My biscuits are getting better! I've been using a...dough blender thing (this) to blend the flour and butter, and I've been careful about not patting the dough too thin. They're still not as good as restaurant biscuits, but they were some of the best ones I've ever made. This is the recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe/index.html. I think I'll add a little more salt next time and leave the dough even thicker. I should probably get a real biscuit cutter at some point, too. I've been using the rim of a big cup, and I think it pinches the sides rather than cutting them. Maybe that's why they don't rise as much as I'd like? I'll keep working on them, but I'm happy to taste some improvement.
AND--I'm going to pretend these two things are related--my teaching evaluations from this semester are the best I've ever received. Only about 35% of my students took them, which isn't a solid percentage, but I just couldn't encourage them to complete the evaluations after the tornado. "Sorry you lost your belongings, friends, and peace of mind, but could you please...?" The funny thing is that I wasn't even nervous about looking at my evaluations this semester. I was more comfortable teachign than I'd been in the past, and I actually enjoyed it most of the time. I'll still change a few things in the future, but I am getting closer to where I want to be. Progress, progress, progress!
Here's my favorite written-in response: "She is very helpful and knows what she is talking about. You can tell that she loves what she does and she is always prepared for class. She is very personable and always there to help. If you have any questions she is very quick to respond to your email." Two other students said that they enjoyed my class so much that they're planning to take more literature in the future. All good things.
I'm most pleased with the responses about effective communication. I've always struggled with this. It feels like my students and I speak different languages sometimes, and I have a hard time explaining just about everything. But this semester! 90% strongly agreed that I was an effective communicator--up from 30% my first semester, 50% my second, and 60% my third. I'm learning!
(And yes, I have considered the possibility that all of these students were just really kind because I'm pregnant.)
No comments:
Post a Comment