One More Chapter
A twenty two year-old's view on life, death,
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
There are many things in my life for which I am thankful. One of them being the amazing people I have had the privilege to meet along this crazy journey. There are so many that it wold be difficult to discuss them all in one blog post, but I have already discussed my father, Erika Wilson, Victoria Carrier and Alex Serafini. So I thought that I would take this time to talk about some of the people who have the greatest influences over us, who we become and how we get there: Our Teachers. I have had the privilege to be taught by some amazing teachers in my nineteen years. But there are a handful of them that have stood out to me, and I know I will always remember. The first one, I wrote about as part of my senior portfolio in my AP Lit class last year, Mrs. Roney O'Brien Susan Roney O'BrienMrs. O'Brien...where do I even begin? She was my English teacher in seventh and eighth grade, six years ago...holy shit that's scary. Needless to say, she changed my life. Suddenly English wasn't just another class. It was a world of pure imagination (get the reference? I crack myself up). I was understanding things and grasping ideas and concepts I never had before. We were introduced to more academic literature, we were challenged and I loved it. She had us reading books in seventh grade that I had to read again when I was in high school - and it's was fantastic. I attribute her amazing teaching to her obvious passion for what she did. When she spoke about the material it was clear that it meant more to her than just some words on a page, and she wanted us to feel the same way. I remember her desk, it was always absolutely covered in papers, books, art projects from ten years ago, but she seemed to thrive in the chaos of it. None of the other teachers I had ever had were like her. She was so unique. She never yelled or raised her voice (actually I do recall her yelling one time at this kid in class who just wouldn't give her the respect she deserved. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. After that the kid shut up and did as he was told and she went back to her quiet and calm ways). She was a published poet, who loved the peace and beauty of Princeton, Massachusetts just as I did. She is the one who made me believe in myself and my work for the first time. And I will never be able to express how thankful I am to her. Bethany BottoSay hello to Bethany Botto. She was the physical education teacher at my high school. No, that's not quite the right way to describe her, because she was so much more than that. Anyone who has ever taken a class from Ms. Botto will agree that she is one of the most unique teachers they have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She makes sure that all her students feel appreciated and valuable. We are all like her little children; she looks out for us, listens to our problems, comes to us when she thinks we seem upset about something, and always compliments us for things that most people don't notice, like a haircut or a new outfit. I have never met a teacher with more passion and drive to create a happy, and successful learning environment than this woman here. And it is clear that she truly appreciates her job, for to her it isn't even a job. She clearly loves being able to work with children and makes sure that her students understand that as well. In addition, she is an amazing artist and goes out of her way to make sure that students who share this passion have the chance to express themselves as well. She works with the Drama Club on their plays, the male talent competition called Mr. Monty Tech, and even started an art club to help make up for the lack on an art department due to budget cuts. I feel blessed to have met such an amazing and supportive woman. She is practically perfect in every way (whoo, Mary Poppins reference! I'm just killing it today) and I hope to go back and see her soon. I hope all her students over in Fitchburg are appreciating how lucky they are to have such an amazing and talented teacher. p.s. If you are reading this, Ms. Botto, just want to let you know that Victoria Carrier and I still use the Pilates techniques that you taught us at the gym every day and I'm slowly shedding that unwanted "layer of cheesecake" and revealing those shredded abs underneath! ;) Samantha McGuaneThis last person is simply one of the coolest teachers I have ever had. If I were a few years older, we'd be best friends (don't be freaked out Mrs. McGuane! haha ). We both went to the same high school and graduated from the Culinary department, then went on to study English instead, so I always enjoyed talking with her about our chefs, which were hers as well. Anyways, she one of the best - no strike that, the best - English teacher I have ever had. I took AP Literature & Composition with her my senior year and I think that I learned more from that class than any other class before. I have always known that I loved English (solidified