It's Been a While...

(photo credit)

On the day of my last post, April 11, a student at my school passed away as a result of a traumatic and freak head injury. 

As you know, I taught seniors last semester and really fell in love with them. They are a dynamic group, but worked hard, learned how to write, and were good company for a semester. What I admired most about this particular group was the closeness amongst them. I never had any issues with bullying, teasing, or inappropriate comments in class because they all got along like a big family. It sure makes teaching easy when your students care for one another. 

So when the student was injured in an accident that involved two of his best friends (two of my former students), I knew this was going to be an immensely difficult situation for the school, their group of friends, but also those two boys.

And it has been. I have been praying a lot throughout the last 13 days. I have been praying for my former principal, who is the father of the student who passed. I have been praying for the community. I have been praying for my students and school. And above all, I have been praying for those friends. Those friends who saw a tragedy unfold before their young eyes.

School hasn't been the same. I teach the students' girlfriend during 8th mod, and as a class, had to prepare the remaining students in that class what to expect or what to do for when she would return to school. The students' favorite color was orange; there has been a lot of orange in the hallways. There are makeshift memorials donning the hallways. There are funny memories being told over and over again, because it's the only thing that makes sense and the only thing that makes it all feel better.

When I went to school to be a high school English teacher, I knew I wanted to do more than talk about books and grammar. I wanted to be the person that made school bearable for kids. I wanted to be the one that helped them see the best in themselves. What I didn't know is how much empathy and sadness I would feel when losing a student with so much life. I also didn't know how I would/will escape the guilt of wanting to do more for his friends to help them through the day-to-day. 

It's been hard. I have learned a lot about teaching and about teenagers through the last 13 days. There is no easy way to move on from this, other than continuing to try. 

I'll be honest, blogging hasn't been my priority because school has been front and center for me. I do feel, however, that this weekend rejuvenated my concentration and my spirit. I think I'm ready to have a high spirit and lift my kids up to where they need to be. 

But I know it's not over yet. We have 29 days of school left and then graduation, where there will be an empty seat with his name on it. There will be memories that will consume our minds of a life taken too soon when we least expect it. 

I guess, what I want you readers to know, is that teaching is more than just teaching. It's about helping young people learn what it's like to be a person. It's about helping young people recognize how to feel and what to think during times like this. It's about helping them realize that everything they're thinking and feeling is entirely normal and okay. 

I'll be back to blogging this week. I just needed a break for a while.

Field Trip: Library of Congress Part 2

Where did I leave off? Oh, yeah. We had just finished touring the main floor of the Library of Congress on Friday. Our next stop was the Reading Room. This room is pretty much world famous as it has been in scenes of many, many movies (like All the President's Men, National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets, and Born Yesterday). Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to snap any photographs in this room, even though it was absolutely gorgeous. So I'm going to borrow some photos to explain it's structure for you.

  

(photo source)

Each time you visit the Library, the clerk will assign you a specific desk. When you find the material you would like to use, you will request it, and then a clerk will bring it to you. The Library is not a lending library, so you must do all your research within the Reading Room. Isn't it gorgeous?

  

Each pillar has been designated a particular field of study (e.g. philosophy, poetry, science). Above the designated label is a statue that personifies that field of study. Between the pillars, the dark figures you see above, are statues of "great thinkers" like Newton and Plato. I thought my students would be most impressed with this room--and don't get me wrong--they were impressed, but it wasn't their favorite room on the tour. More on that later.

After a 10 minute stop in the Reading Room, our tour ventured to the other side of the main floor. When my students saw how bright and lively the building was after being in the dark Reading Room for so long, they were truly in awe. I overheard many of them say (especially my history-lovin fellas), "this place is beautiful." That made the entire trip worth it.

 We peeked at the Capitol building across the lawn on our way down the stairs. 

And then their minds were blown. Our last stop was visiting how the Library originated: Thomas Jefferson's personal library. Even though photography wasn't allowed in this room, I asked if I could photograph the ceiling, and my tour guide said yes, so I just snapped a shot really quickly ;). It was incredible. My students were essentially scouring the shelves to see "what Jefferson was reading." I think many of them are interested in politics, but I know for sure, many of my male students are very curious about how historical figures earn their way into those positions. I wouldn't be surprised to see many of my students in political office. 

