I don't want to jinx anything, but I have the most awesome group of students this semester! Every so often you get a group that reminds you, in case you forgot, why you love teaching so much. Sometimes you get a tough group that makes you wonder..."WHAT was I THINKING?!" No, even in a tough group there are always some who keep you grounded, but some groups just have a more challenging dynamic than others.
Today we wrote in-class essays. I'm doing more in-class writing this semester partially as a prep for those standardized tests and partly because they will all turn one in this way. If I make an essay a homework assignment I am lucky to get a 60% return rate. This way I think they are more likely to be successful. They learn by doing that they CAN actually do it and so later in the semester when we get to research papers they will approach that assignment with more confidence.
Two things were especially rewarding today. One was that after class, one of my girls held back to tell me, "Mrs. Austin, in your class, for the first time, I actually FEEL like I'm a good writer! I actually enjoy writing!" She went on to explain how last year she just didn't feel like she was very good at writing but now she feels more confident. WOW! That knocked my socks off.
The other thing that got me was that I got an essay from one of my boys, one who very seldom turns in anything; I can beg, hover, coax, prompt, and he will seldom turn in his work. He did his essay today. This may not seem like a big deal, but trust me on this one; it was. I could not wait to read it. It was a beautiful essay; very moving and personal. I was so proud of him.
The thing about teaching that I love is that I learn something from these kids every single year. This is year 14 for me and every year I am still learning. They all think that I am teaching them, but the truth is, they are the teachers. They teach me every single day not to underestimate them, not to assume anything, not to prejudge and not to give up.
(Image credit: discoveryeducation.com)
