1st Year Teacher, Take 2: Returning to the Classroom

During these past two years as an Acting Vice Principal have been an incredible learning experience. My awareness of macro educational concerns (mental health, barriers, parental involvement, attendance, student engagement, creating a community, etc.) have moved from abstract to concrete.  I worked with teachers, counsellors, agencies, district-wide colleagues, and my Principal to develop appropriate and individualized interventions to support students. I have also become energized as an educator about new directions in education and by the PLC that I have started to develop.

Now, I have returned to the classroom teaching Secondary Language Arts. I love teaching English.  I was the Program Leader of English and Literacy for years and was always inspired by the synergy in our department.  We developed a vision for our department a few years ago that hangs in every classroom:

"As English teachers, we love stories, language, ideas, and exploration. This is a love we want to impart to our students. Oral communication, reading, writing, and media are not ends in themselves, but rather are means of discovery. Through speaking and listening, students develop a voice and the courage to use it.  In literature, students encounter timeless beauty, shared human experiences, and universal themes that can inform and inspire their future. By writing, students embark on a journey of possibilities. Through media, students learn to be a self-aware and critical audience in the information age.  In our increasingly complex world, the English Department helps MSS students become engaged in life, exhibiting confidence, thinking critically, developing courage, and demonstrating compassion."

We were reacting to the pragmatism that made literacy synonymous with language arts, that expected us to teach students to apply writing formulas.  I was moved by one of our former graduates and bought her drawing to represent the complexity and passion that we strive to bring into our classrooms.

I completely rearranged my classroom from the way it had stood by default for years.  The change was important to me symbolically, but it was also quite disorienting.  Everything feels somewhat disorienting, yet also completely familiar.  It is like coming home after a long absence. You are changed by the voyage, but there is also enormous comfort.

I had to choose what to focus on this year as I planned my courses.  My list of ideas was too long, and it was a recipe for frustration for myself and my students.  For someone who is normally very decisive, I found it impossible to narrow by pedagogical focus.  I kept my course outlines deliberately vague. Instead, I chose flexibility and responsiveness. 

That means my lesson plans are works in progress. I am not sure how I will adjust to that.