Information, Advice, Etc.
Student Comments:
"Thanks, I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your class, and thank you for giving us actual "college" assignments. Almost all of my other courses felt like high school, many of the professors do not expect much from us, making us not want to give anything back. With your class I enjoyed doing my work, and am proud of myself for what I did." -Student, English 1302
"I think it is great that you do not back down on the assignments, we need more teachers like you in our schools today..."-Student, English 1302
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. Thanks for helping me find my way and getting me to believe in myself. (I'm sure there were times you wanted to strangle me. :) Thank you!" -Student, English 1302 & 2332
"Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being an inspiration to us all!" -Student, English 2332
"I want to tell you that I really enjoyed your class a lot. I bitched about it the whole time because it was challenging, but I did find it rewarding. Thanks for a great semester."-Student, English 2332
"I don't really know how to say this, but you teach in such a way that I don't want to let you down." -Student, English 1301&1302
"Thanks, I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your class, and thank you for giving us actual "college" assignments. Almost all of my other courses felt like high school, many of the professors do not expect much from us, making us not want to give anything back. With your class I enjoyed doing my work, and am proud of myself for what I did." -Student, English 1302
"I think it is great that you do not back down on the assignments, we need more teachers like you in our schools today..."-Student, English 1302
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. Thanks for helping me find my way and getting me to believe in myself. (I'm sure there were times you wanted to strangle me. :) Thank you!" -Student, English 1302 & 2332
"Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being an inspiration to us all!" -Student, English 2332
"I want to tell you that I really enjoyed your class a lot. I bitched about it the whole time because it was challenging, but I did find it rewarding. Thanks for a great semester."-Student, English 2332
"I don't really know how to say this, but you teach in such a way that I don't want to let you down." -Student, English 1301&1302
Instructor's top 10 bits of advice:
10. Complete ALL of your assignments. You cannot pass the class unless all major assignments are completed.
9. I teach by the philosophy of "The Apple". What I mean by that is this: My sage professors gave me "the apple" (of knowledge), and I've devoted my career to sharing that apple. I will offer you a bite; whether or not you take it is up to you. Your success will be measured by how much of your apple is eaten by the end of the semester.
8. Realize that I expect a lot from my "scholars"-- I will hold you to high standards. I will push you and challenge you. Yes, I know you all have jobs, families, lives... and many of you are not simply "full time college students" with nothing else going on but that; however, instructors cannot be expected to water down standards to accomodate students' busy lives. You may be at a "community college"-- but college is college! Every degree should "mean something"; when we water down education, we water down the value of a degree... of mine and of yours! I will not do that.
7. Just because you made "A's" in highschool English does not mean you will make A's in college English. The chart I use to determine your grade on essays will be available on this website. And, just because you don't make "A's" on your essays does not mean you can't still get an "A" in this course. Your grade is determined by many factors; formal essay writing is a major factor, but it is still only one of several. Fair grading is the objective here; an "A" paper will be given an "A", but by the same token, a "C" paper will be given a "C"... all personal preferences aside.
6. While everyone should strive to "do their best", it is also important to remember that it is unreasonable to believe that everyone is expected to get "All A's". To put it in perspective for you, at ULL (the university I graduated from), 1100 students graduated this past semester; 2 of them had 4.0 GPA's. We are all HUMAN-- we have strengths and weaknesses; not everyone can be an "A" student in English, and that is OKAY. There is so much more to the measure of success than "the almighty A". If you are concerned about your grade in the course, please feel free to contact me.
5. Buy a stapler! Also, invest in a good computer and PRINTER. You are spending quite a bit on your tuition; continue the investment in yourself with these items! I can't tell you how many 'A' students downward spiral into 'B' range because they rely on printing out their essays 10 minutes before class starts here on campus (with NCTC's outdated technology). They are then forced to take a late grade deduction... not good!
