School starts tomorrow. Oh goodness. I feel, as I always do, that there's no way I know what's going on with my classes. I am really excited about this new idea that I'm working out to use in my Composition classes based on the "This I Believe" essay/radio series associated with NPR. I honestly fess up that this, like many many good ideas, come from another teacher. However, I will take much of the praise and adulation as I only heard about "This I Believe" from that teacher, not that she gave me any information whatsoever on how she was using it for her classes. Props to me. This better not flop...
As I'm mentally going through expectations and assignments for this project, I keep thinking of what I believe. Here's a sampling:
*pedicures...a simple form of self-indulgence where the money is completely wasted on one's own pleasure
*red toenails...from the pedicure, but not red fingernails, and it has to be that perfect shade
*growing a plant at least once in a while...connection with Earth, life, death
*assigning names that have significance...pet, child, nickname, whatever
*good food...preferably shared with good people
*patio furniture...for quiet time all by yourself or joined in quiet with someone else at dusk and early morning
*literacy should be a priority in every child's life
*non-gender specific jobs...why must we giggle when a male chooses to be a nurse?
*humans are their most genius (generally speaking) before the age of 6...have a conversation with a grandmother about how talented their grandchildren are
I'm really really excited about attempting this project in hopes that kids will write, and be serious about what they write, without the assignments feeling like torture. This is the point in the semester when optimism reigns, which is as it should be, I believe (hehe).
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