What we've done in class

[Keith Rhodes <rhodes@CCP.COM>]

There could some day be an amazing work of research and analysis on what
we and other teachers did in class in response to these terrorist attacks.
The book project is so obvious and so sensitive that perhaps CCCC itself
should undertake it. For now, I hope it can it be enough for each of us to
hope we're doing the best we can, based on what we know? I appreciate
hearing the sheer chronicle of it all. I find this a kind of analysis to
which we can most readily turn our minds productively. I just hope we can
take much time to think before passing judgment.

In my firs-year writing classes, I have briefly explained why I believe in
going forward with the unit, and why I don't expect from them any show of
approval, and welcome any complaints (none yet). I have acknowledged that
I can't expect as much from them or anyone. I have invited them to use
their open journal requirement to write what they might need to express,
and reminded them to use their standard journaling right to cross out any
writing that I am not to read, but only to include in the page count.

And I have seen, both days now, a fresh and effective openness to new
understandings about the now relatively trivial concerns of writing well.
Sheerly for myself, it has been nice to have other things to think about,
since left to my own devices I mostly don't. I suspect at least some
students feel that way as well, though whether it is most of them I
wouldn't know. I do get the impression that most of the students appreciate
any manner of mature leadership, and that I could have done a wide range of
other things to their approval so long as I appeared to be acting
intentionally and responsibly.

Tonight my wife will be conducting a Pops concert with a blue-grass band
joining the orchestra and a barbecue dinner as the preliminary. I suppose
there are any manner of things to criticize in not cancelling this, or in
how they will adapt to circumstances (I don't even want to know all the
details; I'm sure there will be something patriotic, religious, or both).
But I am finding the whole mess of it satisfying, and late ticket sales are
up. We're a mess, but we keep trying to get it right.

Keith Rhodes
Missouri Western State College
rhodes@mwsc.edu | rhodes@ccp.com
http://www.mwsc.edu/~rhodes
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