"When you talk about evolution, you know that you can count me in." Sorry to John Lennon to switch up his lyric, or if someone has already written that lyric, apologies that I didn’t quote you. Essentially, this blog was started as part of an education class, and it’s about to undergo a shift. For a month I had to post certain things on here like what it found below, such as texts or strategies I want to use in my classroom. Now it’s going to become home to my masters degree project, which is about the importance of content literacy in the first year of teaching.
I had a rough time my first year teaching. The song “Working for the Weekend” took on new meanings for me, and even though I had a lot of support, it still was a rough time. At this juncture the blog is going to be about why reading and writing should be important to all classes, not just Language Arts. After this project is over, I hope to keep the blog around just to write about my teaching experiences.
There was one day last year where I had a student cry in every one of my class, and I think I knew then I had to write a book about all the stuff I had seen. The problem with me writing a book is that I have the patience of a humming bird, but when Dr. Amy Vetter, my professor, suggested I do this blog, and keep it running after the project, I had an inkling it would suit me more. Here I can dash something off quickly and be back in my chair with the latest issue Underpants Man, but still feel like I’ve done something.
A lot happens to that teacher in their first year. Especially, if you’re taking a class alongside the teaching, and there were days where I had to get a lot of stuff off my chest. This isn’t about talking about my employer or how dumb my students where, but general concerns about my job, the state of education, and some of the things I knew my students where going through. There were a lot of days where I wanted to quit, but none more so after the day where I had three girls write in their journal about being abused. I did not take well to that information. Luckily, I had a guidance counselor that listened, as well as a slew of fellow teachers that were concerned about me. Not every one may be so fortunate, and it would be great if this blog can reach those people.
If this blog ends up being transmissions into the abyss, that’s okay too, because I at least think someone is out there. One of the tenants to getting students to write is to provide them with an audience besides just the teacher, and this blog services that purpose for me. Usually when I write, no one sees it, and therefore, I don’t write much, but this blog gives the impression that someone is reading. Comments actually solidify that act: wink, wink/hint, hint.
Feedback is important, as my students will tell anyone. I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless, so we journaled everyday, and for a while I read their journals everyday and commented on every one. Before any one names me saint, they didn’t write much, they struggled with reading and writing, but I remember the day I didn’t have time to comment and there were shouts of “where are my comments!” That was a good day. I wish I had the time to comment on everything they wrote. Aside from the time it ate up, reading their journals was my favorite thing to do. It’s only fair keep a Captain’s Log myself, all the great star ship captains do, but I want to know that the abyss stares back. “Where are my comments?” Once again, first we do some project stuff, and then we’ll boldly go wherever my brain and teaching take me. On paper, it doesn’t sound like very far, but I hope we’ll all be surprised.
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