Reading, Reading, Reading

I wish that title were a reference to me reading fun books and magazines, but it's not. I've been at the AP English Lit reading and grading essays for the past week plus. It was frustrating because the question I read upon was harder than the similar question was last year, and so they sucked. SUCKED. I mean, I read for AP last year and it wasn't nearly so bad. This year? Pitiful. On a scale from 0 to 9, most of the essays were 4 or lower. That makes me sad.

The essay I read was based on an exerpt from a book called Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai. It looked very interesting, so I'll look up the novel at the local library sometime this summer. The passage involved a tale about an Indian exchange student named Arun. Unfortunately, the kids would panic so much about the AP exam that frequently they couldn't even spell Arun's name right even though it was right in front of them (Aran, Aurun, Verun, Hrun...you name it). I also had some winner statements that made me laugh out loud, like the student who wrote that Arun was an exchange student from INDIANA. Or that Arun was named Arun not because of his Indian heritage but due to the fact that he wanted to "A-run" away from everything. Or that modest clothing was common in India but not in America...that you couldn't find modest clothing in America unless you went to India to buy it...oh wait, maybe you could get it at Wal-Mart. Man, those moments made my reading so much more humorous!

Then there was a girl who decided to write an essay on her guidance counselor instead of the exerpt. I found that one facinating, actually, even if it was a zero. She mentioned that her guidance counselor told her that she was poop and couldn't succeed in life, let alone go to Virginia Tech. But the girl defied her and applied to VT, and she got in...early decision. Yay! I like stories when the bad guys go down in flames. I hate it when teachers tell kids they can't do X or Y. Yes, I've told students before that their strengths are math instead of English, but that's VERY different. Usually that's followed up with something about how they can certainly still get an A out of an English class if they let me help them because I know that their hard work can get them to their goals. I can't imagine telling a child that he/she/it can't do shit because he/she/it is worthless or incapable. Come on. We can all do amazing things if we just want to, eh?

I need the money from the week of AP readings, but I also enjoy just connecting with rising high school seniors that way--through their essays. I like knowing what skills your average student will have when escaping high school. I also like chatting with the other English lit geeks. We're an odd bunch, but a fun bunch too.

****

I don't like little dogs. I don't. I don't. I swear I'm a big dog gal. But....

...a woman from the English dept. needed her dog taken care of for six months as she moved out to England. Alex immediately volunteered because he wanted company in Rock Hill during the week. I thought, well that's fine, he needs company. We can help her and make Alex happy at the same time. The dog is a little mini-pin, cute as a button, and as shy and skittish as our Firepaw Mercutio (the orange tabby cat we adopted from Angie's Rescue Mission, Inc., last fall).

Oh, shit, I love this dog. Sigh. So do the kids! We've won her over. We've gotten her to enjoy the cats (and the cats her). We've gotten her to be NOT uncomfortable or shy. She's cuddly, smart, sweet, enthusiastic, and well-behaved.

I think in Nov. when Blackie leaves, we'll have to get ourselves a dog....or at least another cat....