even more after having Mrs. O'Brien as a teacher) but I was never very confident in myself or my writing. Then I started taking her class and it just all made sense to me. I also learned that I should have been annotating/explicating a long time ago, because after I learned how to do so I could see clearly, the rain had gone (still killing it with these references today). So, thanks for that! In addition, she was personable and loved to see it when her students showed a genuine interest in her class. I know that she has helped my and my writing by leaps and bounds. The editing and reediting of theses was tedious but well worth it, since after that it was smooth sailing. It's teachers like these that this world needs more of. Ones who show genuine love for their work, who inspire their students to do better, who will go above and beyond in order to make sure their students are getting the best education and experience that they possibly can. Our teachers are molding and creating the next generation, so why wouldn't you want the type that will make this generation the best one yet? I'm so thankful for having met people like these women, and I hope you have met similar people as well. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayHome by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
2 Comments
1/31/2014 0 Comments Shall We Have A Foot Race?Four television shows you should be watching and why. The title of this post has no relevance. If you know what the title is a quote from, comment below and I will be extremely impressed. By the way, these are all comedies. I prefer to watch comedies, because...well, who doesn't like to laugh? Of course, I watch other shows as well, more dramatic ones like The Walking Dead, Teen Wolf (my guily pleasure along with Reign, The Vampire Diaries and other CW shows), American Horror Story. And there is always the trash reality shows like Dance Moms, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and Kim of Queens. I am a girl after all. But my favorites always seem to be the comedies. 1. The Mindy ProjectI'm pretty sure that it's obvious how much of a girl crush I have on Mindy Kaling. Well, no. I wouldn't call it a woman crush, more like she is my complete idol and once I finish her book there will be a whole post devoted to how amazing she is and how she and I are practically the same person and should best friends. Anyways, The Mindy Project is one of the funniest TV shows on TV these days. If you are a New Girl fan, than you will be sure to love this show. In my opinion it's actually funnier than New Girl, but don't take that as me not liking New Girl. It made the list too. But seriously. Watch this show. It's short, only thirty minutes (23 if you watch it on Hulu since there are less commercials, or 20 if you DVR it and skip through all the commercials) so it's easy to watch in short bursts. Or if you're are like me, you can just watch four episodes back to back for two hours. 2. New GirlNo surprise here, right? Most people have jumped onto the New Girl bandwagon, but if you haven't you really should. It's too funny to even explain, plus the Jess - Nick relationship just takes to cake. Oh, and who could love to completely loveable face of Zoe Deschannel? ...and Schmitt just makes my life. 3. Parks and RecreationAmy Pohler? Yes please! This show has an amazing cast, amazing writing, and make me also pee my pants laughing when I watch it...for the eleventh time. Which was a problem when I would watch it on my iPod at the gym while on the elliptical...I think I started to scare people...needless to say I don't do that anymore. I feel like this show is super under-rated. It is probably my second favorite show on TV right now. But that could be a lie. Picking a favorite TV show is like picking a favorite child...no strike that. It's harder. Oh, and Aziz Ansari is on this show. So how could you not watch it? 4. The OfficeWhile, yes, it is no longer on air (to my exreme dismay) this show is such a classic and there are infinte ways with which you may watch this show. All the seasons are on Netflix, and I'm pretty sure there are a good amount on Hulu. Plus there is always YouTube. My sister and I are AVID Office watchers. Like to a HUGE fault. We can walk in to an episode and just start speaking along line for line the rest of the episode. On long car rides we quiz each other by starting a quote and having the other finish it. Or we will have to guess who is saying the quote, or which episode it is (down to the Season number, Episode number and the name of the episode). It sickening, honestly. But that's just how good the show it. Now most people tell me that they watched the first season and just couldn't get into it. Well I'm here to tell you that the first season is the absolute worst. I love it, but all the other seasons are much funnier. But still, watch the first season so you can learn all the characters and then continue on (the first season is only like ten episodes so it will be easy). But yes, this is the greatest show ever. Oh and did I mention that it is where I first met Mindy Kaling? What are your favorite TV shows? Let me know in the comments below! Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayKiss Me by Joe Fessler (ft. Tanna Howie) An amazing cover, hope you enjoy! 1/30/2014 2 Comments It's Update TimeSo, yes, I do realize that I missed yesterday's post and am coming dangerously close to missing another day. Do not fret, I have it all under control. I am planning on making up for my missed blogs here and there, don't worry I will keep up and make sure that this is one goal I do NOT give up on. 365 posts by next year. It WILL happen. So for today's post I thought I would make it in traditional blog style, and give a little update of my life, where i am with the goals I stated in post #1 and some plans for the future. I will try to be brief. SchoolFor those who don't know already, I am not the typical college student, and it's the reason that it is getting so hard to keep up with my daily blog posts. For one, I am a triple major. Journalism, Communications, and English. Yep. Don't worry I'm not crazy, just very confident in my time-management skills. Second. I am double minoring in French and Film Studies...well technically I am getting my "certificate" in Film Studies, but essentially, and for the purpose of this blog, it's a minor. Third. I am in the Common Wealth Honors College. This means I have to take eight honors courses (or something like that, I'm actually not quite clear with all of that) and I have to do a senior thesis when the time comes in order to graduate. The Honors courses are more rigorous with smaller class sizes as to allow for more class participation and discussion...and more work unfortunately. Fourth. Since I have to cover so many requirements by the time I graduate (which I intend to do in four years, not five), I must request for an overload of credits each semester. The normal amount of credits is 15-16. 17 if you are ambitious, and 18 if your really confident. Anything more and you need to submit a request to have permission granted for more credits. This semester I have 22. Because so many are literary-based classes this semester, I am having to read about three assigned books each week, plus additional readings from my other classes (articles, chapters of textbooks...) and I also like to get in some reading which I choose to read. Next up is Mindy Kaling's Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns). So needless to say, I'm a busy girl. HealthEveryone knows it. I like to go to the gym. I like to live a healthy lifestyle. There are many things which I have cut out of my diet (gluten, ice cream, fried foods, soda, candy etc) in order to turn that freshman 15 into the freshman -15. But unfortunately being committed to the gym is a big time commitment. Yesterday I was at the gym for 2 1/2 hours, and didn't even notice the time had passed. In order to keep up with my homework and my need for some good old free reading, I can always be found reading a novel while doing my hour and five minutes on the elliptical. Two birds with one stone. Let's just say, I have officially mastered the art of multitasking. Love LifeHaha. You're Funny. WorkAs many know, I'm a bit of a workaholic. In the summer I work about 70 - 80 hours a week. But hey, gotta pay the bills. Also I like to be able to go out and buy myself something that I really want, be it makeup, clothes, books or what have you. And I pay for it myself. Because I work my ass off to have this ability. Currently, while still working at the Harrington Farm as a Server/Setter Supervisor when I'm home, I am the primary lighting coordinator on a TV show called "Code of Conduct" being filmed currently and which will be aired on the UMASS UVC-19 channel here in Amherst. Last semester I was a Production Assistant on another television show called "The Stand Ins". It is an independent production that will be posted online and on Netflix when finished. I am also currently helping Stephan Lockney with preparations for Camp Harrington 2014. I am planning all special events and family nights, getting paperwork ready and emails prepared. It's pretty time consuming. In addition I am going to attend a Communication Media on Campus Night next week and hope to use it to get me involved in the Daily Collegian, a daily newspaper here at Umass. So, as I would like to repeat, I'm a busy girl. No rest for the wicked! Not sure that was quite relevant. It's late. I'm tired. WritingSo I put as one of my revolutions/goals for this year to finish the book I started so many years ago that I walked away from. I have posted two sneak peeks to it on this blog (entitled "book club #1" and "book club #2" I think) if you want to check those out. But wow, I am reading and writing for classes and this blog so much that I haven't found much time to work on the book. As of now I am still going through what i previously wrote and wondering what in the hell i had been thinking and completely changing most of it into something that sounds at least a little bit more mature. I hope to get back into that soon, and will definitely keep you posted. On a more positive note, three of my essays from last semester have been nominated by my professor to be published in the Umass Student Anthology. I have formally submitted them now for review and will find out sometime next January (I know, it seems so far away!). But, with any luck, this time next year i will be a published writer! I will keep you posted as I hear more on this amazing progression. