Before I start my story, I chose to focus on my English discipline this time. I believe in the value of math writings and found the reading/powerpoint on that topic to be insightful and incredibly helpful! However, I had a very specific incident in my life that led me to my English discipline, and as you read I'm sure you'll see why...
Yep, I became lazy. Unless the teacher demanded more out of me I did just enough to still bring home that 3.75 that my parents required in order for me to keep driving. Luckily the "C Term" as it became known at my house came around before I started driving! Keep in mind, I had teachers I worked for. My AP American History teacher, Mr. Knight, was so passionate about what he taught and had such charisma (yes, we actually told him on a regular basis that he, in fact, had charisma) that it was hard not to get caught up in the tale of Women's Suffrage and the Industrial Revolution. That man deserves a lot of credit for teaching me how to write a DBQ (Document Based Question) essay for my AP Exam. I actually quite enjoyed all of my AP classes. Looking back now I realize that it was because those were my quality teachers who really knew how to engage and challenge me.
Like I said, I wasn't dumb. With AP and Concurrent Enrollment hours on my side, I enrolled at Dixie College in 1998. Because I already had 38 credit hours I graduated the next spring. But Dixie is where the "Pain" began...
Meet my best friend through part of high school and my year at Dixie- yep, it's a baseball. No, I didn't play for Dixie. I played with this little guy under my desk. Most of my family suffers from what my baby brother calls ADOS... Attention Deficit, OOH SHINEY!!! Needless to say, if our hands aren't busy we aren't paying attention. I met Professor Allen Payne the first day of my Spring semester. He was my English 2010 professor. English 2010 is all about writing, and guess what, I can write. No need to worry, right?
...And then I dropped my baseball. First day- I dropped it, which never happened until that day- it rolled to the front of the classroom and hit Professor Payne right in the foot. Now, one of Payne's arms was paralyzed from a stroke, so he had to reach across himself, maintain his balance, and pick up the baseball that one of his very new and very rude students just had the nerve to drop in his class. He informed me with a stern veteran teacher tone that I could "have it back at the end of the year." Ten minutes later he gave it back with implicit instructions to hold still and pay attention. And that was it... I was on his radar.
I wrote 2 seemingly impeccable essays and received a B on each. I couldn't understand! I met the criteria, I covered the topic, and I stuck to the format guidelines. My MLA was perfect... what more could he want?! It was at that point that he asked me to come to his office and meet with him during my hour break between classes.
You see- he had researched me. He looked through my high school transcripts, my SAT and ACT scores, the classes I had taken and the grades I had received. And he figured me out. He informed me that I was going to earn every ounce of whatever grade I earned in his class. He wanted to meet with me regularly and he wanted evidence that I was working my little 19 year old butt off! He was offering help and variety when it came to writing opportunities, and he wanted quality and variety back. We were already laying the groundwork for our big research paper for the semester and he wanted to be involved in the entire process.
I wanted to write something about Judaism- I was fascinated by the Jewish culture and really wanted to learn more. Payne saw that important spark we've been learning about and fanned it. He could have told me there was no relevance in my topic, but he didn't. He did however explain that the topic was too broad- he wanted me to add more detail and so he got me thinking and brought more "oxygen" to the process. How about the rise and spread of Judaism? Where was it rising and where was it spreading? Ok, so what about the rise and spread of Judaism from it's origins to America? Well, this continued for a week until I finally found something suitable... "The Rise and Spread of Hasidic Judaism from Eastern Europe to the United States." It's been 16 years and I still know the exact title. As we are learning to be extremely important- it was clear, it was focused, and I knew what my paper should address.
Things continued this way for the entire semester. I shared my writing with Payne and he shared some of his with me. It was the first time I had a teacher share his own writing and not just give examples from previous students. I didn't understand then how important that was, but it was another point that hit me as I worked through our module.
Keep in mind that this was when the internet was still dial-up and very slow. I used a card catalog to find books in the College Library. I read the Encyclopedia. I scoured through old journal entries and first hand accounts. I brainstormed. I wrote note cards, and then more note cards when Payne told me I didn't have enough. I wrote multiple drafts. I spent hours working on my MLA citations and completing my Works Cited page. There were more sources than would fit on one page. The paper was 16 pages long- all typed on the notepad program that I had available on my dinosaur computer.
By the end of that semester I was so sick of "Pain" I couldn't stand it anymore. The football players in the class didn't have to go through all that crap! They also were perfectly happy with their C's. I got an A- on that paper. Yep, all that and I still didn't get an A. It was a thing of beauty- but it still had a few citation errors and grammar mistakes. Thus the A-. I couldn't wait to be rid of Payne and his stupid 2010 class.
It's been 16 years and I haven't been as proud of a grade since. I still have that research paper tucked away somewhere in a box of old photos and awards. And you know what? Payne really was a Pain, and I love him for it. He taught me what I could do. He taught me that just because I could write didn't mean that I couldn't write better. He taught me how to work. But most of all he allowed me a sense of pride and accomplishment that I had never felt before! Does the paper apply to anything in my own life? No. Did I learn a level of work and commitment that will forever aide me in my own life? You better believe it! Will it change the way that I teach? Dang straight!!!
I know how to pick out those students. Any kid can be one. Any and every kid has something inside them that just needs to be wiggled out of them. It might require stretching and uncomfortable moments, but that's what it takes. They may not see it in themselves, but I will see it in them and show them what they are capable of. I will make them work and stretch, put themselves into what they do, and be proud of the product. It may be 16 years before they see the value, but I doubt it. As much as I thought I hated Payne, I admired, respected, and loved him even more!
Payne gave me a good foundation, and that has been greatly added to through my SCED program. I believe in and plan to use the following:
-Modeling work- I WILL share my own writing with my students and will make sure they are clear on what I am looking for. I want them to know that variety and sharing are good.
-Peer review and discussion- There was great value in the time that Professor Payne took to work with me, but peer involvement would have been an added bonus. The learning that can take place all around when it comes to the writing process is immeasurable.
-Building on aspects of effective writing- My students won't be able to grasp every aspect of writing immediately, and that is good. Scaffolding is used by teachers everyday. It is how we teach and how students learn. I will build my students into better writers, readers, and editors with every new opportunity!
I like the idea that was shared in this module of "Not every text a Mona Lisa." That research paper was my Mona Lisa. It really was a work of art! But there were plenty of papers before that were "messy writings." They were good, they had worth, they helped me learn different aspects of writing, but they weren't to same "level" of writing as my research paper. THIS is the goal!!! I want to help my students produce notes, journals, and content writings. I want them to learn, try new things, and find a voice. I want them to look back and see their work and the Mona Lisa that it helped them create!
