A Woman's Flight Chapter 29

 

 

 

      When Rebecca first opened her eyes she was woken up by Ashley going through her drawers frantically looking for something and throwing around everything in her drawers on the floor in an effort to find whatever she had obviously misplaced. Rebecca almost wanted to ask what she was looking for but something stopped her as she just sat there and looked at Ashley as she was basically tearing the room apart in search of what she had lost. Finally she grabs her notebook from a pile of clothes in the back of her closet and runs out the door leaving the room a mess in the process.

 

 

      As Rebecca looks at the mess around her and the carnage of their room that was left in the wake of Ashley she is beginning to think this might end up being one of those days to begin with. As she prepares for her English and her Business Statistics class she collects her books and her separate notebooks for each class as she puts on her back pack and hops over the mess of clothes and things that were still left laying on the floor.

 

 

     Once she finally does get to Mrs. Carrington's class she can already see some new faces of the people who didn't show up on the first day. When Mrs. Carrington sees Rebecca in her class she gives Rebecca a warm and knowing smile and somehow the stresses of the early morning seem to melt away as she puts them out of her mind and gets ready for class. When Mrs. Carrington sees that a good majority of the people in her class shows at a little bit after 10 she begins her class by saying," I can see their are some new faces here that I have not seen before. If you don't already know my name is Mrs. Carrington and I am going to be your instructor for the rest of the semester."

 

 

    " I know for a lot of you this will be your first college course that you have ever taken in your lives but I assure you that  even though we will learn a lot you will also learn to I am very relaxed when it comes to most things. I am not here to be your mother and if you don't turn in your assignments it is not my duty to punish our reprimand you. It is all on you to do your own work when you see fit. You will find that as long as you come to class each day and turn in your assignments on time it is relatively easy to get an A in my class but if you choose not to show up on a consistent basis or if you choose not to turn in your assignments that is ultimately on you as well but your grade will also suffer in the process."

 

 

   " One other thing that I enjoy is truly being able to get to learn every single one of my students and the individual stories that they all come with. As far as my history goes I have always loved reading and writing and I have even written and published some of my own books in the past but I feel like people are the most interesting books and each person is the author and writer of their own history and stories and we all carry our own words with us. Even if you do not naturally enjoy writing or reading we still have our own unique stories and and histories to tell."

 

 

   "With that said, I believe that every student has the potential to do amazing things in their lives if they allow themselves to truly apply to their studies and allowing their efforts in this institution to not go in vain. We are not considered one of the top college for nothing. As teachers we have a lot to offer our students if you are willing to put in the work and the effort to learn what the teachers are trying to convey. You will leave Stanford not only with a greater appreciation for education in general but as a well rounded and well educated individual. The only thing that is standing in the way of you achieving this is yourself."

 

 

 

   "If you choose not to do or to turn in the material or decide to waste your education by not coming to class or not taking your professors seriously or your education here than ultimately that is your decision as well but it will only end up being a very expensive waste of time. I want to see all of my students forfill their dreams and to be able to come out of this experience better than when you first started. To do that you need to be willing to put in the work to not only do the work but to put in the personal effort to change and to grow as you go along in your studies. Whatever discipline or major you might be it ultimately comes down to constantly trying to become a better you than you were the day before. As long as you can do that you will be a success in my book."

 

 

 

   "But I know that I have taken enough of your time already preaching so I want to see if I can actually start to give you guys your course syllabus like I promised on Tuesday and start filling you guys in on what I expect you guys as far as course work goes. I know that some of you are not as strong of readers as others so I want to make sure to develop and to grow your reading and writing skills throughout my course. I will assign two reading assignments during the semester that need to be read in class and we will be taking turns reading out of the assigned texts and reading that I have layed out in your syllabus as well."

 

 

 

   "For those of you who don't have a problem reading out loud there will be plenty of chances to develop your skills in writing. There will be 4 major writing assignments that you will have to produce that have to be in MLA format and a minimun of 750 words each. Each paper has to be about a different point in your life that was signficant to you and that you feel helped shape the person you are today. The dates that they are due are written on the syllabus as well. Don't wait unitl the last minute to produce the papers. It is best to get them done early and as soon as possible so you don't have to worry about turning a rushed paper or no paper at all."

