Only about a week and a half before my current class ends.
Thank goodness.

So, it was the class that almost wasn’t as it was given to me at literally the last moment.  It allowed me to make payments on the roof and car insurance.   I’m grateful for that.  Absolutely.

But two students, in particular, have kind of gotten under my skin.
First, there’s Suzie.  (Names are withheld of course.   Although it’d be impossible to track them down, I think it’s just more professional.

Anyway, Suzie turns in just about every assignment.   She participates, although poorly.  But, this is a pre-college English class.   I’m not expecting Shakespeares.  On her assignments, she has yet to score anything higher than 70%.    Most of the time, her grade hangs out somewhere in the 40s.

Giving grace, I have offered to allow her to redo assignments multiple times over the past six weeks.  Probably about two or three times a week.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I have to assume that Suzie doesn’t want to fail since she’s actually turning in assignments.   But, maybe I’m wrong.  I’d stop bothering her if she just told me that she has no intention to redo the work.   That’d save a lot of time on both sides.

The other guy is Ray.
He hasn’t cobbled together anything resembling a sentence on the discussion board or through emails.

Written just yesterday:

Mane if somebody dont teach me how to correct sentences ima fail them lectures not helping

Okay, so it kind of looks like a sentence, but I’m special.    I’ve played a lot of online games and text a lot.   But, yeah, no.  Personally, I’m not even sure how he got accepted to college.

Ray also likes to play games.
He told me that he would rather play GTA than do his homework.
That’s cool.  I understand, but I also reminded him that GTA doesn’t pay the electric bills or buy new games.  He needs to shift his focus to earning a degree.

But, that’s okay.    He lives with his mom and has a girlfriend.   When his mom restricts his internet access for looking up gay porn, he just goes to his girlfriend’s house.

Ray is very forthcoming with details.

He also told me that this is his second time taking pre-college English and was accepted to another school — for which I was thankful.

This guy is really a thorn.   If he wants to take his brand of adjunct abuse to another college, more power to him.

But, apparently, that was a ploy to see if I would get him to stay by fibbing on the grades.   Which I did not and will never do — doubly so for this guy.   When I didn’t roll over, he decided he’s apparently staying.

Not that it would matter one way or another.   There’s no way he’s qualifying for an extension.     I’m 99.9999999% he’s going to fail.  I just have to keep the ouija board out to translate what he’s saying.

Next term, I’ve been given a 202 class.    Generally, there’s not a lot of hand-holding in that course.  Well, at least not like this one.   Course, I’m already apprehensive that they could just yank this one away from me as well like they did last term.

Still pretty sure the new supervisor doesn’t like me — which is odd cause she’ll never meet me.    The personality characteristics that we press into strangers are fascinating and, most of the time, bad. I’m a victim.

At least the judgments I create about students are based on their work and excuses.   Which is probably wrong itself, but may be less wrong than assuming the worst of everything and everyone.

The COVID thing is still lurking around, but I think it’s getting better.   The casinos have reopened and even New York is showing some signs of life.  There are more cars on the road and businesses open.  I kind of doubt that the masks are going to go anyway anytime soon.    They’re becoming fashion accessories.

Just the other day, I heard a 50-ish dyed blonde woman talking to someone how she needed ‘bling bling’ on her mask to match her outfits.  If Ralph Loren and Supreme come out with a line of masks, it’s all over.    Everyone else will follow suit.

Which I don’t like.
The internet is ugly, in part, because of the lack of accountability and anonymity.  Not seeing someone’s face is a type of anonymity.  It’d be a study to see how behaviors change because people are hiding behind masks.

I also have the feeling that the protests (and maybe the riots) are settling down.  Sure, they’re still there, but the force is going out.   Instead, people are turning attention to cultural icons and remembrances — or what’s left after the last wave.

Statues in tribute to potential slave traders or owners are being removed.   Can’t forget Christopher Columbus! The Confederate flag is being banned.    I think I hear COPS was canceled and Gone With the Wind pulled from HBO plus.  Disney is adding warnings to some of their movies, like Lady and the Tramp, for cultural inappropriateness.

If I thought about it, I would have seen this coming but I thought all of the advertising references made to non-white people would be removed first.  (Mrs. Butterworth.   Uncle Ben.   Redskins.)

Brands that people could come into contact with every day would be worth more fuss than a statue that’s been there for 150 years.  But, I don’t know.   I goofed on that one I guess.

The leftovers of Cristobal is blowing around outside.
Sounds nice and seriously rattling the windchimes.   Maybe it was sent with love from Jason.

Anyway, this is long enough.    Got something to grade now.

Byeeeeee