<p>hi future grinnellians, have you made up your mind on your tutorial already?
what do you think about the topics. i find them extremely interesting and it'll be really hard to pick only one...</p>
<p>Avoid Ed Moore!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>My D's
choice1: Stories, Story-Tellers, and Audiences: Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron and Marguerite of Navarre's Heptameron
choice2: Manipulation or Subversion? Popular Culture in American Experience
choice3: Dear John: Restoring the Lost Art of the Letter
choice4: Family Tragedy in Literature
choice5: The Search for Self in Fiction, Film and Song</p>
<p>What is wrong with Ed Moore? What Dept. is he in?</p>
<p>Look him up on ratemyprofessor.com. I think he's English.</p>
<p>I think you have to take ratemyprofessor.com with a grain of salt. Not saying I wouldn't look at it, but there are often only a few ratings per professor, and these could just be the disgruntled students. Also, as you'll see with Prof Moore, some people loved him - even though there were many who didn't. It's a valuable resource, just be sure you don't accept it as gospel truth. As an example, my kid had a tutorial with Prof Kamp - on ratemyprof, students complained that she's evil on grading papers and don't take her for tutorial. My kid got an A on every paper with her - so that wasn't an issue. (Please excuse the brag - it's in context.) Maybe those kids weren't prepared for college-level writing. My D still didn't like the class particularly, but her reasons had more to do with the topic than the grading. The topic wasn't one of her choices (at the last minute, another prof got sick and they substituted Prof Kamp with a whole new topic). The point of the tutorial is really to teach students how to use the University's learning resources - libray, computer lab, software - and how to write a college paper. The subject is secondary. So if writing is a weakness for you, you might try to find someone who can help you with that aspect. Also, the prof becomes your advisor for the first 2 years - so you may want to be looking for someone who seems to have good skills in that area.</p>
<p>Snorky: Thanks so much for your input. I did look up the profs that assigned to the tutorials that my D had picked. I re-ordered them based a little more on "accessible" personalities, but I kept her same choices. I would like to see her with someone supportive: she has had her fill of harsh teachers this last year in her chosen subject matter (writing). Ironically, she got the science and art award at graduation, but it is writing that interests her.All the classes she had picked seemed stimulating, and none of the profs got a totally negative review. She will probably end up just where she needs to be; just as she did when she chose Grinnell and Grinnell chose her. What year is your D? What is her major? Were there any spectacular classes (in any Dept.) that have knocked her socks off?</p>
<p>The Ed Moore I know taught English 30 years ago and I am surprised to see that he is still there. After all, he was not young when I was young.</p>
<p>He can be tough -- and you need that at 18 years of age. He can critique. And, at times he can be soft. So do what I did whenever he is soft -- go up to him and tell him to take off the gloves and teach you how to write. He did exactly that for me. ANd, boy did I need it.</p>
<p>The English Department is very good at the school. They will teach you how to write -- so will Political Science (Moyer or Strauber are still there from my generation) as well as the History Department (Smith is still there). </p>
<p>If you get anyone from those departments, and listen to their criticisms, you will emerge well ahead of your peers at larger institutions where such one-on-one discussions are unfortunately much less frequently used.</p>
<p>miszic. I wouldn't touch my kids' registration, it's their decision now. Nothing that might come from a bad choice is irreprable and the learning is well worth the consequence.</p>
<p>I have to agree with SRMom - it's really the kid's decision. Among other things, if the class you pick turns out to be a loser, you'll never hear the end of it! No reason why you can't suggest that your D think about some of the things we've been discussing here. The tutorial is just one class -- the only required class at Grinnell -- so there is lots of opportunity for choice in the future. It's been an interesting to watch my D's intellectual development over the past 2 years - and our tongues aren't quite bitten all the way thru yet!</p>
<p>Mizsic your daughter has selected a school with an open curriculum expressly designed for self-directed students. You've got to let go here.</p>