Day 62

Tutoring session last night with my 13 year old went fairly well.  Mother thankfully did not blame me at all for son's recent so-so showing on practice SAT.  Turns out many of his problems were due to the intense pressure he puts on himself to succeed.  In doing timed test sections with me, in his house, he feels relaxed and is able to work.  Doing the same sections at a test site, he seizes up.  He's one of the few students I've ever had who puts more pressure on himself than I do--who wants him to do well more than I do.  Except his wanting to do well does not necessarily translate each week into him doing all his homework.  Anyway, I tried to calm him somewhat about the test, reminded him that, after all, he was only 13 (and still scoring better than half my 17 year olds).  I've only tutored one other 13 year old in recent memory, and that one was a while back.  I think I've kind of lost sight of their unique psychologies.  He's a fascinating boy.

Today is a day of not writing.  Instead I'm going to run errands all day.  I have to tutor this afternoon; then I'll cook dinner.  My student today needs help getting ideas for an essay.  The essay's subject?  What else.  It's White Noise.  The book I revile the most.  The book I spent two weeks writing mini essays about my several years ago (in this blog), trying to explain al that was bad about it...it's back.  That means I'm going to have to skim it this afternoon, and then, worse, pore through it, this evening, to help my student.  It's like some horrible overrated post modern vampire.  You keep thinking that it's dead and it keeps coming back to fight with you....

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Here's a great link, to a visual essay about the role of dogs in war.  Very moving (in a good way) with some pretty incredible photos of dogs in their army gear....