Saturday, July 21, 2012

Our Destination is in Sight!

This semester of professional preparation will send you on a journey of a range of emotions, from thrilled to nervous. You know that you have wanted to be a teacher for a long time and now you are almost ready to take this plunge. You wonder, "Am I really ready?" This semester you will be pushed and pulled in many directions as you ask questions of yourself and determine how to become an effective teacher. Sometimes you will nail it while at other times your efforts will flop. Never fear, though. These ups and downs are normal and part of your preparation.

This space has been created so that you can reflect on what you read and what we discuss in class and it will help you synthesize often conflicting ideas. Don't expect to come away from this course with neat and tidy answers about the nature of teaching. Instead, expect to be stirred up and challenged as you grapple with the nature of learning, English, and adolescents. 

These are crazy times to be a teacher but I know you are up for the challenge and will emerge a better and stronger teacher and person as a result of this journey. So, hold on tight and let's enter into the adventure of your life!