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayFrom Finner by Of Monsters and Men If you don't listen to these guys, do it. Their lead singers are named Regnar and Nana. I mean, come on, how much more totally awesome can you get? 1/29/2014 0 Comments It's FateFate is a funny thing, but I'm not sure it's something that I really believe in. But every now and again something will happen, two events will line up so perfectly, it's just too hard to pass off as a coincidence. Is it fate, or is it something else entirely? To give an example, I sat down in my African Film class yesterday and was ready to give it my full atention and really try to understand what my professor was going to say. Unfortunately he speaks very poor English and gives very poor lectures. Nothing is fully explained and I am left wondering what is going on. The topic was on the political issues being faced in the Congo during the late 1800's, with the colonization of Belgium and the Congo trying to become independent. In general I understood the order of events, but most of it was a blur of who has power over who and who is who's enemy...let's just say that the two hour long french movie to follow did not clear things up. So I left that three hour long class feeling like I really needed to do some research and also like I just wasted a perfectly good three hours. Then I walk into my Studies In Modern Fiction class today - a much more enjoyable class if I may say so, i mean the teacher has an Australian accent. I could listen to his talk forever - and fate happens. He opens up his presentation on Heart Of Darkness with a background of the politics of the Congo (apparently where the novel takes place, though I had been unaware to this until then). He mentions King Leopold, the want to be independent, and even showed up some of the images that were shown in the film I had seen the night before. Things began to become a little bit clearer all of a sudden...was it fate? It is as close to it as I have ever been, and it almost makes me believe. Have you ever run into Fate before? Let me know your bizarre story in the comment section below! Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of The DayWelcome Home by Radical Face Shout out to Pandora for recommending the most amazing artists! I love this band and can't wait to start hearing more of their songs! 1/28/2014 0 Comments Cover ArtI feel as if "cover artist" is it's own genre these days. Some artists make it their primary means of making music and almost never come out with a song of their own. But, hey, I'm not complaining. Today I am here to introduce you to this amazing genre. Often times I feel as though the cover of a song is actually better than the original, but please don't kill me for saying that. I think that my years of being a dancer and involved in the dance world helped lead me to truly appreciating cover artists. You will hardly ever dance to the original version of a song, only because a cover is unique, contemporary and often easier to dance to or to create a certain mood with. If you don't know many cover artists, please I beg you, take the time to explore this amazing thing call YouTube. It is absolutely filled to the brim with these amazing up-and-comers. Some of my favorite cover artists are as follows. 1. BirdyBirdy is by far one of my favorite cover artists. She brings such a unique twist to her music and is nothing like anything we have heard before. She is SIXTEEN people and she plays the piano like a seasoned pro. Her voice is haunting and she will leave you wanting more. One thing I LOVE about her is that she covers very unique songs and less well known songs, unlike the more common cover artists. She is also one of the few who have gone on to release an album of all original songs since her carrier had taken her so far with her cover album. She is most famous for her cover of the song "Skinny Love" on her album, Birdy, but she also wrote a song for the Hunger Games soundtrack called "Just a Game" and it's amazing. Here are some of her songs. 2. Max SchneiderMax is another one who is making something out of himself. He is beginning to release a few original songs and makes a cameo here and there on Disney channel and the like. First of all, look at that face, it real pretty, but his voice aint too bad either. In fact, it's amazing. After I heard him the first time I was hooked. He can honestly make any song sound abosolutely beautiful, but here are a few of my favorite covers by him and his friends. 3. Boyce AvenueThis is a classic. I think that Boyce Avenue was one of the first cover artists I got really into, or actually went out of my to listen to. He has released many cover albums that are all fantastic and can be found on iTunes and the like. These are a few of my favorites by him, but he has probably close to a hundred songs out there for you to grab. There are so many more artists that you should go check out, but there just isn't enough time to go through them all so here is a quick list of those you should check out on YouTube:
