week 4

It's interesting how many students will shortcut their efforts even when other options are available. Like the vocab for the quiz - it's an easy extra set of points, it would improve reading comprehension and test performance. But few, if permitted to not use them, take advantage of them. It requires a new outlook, a focus on quality, a need for accomplishment to do this. But the other approach is to do "enough", to get by, to undershoot the target and act as if it's not something that they have control over.

How frustrating this is for me, but, more importantly, how scary this must be to hold this outlook, to live your life guarded against success. Success asks to much of us and means we think of ourselves in new and uncomfortable ways.

Week 2, Spring 2005

We went through the first quiz and it was something of a shock for some. One class dug in (several came to office hours) and worked to get it. Most of another class assumed "same old, same old" and undershot the target (and it only gets more challenging from here). There is a fair amount of complaining. It bothers me a little but on the other hand, then I know something is working. We will need to continue to negotiate what this is all about and why we are here. I am confident of this working out well.