4. Keep an open mind. Realize that while the world may be viewed in "black and white" by your family, friends, community leaders, etc., there's actually a whole lot of gray area out there. The study of "argumentation" and "literature" requires us to examine ideas, issues, history, people, etc. with a much broader perspective. It also requires us to get out of our comfort zones and think outside of the proverbial box. Sometimes what we study solidifies our own views; sometimes it challenges them. That, my friends, is called "education"!
3. Do not tell me that you have "tried your best" unless you can answer "yes" to ALL of the following: 1. Have you put in a fair amount of time to writing your essays (approximately 1 hour per page, more if it is a research paper)? 2. Have you sought the help of the free on-campus tutors for the planning, revising, and editing of your essays? 3. Have you adequately studied each assignment sheet (available here on this website) and undestood exactly what is required of you each time? 4. Have you contacted your instructor and followed any advice given, minus excuses of why you can't? 5. Have you consistently used Grade Results to edit and revise your essays-- not only submitting your essay, but also your assignment directions AND making adequate corrections afterwards? Doing all of this does not guarantee you an "A" on any assignment; however, it is highly unlikely that you will fail if you put this much effort into your assignments.
2. Always be respectful. Understand how much time and effort I put into this class and how little monetary compensation I get for doing so. I do this job because I'm passionate about it, and more than anything, I want to see you all succeed, learn, and grow... as students, scholars, and citizens of this world. Treat the class with the importance it deserves, treat me with the respect I deserve, and you will find that this class can be rewarding and fun in a variety of ways!
1. Students are not "given" grades; they "earn" grades.
You are not giving me what "I" want; you are being asked to write according to MLA standards, which were not invented by me.
ESSAY NOTES: http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/evaluation_criteria.htm
Standard Grading Criteria: Research
These criteria apply to typical papers in English composition and literature courses. These standards do not consider a student's effort or ability; they apply only to the finished paper itself. A grade of C is considered adequate or satisfactory. Grades of A and B represent significantly higher performances, while D and F are not passing grades. Instructor may consider the context of the paper (type/level of the course, point in the semester, in-class preparation, focus of the assignment) in assigning a grade.
The A paper is an outstanding performance; it may exceed the expectations of the assignment. It is thought-provoking, elegant, passionate, persuasive. It meets and exceeds the requirements for the B paper.
THESIS: clear and cogent; original, significant, insightful; promises in-depth explanation.
ORGANIZATION: logical, creative organization growing naturally from thesis and content; strong introduction and conclusion. Research resources are thoroughly and creatively integrated into student’s argument; quotations, summary, and paraphrases are seamlessly introduced, synthesized, analyzed and interpreted.
DEVELOPMENT: paragraphs thoroughly developed and linked by organic transitions; graceful use of varied rhetorical strategies; rich variety of convincing reasons, explanations, examples, illustrations; concrete, powerful details.
RESEARCH/INFORMATION LITERACY: Sources are of the highest quality and are sufficient in number; thorough and creative use of varied source material. Quotations, summary, and paraphrases are deftly synthesized, and analyzed or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: grace and economy of expressions; conscious choice of language; vivid, precise, inventive creative word choice.
TONE/VOICE: authoritative, honest; awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: rich variety and complexity of sentence structure.
MECHANICS: mastery of conventions of edited standard English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations used appropriately and correctly, according to most recent guidelines. Works Cited page follows most recent MLA guidelines. Very minor, if any, formatting errors.
The B paper is a good, better-than-average performance. It is interesting and competent. It meets and exceeds the requirements for the C paper.
THESIS: clear and well-defined; asserts purpose of paper; is directly relevant to and addresses all parts of the assignment.
ORGANIZATION: logical organization; well-developed introduction and conclusion; paragraphs linked to thesis and to each other using effective transitions. Research resources are integrated into student’s own argument.
