For a class assignment, I had to describe what my reading illustrates about me. While this struck me at first as a dull task, it gave me reason for self-assessment. I am a voracious reader. My reading reflects my interests, curiosity, and of course the situations I find myself in. Some things I read because of my professional interests and where I'd like my life and career to head. Many things I'm forced to read for work and for school. And a few things I read purely for pleasure; I wish I had more time for this. If I could figure out a way to get paid to read, so that more of my waking day could be spent reading what I love, I'd be thrilled.
The reading I do for school I might not be tempted to pick up on my own. For instance, since I've been in school, I have read many textbooks and essays about the field of composition theory and the debates over teaching pedagogies. I also read a very enlightening book on the classic style, called Clear and Simple as the Truth, which gave me an in-depth review of a specific prose style that consists of clarity, forthrightness, and authority. I had never formally been introduced to this style of writing, and it was interesting to see it analyzed so thoroughly. Often as students we don't think of ourselves as experts, and this style of writing assumes writer superiority. Also, I bought and read a book of personal essays, The Art of the Personal Essay, that I would not have picked up on my own. I enjoyed being exposed to a variety of such unique compositions through the history of writing, from Montaigne to Adrienne Rich. These may not be writings I would explore on my own, but I'm glad I must read them for school because I am exposed to new ideas and encouraged to expand my mind.
The reading I am forced to do for work I would never pick up otherwise. My job involves creating the university's schedule each semester and ensuring that each class has a room to meet in without any conflicts. I initially read many manuals about the intricacies of the scheduling program and how to properly set it up. Currently I am reading manuals about how the scheduling program interfaces with the new student information system, and how to most effectively use the interface software and its transactional processing properties. When something goes wrong with the coordination of the three programs - scheduling, student information, and the interface - I read the documentation to resolve the problems. For my upgrade to each newest version of the scheduling program, I read manuals to understand changes and how to run tests. All of this reading is boring but necessary.
The reading I do for school I might not be tempted to pick up on my own. For instance, since I've been in school, I have read many textbooks and essays about the field of composition theory and the debates over teaching pedagogies. I also read a very enlightening book on the classic style, called Clear and Simple as the Truth, which gave me an in-depth review of a specific prose style that consists of clarity, forthrightness, and authority. I had never formally been introduced to this style of writing, and it was interesting to see it analyzed so thoroughly. Often as students we don't think of ourselves as experts, and this style of writing assumes writer superiority. Also, I bought and read a book of personal essays, The Art of the Personal Essay, that I would not have picked up on my own. I enjoyed being exposed to a variety of such unique compositions through the history of writing, from Montaigne to Adrienne Rich. These may not be writings I would explore on my own, but I'm glad I must read them for school because I am exposed to new ideas and encouraged to expand my mind.
The reading I am forced to do for work I would never pick up otherwise. My job involves creating the university's schedule each semester and ensuring that each class has a room to meet in without any conflicts. I initially read many manuals about the intricacies of the scheduling program and how to properly set it up. Currently I am reading manuals about how the scheduling program interfaces with the new student information system, and how to most effectively use the interface software and its transactional processing properties. When something goes wrong with the coordination of the three programs - scheduling, student information, and the interface - I read the documentation to resolve the problems. For my upgrade to each newest version of the scheduling program, I read manuals to understand changes and how to run tests. All of this reading is boring but necessary.
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