I love reading and writing and want to pass that love on to my students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to love reading and writing because when you love doing something – you do it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to dive deep into pages <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And lose themselves in colorful worlds <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Created from black and white text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want me to make sure the assigned standards are covered on schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to read for fun and pleasure<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But also to have their minds expanded,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To live other lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other eras, other places, other people, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Real and imaginary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That will bring them back to their lives <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little wiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to chose freely and without restriction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From all the books they might be interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to share books and stories and essays and poems<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, too, though, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because there is value and insight to be gleaned <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From sharing our thoughts about what we read with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to know that reading is an interaction <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Between reader and text, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That you should try hard to listen to the writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then you are free to question the writer,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To disagree with or argue with the writer – <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if they are long dead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to ask questions and to discuss those questions <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a way that brings new insight and truth to their reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to ask good questions about what they read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want reading to change their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want them to read and answer the questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the textbook or the assessment or the state test<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And get the one right answer <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That shows they can think<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The way the corporation that wrote the questions <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wants them to think<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About the limited, approved books and texts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They allow students to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want my students to know they have things to say, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To feel in their bones and in their hands and minds the need to say them well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to know that the things they have to say matter – because they matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them to know that writing is more than compliance to a set of instructions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That writing can be a way of finding out what you think,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spelunking down into a cave of ideas not knowing what you’ll find <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waiting at the dark cool floor below,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that writing can also be knowing what you want to say<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And making a series of choices as a writer to say it well,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That writing means caring enough to mess around with your writing in a very untidy way,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a three-year-old filling up a page with finger paints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generating ideas from the rich soil of experience,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growing images and metaphors, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harvesting words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then making words soar<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And finding the best way for them to flow in the air currents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trying to get it all just right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No. To get it as good as you can, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing you that since there is no one right way to write,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might change your mind about what just right means<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want my students to write about things <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They don’t care about<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to make their performances measureable<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a 6 point or 8 point or 10 point or 12 point rubric<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that they can meet the demands of the writing test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to give reading and writing <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be inquiry and exploration<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About things that really matter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happiness, success, power,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Points of view and good character,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voice and meaning and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want what we do to matter to them in the now, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want me to teach the way the textbook tells me to teach<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to address approved thematic topics <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That don’t matter much to kids<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But are just a gimmick that will supposedly engage them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, wait. This just in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thematic Units are out. Now we just teach genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can’t have them thinking about Big Ideas too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want them animated<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitting together in clumps of kids<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discussing, debating, questioning, connecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want them in neat rows in dead silence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not look at another students test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will tell you when there are 10 minutes left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to be a teacher they remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to be a teacher who makes a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want my classroom to be magical,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A place of growth and discussion and insight and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to be creative and help my kids to be creative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want me do as I’m told,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which involves me telling kids to do as they’re told. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to teach for life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want my classroom to be a laboratory <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For thinking, reading, writing, and being,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For learning how to learn,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For trying to understand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How we understand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we think we understand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to create intellectually healthy people<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who think and question<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And exhibit skepticism <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even about their own thoughts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not just other people’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to help nurture <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expansive thinkers who can think in new ways <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And think new thoughts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Incite new insights,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And create and collaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want students who can think<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the proscribed ways the standards tell them to think,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And do not deviate from those ways of thinking,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who can answer questions to please the algorithm<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that the data will look good <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the teachers, the school, the district, the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to help my students be vibrant human beings <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who are alive and aware,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who can find their passions <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And use them to create, not just into security for themselves,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a better world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want to create compliant employees<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And unthinking consumers with zero sales resistance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who will keep the economy rumbling along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They want to feed them to the machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to throw a wrench in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I love reading and writing and want to pass that love on to my students. I want them to love reading and writing because when you love doing something – you do it better. I want them to dive deep into pages And lose themselves in colorful worlds Created from black and white text. They Read More >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1072"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1077,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072\/revisions\/1077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}