DEVELOPMENT: rhetorical strategies used as necessary (narration, cause & effect, process, etc.); coherent paragraphs, fully developed with supporting reasons, explanations, examples, illustrations; generalizations supported with relevant, specific details.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are of good quality and number; appropriately varied and thorough source material; quotations, summary, and paraphrases are synthesized, analyzed, or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: accurate word choice; concise sentences; some flair.
TONE/VOICE: Engaging, lively; some awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: some variety and complexity of sentence structure; free of basic
errors such as fragments, run-ons, subject/verb agreement.
MECHANICS: observes conventions of standard written English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations used appropriately and correctly, according to most recent guidelines. Works Cited page follows most recent MLA guidelines. Minor formatting errors do not deter from comprehensibility of citation; all significant information included.
The C paper represents adequate, readable college-level writing. Choice of topic and thesis is appropriate to the nature of the assignment. It may not respond to all parts of the assignment.
THESIS: focus or controlling idea relevant to assigned topic; may be overly general or not closely linked to content of essay.
ORGANIZATION: some evidence of organization or rhetorical framework; clear beginning, middle, and end. Research sources support student’s argument but are not smoothly integrated.
DEVELOPMENT: uses paragraphs and topic sentences; gives supporting reasons and examples, but may not be logically reasoned or fully developed. May not meet length requirement.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are of acceptable quality and number; may not be the most relevant or current sources; quotations, summary, and paraphrases reflect a good-faith effort at correct designation but are commented upon simplistically.
LANGUAGE: clear writing, mostly accurate word choice.
TONE/VOICE: consistent, but little sense of authorial voice.
SENTENCES: complete, mostly correct sentences
MECHANICS: free of distracting errors of spelling and punctuation.
MLA: Reflects an attempt to follow most recent MLA guidelines. Some content and formatting errors exist in parenthetical references and Works Cited page. Parenthetical references may not coordinate well with Works Cited entries.
The D paper is confusing, difficult to read, unfocused. It does not demonstrate competent college-level writing.
THESIS: lacks a thesis or controlling idea; does not address assigned topic.
ORGANIZATION: unstructured or disordered; lacks clear beginning, middle, and end. Research source material is awkwardly placed or not coherently integrated into paper.
DEVELOPMENT: severely underdeveloped; poor sense of paragraphs: paragraphs overly long or short, arbitrarily or illogically ordered, incoherent or not unified; lack of support for ideas; lack of concrete detail; irrelevancies, redundancies, oversimplifications, filler.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are inappropriate (dubious web page quality, lack of Library materials, insufficient number of sources, outdated or irrelevant sources) for college-level research. Source material is accidentally or intentionally plagiarized (quotations marks not used, insufficient paraphrases); research does not support student’s argument; research is not reflected upon or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: unclear or incoherent writing.
TONE/VOICE: little awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: vague, wordy, confusing, or incomplete sentences.
MECHANICS: numerous distracting errors; nonstandard English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations are frequently absent or inaccurate; Works Cited page is missing or incomprehensible; many errors or omissions in content and formatting of entries.
The F paper is weak in several areas. It fails to communicate its ideas effectively. The writer may not understand the assigned question. It may be late. Plagiarized papers merit an automatic F.
THESIS: no attempt to respond to assignment.
ORGANIZATION: lack of organizing principle; lacks paragraphs. Lacks transitions into or indications of outside research material.
DEVELOPMENT: seriously and consistently illogical and/or predicated on false premises.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: No research done or obviously inappropriate sources used. Plagiarism; utter lack of argument; lack of detail; absence of interpretation, synthesis, or analysis.
LANGUAGE: incomprehensible.
TONE/VOICE: little or no awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: numerous grammatical errors.
MECHANICS: numerous mechanical errors.
MLA: Severe deficiencies of parenthetical citations and Works Cited entries; possibly no parenthetical citations or Works Cited list.
