Johnny On the Spot

Today I decided to make my work goal modest. I tried to simply finish one little section of analysis, involving 3 questions. 3. Got one of them done. Not good. But my friend Beth said I was Johnny On the Spot for sending in our jobshare proposal on time. We may be teaching sixth grade next year. I've taught em all, but sixth I only taught for 3 months 20 years ago. Yikes.

I'm reading more about reading and writing shaping who we are. Ever been changed by reading and writing...in any way? If so, or if not so, please be johnny on the spot and comment here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Have you been reading the Harper, then?

I agree that reading can be transformative, and writing too. Although, I kind of think that in writing, I'm expressing -- projecting? -- the self I want to be, not necessarily the self I am. (The self, of course, is a fluid entity and is constructed within the context of innumerable figured worlds, right??) Not to overbeat my drum, but I think blogging has changed me in some important ways. I feel like, through writing about (and, really, making fun of) my mothering experiences, I make sense of who I am as a mother. Also, just in terms of the writing -- having a real audience, even if it's just my husband and a few nice friends -- has forced me to improve. And I like that.

Back to Harper, I like what she says -- I think she's quoting someone -- when she talks about looking for the point of rupture between similitude and difference as the most meaningful opportunity for growth. Reading should push you just a little bit...

I wish you were in my theory class. There are a lot of connections to the writing class. We're talking about all this post-structural stuff.

ttfn
LH said…
Yes, I'm reading Harper.
I like her identity stuff too and have been thinking about the Butler quote about how repeating acts over time constitutes identity. I know when I started reading books with social issues/themes to my third graders it felt like I was jumping into risky waters. She's right I think that when you start disrupting your identifications with certain types of reading and writing, you disrupt your sense of what discourses you fit in. So when I started reading and writing differently with kids I became a different type of teacher and that change can be emotional.
As for the blogging, I see how the act of your blogging and your momming interact and both change as a result. I like that example. This is good to talk about because I'm reading so much about identity and literacy and I'm analyzing some stories the kids wrote, but I feel tentative about making identity claims, especially since they may just be playing around with critical identities because they're in a critical classroom. But since Butler talks about repeated acts, I guess that for the year they're with me, their identities take on certain positions. Tra la la! I'm not sure I wish I were in the theory class, but sometimes I wish we would get a little more involved with theory in this writing class. But then maybe I couldn't talk about Sweet 16 during small group activities, so that might not be so good. Better just be content with what I have. Later gator...lee
Anonymous said…
Just me again --

Check out this blog: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I found it on the Ms. Frizzle site, and it's pretty cool.
LH said…
this is too funny.
you should work something like this into your delpit activity for class. there's gotta be a way.
Anonymous said…
teaching 6th grade!! -- WOW-----my hero!!!! ---- what a tough, fun, interesting, dangerous, funny, moody group!*!*! .........like I said, you and your friend are MY HEROES for considering it!
LH said…
The last time I taught sixth was at Smith Barnes School in Stockbridge, Ga.
I keep asking Quinn and Rosalyn for tips. Rosalyn said, "give them time to read on their own." Quinn said, "Extra recesses are always good."

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