Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sandvig Steven
Professor Batty
English 101
30 May 2019
I had absolutely no idea what to expect as I approached room 115 of the Humanities
building on that crisp February morning. It was the first day of the Spring semester at Los
Angeles Valley College, and my first day of English 101. As much as I hate to admit it, I had
been putting this class off for the last four semesters. Not because I wasn’t eager to take it, or felt
uninterested in reading, writing, and critical thinking. I was simply terrified. That may seem a
little dramatic, but I mean it most technically. The preceding semesters were filled with science
and mathematics; objective truths that are dictated by the laws of nature. This kind of subject
matter had always been my bread and butter, but now it was time to think and write for myself.
But what would I say? How would I say it? Would it even be worth reading? This lack of
confidence in my abilities to cogently and concisely lay out an argument have been with me for
as long as I can remember, but it was finally time to attack them head-on. Professor Batty’s
English 101 course has proved to be one of the most important and influential exercises of my
academic journey. Although this journey is far from complete, this course has equipped me with
the ability to better process, interpret, and retain information as well as think critically about it.
Furthermore, my confidence level as a writer has increased remarkably. These foundational skills
Critical thinking is a key part of being a thinking person. We all engage in it every single
day whether we realize it or not. Be it analyzing the words of someone else during a
conversation, or searching for the perfect parking spot, critical thinking is a constant. When it
comes to critical thinking in and for academia, the stakes are increased significantly. I learned
this very early on in the semester. For me, the biggest takeaways from this revelation was the
big challenge. I knew what my argument was, but now I must not only introduce a concept that
goes against it, but then come back with a reason or reasons why my argument is stronger than
the naysayers. This is a concept that was completely foreign to me. Not because I don’t value
other opinions, but because in workaday critical thinking, this is not a practice that I routinely
engage in. That being said, I am most grateful for this lesson. I believe I am now a better overall
Another lesson in communication that I took away from this course is the way in which I
engage with books; specifically novels. Before this course, my relationship with fiction was akin
to a child’s relationship with lullabies. It was merely a tool to aid in unwinding at the end of the
day. Professor Batty’s lecture on Active Reading changed all of that. While reading Alex
Espinoza’s Still Water Saints, the professor encouraged us to have a pencil and notebook handy.
When a passage, a word, an insight jumped out at us, we were to write it down along with any
thoughts we had about it. This practice has completely changed the way that I view fiction. I am
now more engaged, interested and curious when examining the text. I feel like a collaborator
rather than a passive observer. I look forward to passing this down to my 6 year old as he
Finally, the most profound takeaway from this course is the confidence that I gained in
expressing myself through written word. There is still plenty of room for growth, but I can
confidently say that I have a solid foundation from which to build on. I credit this to Professor
Batty’s incredible teaching style in lecture, and the prewriting homework assignments leading up
to our first essay. Starting with topic selection, through prewriting and research, revising, all the
way up to final submissions, these assignments were incredibly beneficial. They not only gave
me a clear sense of direction, but also revealed the area in which I was weakest. My previous
idea of an essay was the standard 5-paragraph theme consisting of an introduction, 3 points and a
poem. This course has taught me to be even more specific, nuanced and ambitious when
As the Spring semester comes to a close, I cannot help but feel slightly sad. Room 115,
with all of its’ big, scary unknowns, has become one of my favorite places. A place where ideas
and collaboration run wild. A place where students from all walks of life, demographics and age
groups are made better with the help of a professor who clearly loves her job. I am and will
remain eternally grateful for these lessons that I will carry with me in life and career.
Sandvig 4