My Own Thoughts

Category: Teaching/Ed

  • 2012 Poetry Contest Winners

    We had quite a few submissions to the Sigma Tau Delta Poetry Contest. First place, with a $50 check to come, was awarded to “The Modern Condition” by Kaleigh Wyrick. Second place, with a $30 check to come, was awarded to “Remembering Ohio” by Erik Ringle. Third place, with a $20 check to come, was…

  • Officers and Sponsors 2012

    From left to right: Dr. Steven Moore, Heather Kregel, Katherine Handy, Kaleigh Wyrick, Juliana Kocsis, Lauren Tarnow, Dr. Suanna Davis

  • Fall 2012 Induction

    Sigma Tau Delta: Tau Epsilon has four new members this fall! We have never had a fall induction before, but having a fall induction allows folks graduating in December to still become part of Sigma Tau Delta. Two of our new members are graduating in December. These are pictures from the induction: Ashley Alexander, 2012-13…

  • Induction Spring 2014

    Thirteen members of Sigma Tau Delta, along with their families and friends, were in attendance at this year’s induction on March 29th in Chapel on the Hill. Erica Stallings, from the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, spoke on English after college and the importance of reading, writing, and grammar in the everyday work world. She encouraged…

  • 2014 Poetry Winners

    Based on the judgements of five judges, all published poets from the community who are unrelated to ACU, this year’s Sigma Tau Delta’s Poetry Contest Winners are: 1st Place: Adrian Patenaude, “I Wonder” 2nd Place: Brett Butler, “Paths” 3rd Place: Nicole Nelson, “Regrets” 4th Place: Ariene Peveto, “Graphic” Although originally Sigma Tau Delta intended to…

  • Fall 2014 Short Fiction Contest Winners

    Sigma Tau Delta, Tau Epsilon’s Fall 2014 Short Fiction Contest winners were chosen by four long-time members of the Abilene Writer’s Guild. Thank you to these wonderful folks for reading all the submissions, ranking them, and providing critiques of the works. Flash Fiction 1st place: Lindsay Snyder for “239 Beech Street” 2nd place: Alikay Wood…

  • Spring 2015 Induction

  • 2015 Poetry Contest Winners

    For the Fall 2015 poetry contest, we have the following winners: 1st Jake Buller for “A cool, still night” 2nd Haley Remenar “Life (fabric)” and Stephanie Martin “Nomad” 3rd Adam Nettina “John Bannister Tabb” Honorary Mention Rochelle Dunbar for “For Papa, and My Indulgent Mangoes” Joshua Alexander for “Letters”

  • 2017 Induction

    Thank you to everyone who came to support our students. Sigma Tau Delta members, you rock!

  • 2017 Poetry Awards

    The Sigma Tau Delta Poetry Awards were held in the Brown Library Atrium on October 12 at 7:30 pm. Print outs were made of the poems submitted to the contest between September 11 and October 2. These were laid out on three large tables so that everyone could read them. In addition, pens and post-it…

  • Too Nice

    For a class I am teaching for the first time this semester, I think I have tried to be too nice. The students are pushing and pushing and I finally had to step back and say, “No. You can’t do that.” I assigned two books. The total cost for those books is $14 plus tax.…

  • Dr. Willerton Retires

    Dr. Chris Willerton, professor of English, is retiring this year after more than 40 years at ACU. Willerton taught creative writing, British literature, and freshman composition. He helped create the Honors College and was its first dean. Family, friends, former students, and colleagues attended the retirement celebration on April 25. Willerton’s contributions to ACU, particularly…

  • Spring Classes

    Despite the fact that we are working a year in advance, we still don’t know till fairly late in the day what classes make. Right now (and this is still subject to change), I have the Old English readings course one business and professional writing course a second-semester first-year writing course. We are assuming (at…

  • Grading Papers

    I can honestly say that I don’t love grading papers, but I don’t think most people do. However, when I was reviewing the papers to see what students might think of their improvement over the class period, I don’t think they will see it. Many people did the best on the first essay (which I…

  • Relief… Satisfaction.

    I had a chapter turned in this summer for a book which was turned down wholesale. I thought I had gotten it just right, but I missed the audience (1 of the 3), and so the time was potentially wasted. This caused me a bit of depression and frustration, since I did spend a lot…

  • Obstetrics and Teaching

    While the post is actually about teaching, the information about the Apgar Scale, its creator and the impetus for its creation, was fascinating. As the student of a pre-Apgar professor whose child was left to die, while the parents were dazed at the doctor’s words and emotionally unable to attempt to intervene, a professor who…

  • World Literature

    Just in case I ever teach it. This syllabus has a list of resources. This syllabus is beautiful. (I need to work on that a bit more.)

  • I was insufficiently English-nerdy as a mother.

    Poetry, the First Milk has a mother who quoted poetry to her children all their lives. When at age 4 my daughter Anna became increasingly anxious at bedtime, I tried coaxing her to sleep with the most melodious poems I knew. “Come live with me and be my love,” I began as I sat on…

  • Romans Making Pottery in Britain

    I am teaching a humanities class this year and next and this story caught my attention. How the Romans Made Pottery in Britain “What we’ve learned from the suite of replication events on campus is that the firing technologies evolved to fit the materials,” Chatfield said. The effort also helps trace the influence and intermingling…

  • Work Direction

    I have a full-time job this year. I love my school, my department, and my students. The work is not egregious. The administration is supportive. I am incredibly blessed in what I am doing. However, as I prepared my request for classes for next semester, I realized that my teaching preferences will have to change.…