Today was the last day of prep work before the students started their first paper. I showed them MLA formatting, then I showed them a PPT that gave them a step-by-step pictorial of how to set up MLA formatting in Google docs. If they can't follow this handout, well, then maybe they need to take a class on how to follow directions. After the paper dress code was established, we discussed conclusions. We discussed how a good conclusion wraps up an essay, and we went through strategies to make a conclusion effective. I had them get in groups and write a group conclusion based on a silly introduction I wrote on origins of bowling, then I had them read an essay written by a high school senior. I blacked out the conclusion of this essay, and I instructed them to write their own conclusions based on what the read and the elements of a good conclusion we discussed in class. Hopefully, they will do well.
The highlight of the day was something unexpected. In all my classes, I have students read something aloud to the class at the beginning of each class. They have signed up for this, and they do it twice a semester. I tell them they can read anything that is school appropriate. Some choose parts of books, some read song lyrics, some read a few quotes that they like, and others read material they have actually written. Today's reading will go down as one of my favorites: a student read a letter her brother had written her from prison. I was amazed at the courage this girl showed to read something so personal to her classmates. She told us she received the letter three weeks ago and hoped to receive another soon. She told us she misses him, and this is their only form of communication. Times like these remind me that no matter how stressed or tired I am, I have nothing to complain about and some of my students truly have very difficult lives. I have a very blessed life.
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