Like the Soul Train coming down the tracks....gotta love the '70s.
One of the hardest lessons I teach in Language Arts is the point of no return in a story (the climax). They have a hard time seeing the whole of the story and deciding on an event that changed the ending. They want to talk about something exciting or dramatic. Usually, it is a character's decision that has been building during the whole book.
We have reached that point (some of us week ago).We have made a decision to move forward to change the ending. What happens in the future for our students is altered. For each of us in class the moment could have been very different. Some of us could have experienced it as a flash of understanding. For others, it could have been a moment in class where an idea that you were unsure of goes crazy (in a good way).For others it could be an avalanche of evidence that could not be ignored. Anyway, we made the decision.
Who knows what is coming? Will it be amazing? Difficult? Frustrating? Exhilarating? Exhausting? A joy? A window into the future? The answer to all is "yes".
Yesterday, I stood in front of the "Robert Frost House" at PSU. And I thought of the road less traveled and the difference it can make. We are taking the same steps down that road, but unlike Frost we are not alone. We have our colleagues and PLNs. We can teach, learn, and grow together. What a comfort. I wonder if Mr. Frost would have taken it if he knew we were going to be coming up behind him.
Strangely, the lyrics to this disco classic are appropriate and inspiring.
So let's put on our best dancing clothes and boogie on down the road less traveled...
Love that poem and always use it when teaching my Adult Education students. It is such an important life lesson. Why not take the road less traveled, or technology less traveled! It is all up to each of us to just try a little bit to see what fits and what works. If it is uncomfortable and does not feel right, scrap it and try something else. What is the harm? It will show the kids that we are just human and need to learn ourselves through exploration. We also show how we need our students help to make things work. Ask for help from them and they will become invested in the learning even more than you can ever imagine. Thanks for a wonderful class and I am so happy you have taken each opportunity to try things with your students. I am sure they are loving your class and even if it is a little more work at times, you and I know it is all about the kids!
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