If nothing else, they pay us to look smart.

There have been a few occasions on which students have blown me away with their intelligence and writing skills. One example that stands out in my mind is a student I tutored very early in the semester. He had written a personal narrative, and wouldn't let me see it until he had explained that he had been homeschooled and this was his first "real school" paper. Talk about pressure. I was putting on not only the writing expert hat, but also the mother-as-teacher hat. But I digress.

The paper was excellent. Even if I hadn't gotten any background, I would have been able to tell after reading the first few paragraphs that this kid was not a product of the public education system. I had little to offer but encouragement, but I knew how important it was for me to provide something helpful. If his first experience with the WC (and, really, with Weber State in general) didn't teach him anything, he wouldn't ever use us as a resource again. So what did I do? Pointed at every single thing that didn't completely jive. Even though the paper was good to start with, the student got the 20 minutes and margin full of notes he had paid for.

Beyond this fine-toothed comb approach, I don't know what to do about students who intimidate me with their writing skills. We've always got something to offer; it might just take some work to find out what it is. Getting frustrated is part of the process sometimes. It keeps us on our toes.

Elections tomorrow, and I'm still wavering on The Big Issue. It's as though both candidates were cut from the same block of incompetence and deception. Argh. For once I am glad I live in a state where my vote doesn't actually count. For the record, I think Bush will win again. And then the country will implode. Unless Kerry wins. And then the country will implode. Dammit.