I met people like Howard Nichols at lunch that day and I knew a couple of people who worked here at that time. While Ballard has also taught American, English and World literature, the main focus of her three-plus decades at Southeastern has been teaching students how to write. Her diligence and talents in this area were recognized early. Writing Paragraphs and Sentences , which served as the Freshman English text for a number of years. The key to teaching a student how to write is confidence, Ballard said.
Students are very sensitive about writing, too.
They don't mind telling you that they have trouble in math, but they are very sensitive about the writing. Writing is such a personal thing. You're expressing yourself when you write. It's a delicate balance to given them whatever help they need, correct what needs correcting, while keeping their self esteem growing. Her interest in teaching the mechanics of writing led Ballard to an interesting interdisciplinary project.