Reply #7: observations

[NJCher]

I've listened to part of it and I'm not sure how much I agree. I, too, am an English professor.

I think this generation responds to good teaching. Every year I make changes to how I teach, always hoping to do a better job. This year I paid more attention to certain research paper areas, such as MLA or APA citation. I was quite satisfied with the research papers they did this year and what's more, it was encouraging to me to see they had intrinsic interest in their topics. They took great pleasure in coming up with creative ways to start their papers and in writing clever titles and subheads.

Why didn't I do it this way earlier, I asked myself.

Definitely they are glued to their electronic toys and that has to stop. Schools need to make a policy about cellphones and other gadgets in the classroom. As a teacher, I make my own policy but it would be more effective if there was a university-wide policy.

The program stated how little homework and prep they do and I would concur with that. It's shocking to me how they will come to class having done nothing whatsoever to prepare. To mitigate that, I began a points system and they did respond favorably to that.

They are cynical. They have no faith or trust in our institutions or politicians. That, to me, might be the saddest part of it all (because they're right to be cynical--not because they're cynical).


Cher