Food for Thought:
“The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown! ....So the poet is actually a thief of Fire!” -Arthur Rimbaud
10. Complete ALL of your assignments. You cannot pass the class unless all major assignments are completed.
9. I teach by the philosophy of "The Apple". What I mean by that is this: My sage professors gave me "the apple" (of knowledge), and I've devoted my career to sharing that apple. I will offer you a bite; whether or not you take it is up to you. Your success will be measured by how much of your apple is eaten by the end of the semester.
8. Realize that I expect a lot from my "scholars"-- I will hold you to high standards. I will push you and challenge you. Yes, I know you all have jobs, families, lives... and many of you are not simply "full time college students" with nothing else going on but that; however, instructors cannot be expected to water down standards to accomodate students' busy lives. You may be at a "community college"-- but college is college! Every degree should "mean something"; when we water down education, we water down the value of a degree... of mine and of yours! I will not do that.
7. Just because you made "A's" in highschool English does not mean you will make A's in college English. The chart I use to determine your grade on essays will be available on this website. And, just because you don't make "A's" on your essays does not mean you can't still get an "A" in this course. Your grade is determined by many factors; formal essay writing is a major factor, but it is still only one of several. Fair grading is the objective here; an "A" paper will be given an "A", but by the same token, a "C" paper will be given a "C"... all personal preferences aside.
6. While everyone should strive to "do their best", it is also important to remember that it is unreasonable to believe that everyone is expected to get "All A's". To put it in perspective for you, at ULL (the university I graduated from), 1100 students graduated this past semester; 2 of them had 4.0 GPA's. We are all HUMAN-- we have strengths and weaknesses; not everyone can be an "A" student in English, and that is OKAY. There is so much more to the measure of success than "the almighty A". If you are concerned about your grade in the course, please feel free to contact me.
5. Buy a stapler! Also, invest in a good computer and PRINTER. You are spending quite a bit on your tuition; continue the investment in yourself with these items! I can't tell you how many 'A' students downward spiral into 'B' range because they rely on printing out their essays 10 minutes before class starts here on campus (with NCTC's outdated technology). They are then forced to take a late grade deduction... not good!
4. Keep an open mind. Realize that while the world may be viewed in "black and white" by your family, friends, community leaders, etc., there's actually a whole lot of gray area out there. The study of "argumentation" and "literature" requires us to examine ideas, issues, history, people, etc. with a much broader perspective. It also requires us to get out of our comfort zones and think outside of the proverbial box. Sometimes what we study solidifies our own views; sometimes it challenges them. That, my friends, is called "education"!
3. Do not tell me that you have "tried your best" unless you can answer "yes" to ALL of the following: 1. Have you put in a fair amount of time to writing your essays (approximately 1 hour per page, more if it is a research paper)? 2. Have you sought the help of the free on-campus tutors for the planning, revising, and editing of your essays? 3. Have you adequately studied each assignment sheet (available here on this website) and undestood exactly what is required of you each time? 4. Have you contacted your instructor and followed any advice given, minus excuses of why you can't? 5. Have you consistently used Grade Results to edit and revise your essays-- not only submitting your essay, but also your assignment directions AND making adequate corrections afterwards? Doing all of this does not guarantee you an "A" on any assignment; however, it is highly unlikely that you will fail if you put this much effort into your assignments.
2. Always be respectful. Understand how much time and effort I put into this class and how little monetary compensation I get for doing so. I do this job because I'm passionate about it, and more than anything, I want to see you all succeed, learn, and grow... as students, scholars, and citizens of this world. Treat the class with the importance it deserves, treat me with the respect I deserve, and you will find that this class can be rewarding and fun in a variety of ways!
1. Students are not "given" grades; they "earn" grades.
You are not giving me what "I" want; you are being asked to write according to MLA standards, which were not invented by me.
ESSAY NOTES: http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/evaluation_criteria.htm
Standard Grading Criteria: Research
These criteria apply to typical papers in English composition and literature courses. These standards do not consider a student's effort or ability; they apply only to the finished paper itself. A grade of C is considered adequate or satisfactory. Grades of A and B represent significantly higher performances, while D and F are not passing grades. Instructor may consider the context of the paper (type/level of the course, point in the semester, in-class preparation, focus of the assignment) in assigning a grade.
