I used to have to teach 5 batches ranging from classes 10-12 every day, each with 40+ students for 10 years when I was a teacher. Even though I was very light on home assignments, having habitual defaulters really tests your patience.
I just finished reading “Moby Dick” and now I understand my vague feeling of dissatisfaction: I feel like I should write a book report but there’s nobody to turn it in to. (But I’ll get over it; I probably wouldn’t have done it even when I was supposed to.)
Yesterday Caulfield claimed to want to develop a good understanding of what he had read before having to turn in a report. Today, he seems to see it as a time to stall until the last minute. Sounds about average for elementary school thinking. Unfortunately, in my years in the classroom, that habit carried through until graduation for many of my students.
One of the best pieces of training advice I’ve ever seen, and I wish I could remember which pro bike racer dispensed it, goes sort of like this:
“Training is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re through. You quit when the gorilla is through.”
Sometimes, I suppose, you don’t start until the gorilla is ready, either. That’s not as good a context in which to take it literally — if I were fighting a gorilla, I’d want the jump on him, and if I couldn’t get the jump, I’d procrastinate like the higher but much more fragile primate I am — but then, I can’t recommend literal gorilla wrestling no matter how illustrative.
GreasyOldTam over 5 years ago
It’s summer vacation. Why is he still whining about book reports? Is he feeling guilty about not doing them?
mddshubby2005 over 5 years ago
Is there a draft in here? Because Caulfield should have done a first one by now.
Richard S Russell Premium Member over 5 years ago
Imagine the lucky teacher who gets to read those 30 book reports from 8-year-olds. It must totally make her day!
Nachikethass over 5 years ago
Caulfield is being a pest now.
I used to have to teach 5 batches ranging from classes 10-12 every day, each with 40+ students for 10 years when I was a teacher. Even though I was very light on home assignments, having habitual defaulters really tests your patience.
pschearer Premium Member over 5 years ago
I just finished reading “Moby Dick” and now I understand my vague feeling of dissatisfaction: I feel like I should write a book report but there’s nobody to turn it in to. (But I’ll get over it; I probably wouldn’t have done it even when I was supposed to.)
Old Girl over 5 years ago
From all the bitching posted here and elsewhere, it seems that most of us should not have had much trouble writing reports in school.
asrialfeeple over 5 years ago
Now Caulfield is starting to act like a kid.
The Old Wolf over 5 years ago
Wait, I thought wine ferments in the bottle.
sandpiper over 5 years ago
Yesterday Caulfield claimed to want to develop a good understanding of what he had read before having to turn in a report. Today, he seems to see it as a time to stall until the last minute. Sounds about average for elementary school thinking. Unfortunately, in my years in the classroom, that habit carried through until graduation for many of my students.
Uncle Bob over 5 years ago
Once on a Sunday night, I just made up a story, an author and a silly title and wrote a book report about it. Mea maxima culpa…
Concretionist over 5 years ago
Book reports as kimchi?
ars731 over 5 years ago
“We willl write no book report before its time”
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 5 years ago
Blog PostsFrazz16 hrs ·
One of the best pieces of training advice I’ve ever seen, and I wish I could remember which pro bike racer dispensed it, goes sort of like this:
“Training is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re through. You quit when the gorilla is through.”
Sometimes, I suppose, you don’t start until the gorilla is ready, either. That’s not as good a context in which to take it literally — if I were fighting a gorilla, I’d want the jump on him, and if I couldn’t get the jump, I’d procrastinate like the higher but much more fragile primate I am — but then, I can’t recommend literal gorilla wrestling no matter how illustrative.
poopsypoo Premium Member over 5 years ago
Oh just read the darn book!!!!