There are very few days when teaching tries my patience, and today wasn’t one of them. Generally speaking, I love my job. There is one day in particular that I look forward to each week and it’s because of my creative writing class. I’ve been teaching these students for the past two years. I’ve watched them grow and gain confidence in their English speaking abilities. Now I’m watching them as they struggle to learn the ins and outs of writing in English. This can be a daunting task for students of any age.
The most challenging part of this program to date has been teaching them how to brainstorm, revise and edit properly. They are still trying to grasp the concept of editing, but the brainstorming process seems to be much easier for them. At first, they would sit for ages and stare at the wall. Now, when I ask them to write, they hunker down and they write pages. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen a huge improvement in their writing skills. It’s almost like something clicked on in their heads. They are finally starting to think like writers! I couldn’t be happier. Every day, I read the mountain of homework they submit, starting from weekly journal entries and ending with each weekly writing assignment. At times, they are working on two or three pieces at once in various stages of completion.
Tonight they saw all their hard work come to fruition when I showed them Jim’s story here on My Several Worlds. The smiles and looks of amazement on their faces was the best gift they could’ve given me. When they realized that they each get their own bio page with the opportunity to have more of their work featured, an excited buzz started in the classroom that continued until class ended.
Creating a page for my students here on My Several Worlds allows them to get a taste of what it feels like to be published. It is a unique experience for them, and I hope it motivates them to keep writing. I am constantly amazed at the stories they write for me. Every day brings new adventures on paper and reminds me why I love teaching so much.
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Great, Carrie. The joy after hard work is the best. I wish my wee ones (Grade 1) were capable of such feats. Getting them to correctly spell their recently given English names is all I can ask for.
Seeing your hard work pay off is one of the greatest feelings there is, to me at least. It must feel extra rewarding when you can see that it has made a difference in someone else’s life.
Ah but Stevo….the difference is you are loved and I bet it’s unconditional too! You don’t have to be cool, or act tough. You can just be yourself and they’ll love you for who you are. That’s the beauty of teaching wee ones and sometimes I miss it, even if it’s frustrating at times.
One of the things I find difficult about teaching teenagers is making a big enough impact on them for them to be motivated to learn. That’s the biggest part of the battle. Things are a little easier on me now that the students all know who I am, but I struggled with them when I first signed on with Gram. I was constantly being compared to the teacher whose place I had taken. I took months to convince them that I’m not all that bad. I’ve never had any problems with little ones because they are usually more accepting and trusting.
Hi Kim,
It is. But it works both ways. They’re making a huge difference in my life too.