A Dose Of Teaching Vitamins!

On August 7th, my collaborating teachers raised their eyebrows when they heard me announce: "I am ready to teach tomorrow!"  My readiness for the transition from summertime to the first day of school varies each year.  Obviously, this summer, I am bubbling.  Simmering, you could say.

It isn't that I haven't had a fulfilling summer.  In fact, my summer was satisfying balance of adventures with my son, running on mountain trails and river paths, and a three week writing and teaching institute with the Minnesota Writing Program. Apparently, this combination is my jam!  I am at a tipping point of inspiration and joy that will carry me, I believe, into the start of the school year.

The Minnesota Writing Program Summer Institute created opportunities for me to actively write, teach, and learn...and to reflect on each of these acts.  I was a member of a five person writing group.  I observed and participated as a student in thirteen best practice teaching demonstrations.  I presented my own best practice teaching demo on podcasting with students.  I read, discussed, and presented on Kelly Gallagher's book, In The Best Interest Of Students.  I shared completed and developing writing with my peers, and I even published a finished piece in a Minnesota Writing Program publication (maybe I will share it here in the future!).

I believe that the deep reflection on my identity in these three realms (writer, teacher, and learner) will boost my own teaching this coming year.  I seriously feel like I have been injected with a shot of teaching vitamins- English and Language Arts Complex A+!

Take a look at some of my teaching goals this year, if you please!

• In every lesson, I will create meaningful and frequent opportunities for student constructed and led learning.  As a student/learner during the summer institute, I realized that how frustrated I became when the instructor kept talking and talking!  I have always been an eager learner, but I didn't realize how (what I deemed to be excessive) "teacher talk" drove me nuts. As a teacher, I want to be more conscious of the amount of time I spend talking, and swap as much of this time as possible with opportunities for students to learn through small and large group discussions, individual writing, digital media projects, and hands on activities.  

• Throughout every week, I will provide writing prompts with the objective of discovery.  Too often, teachers assign only academic writing with a firm purpose.  I want to balance this type of writing with writing for discovery.  Writing as way to start thinking about something and end up thinking about something else.  I think this is valuable because all people need space to be reflective.  Everyone needs time to consider multiple perspectives before settling on a firm opinion (Although, I think this is especially true for adolescents- I am tell students that it's all about changing one's mind!  It can be freeing and powerful!).  Writing for discovery can be used as a creative outlet as well as a way to explore ideas about a particular topic or theme.  

• I hope to make learning more rewarding and authentic through the incorporation of real audiences (as opposed to just lil' ol' Ms. V. reading and commenting on an essay with a degree of doubt about whether the student writer will even read her feedback).  I plan to engage real audiences in a number of ways including read-arounds (students reading their work aloud to the rest of the class...scary, but powerful and empowering!), publishing work online, sharing work with other teachers and parents, and finding opportunities for students to publish work in the school literary magazine and outside publications.  I will also organize student writing groups starting midway through quarter 1 or at the beginning of quarter 2.  The writing groups will share writing and provide feedback weekly.

The last goal that I will mention here is to post in this new teaching blog- Duly Noted Classroom.  My goal is to post every school day, even if it is just a quote, a lingering thought, or a question.  On days that I have more energy, I will post longer reflections about a lesson, a discussion, a best practice, or a discovery.  

I hope you find joy and inspiration in my writing!