The Mouths of Babes
When your students teach you
This semester was my first foray into teaching a college writing class for journalism majors. For the first few weeks, I fretted about the best way to teach them. What I didn’t expect was how much they’d teach me.
There was one young woman who didn’t show up to class the first week — which is not atypical, of course. Sometimes it takes college students a few days to settle their school schedules, and this young woman had been halfway across the country with her family over winter break, so it was understandable.
I had to ask the students to remind me of their names the first few weeks, and I’ll never forget how this young woman responded when I asked her:
“My name is Kate*!” She declared this firmly and confidently.
Well, okay then! I thought, and I didn’t forget her name again.
Kate missed class a lot. She also missed turning in a lot of assignments. I reached out to her several times, letting her know she could turn in assignments late or that if she needed some other accommodation, I’d be willing to work with her.
“I’ll get on those late assignments,” she’d assure me, and then I wouldn't see her again for another two or three classes. She never bothered to turn in late work. Once, she apologized and said…
