A Saturday at Fordham University

A Saturday at Fordham University. Coffee, a shaded bench, newlyweds exchanging rings in the courtyard, deep kisses of love, families sauntering about the grounds. This is the joy of life that should never be forgotten in the shadow of stress and a looming to do list. Replace panic with self-confidence, thoughts of failure with the scent of a simple warming relief.

I have quite a bit to do again. Graduate school is back in swing with textbook chapters piling up, written responses awaiting composition, and the first rounds of project work. On top of that, my role at school has changed. A recent and unexpected resignation of the 8th grade reading teacher has forced me into that role. This means that, for the immediate future, I will be both special educator and general educator, something I'm nervous I won't be able to do well. But again, I would be wiser to disregard this fear in favor of a more productive outlook; work hard, be nice, drink coffee.

Regardless of my situation, I know I will put forth extraordinary effort to benefit my students. I will work tirelessly, rising before the sun, returning home long after it has set, many of the days of the weeks to come, in an effort to produce a welcoming classroom, a space for authentic learning and the free exchange of ideas, an atmosphere where children are aware of their own skill development and are driven by an intrinsic motivation to succeed. That is the aim anyway. I will let you know how it goes – but for now, I wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten you loyal readers. I’ve only become distracted for a time.

Live. Love. Be.

Your developing teacher,

Josh