180 Days: Becoming Re-inspired to Teach

It seems like every year my students come to me with less reading and writing ability and I have to double-time it to elevate those skills and complete the curriculum so they are stronger scholars when they leave me in the spring. While successful each year, it’s increasingly demanding, draining, and dull work. Like many other educators, we find ourselves making daily choices about what we choose to keep, cut, and explore in more depth because time is not on our side. After all, there are only 180 school days.

This 2018-2019 school year was just as rigorous, but I’m finding that my students are responding less enthusiastically to my methods. End of the school year reflection often leaves me in the same paralyzing place:

• I know my students need more writing practice, but there’s not enough time to give feedback on the volume of work they would need to produce to really see significant improvement.
• I know they are not reading enough outside of school, and they are, more often than not, fake-reading for school assignments. How do I hold them accountable without cramming punitive reading quizzes down their throats?
• I know many lack clear communication and positive interpersonal skills. How do I teach them how to be respectful, productive, and confident individuals in an engaging and meaningful way?

Times like these make me recall one of my favorite not-so-flattering lines about Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Nick says about Tom: “Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas…” I, too, felt like I was circling the wagon, expressing the same trite complaints with no new tools in my toolbox to combat them.

Practical suggestions, real unit models, and core discussions about pedagogical and grading philosophies are only the tip of the iceberg, here. Gallagher and Kittle inspired me to experiment with a writer’s notebook, re-institute sustained silent reading time, campaign for donated books to offer a diverse classroom library, and they reminded me about the power of conferring with my students.

Though the school year isn’t over yet, we still have about 3 weeks to go, I am excited to teach this coming fall. It feels good to feel passionate and creative once again. If you are an ELA teacher battling curriculum blues, whining about your disillusioned teenagers, do yourself a favor and read this book first.

Interested in reading 180 Days? Here’s a link to purchase from Amazon.

Comment below and tell me how are you shaking up curriculum or inspiring student engagement? What are some of your favorite professional development resources? Let’s build our own professional learning community, together, right here.

 

This review is one hundred percent my own opinion. This post was not sponsored by anyone. I am recommending a great book that I found useful and compelling. Links in this post may contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you choose to click them.