Just Some Thoughts: Vol. 46
Fuck Daylight Savings.
So Little Time, So Much Planning
My school district has been working on new curriculum for high school English teachers: Culturally Responsive Literature. Essentially they’re trying to either phase out, or lessen the amount of literature the students read that’s old and written by, I’ll say, classic authors.
I think it’s a great idea, and I’ve already been doing this for years. The only problem is that there has been a select group of teachers that have been working together for the past two or so years that were coming up with the new curriculum, and there’s big holes in it.
Not only that, but every teacher has their own style of teaching, and some of the materials and activities are just not my thing. Needless to say, I’ve been piecing together a unit of literature that works for me and my students, and it’s been kind of tedious. The good thing though, is that I like adding in new pieces for my students to read, discuss, and learn from. The unit that I’m making will consist of short stories, poetry, and essays by a range of diverse authors.
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So while I’m making an entire new unit, I’m also teaching a section of sophomores that I haven’t taught for about eight years. All of my material from my early days isn’t as strong as what I can produce now, so I’ve been revamping since August. Add into that finding appropriate pieces for my students, keeping up with grading and planning my usual classes, life happening outside of work, and that means my brain is fried every day.
It’s cool though. Keeping busy is good for me, keeping my mind agile will help me as I age, and it’s always a positive thing when kids can read literature they can relate to.
Did October Happen?
Damn, this last month flew by like a jet plane. I always warn my students around the second week of October to get their butts in gear because the end of the semester will happen in a flash, and I’m always right.
The year is almost over, and pretty soon everyone will be counting down the clock on New Year’s Eve. The thing I think about a lot these days is the state of my country. Trump has been in office for almost a year and it seems like the government is crashing down around us. I can’t even picture what it will be like in another three years; in fact, I’m pretty terrified.
It’s hard not to doom scroll because the terror is so prevalent every day. Keeping hope alive has been a true struggle, but I know that it’s what I must do. It’s what all of us must do. That and fight like hell until there’s nothing left to fight for.
I’ve been loving this song by Lola Young. I like how it shows the power and fragility of her voice. It’s my favorite to sing right now.
