Summer Approaches

I'm on spring break and feeling reflective by the ocean.

I can't quite wrap my head around the month or so I have until my first year is over. I'm tired and looking forward to the long break, but, on the other hand, I feel like I'm just getting started. Here's hoping that next year I will have a least one class more than once. This year I had two courses first semester and two totally different classes second semester, so I stayed really brand new all year. I am ready to revise my butt off and make improvements to what I'm doing now that I have a better handle on what the big picture feels like.

I got some good news about this summer. I received a fellowship for a summer writing program, and  the program seems a good fit for me. The program's philosophy centers around the idea of writers teaching writing. If I was to break their focus down into percentages, I would say it is 40% focused on teachers as writers, 40% on teaching writing, and 20% on leadership (jeez, i hope that adds up to 100%). I look forward to the writing workshops, reading groups, and exposure to lots of good lesson ideas and approaches. I will be, by far, the baby of the group, and I'm a little nervous about that, but I'm excited to learn from the experience of the other teachers.

I love teaching writing. I think I have a way of loosening up the whole experience so my kids aren't so stressed out about the blank, white page. They don't always write with originality or with decent grammar, but they write. Lots.

Sometimes about parrots.

Comments

[Melissa]

I especially like the writing suggestions about yellow and the looney factor of their teacher. :-P

[Nancy McKeand]

If your experience with the writing project is anything like mine, you will love it. You will come out rejuvenated, inspired and ready to go. I hope you will blog about it as you go along.

[Bud Hunt]

Hipteacher,

Congratulations on being close to the end of the first year -- and extra special congratulations on your inclusion in the Writing Project -- I suspect that you'll find the project to be rejuvenating and extremely useful to you. All the best -- I hope that you blog about your summer work!

[Euclid]

Middlebury (VT) offers a similar program that I've heard great things about. I've thought about it, however there are too many math ed problems that need working out for me to give that much time to a writing program.

I wish you luck. Earn that Master's degree as soon as you can. That is one way to increase your income in this profession.

[When Pigs Sing]

Congratulations! Second year's the best. Did you get any comments about you as a loon?

[jeremy]

New parrot-inspired topic: Oysters: underwater rocks full of jewelry and meat. Wow.

[Brandy]

Hi. I don't know who you are or where you live, etc., but a friend of mine thought I might enjoy your sight, and I do.

I teach creative writing and broadcasting in Madison, AL.

Again, kudos for an interesting blog! :o)

[Sherri]

Congrats on the fellowship! I am so happy for you, and I bet it's a mind massage for you - really needeed after your first year.

[Nancy]

Tell us more about the summer writing program! I'm hoping to take one at The Institute for Writing and Thinking at Bard College in July.

[Angel]

Hey Hip Teacher!

The SDAWP was hands down the best professional development I ever had. I heard the format has changed a bit since I participated in the early '90s, but you're sure to come home with a greater sense of yourself as a writer and rarin' to put what you learned into practice with your students.

May I say how lucky they are to have such a thoughtful and caring teacher as you. I was a mess my first year of teaching! You seem to be a natural.

[quycksilver]

It's so great to see a high school teacher who actually enjoys teaching writing. I teach college English, and I've had so many students struggle with writing either because their high school teachers just didn't teach writing or because they taught it but resented it at the same time. That resentment, as I'm sure you know, is horribly contagious!

I just discovered your blog today, but after reading through it for a while, I'd have to agree that you are indeed a hip teacher, and one I'd like my students to have had.

Enjoy your summer and many happy returns!

[TJ Lange]

I wish I could have had an English teacher like you. I hated high school english, it was horribly boring. That caused me issues later on when I got to college. Sadly my girlfriend at the time ended up doing most of my English work for me.

-TJ

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