How to start a revolution

I'm ready for the revolution. I think working with Pepperdine this year has made me so aware of what real education should be. I think it's made me see that I don't get the luxury of sitting back and taking it easy. I know what's right, I know the best way to teach kids, and I think it's important that people who know what's right do it, and find a way to help others too.

I've been lazy lately. I've been going with the flow at school. Unfortunately, sometimes that means I haven't struck out to make change where change is necessary. I think I was really convicted about that last week when I was watching my student teacher teach. I had a really uncomfortable beginning of the week as I watched my reading class. My reading kids are unengaged. They are afraid to take risks. And their work lacks creativity.

It's my job to get them involved. It is late in the year, admittedly. And I have a student teacher who will be with me for another month. It doesn't matter. It's time for change. And if I need to, I'll take over parts of reading again. I still have to teach grammar in one way or another (blech), but it will be short. I am teaching creativity and hoping I can get that to spill over into everything else.

All this is to say, I am going to be thinking every week, probably every day about how to really let kids focus their learning on what they are interested in. I can't wait to see how it goes.