Looking at Details

This isn't exactly the face of the Amaryllis from Monday's blip. No, it is more like looking right up its nose or gazing into its throat. It's looking at the parts, the pieces, the layers.

As I have promised, I will blip the face of this lovely floral wonder in a day or two.

At this minute I am thinking about my students and wondering what they'd do if they were in a botany class and were required to write a paper explaining the parts, the pieces, the layers of this bloom.

My students and I have now stepped into the afternoon of this semester. Soon it will be over. This coming week they are required to write in-class a draft that explains "a quality meaningful essay." They are not to write a "how-to" paper, but rather they are to explain an essay's essence. They've been told to do this by explaining the process of writing, the four steps of writing, and the ingredients in an essay. Their textbook is filled with the contents.

They have been encouraged to basically copy the book's message. It's a basic assignment, but then they are in a basic writing class. I think it is a legitimate assignment. So that they do not come to this class assignment unprepared, they have had to submit a practice draft.

I am bewildered, disillusioned, and baffled that none of them can hit the bulls-eye, and entirely too many of them are not even landing on the target. In past semesters I've had students write excellently for this assignment.

Many of my current students convey their great distaste for writing (and for that matter, reading). I wonder why they are in college.

Most of them do not have a clue what a powerful tool the written word can be and that the tool can be carried with them wherever they go and at a moment's notice it can be brought into use. They refuse to acknowledge that in their professional lives they will be called upon to write, to present themselves with written thoughts.

As I look at this gorgeous Amaryllis, I wonder if I should have majored in botany. I am sure the botany instructor has her own stories of woe. I do know that a few of my students are excited at the potential of earning good grades throughout college as they sharpen their writing. So I stand at the ready with my pom-poms.

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol