On the first day of March I found myself in a conference room at Furman attending the Furman Consortium, listening to Penny Kittle speak and becoming inspired beyond what I could have ever forecasted. I found out a mere 24 hours before that I would be attending along with the rest of the English department. This unexpected opportunity infused me with inspiration and with energy, both much needed during this long final slog of the school year.
I have described several times before the extent of my love for books. Some of my earliest memories center on books. When I encounter a new topic, I think first of trying to find good books on the topic, every bood possible so that I can learn as much as I possibly can. As with many first loves, life’s toil and trouble often crowded out the joy of the experience leaving the first love behind. My love affair with books has waxed and waned over the years, most often as an adult. When I worked as a student I found copious amounts of time filling every nook and cranny with another book read. Once I started teaching, the notion of free time vanished as I quickly abandoned reading in favor of drowning avoidance. Yet, time and time again my love for the written word renews and I find myself lost in a good book.
That passion lead me to believe that teaching English would come easily. I believe that my initial thinking was not wrong; I simply could not figure out how to nurture that passion when faced with an arbitrary pacing guide full of two to three week unites and lacking any wiggle room. The pacing guide promoted piecemeal, rushed novel reading if one attempted such a thing. More often than not, the higher ups suggest short stories, multiple cold reads, a recipe for disinterested readers. I could discuss multiple examples but will leave the propensity for complaint there. In that environment, my love of reading and writing and the desire to share that with my students quickly withered and nearly died. That shellshocked newly minted English teacher was the one that sat under the tutelage of Kelly Gallagher last school year at another Furman Consortium wondering how anyone could possibly implement anything he suggested.
The seminar I attended on March 1 with Penny Kittle, a research partner of Kelly Gallagher, reawakened that desire to share this love. Through everything Kittle presented, I saw how English could be taught in a way that sows the seed of a deep love of reading and critical thinking. I saw how students can undergo a process of transformation that awakens a student from apathy that keeps them trapped in a limited, self-centered universe.
The thoughts began to churn in my head and in the heads of my colleagues. During discussion times we spoke about the benefits presented to us and wondered how we could implement such a system while still fulfilling the state-mandated requirement of standards mastery. At one of these discussion breaks, our department chair shared the wonderful news that next year, the district will give us a consolidated pacing guide, one with only four units, one per quarter. With such a format, content partners can choose a unit theme as well as the structure which can be spread over the nine weeks. The planning wheels in my head began to turn at top speed. I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, a possible way to not only survive but also to thrive as an English teacher.
The next day during planning, I found myself barely able to contain my excitement when, as I planned the next week’s lessons for my gifted and talented students, inspiration struck like the proverbial eureka! moment, a book club! I drove into research, purchased books, brainstormed activities, and read books. I have no idea how this idea will unfold in reality, whether things will “work” or not but I approach the venture with hope, with hope and enthusiasm a passion and satisfaction I never thought I would find in my current reality.