I always tell students that the purpose/goal of any essay, on any topic, is to add value to the world. Few care enough to bother with all that. Even fewer get what it means, I think. I don't think I even get what it means, but I am sure it's the right advice for Korean students (i.e., essays ought not be fill-in-the-blank exercises. I have fought a long-running losing battle against that idea.)
Likewise, my goal here has always been to make posts of value to the world. Things I'd like to read myself. Maybe I've failed, or maybe not; I hope I've succeeded at times, regardless of how many people ever read these words. (This may be the opposite of the narcissistic Facebook/Twitter model of what-I'm-doing right-now banality).
Anyway. I don't have time for value/content today. As I mentioned in post-131 , this is the end of the semester. I have to finish 75 essays by 4:00 PM tomorrow. "No ifs, ands, or buts", as we say. It's the last time I will see the students this semester, and some of them it's the last time I will ever see them. There is no possibility of delay.
I write this at 11:30 PM (Korea time). I have another plan from 9:30 AM to 1 PM tomorrow, so it's "down to the wire". The stack of essays sits there taunting me.
Likewise, my goal here has always been to make posts of value to the world. Things I'd like to read myself. Maybe I've failed, or maybe not; I hope I've succeeded at times, regardless of how many people ever read these words. (This may be the opposite of the narcissistic Facebook/Twitter model of what-I'm-doing right-now banality).
Anyway. I don't have time for value/content today. As I mentioned in post-131 , this is the end of the semester. I have to finish 75 essays by 4:00 PM tomorrow. "No ifs, ands, or buts", as we say. It's the last time I will see the students this semester, and some of them it's the last time I will ever see them. There is no possibility of delay.
I write this at 11:30 PM (Korea time). I have another plan from 9:30 AM to 1 PM tomorrow, so it's "down to the wire". The stack of essays sits there taunting me.
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