Funny Story

Well, this was Day 3 of summer school; and we've now covered, or at least attempted to cover, as much material as we would during the first 2 weeks of a regular semester. This really is a challenge; I feel like there's so much more we could do, but we just don't have time. At first I was worried about having enough to do each class period; now my problem is getting through everything I'd like to. The good news is that the students, for the most part, have been keeping up with their work. I finally feel caught up in my planning, too. Tomorrow is our first workshopping day and I'm trying a new technique. I'm anxious to see how it goes.

Today, we were discussing a short story and a poem. (In each unit, we read a handful of short texts that the students can choose from to write their essays about.) I expected this particular story would be difficult for them because it was a little longer and more complex than the others we'd seen so far. I was right about that, but I sure didn't expect to hear how two of my international students handled that. They must be close friends (maybe roommates), because it sounds like they were reading it together. They were having trouble understanding the story, so they decided to call up the author and ask him about it. That's right--they called the writer! I imagine all they had to do was google his name (I think he's a university professor) and find an office phone number. Well, he answered the call, and they explained why they were calling, and he actually talked to them for a while about the story! The funny part is that my students said they were more confused after the conversation than they were before... :-) I'll have to ask around and see if anyone else has ever had students use this particular strategy before. I wouldn't be bold enough, myself!