Fresh off from Thanksgiving, I have to say that it is always pleasant and rejuvenating to be back in the Chicagoland area. As I have become older, I have spent more time in the city as a young person, veering away from Lake County, IL and travelling down to the city to visit friends and experience their city life. Not as massive or seemingly unaccessible as NYC, Chicago has a home town charm within the big city feel. Having to take the El or a taxi to get around, it's exciting for me each time I visit to uncover new places for beer, food, meet up with friends that have made their lives in the Windy City. Similarly chilly like Minneapolis with an equivalently broad theater and art scene, Chicago could have a place for me some day. I can definitely see it being financially an adjustment from Denver, but the skyline could be my new adopted mountain view I suppose.
On that note, will be sending the Northwestern app away soon, on Sunday I finalized the Berkeley application. My goal is to turn one in each Sunday in December so I have completed them all before Christmas break. Nothing weighing on me, I can just go back and enjoy Chicago to the fullest. This Sunday will be that purple and white school I have applied to twice before, the to the school I want to go to the most, the University of Texas at Austin, then finally sending another application to CUNY. This whole grad school app process has been tiring and has filled me with plenty of doubts, but I do think that it was the right thing to do and if it works out, will be a great next step for me.
Right now, work is tough. I got an additional 8th grade class of special ed students but I am teaching the general education curriculum at a modified pace. The kids have a great desire to improve and learn, but their motivation to get started or to think outside the box, is super low. Today I got a few blows after I had told them that we were behind the class they had moved out of, due to poor attendance and tardies to my class. I was speaking the truth to them, that we are only really one day behind the class, but to them it seemed like the world. . . They were angry and asked why did I move them out of that class, why can't they go back to that class, why do we do different things in here. I told them that I had picked them to be in my class so that we could move at a different pace and get in different activities that would help them MORE in the long run. That I was changing things up and trying to get them to write in any way that I can. They HATE writing, they had a standardized writing test today, and so I think they were mostly taking their frustration of that test out on me. I was proud of them for understanding that this is going to take a lot of hard work, but I would be lying if I said their words didn't hurt me.
But when I got home tonight, I was reactionary and put a few hours into a solid plan for tomorrow that will hopefully re-energize us all. Unfortunately, it seems like teaching in these conditions sets you into that cycle. One tough day sends you into an inspirational whirlwind of planning and scheming new ways to respond to the students' needs. Unfortunately, your creative or sensitive instincts aren't enough, and you can never predict how a group of middle schoolers are going to respond to you on any given day.
I appreciate my students for helping me find purpose in what I am doing and for being honest and responsive. I just want them to wake up and realize why this is important. And why it is going to take more than just ME but me AND them to improve their writing this year.
Any teachers or wise old owls out there have any excellent writing strategies/investment strategies for me and my students, send them this way. :)
And welcome December.
C
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