 

 

   "I think you will find like most professors here I do not accept late work as well. It is just too much of a hassle for us to have to keep backtracking to figure who turned in what that its just a lot easier for us to have a 0 tolerance policy on late work in general. Even with that said I will make sure to give you plenty of time and notice ahead to make sure that you can turn in your assignments on the given dates. You will also notice that there are snaller 50 word papers that are due at the end of every new chapter or reading assignment  and you will also notice that I give you guys a week to turn in these papers so you don't have to stress too much about them." They are only 10 points each so if you miss one or don't so well it won't kill your grade but don't get in the habit of not doing them because they do add up."

 

 

 

   "The main things that you have to worry about are your two reading assignments and your 4 written assignments which if you turn to your syllabus again you will see that combined they equal up 80% of your grade so even if you don't do anything else but your papers you can still manage to pass my class. Unlike most teachers you will also notice that I give 5 points of extra credit to any work or assignment that is turned in on time as an extra incentive and bonus for those students that choose to turn in their assignments before the date. I am probably one of the first teachers to implement this as a given rule instead of just arbitrarily assigning extra credit where I see fit so if you want to thank me make sure to turn in your homework early and make it a lot easier for me and for yourself in the long run."

 

 

    "I believe that if you apply yourself you will see that you don't really have to try hard at all to pass my class. As long as you are here and do the assignments you should be ok. But more than just getting a passing grade I want you to truly understand what you are learning and possibly learn new things and new concepts that you have never thought of efore. Often by reading other people's stories we can expand our own views and ideas about our own stories as well. That is ulimately the power of writing and of books in general. No matter what style or genre of no matter how short or long it is every author is telling you bits of their own story in their stories and you can get a feel for where the author is coming from by truly reading and understanding the context of which the writing came from and what type of message the author is trying to convey."

 

 

 

    "By doing so we step away from becoming absent readers and we truly start to comprehend and understand the deeper meaning and undertones of different authors and how they play into the type of writing or the books that they produce. Once you are able to do that books and writing in general takes a whole new and grand meaning that begins to show into the hearts and minds of the person that is writing as well as taking you away to a different place as well. A book can be an escape into another world or a best friend that you can return to and get something new from if you learn how to appreciate the true story behind the story and allow your mind to paint a picture as you are reading and truly imagining yourself being there."

 

 

 

    "All the great books and authors of our time seemed to share that ability not only to teach us something about the time and the context that the book was written in but also being able to transport us to those better places in our minds where we can explore and allow ourselves to truly be in the stories and imagining ourselves actually being there. It is almost like a light or a picture that becomes illuminated in your mind so that once you read the book it sticks with you and leaves a little piece of the book or those images, feelings, emotions, and even stories that get left behind that can add to our own personal stories and change us for better or sometimes for worst. Wheter we like it or not what we read or see greatly effects how we feel and act towards other people as well."

 

 

 

   "It is because of this that you must be able to critically analyze what you see and read to be able to filter out the negative ideas or themes that can also be passed down and carried along in what we see or read all around us. We are often bombared with media on a daily basis whether it be the news or the internet or the television or even magazines and newspaers are all trying to say and to convey something to us but these images and ideas or not always positive and we have to be able to truly look at what type of messages are being created when we look and see the type of messages that are being sent,being able to see if what they are saying or conveying is worth paying attention to, and if there is any truth or validity to their statements. I hate to burst your bubble children but if you didn't already know not everything you see on television or read in the adds and especially on the internet is always the truth. It is your job as productive members of society to be able to figure out what is the truth and what it not."

 

 

    It was at that moment she made that comment that there was a light laughter that had filled the room. You could feel and tell that all of the students already felt completely comfortable with her. It was a stark difference from the overall fear that Dr. Haraday seemed to invoke of his students to the point where over half of the class had decided ot to show up on the 2nd day. She had an open and friendly personality that could warm even the most hardest of hearts. Even as she was talking to the class she had a lighthearted smile on her face and you could tell that she truly enjoyed her job. She was the type of teacher who just seemed to exude this inner sense of knowledge and wisdom that seemed to just flow from her.

