Memoir

Today was , to me, the official beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. We are in heart of meeting time for small learning communities (SLC). I consider myself a team player but these meetings are H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. I literally feel like I am being punished. We are supposed to learn things, but let's be honest professional development is a fancy way for administrators to feel that they are providing "valuable" and "useful" information unto us lowly teachers.

Our school, in some circles is referred to as "ghetto". Others may say our kids our educationally disenfranchised. I call it a great place to spend 180 days in the company of some great teachers and friends and some colorful kids to boot. In order for our school to become, "enfranchised" (if there is such a word) we are all about the three Rs. Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Our meeting today would focus on Rigor.


The first task of the day was to, and I quote, "Let's get started with some rigor of our own." Some fancy pants educator wrote an article entitled The Short, Happy Lives of Teachers (I would include a link but I would like to keep you as a reader). This article talked about an author who wrote the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. Our facilitator asked us to then write our own six word memoir about our teaching experiences to date. I came up with four pearls of wisdom. Two I shared with my team the other I will only share with you. See if you can guess which is which.

1. Try something different, it can't hurt.
2. Learn to say no, save yourself.
3. Can't make them dumber, already tried.
4. Those who can't, really do teach.

PS-To all those who have requested a post I hope I have fulfilled your wanting. Thanks for reading!