The First Week of School (Again)

If I think back at how many first weeks of school I've been through, it's amazing that I am still on my feet and functional. The first week is stressful, no matter how well prepared the teacher and/or how cooperative the students. They don't know me; I don't know them; and just getting them to sign in is a challenge.

I have 3 classes this semester, one comp and two reading, all of which have approximately 30 students enrolled. It is sad, but true, that many of them will stay in the class until the Pell grants are disbursed, at which time they will stop attending. I'm not sure if the majority of the students understand that the money MUST BE REPAID whether the coursework is completed or the student drops out.

We made it through the intro classes, where, after sharing the syllabus, I demonstrate a typical classroom session so the students are aware of the process and the procedures. There is always at least one student who grouses at my attendance requirement, but since a grade of "D" means "do over," the students need to understand that it's easier to pass a class and earn the credit if (s)he actually attends the class, completes the assignments, masters the material, and passes the assessments. I'm sure it sounds cool to brag to friends that you never attended a class, but aced the final exam; however, that's a movie script, not a college reality.

Doing one's own thing doesn't work well at the college level, although I understand it's still quite popular with high school students and is catching on at the middle school.

I've set up the email groups, sent the confirmation messages, and responded to the students who acknowledged my contact. Tomorrow, I'm going to update the master files, copy a few more handouts, and get ready for week two.

Then, I'll make my way to Lowe's to search the end-of-season sales for a comfy chair for sitting in front of the chiminea, as well as a metal arbor-like structure to tie the 3 paver patios together as one large patio. I'm enjoying sitting outside in the evenings as the sun goes down and the desert mellows out as we head toward fall, so want to finish the project I began during Spring Break.

Another first week of school takes its place on the history shelves in the study. It's a simple hop, skip and jump to Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and the end of another semester.