 

 

    The more that Rebecca heard her speak the more impressed she became with Mrs. Carrington's in general. She got this overall sense of benevolence and good will that she hadn't seen in a person in a very long time. As she was looking around the classroom she could tell that Mrs. Carrington was having the same effect on the other people in the class room as well. It was almost like her good will and cheer were infectious. She found herself wondering if her life might have been different if she had met someone like Mrs. Carrington when she was in highscool but she was glad that she was getting the chance to have her as one of her first teachers of the semester. 

 

 

    She found herself looking back at everything she had gone through in her life that lead her here and Rebecca felt somehow that Mrs. Carrington was an angel and that she must be a protector or gaurdian over the students and she felt somehow that her and Mrs. Carrington would form a really close relationship as the semester went on. When the class finally ended she went up to Mrs. Carrington and thanked her for the other day and for giving her the hope and the strength to tell her story with pride.

 

 

   Upon hearing this she could actually see that her teacher was actually beginning to get a tear in her eye as she gave Rebecca a really big hug and said thank you to Rebecca. As Rebecca was about to leave Mrs. Carrington stopped her and said your story gives me hope as well. I know that you will make me proud. Even though I know I have just met you  as a student I feel like I had an instant connection to you and to your story as well and if there is anything that you need from me to help make your dream and story come true just let me know."

 

 

   Rebecca had to hold back a tear herself as she began to walk away and to prepare for her first class. In a lot of ways Mrs. Carrington was like the mother she wish she had always had. She gave off this very warm and motherly feeling that really attracted Rebecca to her. She wanted to know more about Mrs. Carrington as well but she knew that she had to get ready for her Business Statistics class and she got the feeling she would get the chance to learn more about Mrs. Carrington as the semester went on.

 

 

   When she got to her Business Statistics class the teacher was another stark contrast from Mrs Carrington. Where Mr Haraday was a lot more strict and by the book than she was, her Business Statistics teacher was opposite in appearance in almost everyway. When Rebecca first saw him he reminded her of a troll or dwarf. Where Mrs. Carrington was tall and lanky he was short and squat with a very developed beer belly to match. Where Mrs. Carrington was more oilve toned his skin had the blotchy and red look of someone who is proned to drinking on a regular basis and she seriously wondered if he didn't have a drink just before the class. His eyes were bloodshot and his teeth had the yellow consistency of someone who smokes too much and his hair was balding in the middle.

 

 

   When he talked he had a rough and nasaly voice that made it hard to hear what he was saying. As he began to introduce himself to the class he said that his name was Mr. Pickman. The first think he said was," I am sure that you are still in shock from being fresh meat off the boat so I won't torture you by going into to much today. I will just give you your syllabus and let you leave. As he passed them out to the class he had this wormy grin on his face that made her want to run the other direction and the way that he was looking at some of the other female students as he was passing the syllabus to them made her want to hit him that much more.

 

 

   When she finally escaped from his class room she almost ran back to her dorms as if she were trying to run away from the experience of running into him in general. Where Dr. Haraday had some redeeming qualities that made her think that she could actually enjoy going to his class she could find no redeeming qualities in Mr. Pickman. She was starting to curse her luck but then again she thought at least 2 out of the 3 teachers isn't too bad and she had already made up her mind that no matter how disgusted she was by him she wouldn't use it as an excuse to not do well in his class.

 

 

   When she got back  to her dorm room she thanked her stars that Ashley wasn't there and that she had actually managed to pick her clothes off the floor that she had left earlier that day. As Rebecca went over the the syllabus for Mr. Pickman's class she saw that a lot of the things that he was going over she had already learned in her statistics class in high school. She was at least happy for that lucky break. It actually didn't look like the class was really going to be that hard if she stuck with it She was counting her blessings as she tried to put the day behind her and get a little rest before she went to sleep.

 

 

    

 

 

   

Reviews

[Felicity's Eve]

Very, very nice. I see that you tapped more into Rebecca this time and I loved it. :)

[Ahmad Cox]

Thank you. I wanted to see if I could have the stark contrast between her teachers but still have the same resolve to do well.

[Felicity's Eve]

Well you did awesome :)

[Felicity's Eve]

Geez, Ashly! Man, this girl is getting on my nerves... But Miss Carrington makes up for it! Love her and her fantastic insight :)

A few minor grammar and spelling errors but overall, great chapter :)