Welcome back to school--an adjusted view

Yesterday at my parents' home, their Munster, Indiana neighborhood had all the signs of a return to school.  Retirees manicured their lawns without the interruption and harassment of passing whippersnappers.  Once again, it was safe to be a pedestrian on the sidewalks, no youngsters just off training wheels clipping you with their bicycles.  The local police had the "your speed" digital signs and speed traps at the ready in the vicinity of all school zones.

Then the return home brought its own revelations.  Columbia and Calumet Avenues became parking lots, waiting for the streams of buses and car pickups at the public and Catholic schools.  Near a ranch home on Columbia, a girl raced from the bus, giddily shouting to her mommy about the exciting day.  Her brother exited the bus with a slow, shuffling death march, wondering what mommy will do to him after hearing about what he did today (if his teacher didn't call mommy first).

At this time last year, I re-entered college teaching, enthusiastic about the possibilities of the upcoming semester.  Though today I may not be the death march boy, I'm not his cheerleader sister, either.

I experienced some of the best and worst in freshman writing.  In my composition class, one student wrote a paper defending sweatshop labor, using sources he found exclusively on Bing and Google searches.  From my research writing students, a hip hop and rap "expert" asserted that Tupac Shakur was one of the biggest music artists of the 80's.  If that's the case, then I love when Madonna did the bump-and-grind onstage with The Beatles.

But some young writers can still dazzle me.  A professional musician and student at Ivy Tech evaluated what are the best and most reliable organs to play in church services.  At Purdue North Central, a group project produced a thoroughly researched essay and oral presentation on practical methods and solutions to reduce fossil fuel consumption and have lower energy bills.

I'm ready for another school year of discovery and encouraging students to find their writing voices.  And my pragmatic side has returned as well, knowing there will be a share of essay disasters.  Perhaps after this semester, at least it will give me more examples of what not to do.  I'm tired of sharing the real-life student example of "The History of the Twentieth Century" for a three to five page assignment.