DAY 3.5: REPORT FROM DAYTONA

No beach walking this morning. Rain. Tracey and I walked across the street for breakfast, but we had umbrellas. I forgot my sweater and my sunglasses, but super nerd had her ‘brella. In fact, it was an AP umbrella; one of the end of scoring gifts from my first reading.

Yesterday at breakfast, someone at our table said, “When are they going to serve those grits? They’re dis-gus-ting.”  She’d just insulted my little Southern soul, so I hoped they’d appear on the buffet soon. And, God truly must have a sense of humor, because there they were…cheese grits! A man behind in line watched me scoop them on my plate. “That even looks gritty.” I just turned, flashed him my best Melanie Wilkes smile, and drawled, “That’s why they’re not called smooths.” The server nodded his head and laughed. “Good one.” I felt vindicated.

What I learned on Friday:

1. By the end of the day, I had read nine “books”; that’s 225 essays.

2. Diction can be noble, and analogies can be sparkling.

3. Syntax can be beautifully flowing, but utterly chopped.

Notes to teachers, students:

1. Please do not dot anything with a heart or an open circle. Aren’t you juniors in high school?

2. An allusion is an indirect reference. If a writer specifically includes a quote by, let’s say, Thomas Edison in her essay,as in, “Thomas Edison said, ‘Turn those lights off now!”"—–that’s not an allusion. Nothing indirect going on there.

3. The fact that verbs are following subjects in sentences isn’t noteworthy unless you’re commenting on Yoda-like syntax where sometimes the subject-verb-object order is inverted: Your teacher I will be.

DISCLAIMER: Comments from me are not intended to slam students.  Trust me, as one of only two high school teachers at a table with six people who all teach college, I’m the first line of defense.(A disclaimer to the disclaimer: a majority of the college teachers here are not condescending and/or arrogant and/or accusatory.) I think it’s important to know how to present your very best writing self to those who are reading your essay.

Way past my bedtime. Until tomorrow, remember…AP means ANSWER the PROMPT!