The morning battle

By Claire Cudahy

Many mornings I lay in bed and engage in a mental battle with myself over going to class. I attempt to justify my desire to remain cozy in bed, go to the beach, sit around and do nothing, etc.

My teacher wouldn't even notice my absence, I tell myself. I can get the notes from someone else. We don't really learn anything. I'll e-mail and say I'm sick - it is flu season after all. As a slew of excuses go through my mind, the guilt gives way to pure joy. Instead of being lectured for an hour, I can do whatever I want!

I think it is safe to say that this is not an uncommon thought process for most college students. Making yourself go to class, pay attention the whole period and take good notes have become chores; we revel in skipping.

It wasn't until I went to my first class with Dr. Cory Wade that I realized it didn't have to be a chore.

The class is Studies in Medieval Literature - not a subject I am particularly drawn to, but it fulfilled one of my requirements as an English major. From day one, Dr. Wade made it abundantly clear that she was not like other teachers.

She explained to the class, or "scholars" as she kindly refers to us, that "Beowulf," the great epic poem, was her passion and it soon would be ours. Her teaching style, she said, was about creating a friendly, anxiety-free environment in which we all participate, engaging the texts.

And that she did. The first four weeks of class we spent going over the 3182-line epic "Beowulf." Though this may sound tedious, in comparison to the 100 pages of reading assigned in my other classes, the small bits of reading assigned were pleasurable.

Without the intense pressure of quantity, I was able to appreciate the quality of what I was reading.

In class, Dr. Wade was more than enthusiastic. Each day, she breezes into class, smiling and telling us how excited she is to be here. After a student reads a section of Beowulf aloud, Dr. Wade is not shy to express how moved she is by the passage. It's contagious. Her passion for her subject makes it easy to sit through the hour and 45 minute sessions.

Her abhorrence of the disruption of technology in our lives is a core part of how Dr. Wade teaches. No laptops or cell phones. Seriously. The students smile when she kicks a cord out of the way and goes on a tangent about the intrusiveness of technology.

Dr. Wade wants her students to be fully engaged in the class, so participation is crucial.

Many students, myself included, shudder at the word 'participation.' It brings to mind unsolicited questions to the student zoning out in the corner and the uncertainty of speaking up in a large group.

In Dr. Wade's classroom, participation comes much more easily. She praises even the smallest contribution and makes each 'scholar' feel confident in their thoughts. Every idea is worth listening to and exploring.

When it came time for our first exam, Dr. Wade reiterated to us that we were not to stress out over the test. Class after class of praising our intelligence and insightfulness helped us to believe her when she said we would do great.

That day I walked into the midterm completely confident. I knew the texts from our careful reading and discussions, and felt confident that I understood the material.

Dr. Wade has pumped the breaks on the normal fast pace we are used to in class. I never go to class feeling unprepared or anxious. Her passion and dedication to her teaching makes it an easy decision to walk into the classroom and learn to appreciate a subject I had once discounted.

Claire Cudahy is a junior English major.