The J-Gram: June 2010

I wasn't required to go to school that day or to attend the 2010 speech contest. When I learned that some of my graduating students would be participating, though, I wanted to be there to show my support for them. In the foreground you see Selina (left) and Eva (center).The one between them, looking down, is Aron.

Eva, making her speech. She did well.

Eva always had the brightest smile on campus.

Here I am with some speech participants from my favorite class: Katrina (previously known as Christina), Michelle, and Jasmine. In Conversation class once, Katrina told me that she hated it when people said she was "cute" because it makes her sound "ugly" or "funny looking." I used that remark in a novella I wrote : The Mermaid Who Followed Her Heart.

Katrina and me after the speech. I don't care what she says about cute. The word still applies to her.

Ann also entered the Speech Contest

So did Zora Wang.

Jasmine Chen was one of the prize winners.

I was given the honor of presenting a certificate to Jasmine.

I also gave her a hug.

First prize, as it did once before, went to Michelle Chenn

Striking a popular pose

I didn't realize it until after I'd downloaded the pictures from my camera, but somebody took four pictures like this one. I didn't look good in any of them, but it was a challenge to decide which was the best one of Eva.

On June 5, 2010, I said farewell to my 2009-2010 Advertising and Marketing class, my 2008-2009 Conversation class, and to my favorite class: the students I'd had for Composition from 2007-2008 and for Conversation from 2008-2009. For them, it was a day for launching into new frontiers. For me, it was a day of remembering each difficulty they'd faced in my classes and every success they achieved--sometimes with my help. Bon voyage!
In the coming weeks, I'll try to identify those whom I can not immediately identify. You may have heard the Asian proverb, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." (Not in my classes; I encourage excellence.) Here's another from the top of my head: "The student who sits in the back of the class and doesn't draw attention to himself is harder to identify in class pictures."
Advertising and Marketing students:

My Advertising and Marketing class: (left to right) Roddick Kong, Stella Shui, Jerry Mills, Liang Lu, Charlene Tai, Linda Hsieh, Theresa Chang, and Cherry Chuang. (Their product was Magic Cream, a skin care cosmetic.)

Me, with Carrie Lin. Carrie was the team leader for a computer program that helps women arrange their wardrobes and select the clothes they wear each day. She never looked that radiant in my class. Either she's radiant because she's graduating or because she started using Magic Cream.

Conversation class (2008-2009):

Cora, a graduate, Jerry Mills, Eva, Amanda

John and me.

Ann and me.

Ann and me in another pose.

Isabelle and me.

Amanda (center) and two fellow graduates

Amanda photographed photographing herself and a classmate

Ann and Cherry, leaving Hsing Wu College

2007-2008 Composition class, 2008-2009 Conversation class:

Tina Huang, two students who didn't draw much attention to themselves, and Wendy Lee.

Renee Kang and me.

Renee displaying her diploma

Maggie Liu was eager to shed her graduation gown and get into street clothes. In composition class, Maggie had difficulty getting a particular lesson. After she tried and failed several times, she suddenly caught on. I was so happy and surprised that I gave her a big hug. Other students were surprised at the gesture, but, afterward, many of them wanted me to hug them when they did well.

During second semester of Composition class, Stella Fan was my most challenging student. I allowed students to try as often as they needed to acquire the skills I wanted them to have. I could do that because each student had a different assignment for each skill. Thus, they couldn't copy another student's work, and the only way they could get the grade was by acquiring the skill.

Stella hardly seemed to be trying and seldom turned in an assignment. During the final few weeks of school, she asked me what she needed to do to pass the course. I saw her only once a week, but I worked with her by email., often several times a day. She was virtually a class of one. She caught up on an entire semester's work in just three weeks, and I assigned her a passing grade.

I don't think I got Heamon Yang to say more than two dozen words the entire first semester. During the second semester, the class's exam requirement was to teach the class for at least ten minutes. They had to use the correct vocabulary for what they were teaching, and they had to teach the class something that most of them didn't already know. Heamon taught the class for ten minutes or more. He spoke clearly and without notes.

     You couldn't tell it by looking at the confident-looking young woman in this picture, but Julia Shih seemed always unsure of herself in both classes I taught her.   On the day her paper was due for the Composition class final exam, she had not yet written her paper. I counseled her and told her that I'd hold off submitting the grades as long as I was allowed to, but that she couldn't pass unless she submitted it to me. Once I recorded the grades and pressed the "send" button, it would be out of my hands.
     I received her paper by email four days after I'd pressed the "send" button. Fortunately, I bumped into H. G. Wells, who was flitting about in his time machine. After explaining the problem to him, we climbed aboard his time machine, traveled four days into the past and made sure that Julia received a passing score before I pressed the "send" button.
     Afterward, Julia made it a practice to ask for help whenever she was unsure of herself. Although several other students made higher scores and got more credit than Julia, she proved to be one of my most diligent students. She succeeded because she persevered.

This is Candy Tien. When she was in my classes, I took her to be an average student. She was steady but not outstanding. As she entered the 2010 Speech Competition, I take it that she turned out to be an outstanding student. Some other teacher will have to take credit for how well she turned out.

Over the three years I knew Daphne Jong--two years in my classes--I watched her grow brighter and more mature. For two years, I sometimes mistook her for Kiwi. The third year, I sometimes mistook her for Irene. Side by side, the only similarity I could see between them was the warmth of their smiles.

(Left) Irene Wang and me
(Above right) Irene, later that morning

Near Graduation Day, Lyn Lee asked me if I remembered her. Who could forget a smile like that?

Lynn, me, and Jessie?

Here she is again.

Wendy Lee in graduation gown

With Teresa Chen, now known as Momo

Momo Chen, later that morning

With Sharon

With Rebecca Guo

With Lily Wang

With Ivy Ju

With Jasmine Chen

Michelle Chen was probably the most popular student in the Department of Applied English. She was bright, studious, friendly, and helpful. She was liked by students and teachers alike. In my eighteen years as a teacher in Taiwan, I've given a higher recommendation to only one other student.
My Composition classes were student centered and project based, with a focus on cooperative learning. Michelle was the best teaching assistant a teacher ever had.

I felt as though I were saying farewell to a daughter.

The photos below are random photos sent to me by some of the graduates. I have a feeling that Hsing Wu College won't seem the same without them. In the three pictures below, Jasmine Chen poses with unidentified classmate, Irene Wang, and John.

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The J-Gram

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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

News English Syllabus

Conversation Classes 2nd Semester Midterm Exams

Conversation 2nd Semester Final Exam 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Speech Contest, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

2010 Graduates