English 1301
M. Hall

Notice for Thursday, 12 October, and Monday, 16 October

Dear Students:

I regret that I (too much use of the first-person in one sentence) will not be able to meet with you1 on Thursday, 12 October.

However, please allow me to make amends. Because I am missing a day, I (again, too much use of “I”) grant everyone in both classes an extra absence.

Further, on Thursday I will leave on the front desk of Angelina College’s Jasper Teaching Center a sign-in sheet for the Monday-Wednesday class and a sign-in sheet for the Tuesday-Thursday class. If you sign in and then promise to yourself to take an hour to work on your persuasive writing lessons, either on-site or at home, I grant each signer another absence. You will have to be honest with yourself on this.

And still further: Monday, 16 October, is a Jasper High School student off-day, and since most of our class are dual-credit students, all are exempted from class that day. However, I will be present beginning around 0930. If you can spend an hour on campus to work on your persuasive writing assignments in the classroom or the library, or to talk with me one-on-one about your progress, I will grant you yet another absence.

As you know, the State of Texas is strict on the matter of absences, and some among you are at the tipping point in this matter. I will not break the law regarding absences, but here is an opportunity to bend it. Come to campus and get rid of previous absences or build a metaphorical bank for future ones.

This is a bit dodgy, but I can ethically (adverb modifying a verb) defend (verb) it.

Initiative is your ally. Passivity is your enemy.

Cordially, Mr. Hall

1The second-person pronoun is correct here because the writer is addressing a very real you – which would be you – and not a conversational you referring only to an abstract.

Lessons, Week of 9 -13 October

English 1301

Angelina College
YOU and some old guy
Week of 9 – 13 October 2017

 

1. Monday and Tuesday:

 

General review of descriptive essays
Persuasive writing, continued
Return last week’s essays

 

2. Wednesday and Thursday:

 

Persuasive writing, continued
Notes re descriptive essays:

What Were the Grades?

 

A (90 – 100) - 18

B (80 - 79)   -  9

C (70 – 79)  -  3

D (60-69)    -  /

F (0 – 50)     -  2

 

18 students earned an A.  Everyone could have.

 

 

Lessons, 2-6 October 2017

English 1301

Angelina College

YOU and some old guy

Week of 2 – 6 October 2017

 

1. Monday and Tuesday:

 

A. Test

 

B. I will be pleased to take a last look at your rough drafts.

 

C. Please don’t bring me your draft if you have changed nothing about it

 since I read it last week.

 

2. Wednesday and Thursday:

 

A. The final draft of your descriptive essay is due at roll call.  No excuses

 – “It’s in my car.” / “My mother’s bringing it.” / “I was printing it in the

 library.”  / “It’s in my girlfriend’s truck which broke down and is in a

repair shop in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.  Really!  You can ask my

mother!” Any of these can be true, but they are not excuses - you were

given this assignment two weeks ago.

 

B. Introduce persuasive writing

 

Some miscellaneous notes:

 

A. That head may not be down and those eyes may not be hidden in your

 hands.  If you are that tired you should be home; if you are that sick you

 should be in the nurse’s office.

 

B. If you cannot write a simple declarative sentence you cannot succeed in this class.  I hope and believe some of the curious assemblies of words I read last week were due to carelessness.

 

Until you can demonstrate control, avoid beginning sentences with verb phrases, i.e. “Walking into the room, the wall on the right is painted green.” Walls do not walk into rooms; indeed, they do not walk at all.

 

C. Demonstrate initiative – while the old instructor is working with another student that is your time to review your own work and that of others, not idle.  A successful college student, like a successful worker, does not need constant supervision.  Passivity is your enemy.