Pleasance

pleasance -- archaic noun meaning pleasure or a source of pleasure

Today was filled with pleasance (please help me use this word back out of archaism, everybody!).

I had opportunities to interact one-on-one with students in all my classes today as I wandered the room helping people with their individual questions about their reading. I like to do that once in a while so that I can get a feel for what individuals are struggling with, something that isn't clear during large-group discussion when those who "get" what they're reading are vocal and those who don't are not.

I have a student who has been lending me his DVDs of the Battlestar Galactica TV series (on Sci-Fi) without any prompting or requesting from me. He knows I like me some science fiction once in a while, so he generously thought, "Hey, I'll let him watch some of my collection." He surprised me today with another DVD.

I got to read my advanced writing students' reflections on the first quarter of our course, and many had great things to say--about how I've helped them, how their peers have helped them, how they've worked hard themselves to improve as writers. They also turned in essays today examining how they've been shaped by their education over the years, and I'm featured (as a positive influence, thank goodness) in several of the papers.

After school I got to meet an administrator from Crookston Public Schools who is planning to use in her district some staff development materials that I developed for use with the teachers in my district. It was nice to meet her and talk professionally about education issues from a leadership perspective, as I'm accustomed to doing in my doctoral courses but not in school, where I'm generally wearing my "teacher" hat.

I chaperoned a group of Drama Club kids on a field trip tonight to see Grease at UND tonight. They're always a fun group, and they know how to behave at public events, so it's never a problem to take them places. They really enjoyed the production and could talk intelligently afterward about what theatrical factors contributed to the overall effect of the show. I love that about them!

At the play, I saw two former students (graduates from two years ago) who called me "Kevin" and spoke comfortably about what's going on in their lives at the moment. One of them took advanced writing from me her senior year and told me what a great class she thought it was and how thankful she is for it now that she's in college. "And you can tell your current students that, too!" she said.

After the play, I congratulated several cast members. One told me that just the way I said "good job" and the smile on my face "made her day"! I introduced myself to the cast member who went to school in Tioga, ND (as did I) and whose mother was my third-grade teacher. My first cousins once removed were classmates of his, and their mother (my cousin's wife) was one of his favorite teachers in Tioga. Likewise, I really enjoyed his mother when she was my teacher. Strange how small the world can seem . . .

After the play, I met a friend for snacks at the Italian Moon, after which we stopped by his place to watch a couple shows he had DVRed: Veronica Mars and Everwood. We've been watching this season's episodes of Veronica Mars and loving it for its writing, acting, and overall attitude. Tonight was my first time, however, sampling Everwood. I likely won't commit to watching it regularly, but it, too, had sincere acting, fresh writing, and a style that drew me in. I'm kind of fussy about not watching dreck on TV (and there's plenty of it), so when I recommend a particular show, you can be sure that it had to meet some high standards to win me over. (Whether you agree with my high standards may be another thing altogether . . .)

All this pleasance helped to make up for the fact that my lovely ladies are still gone--in The Cities for a friend's wedding. They'll return late tomorrow night. Until then, what an all-around lovely day.