really discover how to use effectively. I feel that some students thrive in this environment, and they can grow so much from the personalized experience. Others, unfortunately the ones who so frequently get herded into this environment, cannot handle it. They use the time at home poorly and do not embrace the support and encouragement that their virtual teachers provide. The fact that we cannot physical see them and provide that extra sense of presence and support only further hinders this situation, and they spiral into those who refuse to answer emails or phone calls and who submit one page summaries of a book they maybe read once back in elementary school.

However, despite all this potential negativity and failure, I try to focus on the positive (as per my New Year's Resolution! (see previous post) ;)). For instance, one student of mine is currently having difficulty admitting to the blatantly plagiarized content of his persuasive essay, despite the fact that it is quite literally copied word for word from a website. Instead of flipping out and failing him (tempting, I'll admit), I'm walking him through the pitfalls and legal repercussions of plagiarism and working individually with him to backtrack to his main idea and outline using resources we'll discover together. I will teach him all over again how to cite these sources appropriately, and I will not give up on him until he's written a decent essay. I will always maintain the idea that I can continue to work with these students, even the ones who push me farther away than the hundreds of miles that already physically separate us.

My Weird and High-Reaching Resolutions

I've decided that I will have resolutions this year. That and magical jewelry.


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Well, okay, at least the resolutions. So here goes:

1. Looking on the positive side of life, even in the face of difficult or stressful situations. For instance, when facing a day when I have no less than twenty items on my to-do list, I will celebrate crossing off each little darned one, preferably with a shot of espresso-- although, for the sake of my health, I may limit this celebration to an awkward victory dance (and the occasional shot of espresso).


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2. Asking for more favors. This may seem ridiculous as a resolution, but, if you know me, you know that I hardly ever ask for any help and instead find myself stressed and buried under a pile of things I've agreed to do.

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No more! I will ask for help, and I will accept it gratefully, always with a smile, and occasionally with simply a plate of fresh-baked brownies if I do feel the need to return the favor in some way.

3. Less time on Facebook. Bahaha. Is this everyone's resolution? Well, I'm stealing it. (Cue 2nd LOTR allusion.)

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Well, that's all I've got for now. Oh, besides the ever-present....

#4. WRITE!!!!! And promote my cozy mystery Decaf & Drones, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as an e-book. It is also soon to be available in print copies. The second book in the series is in progress as we speak, but, naturally, in order to finish it, I must WRITE!