My Letter of Introduction to You (if you weren't in English 1101 with me)

                In a world where online courses are more frequent and social networks are largely in cyberspace, it pleases me to be in a classroom with students. I spent thirty-one years as a high school teacher in Jasper County, twenty years as an adjunct professor at Georgia College and State University, and this begins my sixth year as full time instructor at Macon State.  I like teaching--which is good, since I drive an hour to work.  I teach English 1101 and 1102; this semester, I have 103 students.  I am sometimes slow getting papers graded because of the number of papers.  If each student, in each class, hands in one essay, each week, and each essay is @ approx. 500 words, I may have 51,500 words to read over a weekend. Reading and grading papers take time, as does writing, which is hard for everyone.

                Four years ago I joined a writer’s group because I like the challenge that writing presents, because I wanted feedback on my writing, and because I believed it would make me a better teacher of writing. I discovered one of my major writing flaws was the same as  some of my students: I tend to write a great deal to say what I mean; I must delete, revise and polish what I’ve written for it to be any good. It’s not unusual for me to write two pages and cut over half. My writing has become tighter, more succinct, thanks to the writing group, and my words are more exact. I am more aware of not just what I say, but how I say it; I hope my students cultivate that awareness, as well. Writing carefully and correctly is critical to understanding; it cannot be achieved without time and effort. After all, writing involves analysis, synthesis and creation—all of which are higher order thinking skills.

                During my spare time, I read and enjoy painting in pastel. I belong to a book group, which has introduced me to many new books, including Life of Pi, Half Broke Horses, The Things They Carried, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and many others; my favorite author remains Stephen King, though.  At the end of a long work day, I drive an hour back home, where there’s cooking, cleaning, laundry and the rest of my life:  my husband, who works for the Department of Natural Resources, and my son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome and is also a student at Macon State. That, as the saying goes, is another story.