More Random Thoughts on Teaching

1. Writing and teaching writing are two very different things.
2. To be a good teacher of writing, I must write and read. A lot.
3. My students think about Facebook probably more than they think about anything else. I am working on trying to find a way to utilize it in my classroom. I am also tempted to ban Facebook from my own life just to see if it makes me feel more free to do other things.
4. I find myself getting really frustrated and almost personally hurt when my students write poorly. I am constantly reminding myself to look at a submission objectively, give it the grade it deserves, and move on.
5. I cannot get students to write for the school newspaper. They don't have time.
6. When I say they don't have time, I mean they don't make time. One of the many things Will has taught me is that I make choices every day regarding how I am going to spend my time. I hope that my time reflects my priorities, but it often doesn't. I hope to always get better at this.
7. Computers are both incredibly helpful and incredibly distracting in the classroom. My favorite classes are usually the ones where computers are closed and the students are engaged in discussion.
8. I am teaching both Brave New World and A Handmaid's Tale right now. My head is about to explode with dystopian satire. The bells that ring every 49 minutes don't help :-).
9. Clay and I taught a Sunday School class last Sunday, and just like in my classes at school, the audience of adults primarily wanted to hear a lecture. It amazes me that in a world of blogs and texts and facebook, people shy away from speaking in a public, academic context. They are okay sharing things when they are in front of a screen. They are not nearly as comfortable face-to-face.
10. Words matter. From listening to the State of the Union to teaching Taming of the Shrew to comforting my mentor and teaching idol the other day after a student told another student she hoped my mentor went to hell, I continue to be committed to the fundamental art of using words well. Words can be weapons, yes, but they can also be incredibly nurturing and inspiring and encouraging. I pray my students leave my class knowing at least that.