Math UGH!: Being an instructor for one of the most hated classes in college

I have decided to do my Profile on Bethany Pratt, a math instructor at LBCC. I am very interested in what makes a math intructor tick. I have always looked at math instructors like dentists, you have to go because you know it is good for you, but it doesn't change the fact that you hate it.

My three sources I will be using are:
1) A student from one of her lower level math classes ( Math 65)
2) A student from one of her upper level math classes (Math 111)
3) Fellow instructor

There will be at least five or more questions I will be asking and they are:
1) Of all the courses to teach what made you decide to become a math intructor?
2) Where did you receive your education and degree?
3) What was your worst moment as a math instructor?
4) What made you decide to teach math at LBCC
5) What are your hobbies outside of work?
6) Are you married with children?
7) How does your husband and or children feel about math?

Stephen King and Three Tips on Writing: I thought… Really?

The assignment was issued. Three tips I can use for feature writing from Stephen King. Hmmm...I have always been a fan of Stephen King, viewing him as a twisted, tormented, closet serial killer. That somewhat illicit view of him changed when I read his book "Stephen King - On Writing."

After reading pages 17 through 107, and with a better understanding of the author, I emerged myself, highlighter in hand into the next half of the book simply labeled “The Tool Box."

1.  One of my favorite quotes and tips came from page 106 "Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page."   

This simplest of phrases affected me the most. My rendition-if you are going to write... put some feeling into it, own the paper!

2.  Never dress up your vocabulary, looking for long words because you are ashamed of your short ones.(pg 117). I chose to run with this one because I can still hear the bellowing of a former English teacher saying "word power, word power, thesaurus, use bigger words!"

3.  The "ah ha” moment came for me when I read King’s paragraph on page 124 about adverbs. He writes "With adverbs, the writer usually tell us he or she is afraid he/she isn't expressing himself/herself clearly, that he or she is not getting the picture across." 

This is something I have honestly never thought about.  See I just wrote honestly. Let me try that again... Something I have never thought about in writing would be Stephen King’s statement on Adverbs.

It is late and I have spent the day on homework for several classes. I saved the best for last knowing I would not be able to set down Stephen Kings book once emerged in it. With much enthusiasm, every tip and suggestion is now highlighted and the book that was going to be sold during “book buy back” will never be orphaned.