Learning Letter
Dear Bailey,
This quarter has been an absolute whirlwind. I have never been stretched so far as a student, and I have never seen myself more as an educator. My class load kept me on my toes, especially once I was finally placed in my practicum. However, out of all of that English 493 was both my favorite class and the class that made me think deepest.
For the most part, I really enjoyed my work in this class. The book talks were some of my favorite assignments from the quarter. I loved to have an opportunity to discuss books I already knew and loved with an awesome, like-minded group of people. I also enjoyed being a participant in book talks because I got to hear other perspectives of books that I have read, and I got to add some new books to my Good Reads "Want to Read" list. The conversations we had around the books were great, especially from an educator's point of view. We all seemed to have an opinion of where to draw the line with a text, and it was interesting to hear from different perspectives on this. I also really enjoyed the required readings. The Round House is my favorite book I have read so far this year, and I will definitely be recommending it to friends whether or not I decide to recommend it to students. The unit plan was an assignment that challenged me to the point that I did not expect, but I did find the fun in the creative side of the lesson. I really just did not anticipate the intense amount of time that would take. It wasn't that I procrastinated it either, for I worked on it throughout the quarter, and I turned in all of the rough drafts, but I did not realize how long it would take me to write a lesson plan of a quality that I deemed acceptable. This in combination with the two other units I had to complete at the end of this quarter swamped me, and the final product wasn't something that I was completely proud of. I still have a so much hard work put into it, but I will admit that there were some cut corners, and I know that overall, the unit could use some polishing.
The theories and concepts we discussed in class were very beneficial. I liked that Shawn included topics that I had not dealt with in other classes such as social justice in the classroom and pop culture and media in education. I would say that I have some pretty strong opinions on those subjects and it was great to share them as well as listen to others'. As I mentioned with the book talks, our group is a good one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the openness and honesty that I saw in our class. This made discussions rich and meaningful, even (and especially) in instances where we did not all agree. I walk away from this class feeling the same way I did about these topics- social justice and pop culture and media literacy are necessary components in ELA education- but I now see other perspectives and ideas.
Overall, my time in English 493 has made me a deeper thinker when it comes to being an educator. After the work and discussion I have put into this class, I find myself asking the "hows" and the "whys" much more often. It's important to continue to do this as I find myself in a classroom more and more frequently. I need to ask questions about what is best for my students, how I can help them reach their full potential and why things are the way that they are. In this way, I will ensure growth in myself, and thus, growth in the people who trust me to teach.
Sincerely,
Bailey Gerhart
This quarter has been an absolute whirlwind. I have never been stretched so far as a student, and I have never seen myself more as an educator. My class load kept me on my toes, especially once I was finally placed in my practicum. However, out of all of that English 493 was both my favorite class and the class that made me think deepest.
For the most part, I really enjoyed my work in this class. The book talks were some of my favorite assignments from the quarter. I loved to have an opportunity to discuss books I already knew and loved with an awesome, like-minded group of people. I also enjoyed being a participant in book talks because I got to hear other perspectives of books that I have read, and I got to add some new books to my Good Reads "Want to Read" list. The conversations we had around the books were great, especially from an educator's point of view. We all seemed to have an opinion of where to draw the line with a text, and it was interesting to hear from different perspectives on this. I also really enjoyed the required readings. The Round House is my favorite book I have read so far this year, and I will definitely be recommending it to friends whether or not I decide to recommend it to students. The unit plan was an assignment that challenged me to the point that I did not expect, but I did find the fun in the creative side of the lesson. I really just did not anticipate the intense amount of time that would take. It wasn't that I procrastinated it either, for I worked on it throughout the quarter, and I turned in all of the rough drafts, but I did not realize how long it would take me to write a lesson plan of a quality that I deemed acceptable. This in combination with the two other units I had to complete at the end of this quarter swamped me, and the final product wasn't something that I was completely proud of. I still have a so much hard work put into it, but I will admit that there were some cut corners, and I know that overall, the unit could use some polishing.
The theories and concepts we discussed in class were very beneficial. I liked that Shawn included topics that I had not dealt with in other classes such as social justice in the classroom and pop culture and media in education. I would say that I have some pretty strong opinions on those subjects and it was great to share them as well as listen to others'. As I mentioned with the book talks, our group is a good one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the openness and honesty that I saw in our class. This made discussions rich and meaningful, even (and especially) in instances where we did not all agree. I walk away from this class feeling the same way I did about these topics- social justice and pop culture and media literacy are necessary components in ELA education- but I now see other perspectives and ideas.
Overall, my time in English 493 has made me a deeper thinker when it comes to being an educator. After the work and discussion I have put into this class, I find myself asking the "hows" and the "whys" much more often. It's important to continue to do this as I find myself in a classroom more and more frequently. I need to ask questions about what is best for my students, how I can help them reach their full potential and why things are the way that they are. In this way, I will ensure growth in myself, and thus, growth in the people who trust me to teach.
Sincerely,
Bailey Gerhart
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