102-4. Our first month together

Dear students,

Four weeks of ENG 102 have passed already - time really flies!

I thought I would share some of my observations of our first month together. Of course I am so pleased that 54% of my students are back from previous semesters, but I'm also happy to have met all you newcomers. It seems by now we should all have settled in a bit.

WHAT HAS BEEN GOOD SO FAR

Blogging
I am delighted to report that as of this week, more than half of you have decided to keep a blog this semester. When I started this individual blogging project at the beginning of last semester, I never could have imagined it would come this far. With those of you who are blogging for the second consecutive semester, I really see changes in your approach - your writing is more mature, more thoughtful, and best of all, more personal. You seem to be developing a sense of yourself as writers in English and getting in touch with your audience. That is so wonderful to see. I can really feel that your motivation is not coming from the thought of extra credit, but rather from inside. That's a crucial shift.

Research papers
It seems to me that most of you have been able to find a topic that interests you on a personal level, and I consider that a real achievement from a teaching perspective. Some of you have even expressed genuine excitement to me about our course theme, as well as the conviction that our explorations of identity this semester will help you to make sense of your own identities.

Class discussions
On the whole, these have been impressive. I have heard some sophisticated analyses of our stories, texts and film. I would encourage you to keep striving to find a greater level of precision in your use of language - I'm sure that sometimes it is not the thought or understanding that is lacking, but simply the right words in English to put it into. I appreciate the courage it takes to try to express complex ideas in a foreign language, particularly in front of a group of your peers.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Class preparation
This has been variable. Some of you prepare regularly and thoroughly, but it doesn't seem like the majority, I'm afraid. I am concerned that when readings are assigned, the main strategy seems to be 'skimming'. The short stories and articles need to be read carefully. You most likely need to take notes, at least in the margins. And you need to check unfamiliar vocabulary in the dictionary. Having a vague sense of a text's meaning can actually be more confusing than helpful. I try not to overload you with reading, as I know you have lots to do for other classes. I try to make it fair and manageable. I do check SU Course statistics to see who is keeping up, which I must confess sometimes puts me in a very gloomy mood before our lessons if it is apparent that only a few people will be prepared. Thanks to Nazlı for reminding me that some students have purchased the Canon photocopy pack, so SU Course reports can be misleading. ;)

Timekeeping and classroom conduct
I was very, very tolerant of late arrivals in the first three weeks of the semester. This was to allow you to readjust to attending classes after the semester break and also taking into consideration the confusion of the add/drop period. But my previous students will surely attest to my insistence on punctuality. I want to start and finish the classes on time. I have seen students arriving to class 20 minutes late, and sometimes even more. This is surely not acceptable in anyone's eyes. We have very little time to spend together, and we need to be as focussed as possible. I want to tell you that I take punctuality into account when determining the final Class Participation grade.

The next point is about mobile phones. For the first time this semester, I have seen students openly texting in class, not seeming to care if I see them or not. Even after I ask politely for the mobiles to be put away, I see this sort of thing carrying on. My view on mobiles is simple: they have no place in our lessons. You are welcome to use them during the break. And if you are expecting a crucial call, simply inform me, and leave the classroom when the call comes in. Otherwise, your social lives and our lessons really do not complement one another. Thanks to Mehmet for pointing out that some students take notes on their phones; if this is the case, can you please just inform me so that I don't harass you. ;)

Finally, I want to mention social interaction. Many times I ask how people are, or I ask for your feedback or opinions on something, and I get absolutely no reply - everyone looks at the floor, and a terrible silence descends. I cannot tell you how awful this makes me feel. I'm a teacher, but I'm also a person. If I ask you a question, it's a genuine one. I do not want to perform my job mechanically; I actually value the relationships I build through teaching. I personally need to interact with my students. You know we English teachers do not follow a lecture format, and we really do want to see interaction, and that applies to student-student interaction as well. Must we always sit with our friends? Couldn't we try to get to know someone else in the class? Let's try to break this "go straight to the back row and sit as far away from the action as possible" mentality. I am really worried about this.

Thanks for your hard work and contributions so far, and let's keep this up.

Yours truly,
Sonja