When I began this blog, I never intended on blogging on a daily basis; however, I must offer an apology. I just read over my entry from last night, and while I was reading, I found quite a few typographical errors. Certainly, it was late when I composed my entry last night, and I was tired, etc. I have excuses--however, I find it quite ironic that I was posting about my love of teaching writing, what amazing writers my students had become, and how I was so proud that my students had embraced revision. I apparently did not follow my own revision teachings while I was composing last night.
I have since corrected the errors in my writing. If you find any more of them, please do let me know.
You might want to check out this video of Taylor Mali--an amazing poet and former teacher. He composed a spoken word piece about proofreading entitled, "The The Impotence of Proofreading." It is hysterical, and he speaks the truth. I definitely need to follow his advice--and my own.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
In Love with Teaching
Today was one of those perfect teaching days. I can't believe that after almost fifteen years, I am still fortunate enough to have them.
This is how it went--
My planning--which is first thing in the morning--was incredibly productive. I caught up on all of my grading, did some reading for class, and even worked on a project for my internship. Needless to say, I was completely ready for my second block College Composition class.
First, let me say that my seniors already have the dreaded illness known as "senioritis." They are consumed with Spring Break plans and Prom, and most have been accepted into colleges and universities. Needless to say, they are a bit full of themselves.
About two weeks ago, I assigned them a rather unpleasant assignment (by their standards)--an argument analysis. To put it briefly--and so I don't bore my friends and family--they had to choose a topic that typically has two opposing views, find two articles that supported each side, read them, and then analyze the differences. Basically, the idea of the assignment was that they choose a topic they are truly interested in. Of course, I expected them to choose the usual topics--abortion, the death penalty, and same sex marriage; therefore, I told them up front that they weren't allowed to choose these (not that I have a problem with any of them--but we had spent an entire week using same sex marriage as a topic for class discussion).
Once the assignment was given and they were aware of all of the specifics, I left them to their work. They've been working steadily for about five days--most of them as quiet as mice. Today they had a draft due, and were scheduled to meet in their Reading/ Writing Groups (basically revision groups for those of you who don't teach writing). I separated them into their groups and gave them the green light to begin sharing their essays with one another. I let them get started and then began circulating around the room, casually stopping by each group and listening to them read their essays aloud.
I was not prepared for what I heard from my students. Their essays were absolutely amazing. The topics they had chosen were poignant and meaningful. I walked around and listened to my students discussing and analyzing topics such as atheism, adoption, bilingual education, doves v. hawks (political groups), vegetarianism, and euthanasia. I gave them no guidance; I merely showed them some databases they could use for help. My students had actually behaved like college students--they had taken care in choosing a topic and more importantly--had taken care in analyzing their articles.
It may not sound like much, but I was so incredibly proud of them. And after reveling in my pride, I then realized that everything I had taught them about the process of writing and revision was actually coming to fruition right in front of me. At the beginning of the year, it felt as though I wouldn't be successful in getting them to grasp the importance of planning, writing and rewriting, and most importantly--revision. These seniors, however, had grasped it.
I rode my teacher-high for the rest of the day, and I think my teacher-high will carry me through the weekend.
I hope I always remember how my students make me feel as long as I'm in the business of education. After almost fifteen years, I really still do love being a teacher.
This is how it went--
My planning--which is first thing in the morning--was incredibly productive. I caught up on all of my grading, did some reading for class, and even worked on a project for my internship. Needless to say, I was completely ready for my second block College Composition class.
First, let me say that my seniors already have the dreaded illness known as "senioritis." They are consumed with Spring Break plans and Prom, and most have been accepted into colleges and universities. Needless to say, they are a bit full of themselves.
About two weeks ago, I assigned them a rather unpleasant assignment (by their standards)--an argument analysis. To put it briefly--and so I don't bore my friends and family--they had to choose a topic that typically has two opposing views, find two articles that supported each side, read them, and then analyze the differences. Basically, the idea of the assignment was that they choose a topic they are truly interested in. Of course, I expected them to choose the usual topics--abortion, the death penalty, and same sex marriage; therefore, I told them up front that they weren't allowed to choose these (not that I have a problem with any of them--but we had spent an entire week using same sex marriage as a topic for class discussion).
Once the assignment was given and they were aware of all of the specifics, I left them to their work. They've been working steadily for about five days--most of them as quiet as mice. Today they had a draft due, and were scheduled to meet in their Reading/ Writing Groups (basically revision groups for those of you who don't teach writing). I separated them into their groups and gave them the green light to begin sharing their essays with one another. I let them get started and then began circulating around the room, casually stopping by each group and listening to them read their essays aloud.
I was not prepared for what I heard from my students. Their essays were absolutely amazing. The topics they had chosen were poignant and meaningful. I walked around and listened to my students discussing and analyzing topics such as atheism, adoption, bilingual education, doves v. hawks (political groups), vegetarianism, and euthanasia. I gave them no guidance; I merely showed them some databases they could use for help. My students had actually behaved like college students--they had taken care in choosing a topic and more importantly--had taken care in analyzing their articles.
It may not sound like much, but I was so incredibly proud of them. And after reveling in my pride, I then realized that everything I had taught them about the process of writing and revision was actually coming to fruition right in front of me. At the beginning of the year, it felt as though I wouldn't be successful in getting them to grasp the importance of planning, writing and rewriting, and most importantly--revision. These seniors, however, had grasped it.
I rode my teacher-high for the rest of the day, and I think my teacher-high will carry me through the weekend.
I hope I always remember how my students make me feel as long as I'm in the business of education. After almost fifteen years, I really still do love being a teacher.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
To Grandmother's House We Go...
