Final Reflection

Where am I on the Map of English?

“I think I see her folks! She’s that tiny dot over central New York. Wow she looks so small on this giant map!

This is how I feel about the Map of English, like I’m some tiny dot on this gigantic map of the world of education and English. I feel like a small country, whose cities you can kind of make out but you’d need a magnifying glass to really read the names. This image of the tiny person (or wooden figure) also shows how I feel right now- very small.

Over the past three years, the first one being my undergrad English degree (36 credits in nine months) and subsequent work in the MAT program I have learned volumes. I have learned and realized (more) about a subject I have always loved. Like Ursula Kelly said, “The choice to teach is also, perhaps even more so, about an intimate, often passionate, relationship with English.” Much of the relationship I have to teaching English (and drama) came from my father. I watched countless hours of performances and rehearsals where he motivated and inspired his students. He’s had students go on to be teachers, Broadway and television actors, directors, and stage managers. Many of them have admitted to me that he changed their lives. I want to be that inspirational person for my students.

During the past three years, I have grown as a person and of course, realized my path in life. I have become an adult; I’ve gotten engaged and am preparing to have a job. I feel worlds beyond how I felt when I graduated in 2003. As my last few days as a student come to a close I am excited and sad. I love learning about new things, reading new books or old ones I never got a chance to. But I’m ready to be the one in charge. I know that a classroom doesn’t work if it’s treated like a dictatorship. There should be a balance of authority and collaboration. An English classroom should be a community of learning, where the students and the teacher decide what they want to learn about and what texts they want to read. My classroom will of course have aspects of performing and dramatics infused into it. As I sat taking my ATS-W over the weekend I drifted off thinking about what my classroom would look like. I can’t wait to have my own teaching/learning space. But I started thinking that I wouldn’t design it all myself. I’d let students help me each year. I’d put up a few quotations, pictures, and posters and let them do the rest. The most important aspect of teaching English that I gained is this: with English you can do anything. I will always remember the discussion in 506 about “Why English?” and Sarah’s comment that followed. I’m ready for this new journey that’s called teaching; it’s finally time. I’ve been in school for seven years, it’s definitely time.

English 506 has taught me how important technology in the English classroom is. I always knew it was, even as a student years ago, staring at a projection screen while the teacher wrote notes on an overhead projector. I’ve learned that an application, i.e. the podcast isn’t always going to turn out as planned. There are aspects of technology most of us can’t explain (wouldn’t it be great to have a techie that traveled around with you and helped with all your tech problems?!). Most importantly with the podcast assignment in mind, I learned that learning is a process.

That's all folks! I'm really looking forward to the presentations tonight.