I really enjoyed ranting today! How empowered I felt by speaking my peace. What was so interesting was the themes and similar problems we all had within teaching. I was thinking of how intelligent the people around me are. I'm a new teacher and I feel a constant need to learn and grow professionally. I feel so blessed to be a part of this institute where people are willing to share ideas and lessons and rants that help me grow so much.
Aileen's demo really got me excited. I feel a little insecure when asked to write something and share it. Not because I don't have pride in it or think it's not good. I am usually hung up on the grammar of it, especially when you're in a room of English teachers (like in SI!). Yet, Aileen's demo was so practical. Painting a picture with our words using some simple but powerful go to fix-up strategies for revision of grammar. It took the scariness out of grammar. Lacy or Lil (can't remember which one) talked about how the activity opened up the possibilities of grammar instead of being restricting. If before today you had told me that grammar can open possibilities I would have laughed aloud. There was no way that could be true. But her demo definitely proved me wrong. It feels freeing to know this for my own writing and for teaching students.
I also got a lot from the writing circles demo from Tara. She solved a problem I had been mulling over for a while: how do I balance what my students need and what I am required to give them? I want to make writing activities and lessons that inspire them and make them value writing. Yet I have struggled with balancing this with the small moment plague that is second grade. She talked about a schedule for writing circles where writer's workshop is three days a week and writing circles is two. I think this balance would lend enough time to what I was required to do and authentic writing of choice that kids want to do. I'm not saying I'd do writing circles every week. But it could be built into my schedule where these two days I know we're doing something off the grid, for our own purposes, and for ourselves because that's what writing is for. Not to make a small moment AGAIN because New York says so.
Preping for my demo tomorrow and revising my draft on google docs tonight. Learning is fun!
Ashley, I was right there with you in all this thinking. It was so exciting to be surrounded by similarly passionate voices this morning in the ranting circle. I am so happy that you are here, so that your voice, ideas, and takes as an elementary school teacher are part of this Summer Institute.
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