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As I am nearing the end of the term with my online English class, I am looking forward to seeing how my students’ essays will turn out. We’ve been working since the first day of the course toward this end.  All week I have been thinking about how anxious they must feel as the deadline approaches for them to turn in their final product.

The Unveiling Approaches

It’s kind of like painting a picture. You get your paints, paint brushes and canvas together and you start painting. You start with an original idea and develop your painting diligently until you think you’ve got it just right. You put the final touches on and then, oh my goodness, you have to share it with others. What if they don’t like it? What if they think I am stupid for painting my picture this way?

As their instructor, I have tried to guide them throughout the course and lead them in the right direction about how to improve their essays little by little. We’ve had discussion questions regarding various aspects of the process, we’ve had assignments in which they turn in various pieces of their work for review, and now it’s almost time for the unveiling.

Creativity vs Requirements

I know the feeling of thinking I have put forth my best efforts only to find that others are not totally impressed. Of course, with a specific assignment at hand, one can’t simply be creative; there are guidelines to follow and specific formatting that must be adhered to and oh those dreadful citations! I surely hope they are taking all the advice into consideration and working hard to meet the requirements fully. After all of this work, I really want to see each one of them earn the maximum points. Besides, whether they know it or not, grading good papers is a whole lot easier than grading bad ones!

If you could give advice to my students in finalizing their essays, what would you tell them?