A Reflection Revision for Donna
The fact that I am sitting here the night before my portfolio is due revising this paper should tell you how much I have changed over the summer. I have never been big on revision. However, Donna Sewell edited my reflection paper for the second time this afternoon. She handed it to me with a few marks on it and one comment on the bottom of the paper. I knew the paper wasn’t very good, but I was hoping it would be good enough to slide by. For some stupid reason, I turned to her and asked, “But is it ok?” She replied, “It’s all right.” With those words, she had placed the stamp of mediocrity on my work.
“Ok,” I thought to myself. “I knew it wasn’t very good. I knew she knew it wasn’t’ very good, but she wasn’t supposed to admit it. I mean it is the end of the class. Am I the only one who is tired?” I packed up my bags, mulling over the paper with the ink marks. “Do I take the easy way out? All I have to do is make a few minor changes and I’m done. Yes, that is what I will do.”
It is a long way to my house from Valdosta. The kids were tired from a trip to Wild Adventures, and I actually had time to think, not really what I wanted to do. “Why did I take this class?” I asked myself. “For the PLUs, stupid,” I replied.
My teacher started fighting with my pirate.
“You did not take the course for PLUs. You just recertified and you have five more years to get credit.”
“Argh,” my pirate barked, “Let’s take the treasure and run!”
“No!” my teacher side said, “Think of that look in Donna’s eyes as she answered you. It all but said, “You sold out and after all my hard work.”’
“You be puttin’ too much into it. What kin she do to ye. Have ye walk the plank?”
“That’s not the point,” the teacher lectured. “You took this course for you, so you could be with other pirate writers and put adventure back in your classroom.”
The pirate looked down, “Well, that be the rub then.”
“Yes,” the teacher responded self righteously, “That be the rub then.”
“ Argh, the Pirate’s oath is a cruel mistress. We be lashed to the mast of the computer again this night,” grumbled the pirate.
“I guess we will," said the teacher as she replaced the ink cartridge.
The clicking of the computer the keys wafted out of Blackshear, floated out into the sticky night air down to Valdosta, whispering, “Yo-ho, yo-ho, it’s a writer’s life for me!”
“Ok,” I thought to myself. “I knew it wasn’t very good. I knew she knew it wasn’t’ very good, but she wasn’t supposed to admit it. I mean it is the end of the class. Am I the only one who is tired?” I packed up my bags, mulling over the paper with the ink marks. “Do I take the easy way out? All I have to do is make a few minor changes and I’m done. Yes, that is what I will do.”
It is a long way to my house from Valdosta. The kids were tired from a trip to Wild Adventures, and I actually had time to think, not really what I wanted to do. “Why did I take this class?” I asked myself. “For the PLUs, stupid,” I replied.
My teacher started fighting with my pirate.
“You did not take the course for PLUs. You just recertified and you have five more years to get credit.”
“Argh,” my pirate barked, “Let’s take the treasure and run!”
“No!” my teacher side said, “Think of that look in Donna’s eyes as she answered you. It all but said, “You sold out and after all my hard work.”’
“You be puttin’ too much into it. What kin she do to ye. Have ye walk the plank?”
“That’s not the point,” the teacher lectured. “You took this course for you, so you could be with other pirate writers and put adventure back in your classroom.”
The pirate looked down, “Well, that be the rub then.”
“Yes,” the teacher responded self righteously, “That be the rub then.”
“ Argh, the Pirate’s oath is a cruel mistress. We be lashed to the mast of the computer again this night,” grumbled the pirate.
“I guess we will," said the teacher as she replaced the ink cartridge.
The clicking of the computer the keys wafted out of Blackshear, floated out into the sticky night air down to Valdosta, whispering, “Yo-ho, yo-ho, it’s a writer’s life for me!”
posted by kade at
7:26 PM
2 Comments:
The last paragraph is poetry. I didn't realize I was quite that blah about your reflection piece, but now that you've called me on it, yeah, I guess I did feel a little disappointed because I had read an earlier draft and thought you planned to change it radically and it was basically the same draft. I didn't think the reflection matched your work in the Institute. I'm glad you're giving it another go. Yay, pirates!
By
Donna Sewell, at 10:39 PM
This piece is cool! I like the dialogue between the pirate and teacher versions of yourself. Hang in there; we're almost done, and when you get in the classroom next year it will all be worth it! : )
By
blindsi, at 9:11 AM
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