Favorite assignment

In two classes I have already given out one of my favorite in-class writing prompts:

Write three paragraphs. 1. Tell me what you are doing to be successful in this class. 2. Tell me what you can do to be more successful in this class. 3. Tell me what you need from me so that you can be more successful in this class.

I like that the students often start strong: I attend class, I read the assignments, I turn in my work on time. All of these are admirable traits.

Then comes the humbling: I can read more. I can pay more attention to when assignments are due. I could come to class more. Yes, all of this is also admirable.

The answers to the last question are either usually positive though I do not say this to toot my own horn. Some are amusing (give less homework). Some are negotiable (I don't put assignments on the board because they are in the syllabus, but I understand why you would like that).

I've seen an increase in effort, though, based on this prompt and will use it in my other classes soon!

5 minute blog post

My challenge: in no more than five minutes I want to respond to today's 1101 class at the HEC:

I am really intrigued by many of the essay topics that emerged from the prewriting today. Some were very creative and fresh. Some I worry about being "rants" much like the second sample we read today. I like the "rap is important" idea because it has a message for the reader. The topic throws out the misconceptions people may have about rap music (or at least I hope it does). I am surprised by the babysitting topic presented. I never would have thought about it the way the writer proposed to construct it. For some people who didn't produce much writing today, I worry about how your draft will form. Will you wait until the night it is due and churn out a first-draft-perfect essay? I hope not, but I do not know. Will you finally discover what your purpose is? Who are you writing for?

As I skimmed through your work today, I tried to provide some guidance. If you don't feel you got any, let me know!

In short, if I can sum up today's experience in a sentence:

If you are excited about what you are writing about, it makes ME excited to read what you are writing about. And my five minutes are up.