First, welcome to Secondary English Methods...the beginning of the end of this journey entitled undergraduate work!
This fall, we will learn together and, hopefully, better prepare you for the "real" world, the world of teaching, of stamping out ignorance in our particular curriculum area. Today, we begin that journey as we stretch our minds a bit, readying for the various avenues that this job entails.
A blogger already? Yay! If not this is the first place we will explore. Our first assignment requests we reflect on who inspired us to the point that you are setting in this class, viewing this document on this screen. In other words...Why Are You Who You Are?
Here are my thoughts on this question, drafted last fall....
Many people should be thanked for their assistance in my becoming who I am right now in my career, for as Hillary Clinton's book persuades...just as it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes a conglomerate of individuals to build a twenty-one year career.
First, to my high school English teacher Mrs. Smith, my heroine, absolutely without a doubt, I would not be an English teacher had it not been for the example she sat every day of every week. She worked us, holding us to higher expectations than most of us wanted, yet she loved us, and we knew it.
Second, to my college instructors Dr. Tebbetts and Dr. Wray...one being the extreme, energized, definitely a sage on the stage of my life, the other, solid, direct, forcing our writing styles to become what they were not. Because of them, I inherited a much more solid literary background, one recognized when I later attended grad school and was told that I must have graduated from Lyon (or some high quality program) because of the caliber of my work. Yes, I stood a little taller! Thank you, Dr. Tebbetts, Dr. Wray...and the late Dr. Oliver.
Third, to my peer Lisa Huff who shared her love of technology as a tool, which then began the big change in my presentation methods. This blog (and several others) and multiple wikis are a testament to her. Professionally, I have grown and now freely assist my peers as they take baby steps, steps that, to them, feel like giant leaps at times, all in an endeavor to better prepare all our students for the "real" world or, as the latest jargon encourages, to be "college and career ready."
Many more names should be mentioned here, for I have many to thank for the gift of my career, for without them all, I would not be who I am today.
