Daily Practice

Anna made her first communion this Sunday, 31 years almost to the day after I made mine. It was lovely--the weather, the ceremony, the nostalgia. A few scenes: The cake The girl and the gown ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/scenes-from-annas-big-day.html

At the beginning of class this morning, I brought up Virginia Tech with my developmental writing students. They all started speaking at once, but the one who ended up capturing everyone's attenti...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/wow.html

Joanna tagged me, so here goes. I'm supposed to list five things I do every day to contribute to my "success." (I should note that I'm reading this as success at work. Success in some other are...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/5-things.html

Anna's on spring break this week, and she's spending it with my mom and dad. We left her at their house today after the family Easter celebration. The extended visit with the grandparents was ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-girl.html

Friday night: egg coloring. Saturday morning: neighborhood egg hunt (in winter coats?!). Saturday evening: to the Roller Derby to watch our good friend Heather (aka "Handle ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/weekend-snapshots.html

I had a conference with Kate's kindergarten teacher this week, and her teacher told me that she's worried that Kate might struggle in first grade. Kate's "young-acting," not all that interested i...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/should-i-be-totally-freaking-out.html

My eight-year-old, Anna, loves this site called "Club Penguin," which she was introduced to by our friends' children (who are the smartest, kindest kids I've ever met--so I trust their recommend...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/building-relationship.html

It always feels like spring has arrived when 4C's is over. I returned last night to 70-degree temps, open windows, shorts-clad kids, and a completely cleaned-out and fixed-up sunroom. We use the ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/back-home.html

Thanks so much to those of you who commented on my last post. It's so nice of you to welcome me back. You're probably thinking: Is she really back, or what? She hasn't posted anything! Here's t...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-excuses.html

If anybody still reads this space: Hello there. I'm coming back. I've been gone for so long--just been busy--that it seems sort of ridiculous to return. But I've started missing this space and a...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/missed-you.html

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I'm experimenting with providing audio commentary on students' drafts this quarter. For their first project, I responded with both extensive written comment...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/audio-commentary-question.html

...and especially if you live in Ohio, read this great post by my most excellent friend IngThing .

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/if-youre-interested-in-election.html

I was out of town for a few days, and when I got back last night, Kate asked me to rock her. "Like when I was a baby," she said. She hadn't asked for that in ages. We sat in the old rocker that'd...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/rocking.html

I'm using Audacity this quarter to make digital audio recordings of my feedback on students' texts. I started playing with it a little last spring when I was teaching online, but I'm really gett...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/talking-back.html

There's a pedestrian bridge/sculpture on my campus that intrigues me. In fact, I'm going to talk about the thing, briefly, as part of a conference presentation I'll be making this week. I ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/pointer.html

I have this running to-do list that I email to myself over and over: stuff I have to do for the writing center, for the classes I'm teaching, for a special project I'm working on, etc. And then a...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/making-room-for-my-own-writing.html

School starts for me tomorrow, and I'm way excited. I'm teaching two sections of my favorite course--English 111, an accelerated English 101-102 combo. I've taught it four or five times since I'v...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/new-start-tomorrow.html

Anna at soccer games last year: She's the kid most likely to be facing the wrong direction. The one who's more interested in her attire than the game. The one, bless her little heart, crossing th...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/magic.html

Writing Center stuff is on my mind right now, and I figure the blog's as good a place as any to start sorting it out. (Well, actually, a better place, since I can get feedback.) I just finished ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/monster-without-head.html

Our smart, wonderful, generous IT person restored a Blackboard course of mine from last fall, saving me tons of work this weekend as I prepare for classes to start. (Of course, I promised to nev...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/good-stuff-this-week.html

School starts back up for me on Sept. 20. A round-up of what I need to do this quarter: In the next two weeks: Clean/ straighten my office at work. Clean out/ organize my computer desktop at wo...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/to-do-fall-06.html

Just when I think, "Wow, I'm the mother of two school-age kids; this parenting thing's gotta get easier now," the older child yells this from the bathroom: "Mom, can you wipe my butt? I had a r...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/reality-check.html

My first day of kindergarten, 1973: Kate's first day of kindergarten, 2006: She doesn't have quite the "scared shitless look" (my mom's description of my first-day photo) that I had. ...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/first-days.html

School starts for the girls tomorrow. Some highlights of our summer are here .

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/goodbye-summer.html

I've been mulling over this question for a couple weeks now. And the best answer I could come up with was this: I don't have any grading to do. Yep, I think that's the main reason for my absence...

http://compclassblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-havent-i-been-blogging.html