Sunday, October 24, 2010

Clear Expectations

Is it too much to ask that a teacher teaching teachers have clear expectations?!?!? I found myself in a bit of an emotional breakdown after my second graduate class this week. In both classes I asked the teachers to clarify their expectations for projects/assignments due next week. In both cases the teachers dismissed my request as if I was more of an annoyance then they wanted to deal with. I wanted to say, "It's not my fault that you don't know what you want. You assigned this project, so clarify what is due?!?! No need to give me an attitude and act like I forgot what you already said. You never said anything!!!!"

Then to top it all off, one of the teachers assigned an obscene amount of homework (about 80 questions - a paragraph long each, and a lesson plan in a new format). I stressed myself out getting it all done for Wednesday, spent way too much time on it, and then I get to class and she doesn't even look at it! She doesn't collect it, we don't talk about it, and then she has the nerve to say that she is going to go over how to write a lesson plan for the last hour of class. What?!?! The lesson plan was due that day, why are you going over how to write one on the day it is due? And then I look around and only two of us have actually done all the homework. Everyone else wrote in chicken scratch on notebook paper a few answers and a rough lesson plan.I was beyond upset and beyond overwhelmed. Is this what being a graduate student is? Someone needs to tell these teachers that they needs to practice what they preach!

Luckily, my weekend class went better. The teacher was upfront with everything that would be due over the next three weekends and what his expectations were. I even got to ask questions that he actually answered. He modeled perfectly during his lessons the way that teachers should teach.


Rum Raisin Apple Pie
from Gourmet Magazine November 2006

3 tablespoons dark rum
1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 medium apples (2 Gala, 2 Granny Smith, and 2 McIntosh)
Pastry dough for double crust pie (homemade or premade)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon sanding sugar

Bring rum with raisins to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour. * This can be done 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.




Put oven rack in middle position with a large heavy baking sheet on rack and preheat oven to 425F.

Rub together brown sugar, flour, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with your fingers in a large bowl until no lumps remain.




Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/2 inch-wide wedges and add to sugar mixture, tossing gently to coat. Add raisins with any liquid and toss until combined.






* If using homemade crust: Roll out larger piece of dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate and trim edge, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out top crust. Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.




Spoon filling evenly into shell, then dot top with butter. Brush pastry overhang with some of milk, then cover pie with pastry round. Trim pastry flush with edge of pie plate using kitchen shears, then press edges together and crimp decoratively.

Lightly brush top of pie with some of remaining milk and sprinkle all over with sanding sugar. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.




Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes more. Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.








* Pie can be made 8 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your photos are starting to look more and more like an ad for Pampered Chef products!

Love you-
Pat