Found Honors

Vol. 1 No. 12

Recently, the Honors Advisory Board developed and conducted a survey of all students enrolled in an Honors course in the Fall 2016 semester.  I don’t know a lot about data and the like, but they tell me that the 26 responses we got back was an excellent return.  I hope to get even more next time we conduct one.  Those that did respond said some amazing things about Honors, though, and I would like to let you see what they said.  To that end, I’ve created a ‘found poem’ – where I built a poem using only the words that were provided on the survey.  The only changes I made were some spelling and tenses here and there.  Other than that, I simply rearranged phrases, shortened sentences, and removed some punctuation to come up with what you see below.  I hope you enjoy.

Honors Survey, 2016

I. The dedicated faculty...

My teachers have been wonderful

truly engaged with both the students and material

They set a great example for their students

and do much to encourage and sustain inquisitiveness

Relatable…

I like how they care about how we do and don't want us to do badly

they are genuinely invested in our education

Knowledgeable but humble and approachable

Teacher's teaching ability…hard work and preparation.

Caring…

The willingness of honors teachers

to go on a 25 minute tangent from the original discussion

to answer a legitimate question you had

about how the subject relates to something else

Eagerness…

Each faculty member is unique and has an interesting perspective

I find these individuals incredibly intelligent

and I want to learn as much as I possibly can from them.

                their dedication to ensure an actual learning experience occurs.

                                                                                    Realness…

Always…seem to care very deeply about what they’re teaching

this makes it much easier as a student to feel engaged

how dedicated they are to their work.

professionalism mixed with fun discussions

Understanding…

The teacher is mostly hands off…

II. The classroom scenery

The relaxed atmosphere is so comforting especially during stressful times

It allows us to learn the way I think we should;

Allowing for students to guide class discussion

Everyone in the class has the same or more interest in the topic as I do

The connection you build with your classmates

because of the small groups you're taught in

                When students teach each other they learn more

and are more interested and motivated to study as well

The small classes, comforting atmosphere,

class discussion rather than lecture, interesting topics

Honors classes attract individuals interested in learning

and having fun while doing so…the atmosphere

III. The honors experience…

It has been one of the best experiences of my life

It's unlike any class I’ve ever had

Honors have been an amazing experience

It helped me to see things differently

Honors just needs to be experienced to be fully understood

Giving Thanks...

Vol. 1, No. 11

There is a practice, in the world of bloggers and writers, to try and say everything you want to say in 300 words.  That is not always easy for me, but in this busy week of snowstorms and holidays, I thought it might be good to keep this blog short.  So, the following is an Honors version of being thankful, in exactly 300 words.

Every day the news seems to show a stricken nation, divided along lines that are too dug too deeply.  We face battles that we don’t know how to fight and we debate things that feel like we should not be debated.  So many of us are frightened, frustrated, and fatigued.  Even those who are winning are feeling the sting of this divisiveness.  The silver lining, however, is that we are afforded an amazing power to ask hard questions, engage in rigorous debate, and fight those battles.  We have voices that we can and are using.  We have individual and collective strength that very may well change the landscape of everything around us.  We can be greater and more powerful than the systems we are standing up against.  One of the ways we can do this in our local community is through the FLCC Values:  vitality, inquiry, perseverance, and interconnectedness.  These values are so much larger than simply what drives us as students and faculty and staff at the college.  They are the kinds of things that make humans better humans to themselves, each other, and the world around them.  Grown from these values are the learning outcomes for Honors that we are piloting this semester.  We want students to reflect on and evaluate their internal learning processes, analyze connections among learning experiences, and be able to articulate the value of intellectual pursuit in a scholarly tradition.  In short, Honors students should find within themselves the power to ask questions, be curious, learn and change and see the world as interconnected where they belong and have a place.  These qualities can carry us through the times that come and will give voice to the silenced, give power to the powerless, and embolden those who need courage.  For this, I am thankful.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." – John F. Kennedy