This coming school year presents itself as a great unknown for me. I'll be piloting textbooks and teaching a new course. While I'm looking forward to the changes on the horizon there is always a sense of uncertainty when trying anything new. Other people believing in your abilities absolutely helps when trying to make changes in our lives, but for me at least (and I'm sure most of us are this way), I have to believe I can do it.
Recently, I was attending a Digital Educator Institute (professional development) in my school district and was watching as women and men 20+ years my senior were delving into the world of Twitter, Google docs, Google apps, etc. and they were nervous, but they did it anyway. It made me think, if they can do this then I can do what I'm being asked/have volunteered to do. I'm about as nervous as I can be about these new challenges that are coming my way. I am going to teach AP Language and Composition next year and even though I'm going to learn all about the class and the test, it's still a bit worrisome that I won't be good enough. I have a feeling many of my students will be feeling the same way, if they don't already. I'm thinking the best I can do for them is make them the promise I make to all my students: I will do my absolute best to help them be successful as long as they keep showing up and trying. This is a short post for me but I needed to write these feelings down so I can go to work on making the next school year great.
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Zoinks! It's the end of the school year! What a crazy, fun ride this year has been. This year has been challenging and so much fun. I look out as my Student-Teacher gives his first final exam ever and I see my students working hard on their in-class essay, showing what they have learned and understand about Modernist literature. I'm so proud of them. They really worked their behinds off this year. My goal was to prepare them for whatever the state tests, college, or life had to throw at them and teach them to question everything that they hear and read. Although the letter grade on their report card may not reflect all they have learned (that's a topic for another day) I know that they've thought deeper and more richly about words and their power. I challenged and pushed my students to think more than I ever have before and they rose to the challenge. My students in my honors class loved blogging this year and I plan to continue that for next year. This is my second year using Kelly Gallagher's Article of the Week and the students really saw the value in this assignment when they were working on their state tests. I'm going to continue my Three Books Project in my honors 11 classes (I have two next year!!) and am going to try to create a reading nook in my classroom too. With 39 teenage-sized bodies it's challenging to find the space, but I think they'll like it. I'm looking forward to the professional learning I have planned for this summer. Incorporating chrome books more into instruction, increasing literacy tools, and learning the ins and outs of the AP Language and Composition course that I will be teaching a section of for the first time next year. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about taking on such a course but the only way to learn is to try. I almost forgot I'm piloting textbooks next year too! It's going to be crazy, but hopefully a good crazy. I have my new website for my classes up and running. I will work on that some more over the summer too. My major plan for the summer is spending quality time with my daughter. She's my favorite person on planet earth and I am grateful every day that I know her. She's on the spectrum and she's high-functioning and she makes me look at life in a completely different way. Her way of looking at the world is beautiful and she forces me to get my behind outside to play with her. She loves to hike, run, ride her bike, and swim. If you can't find me, I'm probably at the beach. |
AuthorMy name is Sarah Todd and I teach freshmen and junior English in Southern California. Archives
August 2018
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