The A paper is an outstanding performance; it may exceed the expectations of the assignment. It is thought-provoking, elegant, passionate, persuasive. It meets and exceeds the requirements for the B paper.
THESIS: clear and cogent; original, significant, insightful; promises in-depth explanation.
ORGANIZATION: logical, creative organization growing naturally from thesis and content; strong introduction and conclusion. Research resources are thoroughly and creatively integrated into student’s argument; quotations, summary, and paraphrases are seamlessly introduced, synthesized, analyzed and interpreted.
DEVELOPMENT: paragraphs thoroughly developed and linked by organic transitions; graceful use of varied rhetorical strategies; rich variety of convincing reasons, explanations, examples, illustrations; concrete, powerful details.
RESEARCH/INFORMATION LITERACY: Sources are of the highest quality and are sufficient in number; thorough and creative use of varied source material. Quotations, summary, and paraphrases are deftly synthesized, and analyzed or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: grace and economy of expressions; conscious choice of language; vivid, precise, inventive creative word choice.
TONE/VOICE: authoritative, honest; awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: rich variety and complexity of sentence structure.
MECHANICS: mastery of conventions of edited standard English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations used appropriately and correctly, according to most recent guidelines. Works Cited page follows most recent MLA guidelines. Very minor, if any, formatting errors.
The B paper is a good, better-than-average performance. It is interesting and competent. It meets and exceeds the requirements for the C paper.
THESIS: clear and well-defined; asserts purpose of paper; is directly relevant to and addresses all parts of the assignment.
ORGANIZATION: logical organization; well-developed introduction and conclusion; paragraphs linked to thesis and to each other using effective transitions. Research resources are integrated into student’s own argument.
DEVELOPMENT: rhetorical strategies used as necessary (narration, cause & effect, process, etc.); coherent paragraphs, fully developed with supporting reasons, explanations, examples, illustrations; generalizations supported with relevant, specific details.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are of good quality and number; appropriately varied and thorough source material; quotations, summary, and paraphrases are synthesized, analyzed, or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: accurate word choice; concise sentences; some flair.
TONE/VOICE: Engaging, lively; some awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: some variety and complexity of sentence structure; free of basic
errors such as fragments, run-ons, subject/verb agreement.
MECHANICS: observes conventions of standard written English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations used appropriately and correctly, according to most recent guidelines. Works Cited page follows most recent MLA guidelines. Minor formatting errors do not deter from comprehensibility of citation; all significant information included.
The C paper represents adequate, readable college-level writing. Choice of topic and thesis is appropriate to the nature of the assignment. It may not respond to all parts of the assignment.
THESIS: focus or controlling idea relevant to assigned topic; may be overly general or not closely linked to content of essay.
ORGANIZATION: some evidence of organization or rhetorical framework; clear beginning, middle, and end. Research sources support student’s argument but are not smoothly integrated.
DEVELOPMENT: uses paragraphs and topic sentences; gives supporting reasons and examples, but may not be logically reasoned or fully developed. May not meet length requirement.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are of acceptable quality and number; may not be the most relevant or current sources; quotations, summary, and paraphrases reflect a good-faith effort at correct designation but are commented upon simplistically.
LANGUAGE: clear writing, mostly accurate word choice.
TONE/VOICE: consistent, but little sense of authorial voice.
SENTENCES: complete, mostly correct sentences
MECHANICS: free of distracting errors of spelling and punctuation.
MLA: Reflects an attempt to follow most recent MLA guidelines. Some content and formatting errors exist in parenthetical references and Works Cited page. Parenthetical references may not coordinate well with Works Cited entries.
The D paper is confusing, difficult to read, unfocused. It does not demonstrate competent college-level writing.
THESIS: lacks a thesis or controlling idea; does not address assigned topic.
