Hello, all! My name is Julie Schoelles, and I am a senior English major, history and education minor. I am eagerly awaiting graduation after I finish my fifth year "victory lap." I grew up in Keller, Texas, but after four years at TCU, I often just say I'm from Fort Worth. If I could spend all my time reading at the Botanic Gardens, exploring the art museums, walking Trinity Trail, and going to the Bass Hall, I just might do that.
I came to TCU because I didn't want to get too far from home, and I didn't want to attend a school where I felt like a little fish in a big pond. My brother decided at age five that he was going to study at A&M, but that was not for me. I was sold on TCU before the first campus tour was over; I love that I never walk to class without seeing a familiar face. For the first few years, I lived on campus, but I recently became a commuter. So I am going to echo the endless refrain and say that if I were Chancellor, I would do something about parking. I used to inwardly scoff when my peers complained about driving around for fifteen minutes looking for a parking space...I had no idea.
In my ed studies classes, I have answered the question "What makes a good teacher?" more times than I care to think about. But I believe that a good teacher is passionate about what they teach and makes an effort to show the students why. I also think that, as many years as they’ve been studying a subject, a teacher should remain open minded so that students feel free to develop their own opinions. A good student is diligent, attentive, and willing to apply themselves to the subject at hand, rather than expecting to breeze through class with minimal effort.
I think it would be fun to host a dinner party--which would have to be catered since I, the daughter of a chef, don’t like to cook--and I would want to eat with these three people:
1) Queen Elizabeth I, because since I studied abroad in the British Isles three years ago, I can’t get enough of her.
2) Rosalind Miles, the author of a book titled I, Elizabeth. It captivates me, and I try to read it every summer. Her writing style is gorgeous--I want to write like that.
3) My adopted cousin Max, who came to the U.S. from Kazakhstan two years ago. He lives (appropriately enough) in Salem, MA, and I’ve never had the chance to meet him. Of course, he’s ten and still speaks a lot of Russian, so he might not appreciate the conversation...
Three things about me: 1) I love to travel, and as much as I love Texas and home, I would move to Edinburgh in a heartbeat. 2) I am addicted to coffee and live theatre. 3) I’ve spent the last two years teaching English and history to students with autism and other disabilities, so I am becoming well versed in children’s literature; I split my summer between Dickens and Avi.
Three things I’d like to know about you: 1) If the world was your playground, where would you like to go? 2) Any amusing pet peeves? 3) What is the best thing you’ve found to do in Fort Worth (or Dallas)? I'm always taking suggestions.
I signed up for this course at the last minute after dropping a different class. I needed something to replace it, and “Studies in Early American Literature”—while pretty ambiguous—sounded like it could be promising. I received the syllabus this morning via email and was immediately intrigued. I cannot think of many more fascinating things to study than witches, infanticide, and female pirates. And I can’t say that I know much about any of them, so I expect that this class is going to amply satisfy my curiosity.
As a reader, I enjoy almost anything and everything, so it's impossible for me to summarize my taste in literature. I get my fair share of the classics during the semester, so I try to pack my summer with a little bit of everything; however, I just finished reading A Tale of Two Cities. I felt a bit guilty that all I knew about Darnay and Carton was what I remembered from watching Wishbone as a child. Lately, my novels have been replaced by manuscripts, as I've been working for several weeks at TCU Press. Editing doesn’t afford me the opportunity to do a lot of original writing, but in case my long blog entry isn’t indication enough, once I start writing, I'll go on and on and on. I tend to be very wordy when I’m not composing academic papers (although I'm still the student who asks for permission to go over the 12-page limit). And I don't do a lot of creative writing, but I wish I had the time for it. At the moment, I feel a bit “out of practice” as far as writing goes, so getting back into the school routine will help.
I didn’t create this blog with any argument in mind, but I think it's a good reflection of who I am as a student. I'm dedicated and genuinely interested in what I'm studying. I focus on the things I really enjoy, like literature, history, and culture. I tried to pick the most “antiquated” layout to be true to that, and the picture to reflect the course. I'm sure it will change as I play with it. I haven't kept a blog since high school, so I think this will be fun.
Lastly, I have read, understand, and agree with the terms of the syllabus.