Tiffany Alvord Hannah Trigwell Alex Goot Fifth Harmony Lindsey Sterling (violin covers, AMAZINGGG) Tyler Ward Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille (no song of the day since there are so many here anyways) :D 1/27/2014 0 Comments One Day MoreYesterday I talked about getting through bad days and how it was one of those days for me, and today I want to turn to a happier topic. So I am going to list for you some of the things that I can always rely on to put a smile on my face. These are the things that I like to turn to if I am having a bad day like yesterday, because who wants to spend a day unhappy? We only get a limited amount of them and we should really spend them being happy. Before we get started I want you to take a few minutes to watch this video below. It's amazing and makes me inspired yet also completely terrified me. It's amazing, you definitely won't regret watching it. Freaked out yet? I thought so. So let's spend those days being happy and not sad. It's a difficult task but perhaps we can try a few of these techniques to get us out of that slump we sometimes fall in. Don't worry, most of them you can do right from your computer. 1. Puppies make everything betterWho doesn't love puppies? watching adorable videos of baby animals can make anyone's mood lift immediately. Except when I watched this video below last night and wanted to cry because I wanted to cuddle with these French Bulldog puppies so badly. But it was a good kind of sadness. Just Google cute animal pictures and you'll be smiling and laughing in seconds. 2. Funny Movies/TV showsAnother great way to get your mind off of negative things is to watch something funny and something that will lift your spirits. For me it was always The Office or The Mindy Project or Parks and Recreations. They never fail to have me literally laughing out loud and getting me, pretty much, out of my schlumpps. Yes, that is a word. 3. SocializingMost likely, if you are having a bad day, the thing that you need most is to get out of the house. Go see a friend, go to the mall, DO SOMETHING! And do something that usually makes you happy. If you want to go pretend like you are interested in purchasing a puppy and go roll around with a bunch of them. Or just order a shit ton of Chinese food. Whatever it is, just stop dwelling on the fact that you are having a bad day. That will only make things worse. We only have a short time on this planet, and let's try to spend it doing awesome things. Ron here's got the right idea. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the Day100 Years by Five for Fighting 1/26/2014 0 Comments Daily ObstaclesWe all have good days and we all have bad days, there is no avoiding it. And there are varying degrees of how bad of a day it was and all different reasons for why we have those bad days, but in the end that's all we remember about it. It was just a bad day. Today, for the most part, was one such day. It was upsetting because i knew that there was no real reason for me to be in such an unhappy mood (another subject for another blog post) but not know why I was so unhappy, only made me more unhappy and then it spiraled into a horrible circle and only became worse. I knew I was heading back to school and wouldn't see my mother again for more than a month and I felt awful that I wasn't in a peppier mood for her (making me feel even worse and less happy...see what I mean with the whole circle thing?). Well I'm hear to tell you that these days are not the end of the world, nor are they ever as truly bad as they seem. Well, no, strike that. Sometimes we have actual reasons to be so upset, and then things might actually be bad, but don't fret. Even if it is bad, there is never a reason to make yourself miserable, so don't be so down on yourself. After returning to school, saying hi to some friends and being forced to be social and cheerful, I was able to step away from that bad mood and look at how things were actually going. Things are fine, for the most part, and I certainly had no excuse to be in such a bad mood around my mother when I said goodbye (not angry, just sad and tired). So just remember that the other people around you are most likely not having a bad day with you, in fact they may even be having a nice one. And no matter how badly you wish everyone was suffering with you, it's just not fair to bring down someone's good day. So after emerging from by bad day, and wishing so badly to have ended on a better not with my mother I called her up, apologized and told her I loved her. Not only was I making her feel better and reminding her that teenage daughters aren't always a pain in the butt, but I also felt ten million times better. So just remember that one bad day isn't a bad life. It's just one of those obstacles you need to get past. I recommend getting up and doing something. Socializing is a great way to get rid of a bad mood because you have to fake a smile and a good mood, and usually it turns into a genuine smile and good mood. And if you still don't feel better, take a nap, refresh yourself and talk to someone who can help. There is always a brighter side to things. