Thursday, February 17, 2005

Just a little test to see how progressive they are.

Several people have asked me what a TracFone is. It's just a cell phone with prepaid minutes. You can buy the minutes at WalMart, etc, but if you buy them over the internet, they often have specials and you can get extra minutes for free. I have one, too. I use mine so infrequently that it seemed like the best deal for me. I used to have a regular cell phone but I hardly ever used it; mostly I just loaned it to people. (Don't ever do that, by the way. . . .) Mom wanted one for long distance and emergencies, so it seemed like the best deal for her, too. Anyway, that's what a TracFone is.

Today I'm giving a test over progressive verbs, and fixed-form helping verbs. Don't you wish you were in my class? My lucky students will be thrilled, I just KNOW it.

That wasn't sarcasm; they really will be thrilled. I mean, why wouldn't they? Progressive verbs and fixed-form helpers, for crying out loud.

Oh, okay. Maybe they won't. But it's an easy test, as tests go, so that aspect will make them happy.

I am having a lot of absenteeism, and the college policy is "no make-up work," and the students are all aware of that policy, but they are missing class anyway. Why would they do that?

Probably for the same reason I did it back in the day. But back then, we could make stuff up. Now, they can't.

Some mornings, it was just impossible to wake up at all, let alone on time. I remember.

My students are trying to fit some classes in, among their already-burdened schedules of jobs and family. I cut them as much slack as I can, but some things are out of my hands. Sigh.

I LOVE my job. Love the campus. Love the students. Love it all.

It's never fun to add someone's grades up and realize what you already knew: they aren't passing.

When someone's grades have lots of blanks, you pretty much know how they're going to do at the end, and it's hard to sympathize with someone who just plain didn't do the work. It's the people who have tried hard and done every assignment and still average out below 70%, that break my heart. For them, I'd do almost anything legal to help them. For the slackers, well, I still try to help but frankly, a person who chooses not to do the work isn't very deserving of extra help. This is true of any grade level, all the way down to K.

Mom and I watched "Something's Gotta Give" the other night. I like it. I think she made the wrong choice at the end, but that's just me. I've never been a Jack Nicholson fan. He's creepy. I'm not a Keanu Reeves fan, either; but he was charming in this one, and at least it wasn't the Matrix. Brrr. Not a fan.

There's a homemade apple pie in this house. Want some?

Splenda is awesome. I use it all the time now. Hub is diabetic, but now he has options he didn't have before.

I've heard it causes acne but at our age, who cares? I still get the occasional zit anyway; they go nicely with the age spots. The best of both worlds.

I am so fat. This has got to stop!

Have a great Thursday, y'all.

I'm off to the city to check out the progressive verbs. You don't find progressives in this town, so I've got to go north a little to find them.

Feeble, wasn't it. Sorry.