Journal+Ten

Meagan Blanchette Zenion April 27th, 2012 The discoveries of a writing intern: Enough Said. I met with Ms. Zenion after a week of vacation on Monday afternoon. The class met twice, Tuesday and Thursday. As we looked at the dates, Peer Review was on Thursday, and the due date was April 30th. We planned Tuesday for an in class work session for the students to gather any extra sources, ask questions, and create an outline. The students who don’t take advantage of the in-class work session would most likely write their papers the night before. The Tuesday back from vacation was the first time seeing the students. The class lesson plan utilized their Norton Field Guide, peer interaction, and instruction. The pattern resembled a cannon. One brave girl said, “Meagan, can you put me down for a conference.” The same situation happened for or five times. Each time I asked whether they needed Ms. Zenion or I. They wanted me. At first, I thought nothing if it and waited for the computer to be available. The students quietly discussed with partners about their topics and current status on the paper. Breaking the chatter, Ms. Zenion called my name. She stated, “That’s one for your journal.” I was confused at first and then I realized she meant how I had seven names under mine and she had none. Throughout the course of the class period, I found seven people five to six sources each. I learned not only about their topics but why they had chosen them. Next thing I knew, class was over. I was proud of myself for being helpful and independent. The next class met on Thursday. It was peer review day. There were seven people absent, nine people didn’t have paper, and eleven had at least one copy of crap. I walked around and asked one side of the room if they had their peer review materials and I heard excuses from more than half. Though I was shocked, I knew that this was going to be a rocky peer review session. The ninety-minute class seemed endless. The mix between constructive and off topic work was equal. There is only one paper left. However, some people treat school like it is already over.