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayDreaming With a Broken Heart by John Mayer 1/25/2014 0 Comments Book Club #2Today has been another day of writer's block, so to compensate here is another sneak peek of the novel I am working on. This is a flashback segment from chapter two. It's obviously still in need of a lot more revision, I wrote this two years ago so it's a work in progress. "Charlotte?" I squinted up to see a woman sitting across from me. I wanted to say something to her but every inch of my body ached and had a knot in my stomach that grew worse with every second. I was so afraid that I couldn't manage to say anything. Instead I just nodded and tried not to make my body hurt any more than it already was. "My name is Celeste Sauveterre and I’m here because I am your mentor. I know you’re scared and I know none of this makes sense but I need you to know that this place we have brought you to is a safe place. Everyone here wants to help you." Nothing she was saying was making any sense. Was I dreaming? This had to be a nightmare. "Do you understand?" I nodded, but it was a lie. "I'm going to explain this all to you, but I have to warn you, you probably won't believe me at first." I could feel tears filling up in my eyes and flowing on to my cheeks. I kept my attention on the tears as they landed with a splash on the table below me. "Charlotte? Are you listening?" She sounded almost as scared as me. I nodded again. "Charlotte…I’m not quite sure how to say this but," I wanted her to say it, to tell me what I had suspected for a long time. "Charlotte, you aren't human." There. She'd said it. But I still didn't want to believe her. It was impossible. Things like this didn't exist. But then I turned my face to the huge mirror on the wall next to me, a mirror that I knew was a window on the other side, and saw them again. Wings. Hanging limp and sore around my body. Celeste was right. I wasn't human. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayFire and Rain by Birdy this is an amazing cover by one of my favorite artists. She is only about 16 years old and plays the piano beautifully 1/23/2014 1 Comment Dessert Island ChallengeI'm writing today's post while sitting in my friend Colleen's dorm room talking about food. So naturally I would love to write about it. I mean, who doesn't love talking about food. It's amazing. But let's make it a bit more interesting that that. So I have formulated some questions, rather difficult questions, that will exemplify my favorites of a few categories and hopefully give you some good suggestions. So...if I were stuck on a dessert island and could only have three of each category, what would they be (I would have said one, but it was impossible). 1. FOODOk, since this is what struck up this particular topic I will start by saying that I would have to bring: 1. Grilled Reubens - they are the greatest sandwhich on the face of the Earth. If you haven't tried one before, then drop what you are doing and find the nearest restaurant that sells them. But be prepared, your life will change. 2. Bananas and PB - This lethal combination is both nutritious and delicious - just don't overdose on the PB or the nutritious aspect will be slightly diminished. There's nothing like a banana and a spoon of PB to end the day right. :) 3. Baked Sweet Potatoes - These are my life. Nothing beat a sweet potato cut into 1 inch cubes, then tossed in a VERY small about of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper then baked at 400 degrees. It's sinfully delicious. 2. BOOKSThis one is a toughy. But I felt i needed to choose those which I wouldn't mind reading over and over again so I tried to chose ones across multiple genres. 1. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I know it's cliche, but we all need that sappy romance now and again, and this one just takes the cake. 2. The Hunger Games - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I know most people hated the last one, but it was, by far, my favorite. A cliffhanger at the end of each chapter, impossible to put down, and emotional roller coaster through and through. Plus it's a great action/adventure book. 3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I love 19th century literature and this book is definitely my favorite. If you haven't read it yet, I definitely recommend you do so. It's not too hard to understand since it was written in the 1800's and, while it is surprisingly bleak, it is also a beautiful and timeless story. 