Panda Policy

Today my students wanted to be inside the panda cage. We've finished Week 6 of the current semester. They are discovering that the public schools have done them no favors. They've come to higher education fairly unprepared and now they want to be professionals. They think professionals get big paychecks, have cushy jobs, and all the assistants do the work. Some of them write at the end of the semester that they look forward to the finish of college because they'll have no more stress. They are so young and immensely naive.

During the past six weeks I've told them numerous times that we don't become Big Macs by sitting in McDonalds and we don't become students by sitting in a classroom. A student is someone who is excited about learning and participates in the process.

When I was their age I was a failure as a student (maybe even as a human)--quit school at the end of 10th grade. I have four degrees. The first one was earned in the University of Hard Knocks.

Today they received the score on their first graded exam--they needed to know the Eight Comma Rules and how to use them (plus a few other things). They also received the score on their first graded writing project--six summaries writing from Newsweek type articles (not difficult reading). For the most part, they don't comprehend that an A represents excellence, that a B represents superior, and that a C is not failure--it represents competence.

They believe showing-up earns them the grade (the highest grade). I explain that in the career/professional world showing-up is nice, but producing quality work earns the grade.

Today I was reminded again (as if for the first time) that my job is as much to whet their appetite for knowledge, as it is to instruct them about writing well.

Today my students were pestered, perturbed, provoked, perplexed, poked, and prodded. Today these students wanted inside the panda cage.

Now the instructor is home with Mr. Fun and Bob dog. It is date night and the thought of staying home in front of the fireplace was extremely inviting. We ordered a pizza, pulled the shades, locked the door, and are enjoying our solitude while also watching the world of blip move by one thumbnail at a time--we're hoping to see you there.

Good night on this last Thursday in March.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol