<![CDATA[Brandan Oates - Blog]]>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:10:20 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[More than just National Donut Day]]>Sat, 08 Jun 2019 16:56:41 GMThttps://www.brandanoates.com/blog/more-than-just-national-donut-dayNational Donut Day 🍩 was SO MUCH MORE for me this year than just getting a free doughnut (even though I must say...that Krispy Kreme doughnut was delicious).

You see my 6th Hour class this past semester LOVED donuts. In fact, this slight 'obsession' surfaced so strongly within the first 3 days of class that I added it to our classroom expectations, and, of course, I treated them to a few dozen once they earned it together as a classroom community. A student also brought it up again while signing my yearbook last week and suggested I open a donut shop. (We'll see about that. 😆)

​​I mention this because today's nationwide celebration of this delicious pastry immediately made me think of my 6th hour class...
which made me think about all my classes from this past semester....
which made me think about this entire school year...
which made me realize that it's already been one week since the END OF MY FIRST YEAR as a teacher.

(click "Read more" ->)
Picture
I gave an "End of Class Survey" as I always do at the end of the semester, so my students have an opportunity to give me feedback on how I did as their teacher and what they thought about the class. The photo shows a few comments from the survey that really stood out of me. It was truly a remarkable semester, and I owe that credit to a lot of people: my first semester students, my mentor teacher, my colleagues, my building administration, and my friends and family. THANK YOU for your continued support.
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​There's so much I could talk about related to my first year teaching than is socially acceptable to type into a blogpost, so I'll leave you with a few final thoughts from this school year:
  • l made it a goal to laugh every single day - my students made this easy!
  • I've had trouble sleeping on several occasions from how a school day went, but I've learned & grown so much as an educator because of it (#growthmindset)
  • Grading is one of the most time-consuming things in existence
  • I want to know where all my loaned-out pencils went...I think they're in the same abyss where single socks end up
  • Never comb your hair a different way before school...the first sentence out of a student's mouth will probably be "What's up with your hair?" and/or "Sorry Mr. Oates, I don't like it..."
  • You know you've made a difference when a student who used to frown and simply "go through the motions" suddenly smiles at you in the hallway, says "Hi!", and begins actively participating in class
​and last but not least...
  • I can't imagine myself in any other profession

#firstyearteacher = ✅
]]><![CDATA[The Oxford Comma]]>Wed, 15 Mar 2017 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.brandanoates.com/blog/the-oxford-commaAh, the Oxford comma. It’s the pinnacle of grammar controversy, even though there lies little argument for those opposed to the beloved punctuation mark.

Sure, you can argue that the Oxford comma is technically an optional punctuation mark; however, just because something is optional does not mean it should be regularly omitted or ignored. (You read text inside parentheses, don’t you?)

In written communication, punctuation is essential. What would we do without periods, question marks, and exclamation points? Well, let’s just say we would drown in blocks and blocks of text, yearning for any sign of organizational being to be able to extract a useful thought from a never-ending black hole of words. Punctuation exists to organize and clarify, and the Oxford comma is no exception!

The Oxford comma plays an essential role in the identification of lists and its items within. Items in a list are required to be separated with a comma, with the exception of the last item where the English language only requires a conjunction (usually “and”) to appear before it.

My question for you: why should we trust a conjunction to do the job of a comma? We don’t allow a fork to help us consume our bowl of soup. We don’t use a glue stick to construct the frame of our house. We don’t trust a unqualified, non-educator to lead our Department of Education, do we? Er, sorry, that last one wasn’t a good example. The point is: why do some people choose to let a conjunction identify the last item in a list? That’s the job of a comma.

Aside from personifying punctuation marks into having employment ventures, the Oxford comma really is crucial for clarification. It helps the reader determine exactly how many items there are in a list and clearly defines each list item as a separate entity. Consider the following sentences where one uses the Oxford comma and the other does not:
To prepare for the party, Bob purchased food trays, napkins, and balloons.
To prepare for the party, Bob purchased food trays, napkins and balloons.

​The first sentence clearly states that Bob purchased three items for the party: food trays, napkins, and balloons.

However, the second sentence is cringeworthy from its ambiguity and empty feel from the lack of the Oxford comma. Did Bob purchase three items (food trays, napkins, and balloons) for the party? Or did Bob purchase very disappointing food trays consisting of napkins and balloons? Unless you personally know Bob or saw his status update on Facebook, you may never know.

I’ll tell you one thing though: a very simple keystroke of the comma key before typing “and” would have saved us all a lot of confusion and uncertainty. It also would have saved us from the imagery of scarfing down some dry napkins and helium-filled party decorations with Bob this coming weekend.

Save our digestive systems. Save Bob’s reputation. Use the Oxford comma.
]]><![CDATA[Welcome to “My Cognizant Journey”]]>Mon, 06 Mar 2017 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.brandanoates.com/blog/welcome-to-my-cognizant-journeyGreetings and welcome! I’m glad you’re here.

My name is Brandan Oates, and I’m an undergraduate student at Illinois State University studying Business Education. Originally from a small town in northern Illinois, going to a school with 42 times the amount of students than I’m used to has taught me a lot. My first night on campus was a time to try and fathom my new lifestyle, and I’ve definitely come a long way.

Regardless, it has been a fruitful journey – one that I wouldn’t trade for the world. And that’s why you’re reading this right now. I want to share it with you. I want to share my experiences as time passes and as I continue to immerse my millennial self into this ever-changing world. Oxford Dictionaries defines cognizant as “having knowledge or being aware of.” Learning never ends, so being cognizant will be an ongoing process that I’ll always be looking to expand…a “journey” if you will.

Before, I never had a strong enough urge to create and maintain a personal blog, but I think 2017 is different, even though it is already March. (Late is better than never, right? Well, we can discuss that later.)

Let’s see, what else do I need to tell you about this new blog of mine? Oh yes, I anticipate this blog to be a free-flowing canvas of thoughts, and that will be reflected my writing style. Don’t be alarmed if you come across everyday speech. That’s on purpose. My intention is for these posts to be fun to read and to tell a story: a story that excites, inspires, entertains, and makes you ponder. If not, then I have failed as the author. Please never hesitate to post comments. Let’s cultivate some conversation.

Please know that this blog will not follow any timed schedule. Posts will occur as thoughts are created: spontaneously. If anything sparked your interest, consider following on Facebook or here on WordPress. Who knows? It might come in handy for a rainy day. Until next time…strive for cognizance and enjoy your journey.]]>