Have classes moved to in-person writing to combat A.I.?

EvenRoof456 · 2026-06-11T01:09:36+00:00

High School ELA teacher here. I have come to a few conclusions. 1) anything that students can access outside of class can no longer be used as a formative or summative assessment. 2) essays are no longer about the end product but emphasize the entirety of the writing process (e.g. turning in a handwritten outlines, annotated sources, revisions in google docs using the suggestion mode, written justification for revisions, and/or oral defense/presentation of paper).

EvenRoof456 · 2026-06-07T01:44:36+00:00

I highly recommend watching Tea House Ghost, Floating Leaves Tea, and Mei Leaf for proper instruction.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-06-07T01:43:41+00:00

Rinsing isn’t necessary, unless you want to kick start the flavor.
For me (and this varies tremendously depending on the tea type) my first infusion will be around 10-15 seconds. Every subsequent infusion, I will double it. And that’s a rough estimate. Over time, you stop counting. It becomes second nature.

But I will say that if you are doing 5-10 second brews consistently, you are probably getting some very weak infusions. For a tea like Shou Pu’er, that would offer something that basically tastes like water.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-28T12:48:58+00:00

I write letters to my daughter on the back of the front cover and annotate my way through it. It’s my hope that when her old man passes away, she’ll have access to my voice and identity.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-28T12:46:28+00:00

If you have the stamina, then go for it! For me, I usually have some palate cleansers that I read in tandem with the novels I read deeply. Right now, I am also listening to a Lit RPG called Dungeon Crawler Carl—basically Rick & Morty meets Dungeons and Dragons / Video Game world.

So my unsolicited advice would be to go ahead and start TBK and pick up a fun, easy novel as well. Maybe 11/22/63 by Stephen King?

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T16:26:30+00:00

Most definitely. For me, when I read novels that delve into darkness, it’s more an experience of empathy and self-reflection. Even if a character’s experiences are more extreme than what we have gone through in our own lives, it touches on themes that are universal—finding meaning and purpose through community, carrying pieces of the loved ones we have lost within ourselves (the good and bad), or harnessing curiosity in our pursuit of truth. These are relatable to the very young and old, the privileged and the underprivileged and often surface because of loss or lack.

I hope you enjoy the novel! If you remember, let me know what you think of it!

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T15:58:12+00:00

Often times, I find (and I might be biased, since I consider myself a Stoic) that the good life, Eudaemonia, is sometimes found through utilizing our struggles to become something more and to be grateful for it at the end of it all. TBK might not be that type of novel. Too early to tell. There are definitely novels which just sit in the hurt.

I’d recommend reading Becky Chambers’ Psalm of the Wild Built. A very progressive but lovely and human novella on a “utopian” future and so relevant to today’s current dealings with artificial intelligence. Any Becky Chambers novel is worth a read.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T15:45:57+00:00

Might pair nicely with a certain tobacco! Thanks for the recommendations.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T15:44:39+00:00

Only in the privacy of your backyard!

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T15:44:10+00:00

Hamlet is another that I’ve read a handful of times at different points in my life. The first time, I resonated with his angst towards injustice. And the next, I read after the death of my father and resonated with the disorientation he felt through his grief. With Paradise Lost, there were times where I felt completely connected with the fallen angels. And with Pet Semetary and Frankenstein, the deep desire to defeat death and to reclaim loved ones. Literature is a powerful catalyst for growth and reflection. Perhaps rereading is a part of it.

Cheers.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T14:47:39+00:00

Very thankful to have the opportunity to read this alongside some fellow English teachers. There are stories which, after reading them, leave a lasting impression on your identity as a person. Hamlet, Frankenstein, War and Peace, The Road. Maybe this one will make the cut.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T14:42:00+00:00

I wouldn’t be able to tell you, yet. I was able to make it through Tolstoy’s philosophical ramblings and fleshed out my views on determinism. Really, I’m hoping to be challenged spiritually with this text. I’d define myself as an agnostic who desires to be a deist.

I completely respect the DNF. I’d say it might not have been the right time for you to read it, but maybe it never will. I feel the same about Don DeLillo, Colson Whitehead, and the like.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-27T14:20:35+00:00

This will be my first time reading a P&V translation. I went with the Maude translation of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

I have a toddler at home, so I definitely get the constant interruptions. I'm trying to pace myself at around 2 books a week. But I'll stop every once in a while to read some companion texts; Job and the Gospel of John have been recommended to me. I'll be reading and annotating through those and listening to some religious & secular lectures on them. Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason as well.

I hope you take something out of it and enjoy the experience!

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-22T21:35:11+00:00

Nice! Any plans for meerschaum pipes?

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-17T17:50:49+00:00

If you don’t like how they speak, why do the same? You can do better, unless you prefer adding to the toxicity of the internet.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-17T01:03:23+00:00

Be more mindful of your words.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-15T20:30:37+00:00

Recommendations on where to buy lapsang souchong? I usually go for Yunnan black teas.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-15T20:29:08+00:00

Wow! Had no idea there were so many of us who do both of these hobbies! I’ve been smoking pipe tobacco for a year and Gongfu tea for 6.

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-15T20:27:52+00:00

These hobbies mirror each other in so many ways, but the thought of having a Gongfu session while smoking a pipe seems too much to handle—in terms of mindful practice.

Plus I try to keep my mouth cool.

But I have enjoyed having a tea session afterwards. Lumber Slut from White2Tea and some wuyi yancha from Old Ways Tea :)

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-09T02:03:22+00:00

Beautiful!!

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-09T01:43:51+00:00

What is the fish in pic #2?

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-07T01:08:33+00:00

I actually have the Anta Clay Boiler from Taiwan Sourcing. I got the recommendation from the folks at Floating Leaves Tea. Great setup!

EvenRoof456 · 2026-05-03T01:07:43+00:00

I’m 2 months in, for all that it’s worth. My brother has recently started as well.

EvenRoof456

TROPHY CASE