It’s been a minute- June, July, and August are faint memories, and my best-laid plans to jump headfirst back into my Moon Daisy Creative project this summer derailed- hard.
In early August, our sweet basset hound, Tulip, became critically ill with HGE (Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, also referred to as Acute Hemorrhagic Diarrhea Syndrome) and spent several days in the hospital. She received excellent care and recovered quickly, and she continues to do really well, BUT the experience was really traumatic for all of us. Yesterday, more than a month later, I stopped by a local u-pick flower farm and kept feeling as though I needed to rush home. I had to remind myself that Tulip was okay, that I was allowed to relax, and that right now, I was in a field surrounded by Nature’s beauty. I stayed, but oooo did I struggle to be present. Sometimes the emergency ends before we stop feeling responsible for keeping watch. Sometimes just being present in the discomfort of circumstances is both the lesson and the teacher.
A Place to Write + Share
I’m not attaching any grand plans or promises to writing here. For now, I’m simply making room to share what I’m doing, what I’m learning, and what is helping me along the way. Right now, much of that begins in the classroom.
I’m now a few weeks into the school year. I teach Composition 101 dual enrollment courses to a lovely group of seniors, and this year’s group is one of the best I’ve had in my 30-year career. Do I feel lucky? You betcha. Every. Single. Day. I mentioned I’m in my 30th (!!) year of teaching, most of that with a writing and composition focus; honestly, being a writing teacher can be draining. Any English, ELA, or writing teacher knows the papers just keep coming. There’s a lot to see, read, grade, and provide feedback on; sometimes it doesn’t feel sustainable.
Ahhh, sustainability….I’m planning to write more about Teacher Sustainability as I prep for this year’s NCTE conference. I’ll be presenting on this critical topic- more to come.
I’m also planning to write more about the practices below in separate posts so I can go a bit deeper into each topic.
But today, I just wanted to share a few of my favorite ways to start the school year as a comp/writing teacher. Feel free to grab an idea or two, explore it with your own students, and check out upcoming posts about each one.
Here’s how I start:
First day, first week, we write. It’s low-stakes and serves multiple purposes.
We Write from the Beginning
I get to see their skills without pressure to perform: I simply say, “This is a writing class, so let’s write.” And we do, mostly short responses, no full-length essays. For years, I had students writing 3-4 page Writer’s Autobiographies the first week, many times overnight the first night of school to be submitted the next day, and while it got them writing in a composition class, looking back, it set the wrong tone. Yes, I want them to feel the weight of a college course, but now more than ever, I want them here to build their writing and critical thinking skills. Plus, I’m not sure I have the stamina anymore for 140 essays the first week of school. A gentler approach is much needed for all of us.
Writing Introduces Me to My Students
I get a much-needed introduction: While it isn’t quite names-to-faces, names-to-writing-style is equally important, especially with AI present in our writing classrooms. Most of the writing we are doing now is pencil to paper. These low-pressure writings also allow me to see what they can do, too. I like this because while many of my students are feeding into my class from AP Lang, I do see students from varied academic levels, writing skills, and confidence.
Rose, Thorn, Bud: A Window Into Their Thinking
I get a window into their thinking and expectations: this right here! I use a reflection tool called Rose Thorn Bud, which I first learned about through a professional development session years ago. Doing some research, I found a free PDF resource online from Mindful Schools. Because that organization has since closed and its original resource is no longer available, I’ve linked to a helpful overview from the University of Colorado for anyone interested in trying the strategy. I love this approach, especially because mindfulness and yogic practices are part of how I conduct myself in the classroom.
Having a mindful tool for reflection that’s accessible and general enough to be applied to all experiences has provided some wonderful insights. They can share their successes, challenges, and tell me what they are looking forward to, but I also ask them to tell me what they expect of me as their teacher. Yes, I DO ASK THEM, and yes, they do let me know. I never assume that I’m the only person in the room who knows what they need from the class. Asking them gives them agency and voice. I’ll share more later on what I actually do with this information and how it guides my planning and instruction.
More to Come
Think of this as a preview of coming attractions, and I’ll be taking a deeper dive into each of these, providing instructional content so they can be easily adapted. They aren’t just for the beginning of the school year either. These ideas can be used as a 1-month-into-school check-in or a pause and reset later in the year, at the end of a marking period or semester.
I hope your school year got off to a great start. Best wishes for a wonderful year!
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