ORGANIZATION: unstructured or disordered; lacks clear beginning, middle, and end. Research source material is awkwardly placed or not coherently integrated into paper.
DEVELOPMENT: severely underdeveloped; poor sense of paragraphs: paragraphs overly long or short, arbitrarily or illogically ordered, incoherent or not unified; lack of support for ideas; lack of concrete detail; irrelevancies, redundancies, oversimplifications, filler.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: Sources are inappropriate (dubious web page quality, lack of Library materials, insufficient number of sources, outdated or irrelevant sources) for college-level research. Source material is accidentally or intentionally plagiarized (quotations marks not used, insufficient paraphrases); research does not support student’s argument; research is not reflected upon or interpreted.
LANGUAGE: unclear or incoherent writing.
TONE/VOICE: little awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: vague, wordy, confusing, or incomplete sentences.
MECHANICS: numerous distracting errors; nonstandard English.
MLA: Parenthetical citations are frequently absent or inaccurate; Works Cited page is missing or incomprehensible; many errors or omissions in content and formatting of entries.
The F paper is weak in several areas. It fails to communicate its ideas effectively. The writer may not understand the assigned question. It may be late. Plagiarized papers merit an automatic F.
THESIS: no attempt to respond to assignment.
ORGANIZATION: lack of organizing principle; lacks paragraphs. Lacks transitions into or indications of outside research material.
DEVELOPMENT: seriously and consistently illogical and/or predicated on false premises.
RESEARCH/INFO. LITERACY: No research done or obviously inappropriate sources used. Plagiarism; utter lack of argument; lack of detail; absence of interpretation, synthesis, or analysis.
LANGUAGE: incomprehensible.
TONE/VOICE: little or no awareness of audience.
SENTENCES: numerous grammatical errors.
MECHANICS: numerous mechanical errors.
MLA: Severe deficiencies of parenthetical citations and Works Cited entries; possibly no parenthetical citations or Works Cited list.
Food for Thought:
“The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown! ....So the poet is actually a thief of Fire!” -Arthur Rimbaud
Instructor Bio
I was born and raised a Cajun girl in south Louisiana. I love fried seafood and good pizza. I am an advocate for many causes, including gay rights and protecting our environment. My favorite actor is Owen Wilson, and my favorite actress of all time is Elizabeth Taylor. I have too many favorite films to list! My favorite television show of all time is "Family Ties;" the current programs I watch are "The Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Middle," and "Modern Family." I'm stuck on 90's music, like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, and Nirvana; I also love Ryan Adams and other "singer/song-writers". I love to watch movies and pick apart their meanings. I love horror film and Halloween (it is my favorite holiday!). I graduated from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette (the only university that boasts an alligator filled swamp on its campus-- the swamp is featured in the picture here) with both a B.A. and an M.A. in Liberal Arts, English. I also worked on my Ph.D. in English and maintained a 4.0 average. I was an Honors Program student and graduated with my B.A. in only 3 years; I loved college and still do! I began teaching college English when I was only 23 years old. I am passionate about teaching. I personalize education; I enjoy getting to know my students and investing in their futures. I believe in what I do and in my "scholars". My "raisons d'etre" (reasons for being) are to seek and share knowledge and to give and receive love; you help me with the former, and my amazing family helps me with the latter. My husband is my best friend, and we have been married for 16 years; he is the Director of Acute Care at THR Presby Plano. My two daughters are my heart and my soul. Claire is beginning 8th grade this year at McMath Middle School; her talents include jazz dance and sign language. Reece is a 6th grader at McMath; she enjoys ballet and sewing. They are my life. I look forward to this semester and to leading you on this journey. I hope that you enjoy this class and improve upon your writing skills while having some fun at the same time! Welcome to the family!
**Below are some snapshots from classes past. Open your mind and enjoy the journey!
**Below are some snapshots from classes past. Open your mind and enjoy the journey!