Some of the more revealing words which teachers choose to implement for survival: the saddest words of mice and men, it might have been. Again, in the classroom, you arrive with a plan. Today we are going to start presentations of short stories, review our New York Times article, and then read over a poem focusing on the writing style. A few transgressions: essays are due on Friday, excuses, etc. You review what constitutes an emergency and how it must be reviewed by the Registrar before being an excused absence. Some late students wander it.

You think you may be losing your focus, amongst other things, and so you focus on the MA framed in your office. A few freshman volunteer without being encouraged, a student walks with you to further discuss an assignment, you see some other English Instructors loaded down with books, and mostly papers to correct. And you know your hump day (Wednesday) will continue but you will all get by. A few students yawn in the last class…which ends at 6:20 and you collect papers, make a few notes, grab your umbrella and head to your car.

I have been utilizing small group activity more and more anticipating more collaboration between native speakers and non-native speakers. Some are naturally inclined to be more outgoing and others need more encouragement. One non-native speaker doesn’t quite understand the word “Cheering.” Another student helps him. I encourage him to bring a dictionary which can be electronic or paper back. I will not lecture with a writing class; the class will be writing, discussing, and very active. Lecturing may work for business classes, history but not for English. As I repeat myself, there are many interpretations of one poem. When we review the poem, I mention the illusion to the Greek God Icarus flying too close to the sun and burning his wings. One sees it as man facing limitations, another sees nothing and later confesses to me, “I have difficulty understanding poetry in my native language.” Luckily, I enjoy discussing poetry, but I try to find an avenue to make it relevant and interesting to their immediate life.

Sometimes that means finding a you tube video…one time, we reviewed the song lyrics of “ Lorde “. They are beautiful. I shared that her mom is an award winning poet whose talent may have been inherited by her daughter. Sometimes, it means when we discuss terms like logical and illogical fallacies, I show you tube commercials with themes of illogical fallacies. This is for the chapter about analogies and metaphors, etc. Later on, I may bring in rolls of long writing paper (from IKEA) and have the students work together to encourage critical thinking skills. Some students are very advanced and others need some assistance in seeing the analogies and metaphors the writers use. Above all, by the end of a long day, I try to reach deep within for a sense of humor keeping in mind the students are freshman, the course is required, and for many this is their first year away from home. Tomorrow, I return to baking, decorating cupcakes, and merchandizing them to customers. I will enjoy the transition from analyzing, instructing, to the free fall of the next day. You really can’t analyze or subjectify a cupcake. It just is.

About the Author

Mrs. Eve Dobbins has a BA in English Literature from SUNY Stony Brook. Her MA is in TESOL from the University of South Florida. She began her career as an ESOL tutor at Berlitz in New York. Ms. Dobbins is public school certified in multiple subjects and has taught all levels of public education. In addition to her experience in public education, she has taught ESOL strategies for elementary education teachers at the collegiate level. Ms. Dobbins also has teaching experience at multiple community colleges before accepting her current position at ST. Leo. Her experience does not stop at U.S schools, as she has also taught at different levels in South Korea, France, and most recently the United Arab Emirates. When not teaching, she enjoys baking cupcakes (she is owner of Cupcake Cache LLC in Tampa), reading, and writing a children’s book about desserts of different countries.