3. MOVIEwhile this list will not at all define my favorites, it is a list of some good movies that are easy to watch time and time again. A lot of my favorites are just too sad or monotonous to watch more than once every few months to a year. 1. The Notebook - well, I bet you saw that one coming from a mile away. I just love this movie so so much, it's a classic chick flick and now on this strangely high-tech island I can read the book and watch the movie (which are very different by the way). 2. Lord Of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring - Well my geek is showing...but honestly the Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest trilogies out there. Amazing directing, amazing locations, amazing music...well, you get the picture. 3. The Office all nine seasons on DVD. While it's not a movie, I'm still counting it if I can get it on DVD because this show is pretty much by obsession. My sister and I can quote almost every episode beginning to end. Mainly because we would just let it run while we did our homework everyday after school for, like, years. Eventually we filtered through every episode at least three or four times - sometime more. I'm telling you, it becomes an addiction. 4. FRIENDShaha, yeah. I'm not telling you this. :) you'll just have to try and figure it out on my own. But I will tell you this: I would pick people that have the same movie/tv taste as me and those who I can easily keep a conversation with and have no awkward silences, only comfortable silences. Song of the DayStory of My Life by One Direction I loved it when it came out and I still love it now :D 1/22/2014 1 Comment The Makings of a Great ProfessorWhen attending a course in college, and in high school too for that matter, there are many things that come together to make the class noteworthy and enjoyable. And if it's an enjoyable class then you will be more motivated and it will be easier to do well and work hard. But out of all the pieces that make up a great class, the most important piece is the professor. If you aren't a fan of the professor than it will be all but impossible to really enjoy the class, even if it's a subject you're interested in. So what makes a good professor you ask? Well, to me, it comes down to a few simple things... A Good PersonalityThis is a must. It would be rather difficult to love a class if the teacher is monotonous and has no personality. You would have to spend the class period trying not to fall asleep instead of being really invested in what's being taught. A Deep Knowledge of The MaterialA professor must need to have a good depth of knowledge of the subject otherwise they won't be able to answer your questions in a helpful way. And to learn as much as you can and take as much as possible away from a class, you must always be asking questions and expanding your own knowledge and understanding of the topics being discussed. A Passion for What They are TeachingThis is what I feel is the most important aspect of a professor. When I walk into a class and the professor is clearly very passionate about what they are going to be teaching, it's so refreshing, and it makes you want to prove to them that you care also. It pushes me to do harder, but without even really noticing, because I truly want to do well and to show the professor that I can. I love it even more if it is a class that I am really looking forward to. One of my classes this semester is a mandatory seminar for first year English majors. I wasn't expecting much of the class, just the basics of writing/reading for future, higher level classes. But when my professor came in and started off with all of us going around and stating our favorite book. We all listed our then he finished with his own favorite book. It was Moby Dick. Now, I'm not the biggest Melville fan but I could almost have been tricked into liking him after hearing Professor Phan go off on the great aspects of Melville and his writing. It was great to know that I was not only being taught by a professor who loved the course material, but I was also surrounded by classmates who all clearly cared a great deal about it as well. The worst thing is when you are looking forward to a class and you sit down on your first day only to find that you don't care for the professor or the professor's teaching style. Then the class is a struggle and you have to work extra-hard to do work that never seems to be your best. If you have any other qualities that you think make up a great professor, or just a class in general, leave them in the comments below! Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of The DayBreath Me by Sia A nice calm song that is both unique and beautiful |
About This Blog:I started this blog as a way to challenge myself to write more over the 2014 year, but it has blossomed into so much more than that. I use it to let people in on what's happening in my life, talk about things I find important and to spread the news about amazing people, places and art. Archives
November 2017
|