Today I feel stagnant. I feel as if I've been in a rut as of late. Everyday is the same routine: I wake-up, go to school, teach language arts, teach social studies, teach debate, socialize with my friends and co-workers, grade and plan lessons, watch television, and go to sleep. While I generally enjoy each day, I have been wanting something new to break out of the same day-by-day plan a bit. Above all else, I hope this blog helps me be more engaged in my day.
Today I have ideas. I know we're told the benefit of being reflective practitioner, but sometimes I feel that I take this to an extreme. I am always thinking of new ways to engage my students in my classes. Be it through new texts, new technologies, or new experiences, I am regularly thinking of how I can change my approach to the classroom. This seems slightly odd to me, as I haven't even taught for three years yet.
Today I think of theory. From teaching bell hooks in debate, to teaching Freud in psychology, to teaching Marx in language arts, I am constantly grounded in the world of critical theory. I think it is time that education recognizes the postmodern and looks towards engaging students who are constantly interacting with themselves and the Other on a daily, albeit virtual, basis.
Today I am worried. I don't want this blog to be a reason to totally escape from my daily routine. I want this blog to add to it. I don't want to disengage from my friends at work. Hopefully, they will share in this experience with me.
Today I am perplexed. As my students are working on presentations about the Victorian Era, I am wondering how I will keep them interested in Great Expectations for the next six or so weeks. Every year I teach this novel I like it more and more. Conversely, every year I teach this novel the students seem to like it less and less. I'm trying to think of a way that I can make the novel more relevant to the students. Maybe I will have them keep reader-response blogs. Any thoughts on that? Maybe it could be acheived through a Google Group. Perhaps I could use Moodle again. Conceptually, I liked Moodle a lot last year when I used it; however, the administration became burdensome. I don't want to have to worry about students that don't log on frequently enough and have their accounts deactivated.
Today I am ready for tomorrow.
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I think trying to engage students on a virtual basis is a great idea. High school students (and really, everybody under the age of 60) is hooked on their technilogical do-hickies. Perhaps trying to use resources such as Moodle and Google Groups could help kids work their education into their lives easier.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in what you have to say. I think we all hit that point where we are worn out and in a rut.
ReplyDeleteI think "Great Expectations" has some real potential. I think the alienation of the Roaring Twenties will resonate with the alienation of students raised in a postmodern age. If it were me, I'd begin with being vulnerable, honest about why I sometimes feel lost and how I can feel "unknowable" not unlike Gatsby himself. And I'd describe the main character and the question he seems to ask which is, "Does having fun make you happy?"