As a follow-up to yesterday’s post regarding how to get students to move forward without scaffolds, I received many good ideas from the High School ELA group page* on Facebook, and coincidentally (are there coincidences in this day of spooky algorithms?) the National Writing Project posted this article, “Using Blogging to Grow Independent Writers (or: How to Kick Your Little Birds Out of the Nest).” I feel hopeful that I am capable of bringing writers forward. We blog, I’ve been blogging, and will keep offering it to students, as well as continue to make connections and reframe their concepts of who I am and who they are as writers and learners.
My question, if I’m being honest, had more to do with my own confidence crisis than anything else. When I teach ELA/SS again, (and I don’t know where or when), will I be able to keep my own continuity of growth? This must be a common feeling: being reassigned to doing something else and then wondering if we will still have our chops in what we love? I needed to hear “yes.”
I heard “yes” in from a few voices.
Jackie Gerstein: I could have written your post. I am in the middle of that story now. I needed to know there is an end.
Daisy: I just adore you, lady.
And my young feminist:
A few weeks ago a student asked if I had Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay, and alas, it was only on my Kindle (wonder how Bezos became so rich?), but I would buy it for her. I also bought We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (Don’t tell my husband because we are on a boa constrictor tight budget.)
She stopped by with her boyfriend whom I promptly interrogated to make sure he had no problems with her smashing the patriarchy, and he seemed to not only not mind, but help her swing the hammer.
This morning and into the afternoon I’m cleaning up and out. I was thinking about all the redesign of curriculum and lessons I would do, and think become fatigue and saddened by the unnecessary burdens placed upon me this year. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to remain diplomatic and censored.
Just. Keep. Doing. The. Work.
The work, the thinking, and the deep love I have for my profession–I must believe that is what sustains me.
I’m making:
- New context clues posters and materials
- DOK for Students
- Reviewing my curriculum accomplishments for the year
- Creating new units for PBL for my computer tech students
- Cleaning up clutter and files
- Taking care of minutiae
- A presentation on trust and trustworthiness
How do you keep going in times of worry? What are your tricks? Lists help me. And walks. Have a wonderful day, and get some well-deserved rest.
You must be logged in to post a comment.