1st Week at PhilWP: First Impressions

The first week at the Philadelphia Writing Institute was all that I thought it would be and more. I have come to collaborate with others about life, teaching, and learning. We have completed many reading assignments, activities, and thoughtful discussions which were authentic, emotional, and valuable experiences which have made deep and lasting impressions in my mind.

One of the biggest correlations or epiphanies that I made this week was one that came from my reading of the "Poisonwood Bible" while there were many messages. The message that I could best analogize was Natan's relationship to his village being as important to a teacher's relationship to her classroom. Meaning that Nathan did not take the time to get to know his village and spend real time with his neighbors, causing many miscommunications and catastrophies that may have been avoided. As a teacher you don't want to make the same mistakes. To me this first week has been spent on learning how to make deeper connections within ourselves and our students. Instead of just coming in and making assumptions about where your students academic capabilities are and "preaching" to them about what they need to learn. A good teacher will communicate with and understand her students needs and strengths. She will incorporate several types of learning strategies and encourage her students to dig deep within themselves, so that they will value their writing and be motivated to write more. Unlike, Nathan if we take the time to invest in our students, and our classroom communities our classrooms will flurish.