The Way We Think About the Struggles of Others

I’m hoping that you’ll all be open to engaging me on a question that I’ve been pondering for a while now.  I’m pretty sure you are all aware of this by now, but I am an GLBTQ ally and have been for years.  I’m also a fellow at a center for Holocaust studies and am [...]

And… BREAK!

I’ve managed to get to the bottom of all my Local U. classes’ final essays.  I’ve still got to enter grades for the presentations my TCC lit. kids did, but the assessment piece is all done.  Once I deliver my grades to TCC’s office (I submitted LU grades electronically), I’m DONE.
This has probably been my [...]

Grammar Wednesday

In honor of our upcoming Secretary of Education, I’d like to take a moment to clarify the difference between subjective and objective pronouns.
A subjective pronoun is one that acts as the – Bueller? Bueller? – subject of a sentence. I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are subjective pronouns.

She and I went [...]

I Am Hopeful

I heard President Elect Obama deliver this speech on my way to teach a yoga class this afternoon.  As I drove and listened, I found myself talking to my radio.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Accountability.  Raising the expectations of our schools, our teachers, our students and, praise the Goddess, our parents.  If I weren’t already a [...]

A Job Well Done

Last night was the final class for one of my freshman writing courses at Local U.  While I’m sad that the semester is over, I am encouraged by the really meaningful progress that many of my students made over the course of our time together.
I spent this morning reading their final papers and have come [...]

Grammar Wednesday

This question comes to us via Godsweigh.  She wrote me this email the other day:
Mrs. Chili, I have a question.  I live in the south, Houston to be specific, and often see on menus that a restaurant serves “ice tea”.  Shouldn’t it be “iced tea”?  In the same line of thought, since I drive in [...]

The Attendance Policy

My students are tasked with writing a persuasive essay for the final paper of their freshman writing courses at Local U.  One of my students, who had a terrible time getting himself up and out of bed in time to make our 8 a.m. class, has decided to write his paper in opposition to the [...]

Two True Stories

True Story #1.  I’ve got a student in one of my classes.  She’s got quite a personality, and in the short time I’ve known her I’ve discovered – because she’s told me – that she’s a pot smoker with a criminal record, that she has a penchant for choosing rotten boyfriends, that she has a [...]

Zero-Credit Grammar Wednesday

Mrs. Chili doesn’t accept late work, but I’m handing this in anyway.
The other day Meno emailed me with this querry:
So, which of these is correct, if any?
He is more sensitive than I.
He is more sensitive than me.
He is more sensitive than I am.
Thank you!
-Meno
Meno, it all depends on what kind of “correct” you’re looking for.  [...]