After we toured the Jefferson room, we headed to the Gift Shop to meet with the other group. The students had worked up a hefty appetite by that point, so we wondered down the block to give them a few options for lunch. Understanding they needed to be with a chaperone at all times, they had a choice between Cosi, Subway, or Burrito Hut. I stayed at Cosi with the majority of the students and they were happy to try something they had never had before (even though Cosi isn't exactly out-of-the-box). It's really important that when you're on a field trip with high school students (I would say 10th - 12th grade) that you afford some free time for them. They are really great at staying inside parameters, so long as they are clear and they don't feel as if you're hounding them. I decided to give my students a choice for lunch, since they had to stick to their tour groups all morning. They appreciated the freedom and choice.

All in all, I had a really wonderful day. I am so sad to think that after this coming week, I will not see many of them every day. It has been a pleasure getting to know each of them throughout this semester. They have worked so hard to become better writers, and I truly believe they are well on their way to academic success.

If you have never been to the LOC, I strongly encourage you to sign up for a tour (they're free)! You will learn so much more about the history of the building, our country, and Congress than if you were to just visit it yourself. My students had a really lovely time, and I think, they realized they're just as big of a nerd as I am :) 

Have a great rest of your day! 

xo,

Liz

Field trip: Library of Congress part 1

I have had a really amazing first semester at my new school. Even though I was a little petrified about teaching both seniors and a composition course over the summer (I was incredibly inexperienced with both), I found myself loving nearly every second of each day in class. Not only did I have to stretch beyond my comfort zone (which is more reading based) to teach writing, but I had to work pretty hard to ensure my students were getting the most out of the class as possible. It felt good to work hard. I absolutely adore my current students. They are the sweetest, most loving teenagers I have worked with in my 5 years of teaching. They have been so eager to learn and so comfortable talking with me and seeking advice, I just consider this to be a match made in education heaven (if a place were to exist..). 

Realizing our time was coming to an end in December, they made a furtive request to attend a field trip as one last hoorah! together. Sure, I've taken many classes on field trips, but it was beyond me where we would go that was writing related and also cool. Writing isn't exactly fun to watch. So, I passed the baton to my students. What is a place that is writing and research based that would be cool to visit?

You know teenagers, for better or worse, they always have answers. One male student in my third mod class said, "hey, what about the Library of Congress?" I was instantly on board. Somehow it all worked out perfectly and we reserved a tour date for January 13th. As you know, Cory and I like to soak in as much of the metropolitan area as physically possible, but many of my students have only been to Washington, D.C. once or twice. I'm really hoping the more I expose them to it, the more that will change, considering it is only an hour away from where I teach. 

We had a breezy, but wonderful January day. We left school promptly at 8:45 to ensure our arrival to Capitol Hill for our 11:00 A.M. Thomas Jefferson Building tour. I reserved our tour online and you can, too. It was fast and easy. The Library was readily accessible for me to email and call with last minute questions about what my students could an could not bring along with them. It was so easy to plan, I was astonished. 

Here's a look at the first part of our tour!

 

The Library is actually comprised of three buildings, each dedicated to specific functions and facilities. It is the biggest library in the world as it contains both published material and maps, but also some fun memorabilia as well. For example, did you know that the $5 bill President Lincoln had in his pocket the night he was assassinated is kept at the Library of Congress? Nope. I didn't either. 

 After they split my students into two groups (thank goodness for parent chaperones!), my group began by touring the main floor of the building where a Gutenberg Bible is kept. They have very strict regulations as to what you can and cannot photograph, so I wasn't able to snap a shot of that; however, the architecture kept me fairly occupied. The best feature of our tour was that much of the building's structure and architecture was thoroughly explained. Many of the ceilings are covered in gorgeous Italian mosaics or hand painted murals. The colors were so rich.

After being in the main level for just a few minutes I was overcome with inspiration and clarity. It is such a beautiful structure. 

I'll be back soon with the second half of the tour! 

Have a great rest of your day! :)