Today I traveled to historic Mathews County, VA--along with Mom, Dad, Meredith, and Gillian--to visit my Granny. Anyone who knows me well knows the situation with my grandmother. For those of you who don't, long story short--she lives alone in a very rural town, doesn't receive many visitors (if any), and is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. I don't see her enough because I am "busy."
Each time I visit her, I leave near tears. I realize that I have gradually become one of those women who was once close to her grandmothers but has since grown entirely too busy to fit them in on a regular basis. Honestly, I know I am making excuses; however, I don't know how I can fit in regular visits with either one of my grandmothers in between teaching full-time, teaching part-time, working on a third degree, parenting, wife-ing, soccer practices, baseball practices, and working on an internship. The list could really go on and on.
If anyone out there has any creative ideas on how I can improve this area of my life, I would love to hear them. In the meantime, I'll continue to worry about a grandmother who desperately needs to see family on a regular basis. Sigh.
Each time I visit her, I leave near tears. I realize that I have gradually become one of those women who was once close to her grandmothers but has since grown entirely too busy to fit them in on a regular basis. Honestly, I know I am making excuses; however, I don't know how I can fit in regular visits with either one of my grandmothers in between teaching full-time, teaching part-time, working on a third degree, parenting, wife-ing, soccer practices, baseball practices, and working on an internship. The list could really go on and on.
If anyone out there has any creative ideas on how I can improve this area of my life, I would love to hear them. In the meantime, I'll continue to worry about a grandmother who desperately needs to see family on a regular basis. Sigh.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Cell Phones, Bullying, and Disrespectful Kids...Oh My!
So this might have been the most eye-opening week of my fifteen-year teaching career. I filled in as a psuedo-administrator (or as the Athletic Director called me, "Second String Administrator")this week to help out. I was excited about the opportunity when I was asked--and I'm still incredibly excited that I was able to help out. I just wasn't prepared for what actually occurred.
Within the first hour of my pseudo-adminstrative duties, I encountered a young lady who needed to be taken away by paramedics for taking some sort of medication that she wasn't necessarily prescribed. This was quickly followed by a fleet of referrals for ill-behaved students, which took me almost two bells to dig my way out of. Oh, and this particular day was St. Patrick's Day, so I had to contend with students wearing green wigs, green hats, and sundry other green paraphrenalia--all of which are against school policy.
The next day brought even more drama and fun-filled referrals--kids walking out of classes without permission, kids throwing paper balls, kids throwing pennies, kids throwing other kids (aka "fights"), and the like. And to add to this laundry list of craziness, a teacher fell out from a reaction of some sort, and a student made up stories about not having any food at home (and then went to the clinic and ate three bags of chips from her purse).
Amazingly, after such an insane few days, I am more sure than ever that I have made the right decision to pursue an administrative role in a secondary school. I'll admit--I'm tired. But I certainly am ready.
Within the first hour of my pseudo-adminstrative duties, I encountered a young lady who needed to be taken away by paramedics for taking some sort of medication that she wasn't necessarily prescribed. This was quickly followed by a fleet of referrals for ill-behaved students, which took me almost two bells to dig my way out of. Oh, and this particular day was St. Patrick's Day, so I had to contend with students wearing green wigs, green hats, and sundry other green paraphrenalia--all of which are against school policy.
The next day brought even more drama and fun-filled referrals--kids walking out of classes without permission, kids throwing paper balls, kids throwing pennies, kids throwing other kids (aka "fights"), and the like. And to add to this laundry list of craziness, a teacher fell out from a reaction of some sort, and a student made up stories about not having any food at home (and then went to the clinic and ate three bags of chips from her purse).
Amazingly, after such an insane few days, I am more sure than ever that I have made the right decision to pursue an administrative role in a secondary school. I'll admit--I'm tired. But I certainly am ready.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Virgin Blogger
I am constantly writing--just not in one collective place. At the moment, I have three different notebooks full of random pennings, not to mention all of the sticky notes, to-do lists, and reminders that are scattered all over my desk. None of these, however, include all of the writing that I do for work or for school. Blogging seems like the next progressive step in finding yet another place to write.
I am going to attempt to make this blog as honest as possible, although I will admit that the idea of exposing my writing to potentially anyone is a bit uncomfortable. This blogging thing has been on my bucket list for awhile, so I am going to give it the old college try.
While "designing" this blog (choosing a name and a template), I mentally tossed around ideas for my first posting. I really wanted to come off as sincere, but also witty. I usually do witty pretty well, but now I feel rather exposed (which goes along with the whole blogging thing); hence, my wit has failed me.
At the moment, all that I can think about is the emergency budgeting meeting I have to attend tomorrow, and I am worried about what else my students will be losing in the fall. It makes me queasy to think about it all, so I'm not going to get into that this evening.
I hope I'm able to stick with this blogging thing...
I am going to attempt to make this blog as honest as possible, although I will admit that the idea of exposing my writing to potentially anyone is a bit uncomfortable. This blogging thing has been on my bucket list for awhile, so I am going to give it the old college try.
While "designing" this blog (choosing a name and a template), I mentally tossed around ideas for my first posting. I really wanted to come off as sincere, but also witty. I usually do witty pretty well, but now I feel rather exposed (which goes along with the whole blogging thing); hence, my wit has failed me.
At the moment, all that I can think about is the emergency budgeting meeting I have to attend tomorrow, and I am worried about what else my students will be losing in the fall. It makes me queasy to think about it all, so I'm not going to get into that this evening.
I hope I'm able to stick with this blogging thing...
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