still arriving

28Oct09

my assumption had been that once i started working, i would find my larger purpose in life. whether i went with law school, seminary, or education, i would arrive at a clear sense of my place in the world and how i would live out my faith. but while sorting out which direction i would [...]

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here’s hoping for a better week

27Sep09

other teachers often ask me about how my first years been going so far, and when i tell them about how exhausted i always feel, or how anxious i am in the mornings, they give me that knowing smile that only comes from someone who’s been there and done that. that always makes me feel [...]

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book lust

22Sep09

this post may be completely uninteresting to you unless you’re just really into education talk.
i’ve been wrestling a lot with what book i’m going to have my classes read. when making a decision on a class text, there seem to be two general schools of thought:
1) they can’t read real literature. by real, i’m referring [...]

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so far…

13Sep09

so good. a few notes:
1) one of my students has nicknamed me “jackie lam.” gee, i wonder why?
2) i teach two 11th and 12th grade language arts classes, and two special ed math classes. i’m surprised to say that my favorite class to teach so far has been special ed math. the students in there [...]

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the unthinkable thought

07Sep09

with the first day of my teaching career just a couple days away, i am struck by how ill-prepared i feel to approach the task at hand. my training is, i’m told, excellent, and from one of the most reputable programs of its kind in the country. the design of the program is well thought-out [...]

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a cog in a machine

18Jun09

my time at the uw has taught me a lot of valuable things, but there is a lot that i’m not prepared for, including just how small my place is in the world.
most of my peers will never write a ny times best seller. most of us will never get to be the chancellor of [...]

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hooray!

17Jun09

after two (fast) years, i am now a master of education =).
i’m going to miss the friends and faculty members at the college of education that made my experience so meaningful. i am now able to step into a crowded & chaotic classroom of youth and experience it as something not only meaningful but sacred. i’d [...]

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HS3

24May09

there’s been a lotta local news coverage of the teacher lay-offs in response to the $800 million of public-school funding cut by the state. most of the teachers being “RIFed” are young, energetic recent graduates who are excited to be serving in public schools but have nowhere to work. 
carrie and i have been lucky (so [...]

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i wanna indoctrinate my students

20May09

i made an off-hand remark/joke today that i indoctrinate the students in my class with my beliefs.
it was a joke, but it was only half a joke. while i want to teach reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, i also want my students to come away with a set of values & beliefs. i want [...]

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so one of my students

04May09

came to school today and decided to get into a fight in the middle of class. it didn’t get too far thankfully, but it was definitely a tough way to start my day. 
i talked to my cooperating teacher today about the incident, and he informed me that:
1) she’s been violently raped by a family member.
2) [...]

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